PSLE AL Score & Grading System 2026 — Calculator & Guide
If your child is approaching the Primary School Leaving Examination, one of the first things you need to understand is how the PSLE scoring system works. Since 2021, Singapore has used the Achievement Level (AL) system to grade PSLE results — replacing the older T-score system that many parents remember from their own school days.
This guide explains how PSLE scoring works in plain language: what each AL grade means, how to calculate your child's aggregate score, what scores are needed for different secondary school streams, and how the new system compares to the old T-score. Whether your child is in Primary 5 or Primary 6, understanding the scoring system helps you set realistic goals and reduce unnecessary stress.
How the Achievement Level (AL) System Works
Under the AL system, each PSLE subject is graded on a scale from AL 1 (best) to AL 8. The grade is based on the percentage of marks your child scores in that subject.
Here is the full breakdown:
| AL Grade | Mark Range | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| AL 1 | 90% and above | Exceptional — strong mastery of the subject |
| AL 2 | 85% to 89% | Very good — secure understanding with minor gaps |
| AL 3 | 80% to 84% | Good — solid understanding of most concepts |
| AL 4 | 75% to 79% | Above average — competent with some areas for growth |
| AL 5 | 65% to 74% | Average — adequate grasp of key concepts |
| AL 6 | 45% to 64% | Below average — partial understanding, gaps in knowledge |
| AL 7 | 20% to 44% | Well below average — significant gaps in understanding |
| AL 8 | Below 20% | Foundational — needs substantial support |
The most important thing to understand: AL grades are based on your child's own marks, not on how they compare to other students. If your child scores 82% in Science, they receive AL 3 — regardless of whether the national average is 60% or 80%. This is a fundamental difference from the old T-score system.
Foundation Subjects
Students who take foundation-level subjects (instead of standard-level) are graded differently. Foundation subjects use a separate scale:
- AL A — grade given for strong performance
- AL B — grade given for adequate performance
- AL C — grade given for basic performance
- Ungraded — below the minimum standard
When calculating the PSLE aggregate score, foundation AL grades are converted to their standard-level equivalents. AL A maps to AL 6, AL B maps to AL 7, and AL C maps to AL 8. This means the best possible aggregate score for a student taking one or more foundation subjects will be higher (numerically) than a student taking all standard subjects.
How to Calculate Your Child's PSLE Aggregate Score
The PSLE aggregate score is straightforward to calculate. Simply add up the AL grades from all four subjects:
PSLE Aggregate = English AL + Maths AL + Science AL + Mother Tongue AL
Since each subject is graded AL 1 to AL 8, the range of possible aggregate scores is:
- Best possible score: 4 (AL 1 + AL 1 + AL 1 + AL 1)
- Worst possible score: 32 (AL 8 + AL 8 + AL 8 + AL 8)
A lower aggregate score is better. Here are a few example scenarios to illustrate:
Example 1 — Strong across all subjects:
| Subject | Marks | AL Grade |
|---|---|---|
| English | 88% | AL 2 |
| Maths | 91% | AL 1 |
| Science | 85% | AL 2 |
| Mother Tongue | 78% | AL 4 |
| Aggregate | 9 |
Example 2 — Solid overall with one weaker subject:
| Subject | Marks | AL Grade |
|---|---|---|
| English | 76% | AL 4 |
| Maths | 82% | AL 3 |
| Science | 70% | AL 5 |
| Mother Tongue | 67% | AL 5 |
| Aggregate | 17 |
Example 3 — Uneven performance:
| Subject | Marks | AL Grade |
|---|---|---|
| English | 80% | AL 3 |
| Maths | 92% | AL 1 |
| Science | 55% | AL 6 |
| Mother Tongue | 72% | AL 5 |
| Aggregate | 15 |
Notice how Example 3 has an excellent Maths score but a weaker Science score. Because the AL system uses broad bands, every subject matters — one weak subject can significantly increase the aggregate. This is why balanced preparation across all four subjects is important.
What Is My PSLE AL Score?
Your child's PSLE AL score is determined by the percentage of marks they score in each subject, converted to an Achievement Level from AL 1 (best) to AL 8. Unlike the old T-score, AL grades are fixed — they do not change based on how other students perform.
| Your Child's Marks | AL Score |
|---|---|
| 90% and above | AL 1 |
| 85% to 89% | AL 2 |
| 80% to 84% | AL 3 |
| 75% to 79% | AL 4 |
| 65% to 74% | AL 5 |
| 45% to 64% | AL 6 |
| 20% to 44% | AL 7 |
| Below 20% | AL 8 |
Example: If your child scores 82% in Science, their AL score for Science is AL 3. If they score 76% in English, that is AL 4. The AL score for a single subject is different from the aggregate score — the aggregate is the sum of all four subjects' AL scores (range: 4 to 32, lower is better).
PSLE Score Calculator — Quick Reference
Use this table to convert your child's percentage marks to AL grades and estimate their aggregate score.
Standard Subjects
| Your Child's Marks | AL Grade | What This Means |
|---|---|---|
| 90% and above | AL 1 | Top band — among the strongest in the subject |
| 85%–89% | AL 2 | Excellent — secure mastery with very minor gaps |
| 80%–84% | AL 3 | Very good — solid understanding of most concepts |
| 75%–79% | AL 4 | Good — competent with some areas for growth |
| 65%–74% | AL 5 | Adequate — grasp of key concepts but notable gaps |
| 45%–64% | AL 6 | Below expectations — partial understanding |
| 20%–44% | AL 7 | Significant gaps — needs targeted support |
| Below 20% | AL 8 | Foundational — needs substantial intervention |
Foundation Subjects
| Grade | Equivalent AL | Mark Range |
|---|---|---|
| AL A | AL 6 | 75% and above |
| AL B | AL 7 | 30%–74% |
| AL C | AL 8 | Below 30% |
How to Calculate Your Aggregate
- Look up each subject's marks in the table above
- Note the AL grade for each of the 4 subjects
- Add the 4 AL grades together
- Your aggregate = the total (lower is better, range: 4–32)
The AL Boundary Effect — Where Every Mark Counts Most
Under the AL system, most marks within a band make no difference to your child's grade. But marks near the boundaries matter enormously.
| If your child scores... | They get... | But just 1-2 marks higher... |
|---|---|---|
| 74% | AL 5 | 75% → AL 4 (one full grade better) |
| 79% | AL 4 | 80% → AL 3 (one full grade better) |
| 84% | AL 3 | 85% → AL 2 (one full grade better) |
| 89% | AL 2 | 90% → AL 1 (one full grade better) |
Why this matters for aggregate scores: Each subject that improves by one AL grade reduces the aggregate by 1 point. For a child scoring 74% in Science (AL 5), improving by just 1 mark to 75% (AL 4) could be the difference between their preferred secondary school and their backup choice.
Practical tip: If your child is scoring near a boundary in any subject, targeted practice on that subject has the highest return on effort. A child scoring 73% in Science only needs to close a 2-mark gap to jump from AL 5 to AL 4. Topic-specific practice can help close these small gaps efficiently.
PSLE AL Score vs T-Score — What Changed and Why
If you sat for your own PSLE before 2021, you likely remember the T-score. Understanding the key differences helps put the new system in perspective.
The T-score was relative. Your child's score depended on how well other students did. A student who scored 80% might get a T-score of 65 or 75, depending on the cohort's performance. This meant parents could never be sure what mark was "good enough" because it shifted every year based on the bell curve.
The AL system is absolute. If your child scores 85%, they get AL 2 — full stop. It does not matter what anyone else scored. This makes goal-setting much clearer: you know exactly what marks your child needs for each AL grade.
Other key differences:
- Less fine-grained distinction. The T-score produced scores ranging from roughly 100 to 300, creating very fine differences between students. The AL system has only 8 bands per subject and aggregate scores from 4 to 32. This means students with similar abilities are more likely to receive the same score, reducing unhelpful pressure over one or two marks.
- Broader banding reduces stress. Under T-scores, a single mark could change a student's ranking among thousands of peers. Under AL, a student scoring 86% and another scoring 89% both receive AL 2. The broader bands are designed to reduce the anxiety that came with chasing every last mark.
- Clearer targets for parents. You can tell your child: "aim for 75% to get AL 4" — and that target does not shift based on how well other children perform.
The Ministry of Education introduced the AL system specifically to reduce excessive competition and encourage students to focus on their own learning rather than comparing themselves to peers.
PSLE Cut-Off Points — What Score Does My Child Need?
After receiving their PSLE results, students indicate their preferred secondary schools through the S1 Posting Exercise. Each school has a cut-off point based on the PSLE aggregate scores of students who were admitted in the previous year.
Here are the typical aggregate score ranges for each posting group:
Posting Group 1 (formerly Express)
- Typical cut-off range: AL 4 to AL 20
- Top schools like Raffles Institution and Hwa Chong Institution typically have cut-offs around AL 4 to AL 8
- Popular schools like Catholic High, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls', and Nanyang Girls' High typically range from AL 6 to AL 10
- Most neighbourhood schools offering Posting Group 1 have cut-offs between AL 11 and AL 20
Posting Group 2 (formerly Normal Academic)
- Typical cut-off range: AL 21 to AL 25
- Under Full Subject-Based Banding (FSBB), students can take subjects at a more demanding level (G2 or G3) based on their strengths
Posting Group 3 (formerly Normal Technical)
- Typical cut-off range: AL 26 to AL 30
- Students can similarly take individual subjects at a higher level through FSBB if they demonstrate the ability
Important Notes on Cut-Off Points
Cut-off points change every year. They are determined by the demand for each school — not set in advance by MOE. A school's cut-off may shift by one to three AL points from year to year depending on how many students apply and their aggregate scores.
Affiliated schools offer an advantage. Students from a primary school with an affiliated secondary school may enjoy a priority admission advantage, typically equivalent to a one to two AL point benefit. For example, if a school's cut-off is AL 10, an affiliated student might be admitted with AL 11 or AL 12.
School choice matters. Through the S1 posting process, students rank up to six secondary schools. Being strategic about your choices — including a mix of aspirational and realistic options — gives your child the best chance of entering a school they are happy with.
You can find the previous year's cut-off points on the MOE SchoolFinder, which is updated after each S1 posting exercise.
How to Improve Your Child's Science AL Score
Science is a subject where many students have the potential to improve by one or two AL grades with the right approach. Unlike subjects that require extensive memorisation, PSLE Science rewards understanding and application.
Focus on understanding, not memorisation. Many students can recite that "the arrow in a food chain shows the direction of energy flow" but struggle when presented with an unfamiliar food chain in the exam. Encourage your child to explain concepts in their own words. If they can teach you a topic clearly, they understand it.
Practice regularly with PSLE-style questions. The PSLE Science paper includes 30 MCQs worth 60 marks — more than half the exam. Regular MCQ practice trains your child to read questions carefully, eliminate wrong answers, and spot common traps. Quality matters more than quantity: three questions with thorough review beats twenty questions done without reflection.
Review every wrong answer. When your child gets a question wrong, the learning happens in the review — not in the doing. Have them write down why the correct answer is right and why their chosen answer was wrong. Over time, this builds awareness of their mistake patterns.
Use topic-specific practice to close gaps. Rather than doing full papers repeatedly, identify which topics your child finds hardest and practise those topics specifically. If heat transfer or electrical circuits are weak spots, targeted practice on those areas will improve their AL grade more effectively than general revision.
For free, topic-by-topic science practice with instant explanations, try our PSLE Science MCQ practice pages. Each question includes a detailed explanation of why the correct answer is right and why the other options are wrong — helping your child build the understanding that PSLE Science rewards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate my child's PSLE score?
Add up the AL grades from all four subjects (English, Maths, Science, and Mother Tongue). Each subject is graded AL 1 to AL 8 based on the percentage of marks scored. The total is your child's PSLE aggregate score. For example, if your child scores AL 2 + AL 1 + AL 3 + AL 4, the aggregate is 10. Lower is better — the best possible aggregate is 4 and the highest is 32. See the score calculator table above for mark-to-AL conversions.
What is a good PSLE AL score?
For a single subject, AL 1 (90%+) or AL 2 (85-89%) is considered very good. For the aggregate score, it depends on your child's target school. Top secondary schools like Raffles Institution require aggregates around AL 4-8. Most popular schools accept AL 9-14. Neighbourhood schools offering Posting Group 1 typically accept AL 11-20. An aggregate of 6-10 is considered excellent by most standards.
How does the PSLE scoring system work?
Each of the four PSLE subjects is graded AL 1 (best) to AL 8 using fixed mark ranges — for example, 90% and above is always AL 1, regardless of how other students perform. The four AL grades are added together to form the PSLE aggregate score (range: 4 to 32). This aggregate determines which secondary schools your child can be posted to. Unlike the old T-score, the AL system is criterion-referenced: your child's grade depends only on their own marks, not on how the rest of the cohort performs.
What are the PSLE posting group cut-off points for 2026?
Cut-off points change every year based on demand. For 2025 (the most recent available data): Posting Group 1 schools ranged from AL 4 to AL 22, Posting Group 2 from AL 21 to AL 25, and Posting Group 3 from AL 25 to AL 30. Top schools like Raffles Institution and Hwa Chong had cut-offs around AL 4-6. You can check the latest cut-off points on the MOE SchoolFinder.
What is the best PSLE AL score?
The best possible score for a single subject is AL 1, awarded for scoring 90% or above. The best possible aggregate score is 4, which means achieving AL 1 in all four subjects (English, Maths, Science, and Mother Tongue). In practice, very few students achieve a perfect aggregate of 4 — an aggregate of 6 to 8 is already considered excellent.
How is PSLE AL different from T-score?
The AL system grades your child based on their own percentage marks against fixed bands (for example, 85% to 89% is always AL 2). The T-score graded students relative to each other using a bell curve, so the same percentage mark could yield different T-scores in different years. The AL system is more transparent and reduces the pressure of competing against peers, since your child's grade depends only on their own performance.
Can my child retake PSLE?
Yes. Students who wish to retake the PSLE can do so the following year. However, MOE generally encourages students to proceed to secondary school with the score they have, as the posting group system (with Subject-Based Banding) allows students to take subjects at different levels. Retaking means your child repeats Primary 6, which is a significant decision that should be discussed with the school.
What happens if my child gets AL 7 or AL 8?
An AL 7 or AL 8 in one subject does not prevent your child from going to secondary school. It will increase their aggregate score, which affects which secondary schools they can be posted to. Students with higher aggregate scores (around AL 25 to 30) are typically placed in Posting Group 2 or 3, where they can still progress through secondary school and take national examinations. Under Full Subject-Based Banding (FSBB), students can take individual subjects at a more demanding level if they show strength in those areas, even if their overall aggregate is higher.
How many subjects are counted in the PSLE aggregate score?
Four subjects are counted: English Language, Mathematics, Science, and Mother Tongue Language. Each subject receives an AL grade from 1 to 8, and the four grades are added together. The aggregate score therefore ranges from 4 (best) to 32. For students who take Higher Mother Tongue, the higher of their Mother Tongue or Higher Mother Tongue score is used. Students who are exempted from Mother Tongue have their aggregate calculated differently using three subjects with an adjusted scale.
What is the S1 Posting Exercise?
The S1 Posting Exercise is the process through which Primary 6 students are placed in secondary schools after receiving their PSLE results. Parents and students submit their secondary school choices online via the S1 Portal (using Singpass). Students rank up to six preferred secondary schools, and MOE allocates places based on the student's PSLE aggregate score, their school choices, and available vacancies. PSLE results are typically released in late November, with the school choice submission window running for about a week. S1 Posting results are then released in mid-to-late December, before the new school year begins.
What is an AL score in PSLE?
AL stands for Achievement Level. Each PSLE subject receives an AL grade from 1 to 8 based on the percentage of marks your child scores. AL 1 (90% and above) is the best grade, and AL 8 (below 20%) indicates the most support is needed. The AL system replaced the T-score in 2021 and is criterion-referenced — your child's grade depends only on their own marks, not on how other students perform.
What PSLE AL score do I need for top schools?
Top secondary schools like Raffles Institution and Hwa Chong Institution typically require aggregate scores of AL 4 to AL 8. Popular schools like Catholic High and Nanyang Girls' High range from AL 6 to AL 10. Most Posting Group 1 schools accept aggregates between AL 11 and AL 20. Cut-off points change every year based on demand, so check the MOE SchoolFinder for the latest figures.