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PSLE Math Problem Sums: Do's & Don'ts
10 May 2025·6 min read·The Tutor's Table
Problem sums are where PSLE Math is won or lost. The marker awards marks for your working, not just your answer — which means a child with a clear, labelled working can score 3 out of 4 on a sum they got slightly wrong. Here is the discipline.
Do's
- DO read the question twice before drawing anything. Underline what is given, circle what is being asked.
- DO draw a model / bar diagram for every 'before-and-after', 'fraction', 'ratio' or 'remainder' question — it's faster than algebra at P6 and earns method marks.
- DO label every bar, variable, and unit clearly. 'Ali had $80' > '80'.
- DO write 'Ans:' followed by the full statement with units: 'Ans: Ali has $45 left.'
- DO check: does my answer make sense? If a ratio question gives 'John = −3 oranges', you've gone wrong.
- DO practice spotting the question type in the first 10 seconds: 'this is a remainder question' → standard approach kicks in.
Don'ts
- DON'T skip working to save time. 0 working = 0 method marks if the final answer is wrong.
- DON'T erase incorrect working fully — cross it out neatly with a single line. Sometimes the marker still awards partial marks.
- DON'T ignore units. '$' vs 'cents', 'cm' vs 'm', 'kg' vs 'g' — mis-units cost accuracy marks in almost every paper.
- DON'T assume diagrams are to scale. If the question gives measurements, use the numbers, not your eye.
- DON'T stay stuck on one question for 10+ minutes. Mark it, move on, come back after finishing the rest.
- DON'T leave blanks. Even a labelled model with one attempted line of working can pick up 1 method mark.
At The Tutor's Table we insist on the same 3-line habit for every problem sum: label → model → answer statement. Marks follow method.
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