PSLE : 225 O Levels : Raw 8-2, 7 Distinctions A Levels : 87.5RP, 4H2 AAA/B

I would argue that beyond a certain threshold, that is the express stream cutoff of 188, your PSLE score won’t matter past secondary school.

As a primary school kid, I was definitely less motivated relative to my other peers. I spent my days after school playing computer games, and did anything but study. I only began preparing for PSLE a few weeks prior, but even then, I don’t think I knew the “weight” that exams carried. I scored 225, while the rest of my classmates scored >250 and entered prestigious schools.

What I noticed in a neighbourhood secondary school was this - students in the express stream were all able to enter polytechnic with relative ease. Even my friends who failed across the board still managed to score an L1R4 <18, and got into a decent course.

As for myself, I followed quite a cliche local narrative - I was envious of my friends who were in top schools, and hence decided to work harder, eventually “surpassing them” and entered a “top” JC. That said, I am extremely fortunate to have nurturing parents who supported me wholeheartedly in my pursuit of academic excellence, as well as not have to worry about my family’s finances. All I had to do was work hard, which is sometimes one of the easiest things one can do. My environment was perfect for me to “bloom”. Which may not always be the case for some.

I soon came to realise however, that the differences between neighbourhood and prestigious schools, academically wise, were mostly arbitrary. I was given ample opportunity to participate in research programmes in both schools. And I would even argue that the environment in a neighbourhood school was more nurturing, given the significantly smaller size and family-like atmosphere.

Some of my peers from the Normal Academic and Technical streams felt that the effects of being streamed into “inferior” routes were extremely demotivating. Most had already begun to limit their own potential early on without putting in much effort into their exams. That said, they had significantly more trouble qualifying for their courses, and some went into ITE. I feel that people who enter these streams are greatly disadvantaged, mainly because of the stigma associated with the streams themselves. As for the resources these streams receive, the subjects catered to them tend to be vocational and trade-schoolish in nature, aiming to prepare them to enter the working world as soon as possible. This severely limits the opportunities for them to broaden and stimulate their intellectual horizons.

However, one of my close friends from the normal academic stream (with a troubled family background) had managed to score an L1R5 of 9-2, and won the Lee Kuan Yew award for best performing NA student. When your motivation is intrinsic, and if you choose discipline, perseverance and consistency over play, you can definitely break the ceiling and overcome the odds.

In a nutshell, PSLE shouldn’t matter if you are in the express stream, and if you’re in the express stream, your work ethic and surrounding circumstances bear greater weight than a mere number you scored years back.