2023 PSLE Science Paper Analysis
Embark on a journey of discovery as we delve into the depths of the 2023 PSLE Science Examination Paper. Join us as we unravel the mysteries of this pivotal exam, shedding light on its topic weightage gleaned from the trusted Educational Publishing House PSLE Yearly Science book. But that’s not all—we’ll also zoom in on two intriguing questions from booklet B, giving you a sneak peek into what lies ahead.
As your child prepares for your own PSLE journey, take note of these valuable insights and revision tips gleaned from our 2023 PSLE Science Paper analysis. From understanding topic weightage to mastering tricky questions, every nugget of information counts. So buckle up and get ready to ace your PSLE Science exam like a pro!
Summary of 2023 PSLE Science Paper Analysis [Booklet A]
Summary of 2023 PSLE Science Paper Analysis [Booklet B]
PSLE Science Paper: What topics are the most important?
We’ve identified the top 10 topics covered in the 2023 PSLE Science Paper, with Cycles and Interactions emerging as highly-tested themes. It’s crucial for your child to grasp the concepts of these topics.
Diversity of Living Things carries the highest weightage in the paper, totaling 11 marks. Despite being introduced in Primary 3, it demands students to recall extensive content about the characteristics of various groups of living things. When combined with Diversity of Materials (4 marks), the total marks for Diversity reach 15, making it significantly weighted.
For the past three years, Diversity of Living Things has consistently ranked among the top three tested topics in the PSLE. Therefore, it’s imperative for your child to master this topic.
Additionally, students should focus on Electrical Systems and Reproduction in Plants, which are frequently tested. As your child prepares for the PSLE, they should understand how the concept of “Electrical Systems” applies to everyday situations and explain how the process of Reproduction in Plants benefits the plant and other organisms.
Students may encounter confusion with the scientific terms used (pollination, fertilization, dispersal), so it’s essential to double-check their answers for accuracy. Reproduction in Plants has consistently been a commonly tested topic in the PSLE, underscoring the importance of thorough understanding.
Top 10 topics in 2023 PSLE Science Examination Paper
As shown in Table 3, this paper focuses on “Diversity of Living Things”, “Electrical System”, and “Reproduction in Plants”. Hence, this paper is ideal for your child to practise on these topics.
Let’s Attempt these PSLE 2023 Science Open-Ended Questions that Students Often Struggle With!
Most of the Open-Ended Questions on Diversity of Living Things are direct and requires little answering technique, hence we would discuss Question 34 and Question 39 instead. From which we can learn the tips and answering techniques that are useful for answering questions on “Reproduction in Plant”, “Electrical System”, which students may have struggles with.
The discussion of the questions below will include 1) the publisher’s answers, 2) explanation of the answers, 3) comments on the answers and 4) tips or answering techniques for the question
PSLE / 2023 / Q34 [Reproduction in Plant]
Insect M lays an egg in the ovary of flower of plant Y and rubs pollen grains on the stigma of the same flower.
The egg of insect M hatches in the developing ovary and its young feeds on the seeds of plant Y.
(a) State the part of the flower that the fruit of plant Y develops from. [1]
Answer: Ovary.
Explanation: Ovary of the flower will swell up after pollination and fertilisation have occurred, which develops into a fruit.
Comments: Students sometimes may confuse the ovary with the ovule. The ovule is contained in the ovary and will develop into a seed after pollination and fertilisation have occurred.
Tips: Ovary is the bigger outer structure of the flower just like the fruit is the bigger outer structure which protects the seeds.
Ovule is the smaller inner structure of the flower just like the seed is the smaller inner structure which is protected by the fruit.
Also, ovary in the flower can be liken to the ovary in the human female reproductive system. The ovary in the flower contains ovule (female reproductive cell) just like the ovary in the human female reproductive system contains the egg (female reproductive cell).
(b) Explain how rubbing pollen grains on the stigma of the flower benefits both the plant and insect M. [2]
Answer: Insect M helps with pollination, by transferring pollen grains to the stigma. This allows for fertilisation to take place. The fertilised ovules develop into seeds, which the young of insect M are then able to feed on.
Explanation: Insect M is a pollinator to the flower of plant Y since it “rubs pollen grains on the stigma of the same flower”. Hence, allowing more flowers to develop into fruits and seeds after fertilisation, which are needed for the reproduction of plant Y. On the other hand, the young of insect M can obtain food directly from the seeds developed from the fertilised ovules.
Comments: PSLE requires specific keywords such as “pollination”, “fertilisation” and key phrases such as “transferring pollen grains from the anther to the stigma” to explain the pollination process and “ovules develop into seeds” to show the link between ovules in the flower and the seeds.
Tips: Students may not observe why insect M may benefit from the flower or may not observe the correct benefit (e.g. insect M can drink nectar from the flower) if they do not read the question carefully. Hence, reading the question and underline keywords/clue such as “egg hatches in the developing ovary” and “its young feeds on the seeds of plant Y” would give students the accurate answers to the questions.
PSLE / 2023 / Q39 [Electrical System]
Kenneth sets up an electric circuit in a toy using identical bulbs and batteries as shown. All the circuit components are working.
When he closed the switch, the bulbs did not light up.
Use a pencil to complete the circuit below.
- Correct the mistake(s)
- Connect the bulbs such that
- if one blows, the other will still be lit and
- the bulbs will light up only when the switch is closed. [3]
Answer:
Explanation: Firstly, to address the errors in Kenneth’s electric circuit.
This is how the wire is connected inside the light bulb as drawn in pink in Figure 1:
As the wires inside the light bulb is connected to the metal casing (light gray) and the metal tip (dark gray). The external wires connected to the light bulb must be touching the metal casing and the metal tip, which were not observed in Kenneth’s electric circuit (circled in orange), thus resulting in an open circuit and electric current cannot flow through the light bulbs.
Secondly, the two batteries in Kenneth’s initial electric circuit have their negative terminals connected to each other (circled in blue). This “cancels out” the electric current that was supposed to flow out, hence no electric current can flow through the circuit. By right, the negative terminal of one battery must be connected to the positive terminal of the other battery for the electric current to flow through.
Thirdly, to fulfill the criteria of the electric circuit such that if one bulb blows (fuses), the other bulb will still be lit. This tells us that the bulbs must be connected in a parallel arrangement, so that electric current can still flow through the other pathway even when one pathway of the circuit is open (due to the bulb fusing, with a gap in the filament of the bulb).
Lastly, to fulfill the criteria of the electric circuit such that the bulbs will light up only when the switch is closed. This tells us that the bulbs should have wires connected to the switch (as shown in Figure 3, circled in green) so that the switch is in the same circuit as the bulbs.
Comments: Students often use circuit symbols to draw the circuit diagrams. Oftentimes, they do not realise at which specific parts of the light bulb the wires should be connected to in order for the light bulb to light up. Hence, this is a good question to test students to see if they know the correct connection of wires to the bulbs, likewise for the batteries. Proper arrangement/connection of batteries and bulbs with wires are needed for the electric circuit to be closed such that electric current can flow through.
Tips: Ensure your child draws all diagrams in pencil to maintain clarity and accuracy. Any errors can be easily erased with an eraser, allowing for neat corrections.
Students find it difficult to draw parallel arrangements of bulbs, thus this is a good question to practice with.
Read Also: Primary/ PSLE Science: What affects the brightness of a bulb?
To draw parallel arrangement of bulbs, students can start by connecting only one bulb (or the first bulb) with wires just like how he/she would draw a closed circuit with one bulb, one switch and the two batteries. Next, draw out a wire before reaching the first bulb just like the part circled in green in Figure 3, and connect that wire to the second bulb. Then, draw out a wire from the second bulb to connect back to the battery as shown in the part circled in purple in Figure 3. Lastly, use your finger to outline the pathways to do a check and ensure that one pathway has only one bulb and there are two separate pathways for the parallel arrangement of the two bulbs.
Found this 2023 PSLE Science Paper Analysis Helpful?
We hope that this article has equipped your children with valuable insights to craft accurate and comprehensive answers for PSLE science questions. By mastering techniques of question analysis, they can approach exams with confidence and precision. Stay tuned for our upcoming 2024 Examination Paper Analysis!
Ready to take your child’s Science grades to the next level? Drop us a Whatsapp to sign them up for our Primary tuition class today! Gain exposure and familiarity with the Science paper, ensuring they’re well-prepared for success.
Read Also: Navigating the NEW PSLE/Primary Science Syllabus (2024 Edition): A Parent’s Guide
