Five minutes. That’s how long each Primary Six student gets to look at the reading passage and visual stimulus for their PSLE Oral Examination. Here’s what you can do to make those five minutes count.
Read Aloud, Twice
Take the first minute or two to practice reading the passage. Practice at least twice to fully internalise each part of it.
You should:
Read aloud (softly) to check your articulation
Vary your reading speed and rhythm
Take note of punctuation and where to pause
Identify difficult words and practice
If you see a word that you don’t recognise, don’t panic! Think of similar words and make an educated guess. You can try breaking it up to figure it out.
For example:
elated = related without the “r” sound
conscientious = con (from conduct) + sci (from scissors) + en (from ending) + tious (from cautious)
Then, read the sentence using your inference a few times so you can say it with confidence. That’ll help you make a good impression later even if you’re slightly off!
Identify the Purpose of the Visual Stimulus
Now, it’s time to look at the visual stimulus! Don’t spend too much time poring over each detail, but do pay special attention to the written parts of it.
Ask yourself these questions:
“What is this stimulus trying to do?”
“How do I feel about that?”
“Why do I feel that way?”
The first question in your stimulus-based conversation is always directly related to the purpose of the visual stimulus. These questions will help you to prepare you for it. Try to think of related stories or examples that you can share too!
Compare Both and Find the Link
After taking a look at both the reading passage and the visual stimulus, you should notice some similarities. These links should relate to the main topic for the stimulus-based conversation.
Some examples from past PSLE papers are: A best friend and neighbour who moved away; School poster describing the criteria for a “Supporting Friend Award”Friendship in School; A girl who completed a mass jog thanks to encouragement from her Dad; A school fun run activity where family members are invited; Family Bonding through Activities; A boy who loves eating but hates exercising falls sick and learns his lesson; A fun baking class where children learn to make cupcakes with less sugar; Healthy Living through Good Eating Habits
Try to think of what they have in common. Then, prepare yourself by thinking of any related personal experiences, or stories from others that you have heard or read about. Don’t get too caught up in trying to predict the questions though!
With these steps, you should be able to make full use of your preparation time and ready yourself effectively for the Oral Examination. Check out our previous article too if you want more tips for the PSLE. All the best!
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