The PSLE mother tongue oral exam will be held on August 12 and 13, 2026, for Primary 6 students in Singapore [1, 2]. The oral exam contributes 25% of the total mother tongue marks, making it a significant part of the score that is often overlooked by students [1, 2].
During the exam, pupils are required to read aloud and engage in a stimulus-based conversation. This involves responding to questions based on a short video or other stimulus material to demonstrate spontaneous expression in the language [1, 2].
Experts encourage parents to help children improve oral fluency by integrating short, daily conversations in the mother tongue. Mr Tan Seng Thye advises, "When watching a television programme together, even an English one, take the opportunity to ask your child questions in Mandarin about what he has just watched," such as opinions on characters or events. For parents not confident in Mandarin, it is acceptable to ask questions in English but still encourage the child to answer in Mandarin [1].
Incorporating Mandarin into daily routines, such as mealtimes or recounting events on the way home from school, builds confidence and the habit of spontaneous expression [1, 2]. Mr Tan added, "Small, consistent conversations build fluency, confidence and the habit of spontaneous expression in Chinese that no amount of last-minute revision can replace. Over time, it comes naturally to the child to process stimuli and respond in Mandarin spontaneously. This is exactly what the oral exam requires." [1]
Students are also advised to prepare by using structured frameworks for oral answers. They should scan reading passages first, build a broad vocabulary, and practice rephrasing or substituting words they may forget during the exam [1, 2].
The PSLE mother tongue oral exam starts on August 12 and continues on August 13, 2026 [1, 2].
