The PSLE AL system, explained for parents.

The basics: 8 bands, 4 subjects, one total

Under the AL system, each PSLE subject is scored in one of eight Achievement Levels — AL1 is the best, AL8 the lowest. Your child's PSLE score is simply the sum of their four subject ALs, giving a total from 4 (best possible) to 32. Lower is better.

Achievement Level	Raw mark
AL1	90 and above
AL2	85 – 89
AL3	80 – 84
AL4	75 – 79
AL5	65 – 74
AL6	45 – 64
AL7	20 – 44
AL8	Below 20

Unlike the old T-score, your child is not graded against other children — only against the mark bands. Two children scoring 91 and 99 both get AL1.

What the total means for Secondary 1

Since 2024, secondary schools admit through Posting Groups under Full Subject-Based Banding (the old Express/NA/NT streams are gone). Indicatively: PSLE scores of around 4–20 map to Posting Group 3, 21–24 to Posting Group 2, and 25–30 to Posting Group 1 — with students in each group taking subjects at more or less demanding levels (G3/G2/G1) and able to mix levels by subject. Individual school cut-off points vary year to year, so always check MOE's current figures when shortlisting schools.

When two children with the same score compete for the last places at a school, tie-breakers apply in order: citizenship, then school choice order, then computerised balloting — which is why the order you list school choices genuinely matters.

The strategic shift most parents miss

Under the T-score, every extra mark in your child's strongest subject helped. Under ALs, marks only matter when they cross a band boundary — pushing Math from 92 to 97 changes nothing, but lifting Science from 73 to 81 moves AL5 to AL3 and improves the total by two points. The practical implications:

• The weakest subject is the biggest lever. An AL5 or AL6 in one subject drags the total more than a near-perfect subject helps it.
• Consistency beats brilliance. Four AL3s (total 12) beats two AL1s and two AL6s (total 14).
• Band edges are where revision pays. A child sitting at 74 or 84 is one good topic away from a whole AL.

A calmer way to think about it

The AL system was designed to lower the temperature — fewer fine distinctions, less chasing every last mark. Use that as permission: identify the one or two subjects sitting low or near a boundary, work those steadily through P5 and P6, and let the strong subjects stay strong without obsession. Steady, targeted work beats panic every time.

Note: AL bands, posting group ranges and school cut-offs are set by MOE and can change — verify current-year details on MOE's official site when making school decisions.