Under SEAB’s revised Standard PSLE Mathematics format (0008) published for 2026, Paper 1 takes 1 hour 10 minutes, carries 50 marks and is completed without a calculator. Booklet A contains 18 multiple-choice questions. Booklet B contains 12 short-answer questions. Use this format as a practice reference for PSLE 2027 and check the instructions for your sitting.
To improve without a calculator, choose a calculation you can check and write the intermediate step where an error is most likely. Practise the two booklets differently. Booklet A lets you test the options against your reasoning. Booklet B asks you to generate your own answer.
- Estimate the size of the answer before committing to a calculation.
- Use written working when the place value, base quantity or unit could be confused.
- Sort mistakes by cause and redo a similar question a few days later.
What is in the two Paper 1 booklets?
Booklet A contributes 26 marks, with ten one-mark questions and eight two-mark questions. Booklet B contributes 24 marks, with two marks per question. Paper 2 is a separate paper under the same format and permits calculators.
For a practice session, use questions from both booklets. A child who gets a calculation right when given options may still struggle to choose a method in a short-answer item. Give the child a second version with the options removed and ask what changed.
Estimate before you calculate
Suppose a question asks for 19 × 24. A good estimate is 20 × 24, or 480. The actual answer should be slightly smaller. Subtract one group of 24 to get 456. If your working gives 4,560, use the estimate to catch the extra zero.
For a fraction question, compare the fraction with a familiar benchmark. Five eighths of 64 is more than half of 64 but less than the whole. Divide 64 by 8 to get one eighth, then multiply by five to get 40. The result fits the benchmark.
An estimate can rule out impossible answers, but two nearby options may still fit. Finish the calculation and check the unit. If the options are in centimetres and your working was in metres, convert before selecting the answer.
Worked example | Which amount is the percentage of?
A pencil case costs $36 after a 25% discount. Find the original price. The question gives the price after the discount, so $36 represents 75% of the original price. Draw four equal parts and label three of them $36 in total.
Each quarter is $12, so four quarters are $48. Check in the other direction. A quarter of $48 is $12, and $48 minus $12 is $36. This checks both the arithmetic and the original choice of base.
If a student adds 25% of $36 and gets $45, ask which amount was divided into quarters. The calculation may be correct for the wrong base. Keep an error note such as “Label the original amount as 100% before calculating.”
Use a short practice routine
Start with one multiple-choice item on number sense, one short-answer calculation and one word problem. Ask the student to write an estimate or a relationship beside each answer. Then mark the set and compare the written reasoning with the final number.
Keep three error categories on a sheet. Use method when the wrong relationship was chosen, arithmetic when a correct method was carried out incorrectly, and reading when the unit or quantity was missed. Write a one-line repair and apply it to a fresh question.
When a full timed rehearsal approaches, practise choosing when to move on from a question within the booklet, following the rehearsal instructions. Leave time to check likely mistakes such as a unit conversion, a copied digit or a percentage calculated from the wrong base.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a calculator for Booklet B?
Under the published format, both booklets in Standard Mathematics Paper 1 are completed without a calculator.
Do I need a different method for every question?
Use methods you know and can check. One relationship, such as dividing a whole into equal parts, can solve several types of fractions and percentage questions.
Does this guide apply to Foundation Maths?
The question counts and marks here are for Standard Mathematics (0008). Check the separate Foundation Mathematics format for that paper.
Official information
SEAB’s published 2026 PSLE Standard Mathematics examination format (0008), Examination Format and Notes. Checked 8 November 2026.