Primary Science Tips in Singapore: Answering Techniques

PSLE Science tests application of concepts, not memorisation. Students lose marks not because they do not know the content, but because they do not answer the way examiners expect. Understanding what markers look for — and structuring answers accordingly — matters more than knowing additional facts.

Many parents assume Science is about learning more content. They buy extra assessment books, drill definitions, and wonder why results do not improve. But when we analyse scripts, the pattern is clear: students know the concepts, they just do not express them correctly. A P5 student last year could explain photosynthesis perfectly out loud but wrote answers that missed every mark. The knowledge was there; the technique was not.

Why Students Lose Marks (It is Usually Not Knowledge)

We had a P5 girl who wrote a beautiful explanation of the water cycle — for a question about why puddles disappear faster on hot days. Technically correct content, zero marks. The question wanted comparison between hot and cool days, not a general water cycle essay.

The biggest mark-killers are incomplete answers, missing keywords, wrong question interpretation, and unlinked explanations. Science questions at PSLE level typically award marks for specific elements. Miss one element, lose that mark — even if everything else is correct.

Where marks typically disappear:

• Incomplete answers ("The plant wilts" without explaining why)
• Everyday language instead of scientific terms ("air" when the mark scheme requires "oxygen")
• Missing the link between cause and effect ("Temperature increases. More evaporation." — no connection word)
• Answering a different question than what was asked
• Correct information that does not address the specific context

The PEEL Framework for Structured Questions

For questions worth 2-3 marks, use PEEL: Point (state your answer), Evidence/Explanation (give the scientific reason), and Link (connect back to the question context). This structure ensures you hit all marking points instead of rambling and hoping something scores.

Example question: "Why does a metal spoon feel colder than a wooden spoon at room temperature?" (2 marks)

Weak answer: "Metal is colder than wood."

Strong answer using PEEL:

• Point: The metal spoon feels colder.
• Explanation: Metal is a better conductor of heat than wood. Heat from your hand transfers to the metal faster than to wood.
• Link: Since heat leaves your hand more quickly when touching metal, it feels colder even though both are at the same room temperature.

The second answer earns both marks. The first earns zero — it is a restatement of the question, not an explanation.

Keywords Examiners Want

Science marking schemes specify exact keywords. "Gets bigger" will not score when the scheme says "expands." "Food" does not count when they want "glucose." Learning precise scientific vocabulary is not pedantic — it directly determines marks.

These are the keywords that matter most, organised by topic.

• Heat: conductor/insulator, expand/contract, heat gain/loss, transfer (not "move")
• Plants: photosynthesis, chlorophyll, glucose, carbon dioxide, oxygen, stomata
• Digestion: digest, absorb, nutrients, small intestine, villi
• Electricity: complete/incomplete circuit, conductor, insulator, resistor
• Forces: gravitational force, friction, air resistance, balanced/unbalanced

The SEAB PSLE syllabus outlines all required concepts. We recommend parents check it against what their child has covered.

Reading Questions Carefully

Many wrong answers come from misreading. Students see familiar words and answer what they expect, not what is asked. Train children to circle or underline command words (explain, compare, describe) and key constraints (using the diagram, based on the table).

Command words and what they require:

• State/Identify: Just give the answer, no explanation needed
• Describe: Say what happens (often in sequence)
• Explain: Give reasons why something happens (cause and effect)
• Compare: Must mention both items with similarities/differences
• Predict: Use given information to suggest what will happen
• Suggest: Open-ended, but answer must be scientifically reasonable

During tuition sessions, one student kept losing marks on "explain" questions by only describing. Once she understood that "explain" requires "because," her scores jumped significantly. Same knowledge, different command word awareness.

Handling Data and Diagrams

When questions include tables, graphs, or diagrams, the answer almost certainly requires referring to specific data from them. Students sometimes ignore the given information and write generic textbook answers. Wrong approach — the data is there for a reason.

For table/graph questions:

• Quote specific numbers from the data ("from 30°C to 45°C")
• Note trends using data ("increases from 2g to 5g when...")
• Identify anomalies if present
• Read axis labels and units carefully

For diagram questions:

• Refer to labelled parts by their given names
• Use arrows or sequences shown in the diagram
• If asked to draw, ensure clarity — use ruler for straight lines, label clearly

During trial exams, a P6 girl consistently scored for her scientific reasoning but lost marks by not referencing diagram labels. "Light enters the eye" became "Light enters through the pupil (shown in diagram)" — and earned the mark.

Common Topics Where Students Struggle

Certain topics generate disproportionate confusion: heat and temperature differences, plant transport vs animal transport, and electrical circuits. These require careful conceptual understanding, not just memorisation.

Tricky concepts to master:

• Heat vs temperature: Heat is energy that transfers; temperature is a measure. Objects at the same temperature can still transfer heat if they have different heat capacities
• Why metals feel cold: It is about conductivity, not actual temperature differences
• Plant transport: Water travels up through xylem; food travels through phloem (can go up or down)
• Series vs parallel circuits: Know what happens when one bulb is removed in each type
• Adaptation vs habitat: Adaptation is the feature; habitat is where the organism lives

The MOE Primary Science syllabus groups concepts by theme. Reviewing by theme helps students see connections they miss when studying topic by topic.

Questions About PSLE Science

How important is memorisation for Science?

Less than most parents think. Yes, you need to know basic facts and vocabulary. But Science papers primarily test whether you can apply concepts to new situations. Memorising model answers tends to backfire because questions are designed to require thinking, not recall.

Should we do lots of assessment books?

Quality over quantity. Doing the same types of questions repeatedly without understanding why answers are correct does not help. Better approach: do fewer papers, but analyse each wrong answer thoroughly. Understand why the correct answer is correct and why yours was not.

My child knows the content but freezes during exams. Why?

In most cases, it is an application or technique problem, not knowledge. Practising under timed conditions helps. Also check if your child is reading questions completely before answering — many freeze because they are answering remembered questions, not the actual one in front of them. The content builds from P5 to P6 and questions become more integrated, so developing good techniques early makes them automatic by exam time.

If your child needs targeted Science support, our small-group classes focus on answering techniques alongside content. Book a trial session to see our approach.

Also useful: Common Maths Mistakes | PSLE Scoring Guide