Short answer: your PSLE AL score is built from four Achievement Levels (ALs), one per subject, from AL1 for 90 marks and above down to AL8 for under 20. Add the four ALs and you have your PSLE Score, from 4 to 32. Lower is better, so 4 is the top score.
MOE's page on the PSLE scoring system sets out the bands, and its Score Calculator page adds the Posting Group table. MOE's national exams dates page says the 2026 PSLE results will be released tentatively between Tuesday, 24 November 2026 and Wednesday, 25 November 2026.
The eight Achievement Levels
Each Standard subject gets a percentage score, which is placed in one of eight bands. This is MOE's table:
| AL | Marks (percentage score) |
|---|---|
| AL1 | 90 and above |
| AL2 | 85 to 89 |
| AL3 | 80 to 84 |
| AL4 | 75 to 79 |
| AL5 | 65 to 74 |
| AL6 | 45 to 64 |
| AL7 | 20 to 44 |
| AL8 | Below 20 |
The bands are not the same width. AL2 to AL4 cover 5 marks each, AL5 covers 10, AL6 covers 20 and AL7 covers 25. MOE says the upper bands are narrower on purpose, and that finer mark ranges mean less in the middle and lower ALs.
How the PSLE Score adds up
PSLE Score = AL in English + AL in Maths + AL in Science + AL in Mother Tongue
Four subjects, each between AL1 and AL8, give a total between 4 and 32. The score is the plain sum of four whole-number ALs, so each subject counts the same.
Made-up example: a pupil's marks in the four subjects, and the AL each one earns.
| Subject | Marks | AL |
|---|---|---|
| English | 88 | 2 |
| Maths | 92 | 1 |
| Science | 76 | 4 |
| Mother Tongue | 70 | 5 |
2 + 1 + 4 + 5 = 12, so the PSLE Score is 12.
Why one mark can matter, and why it often does not
Made-up example: in the pupil above, a Science mark of 79 is AL4, but 80 is AL3. That one mark takes the score from 12 to 11. Near the top of a narrow band, a single mark can change your score.
Made-up example: a Mother Tongue mark of 66 and one of 74 are both AL5, because AL5 runs from 65 to 74. Those 8 marks make no difference to the score at all. In the middle and lower bands, small gaps in marks do not split pupils.
Foundation subjects
A Foundation subject is graded A, B or C instead of AL1 to AL8. For posting to secondary school, MOE maps each grade to a Standard AL:
| Foundation grade | Marks | Counts as |
|---|---|---|
| A | 75 to 100 | AL6 |
| B | 30 to 74 | AL7 |
| C | below 30 | AL8 |
Made-up example: Standard English at AL5, Foundation Maths at grade A, Standard Science at AL6 and Standard Mother Tongue at AL5. The Foundation A counts as AL6, so the score is 5 + 6 + 6 + 5 = 22.
MOE's Score Calculator page also says a pupil exempted from Mother Tongue is given a score between AL6 and AL8, based on pupils with similar English, Maths and Science results. Higher Mother Tongue keeps its own grades: Distinction, Merit, Pass and Ungraded.
Posting Groups and subject levels
MOE's Score Calculator page says the Express, N(A) and N(T) streams are removed from 2024 onwards. The same page places each PSLE Score in a Posting Group, used only for admission to secondary school, with the indicative level for most subjects at the start of Secondary 1:
| PSLE Score | Posting Group | Indicative level for most subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 20 | 3 | G3 |
| 21 to 22 | 2 or 3 | G2 or G3 |
| 23 to 24 | 2 | G2 |
| 25 | 1 or 2 | G1 or G2 |
| 26 to 30, with AL7 or better in English and Maths | 1 | G1 |
So the score of 12 above is in Posting Group 3, and 22 is in Posting Group 2 or 3. MOE's table stops at 30 and does not say where a score of 31 or 32 is placed, so GradeCat does not say either.
Made-up example: English at AL7, Maths at AL7, Science at AL7 and Mother Tongue at AL6 give 7 + 7 + 7 + 6 = 27. That is in the 26 to 30 row, and English and Maths are both AL7 or better, so it fits Posting Group 1.
When two pupils have the same score
MOE's S1 Posting page lists the tie-breakers used in Secondary 1 posting, in this order:
- Citizenship: Singapore Citizens first, then Permanent Residents, then International Students.
- Choice order: where the school is on each pupil's list of choices.
- Computerised balloting.
The MOE pages opened give no school cut-off points, so none are shown here.
PSLE AL score FAQ
What is a good PSLE AL score?
Lower is better: 4 is the top score and 32 the lowest. On MOE's table, any score from 4 to 20 is in Posting Group 3, where the indicative level for most subjects is G3. Whether a score is enough for one school depends on that school's cut-off point, which the MOE pages opened do not give.
What marks do I need for AL1?
90 or more out of 100 in a Standard subject. 85 to 89 is AL2, and 80 to 84 is AL3.
How do I work out my PSLE Score from my ALs?
Add the AL of each of your four subjects. In the made-up example above, AL2, AL1, AL4 and AL5 give 2 + 1 + 4 + 5 = 12. A Foundation grade counts as AL6, AL7 or AL8.
Is a PSLE Score of 21 in Posting Group 2 or 3?
It can be either. MOE's table gives 21 and 22 as Posting Group 2 or 3, with G2 or G3 as the indicative level for most subjects.
When are the 2026 PSLE results out?
MOE says tentatively between Tuesday, 24 November 2026 and Wednesday, 25 November 2026. Check MOE's page for the final date.
Related tools and guides
- Poly and A-Level Grading Scale in Singapore: grade points for later stages, with the status of each rule.
- Poly GPA and A-Level UAS explained: how scores work after secondary school.
- Grade Calculator: turn marks such as 34 out of 40 into a percentage.
- All tools for Singapore
- GradeCat home: grade and GPA tools for other countries.
Sources
- MOE: How will the current PSLE scoring system benefit your child? (opened 10 November 2026)
- MOE: Score Calculator (opened 10 November 2026)
- MOE: Secondary 1 (S1) Posting (opened 10 November 2026)
- MOE: National exams dates (opened 10 November 2026)
A PSLE Score you work out here is an estimate, not an official result. MOE's results slip comes first. Found a mistake? Tell us.