📚 PSLE → Secondary School series · Part 1 of 3. Read in order: ① AL scoring system (you're here) → ② From PSLE to S1 Posting → ③ Cut-off scores.
PSLE is scored by Achievement Levels (AL). Each subject gets a band from AL1 (best) to AL8, and your child's PSLE Score is the sum of four subjects — from 4 to 32, where lower is better. That's the whole system in one sentence. The rest of this page shows the bands, two worked examples, and where to check official numbers.
Official source: MOE — PSLE Scoring System
The 30-second version
- Replaced the T-score in 2021. Here to stay — no end date announced, so it applies to the 2026–2028 cohorts (P3–P6 now).
- Each subject is graded into one of 8 bands by actual marks — not ranked against other children.
- PSLE Score = sum of the 4 subject ALs (English, Mother Tongue, Maths, Science).
- Range 4–32. Lower = better. A child who scores 6 is near the top; 28 is near the bottom.
The AL bands (mark cut-offs)
| AL band | Raw mark |
|---|---|
| AL1 | 90–100 |
| AL2 | 85–89 |
| AL3 | 80–84 |
| AL4 | 75–79 |
| AL5 | 65–74 |
| AL6 | 45–64 |
| AL7 | 20–44 |
| AL8 | below 20 |
Bands are absolute: 88 marks in Maths is AL2, no matter how the cohort did. They are also wider at the bottom on purpose — small mark gaps shouldn't change a band at the lower end.
Check any mark combination with the official MOE Score Calculator.
Two worked examples: from marks to a posting
Jason — aiming high.
| Subject | Marks | AL |
|---|---|---|
| English | 91 | AL1 |
| Maths | 87 | AL2 |
| Science | 92 | AL1 |
| Chinese | 86 | AL2 |
- PSLE Score = 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 6
- A 6 is in the Integrated Programme / top-school range. Jason lists Raffles Institution as choice 1 → posted to choice 1.
Sharon — mid-band, tie-break in play.
| Subject | Marks | AL |
|---|---|---|
| English | 78 | AL4 |
| Maths | 70 | AL5 |
| Science | 76 | AL4 |
| Tamil | 82 | AL3 |
- PSLE Score = 4 + 5 + 4 + 3 = 16 — solid mainstream.
- Sharon lists 6 schools by preference. At choice 2 her score ties with other students for the last seat.
- S1 Posting breaks ties in this order: ① citizenship → ② order of choice → ③ random ballot. She loses the ballot at choice 2 → posted to choice 3.
The lesson: the order you rank schools matters when scores tie. (Full S1 Posting rules: MOE.)
What does a score "open"?
| PSLE Score | Roughly opens |
|---|---|
| 4–8 | Integrated Programme + most sought-after schools |
| 9–14 | Most popular schools |
| 15–20 | Mainstream schools |
| 21–32 | Posting Groups 2–1 (former Normal streams) under Full Subject-Based Banding |
These are bands of possibility, not guarantees — the real cut-off for each school shifts yearly with demand. From 2024, secondary schools use Full Subject-Based Banding (Posting Groups 1–3) instead of Express/Normal streams.
- 🔎 Exact per-school ranges: MOE indicative PSLE score ranges (PDF)
- 🔎 Search any school: MOE SchoolFinder
What this means for prep
- Band thresholds beat marginal marks. Going 84 → 85 in Maths jumps AL3 → AL2; going 90 → 95 stays AL1. Find subjects sitting just under a band line and push them over.
- You can't grind rank — you earn marks. Only real mark gains move bands, so practising weak topics beats re-doing mastered ones.
- A balanced profile beats a lopsided one. 6/7/7/7 and 4/7/8/8 both total 27, but the even profile reads better at posting.
That's why PSLE Alex builds practice around your child's weakest topics instead of serving more of what they already know.
Official sources
Next in this series → Part 2: From PSLE to S1 Posting