Top 10 Mistakes Students Make in PSLE English Oral Exams

Preparing for the PSLE English Oral examination can be stressful, and many students unknowingly repeat the same mistakes that cost them marks. Some read too quickly without proper pauses, while others mispronounce words or speak in a flat tone that doesn’t convey meaning. During the conversation section, students often give short answers, repeat memorized lines, or forget to expand on their ideas, which makes their responses sound weak.

These common PSLE Oral mistakes are easy to avoid once students know what examiners are really looking for. By understanding the top 10 pitfalls and learning how to overcome them, your child can build confidence, speak more naturally, and perform strongly in the PSLE English Oral.

Here are the top 10 most common PSLE English Oral mistakes that students make—and more importantly, how to spot and avoid them for a stronger performance:

1. Rushing the Reading-Aloud Section

Many students read too quickly, leading to pronunciation errors and skipped punctuation—resulting in a flat or unclear reading. This common pitfall stems from exam nerves or lack of control over pace. 

2. Monotonous Delivery

A reading that sounds robotic or devoid of emotion fails to engage the examiner. Examiners look for tone, pitch, and mood to reflect the content’s intent—enthusiastic, calm, questioning, or excited. 

3. Focusing on Words, Not Meaning

Attempting to read every word correctly without understanding the meaning leads to robotic delivery. Students should grasp the passage's context before reading aloud to reflect comprehension. 

4. Pronunciation and Enunciation Mistakes

Words like “salmon” (should pronounce as “sam‑uhn”) or the article “the” (correct as “thuh/thee”) are often mispronounced due to Singlish influences or lack of phonics awareness.

5. Neglecting the Stimulus

In the Stimulus-Based Conversation, students sometimes share personal opinions without referencing the given visual prompt—or they focus only on stimulus details without personal insights. Both extremes lead to weaker responses. 

6. Weak Structure in Responses

Without a clear structure—like the P-E-E or P‑E‑E‑P method (Point, Explanation, Example, Personal opinion)—responses can appear disjointed or unfocused. 

7. Lack of Confidence and Nervousness

Anxiety often causes students to mumble, freeze up, or give one-word answers. Confidence, expressed through clear posture, steady pace, and eye contact, is crucial for a strong performance. 

8. Speaking Too Softly or Too Quickly

Speaking under pressure may lead students to minimize their voice or speed through responses, making their answers hard to follow.

9. Over-reliance on Memorised Answers

When responses sound rehearsed or mechanical, students fail to show genuine engagement. Examiners look for natural, thoughtful answers, not clichés.

10. Limited Vocabulary and Expression

Using simplistic language or repeating the same words makes answers less compelling. Richer vocabulary and expressions help students sound more articulate and confident. 

Real-Life Scenario Snapshots in PSLE English Oral

• Little Mei (PSLE English Oral 2023)

  During the Reading Aloud section, Mei was given a passage about a birthday party at a park. Nervous, she read at breakneck speed, skipping commas and full stops, which caused her voice to flatten and lose the intended excitement of the scene. The examiner noted her fluency but deducted marks for expression and pacing — a common issue flagged in the 2023 PSLE examiner feedback.

• Aaron (School Preliminary Oral, August 2024)

  Faced with a Stimulus-Based Conversation about children helping at a neighbourhood recycling drive, Aaron described the image accurately — mentioning the bins, the sorting of bottles, and the volunteers. However, he stopped there. He didn’t share his own experiences or views on community work, missing an opportunity to show personal engagement, which cost him valuable content marks. His teacher’s post-exam notes highlighted that this is a frequent shortfall among otherwise capable speakers.

• Sarah (PSLE English Oral 2022)

  Sarah had prepared a detailed, memorised answer on environmental conservation for her oral practice sessions. During the actual exam, the examiner asked a follow-up question linking the stimulus to school events, but her memorised script didn’t fit. She hesitated, repeated phrases, and stumbled — revealing the risk of over-reliance on rote answers. This was also a trend observed in the 2022 SEAB oral examiners’ reports, where students froze when prompted with unexpected question angles.

The scenarios above are drawn from a combination of sources, including official Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) PSLE oral examiners’ reports (2022–2023), MOE school-based preliminary oral assessments (2024), and first-hand teacher observations from Hess Academy. While student names have been changed for privacy, the patterns, mistakes, and consequences described reflect actual examination and assessment feedback from recent years.

At Hess Academy, we believe that spotting these mistakes is just the first step — the real transformation happens when students are guided to overcome them with the right strategies, practice techniques, and mindset shifts.

In a previous article, we shared practical, examiner-approved tips and proven classroom methods to help students tackle these challenges with confidence, so they can enter the PSLE English Oral exam fully prepared to excel.

Read the full article here: How to Ace the New PSLE Oral Exam in 2025