Do you know that the **2026 PSLE Foundation Hindi, Foundation Panjabi, Foundation Gujarati, Foundation Bengali and Foundation Urdu examinations have no separate written composition or reading-comprehension paper**? These five languages share SEAB’s Foundation Non-Tamil Indian Languages (NTIL) examination format, which assesses **Listening Comprehension for 15 marks** and **Oral for 50 marks**—**65 raw marks in total**. Oral comprises Reading Aloud (20 marks), Picture Description (20 marks) and Picture Interpretation or Explanation (10 marks). Parents who purchase a Standard Hindi writing workbook as an exact Foundation national mock will therefore prepare for the wrong paper structure.
The corresponding **Standard NTIL subjects**—Panjabi 0010, Hindi 0011, Gujarati 0012, Bengali 0013 and Urdu 0014—use a different **200-mark** scheme. Their Writing paper carries 40 marks, Language Use and Comprehension 95 marks, Listening 15 marks and Oral 50 marks. The Foundation codes are **0020 for Panjabi, 0021 for Hindi, 0022 for Gujarati, 0023 for Bengali and 0024 for Urdu**. The same subject name with or without ‘Foundation’ thus represents materially different assessed language skills and workloads.
Parents often ask why the Foundation paper has a Reading Aloud task despite lacking a written reading paper, whether children must memorise whole picture descriptions, whether Foundation grades are calculated from 65 raw marks, and how Hindi or other Non-Tamil Indian Languages fit the child’s school subject arrangements. This guide separates what SEAB’s 2026 syllabus explicitly confirms from questions that need MOE or the school’s individual advice. The goal is meaningful listening, clear speaking and responsible preparation, rather than equating one subject label with a permanent measure of a child’s language ability.
Official 2026 PSLE NTIL examination comparison
| Component | Foundation NTIL (0020–0024) | Standard NTIL (0010–0014) |
|---|---|---|
| Writing | No separate written paper | 40 marks (20%), 50 min; guided or picture-based essay |
| Language Use and Comprehension | No separate written paper | 95 marks (47.5%), 1 h 40 min |
| Listening | 15 marks, 15 MCQ, about 30 min | 15 marks (7.5%), about 30 min |
| Oral | Reading Aloud 20, Picture Description 20, Picture Interpretation 10 | 50 marks (25%) with corresponding oral tasks |
| Total raw marks | 65 | 200 |
Do you know? Do you know what SEAB means by Non-Tamil Indian Languages?
In the 2026 PSLE subject directory, the five NTILs are Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Panjabi and Urdu. SEAB publishes a common Standard paper format for these languages and a separate common Foundation format. This shared structure does not make the languages interchangeable; candidates sit the particular language they have been approved and registered to take.
The Standard codes are Panjabi 0010, Hindi 0011, Gujarati 0012, Bengali 0013 and Urdu 0014. Their Foundation counterparts use 0020, 0021, 0022, 0023 and 0024 respectively. Families should keep the exact code on practice folders and examination documents.
The schooling and approved-language arrangements are a separate question from paper design. If the family is considering an NTIL in place of another Mother Tongue, confirm eligibility and teaching arrangements with the school and MOE rather than infer them solely from SEAB’s examination list.
Do you know? Why the Foundation NTIL paper has no composition examination
SEAB states that the Foundation NTIL assessment focuses on candidates’ literacy skills in listening and speaking. It therefore specifies Listening Comprehension and Oral, without a separate written composition, language-use or open-ended written comprehension paper. That is the direct national-format answer for the five named languages in 2026.
The absence of a national writing paper does not mean written language has no value. Reading signs, understanding scripts and learning vocabulary can all support Oral Reading Aloud and everyday language understanding. A teacher may assign suitable written work to develop those skills even where the national Foundation scheme does not examine an essay.
The parent should distinguish a useful school literacy activity from an exact Foundation examination rehearsal. Preparing an entire 200-mark Standard paper as though it were mandatory Foundation practice can obscure the actual learning needs.
Do you know? The 65-mark Foundation breakdown
Foundation Listening Comprehension has fifteen multiple-choice questions worth one mark each, giving fifteen marks. Foundation Oral carries fifty marks: twenty for Reading Aloud, twenty for Picture Description and ten for Picture Interpretation or Explanation. Together these components total sixty-five raw marks.
The official Foundation PDF states the raw-mark scheme directly. It does not, by itself, give a universal equation for translating a sixty-five-mark result into the four-subject PSLE Score or the child’s secondary-school options. Those matters follow MOE’s grading, subject-entry and posting rules.
A parent should avoid taking a general Foundation scoring chart written as a 0–100 scale and assuming that seventy-five *raw marks* can be achieved on a 65-mark exam. Ask the school how results and grades are reported for this subject.
Do you know? What does the Oral Reading Aloud component actually examine?
Reading Aloud is worth twenty Foundation marks. The candidate receives a passage and must read it intelligibly, drawing on recognition of the appropriate script, language sounds and natural phrasing. The task is oral, even though it requires reading written words.
This is why ‘no written paper’ does not mean ‘no reading’. A child who cannot recognise the passage may struggle to read it aloud. Another may decode words accurately but break the phrasing in a way that obscures meaning. These are different learning needs.
Appropriate practice begins with a short passage at the student’s current level and a discussion of what it means. Let the child attempt it independently and correct one important pronunciation or phrasing issue at a time using qualified teacher guidance.
Do you know? Picture Description: why twenty marks require careful observation
Picture Description carries twenty marks within Foundation Oral. A candidate needs to look carefully at what is shown and explain relevant details in the examined language. The task is not won by identifying every possible object or reciting a generic speech about good manners.
Imagine an invented scene of children borrowing books from a school library. A description can identify the setting, relevant people and what they are doing, followed by appropriate connections. If the student invents an unrelated festival or accident, the description no longer follows the evidence of the picture.
Parents can encourage observation through school-approved images. Ask which details are visible and which are guesses. The learner should practise forming clear sentences, then try a changed image so that the language remains useful beyond one memorised worksheet.
Do you know? Picture Interpretation or Explanation: the extra ten marks
Foundation Oral also includes a ten-mark element of interpreting or explaining the picture. This goes beyond naming visible objects. A candidate may need to discuss why an action matters, what people might be doing or what a sensible conclusion could be, within the question’s demands.
A learner might say that a picture shows someone helping another person. A further explanation could describe why assistance is appropriate, provided the response is relevant and supported by the depicted situation. A story about unrelated events would not demonstrate the intended interpretation.
Teach observation and explanation as connected but different moves. First ask what the picture shows, then ask what can reasonably be inferred. Invite a new example and let the child answer without copying the first response.
Do you know? Foundation Oral is approximately eleven minutes, including preparation
SEAB’s 2026 Foundation NTIL format gives around eleven minutes per candidate for Oral, including five minutes of preparation. The candidate reads a short passage and talks about a picture under the prescribed assessment arrangement.
This does not mean the student must produce one uninterrupted six-minute speech. The examination contains distinct tasks, and the exact interaction should follow official instructions and the school teacher’s guidance. Preparation time can be used to understand the passage and notice useful details in the picture.
A home activity may begin untimed while the child is learning the process. Once they can understand the task independently, a teacher can introduce more representative preparation timing. Confidence grows through purposeful rehearsal, not constant pressure to speak faster.
Do you know? What is actually tested in Foundation Listening?
The Foundation NTIL Listening Comprehension paper has fifteen multiple-choice questions and lasts approximately thirty minutes. SEAB lists possible spoken texts such as news, announcements, advertisements, instructions, conversations, interviews, speeches and stories.
A student may need to identify a stated detail, infer the purpose of a simple message or follow a change in information. Recognising one familiar word is not necessarily enough. The learner must understand the spoken text well enough to answer the particular question.
Use age-appropriate school-approved recordings and ask for the part that supports the chosen answer. Then practise with a different recording that tests the same listening action. Repeating the same audio until its answer becomes memorised does not establish transferable comprehension.
Do you know? An original listening example: which meeting place is correct?
Imagine a short fictional announcement in the relevant language saying that pupils should meet at the library rather than the hall. A child might select the hall because it was the first location mentioned. The correct response depends on recognising the final instruction and any contrast or correction in the spoken message.
Ask which part of the announcement signalled the change. Then use another announcement that changes a date instead of a venue. The student should identify the new detail without the adult pointing out the correction word.
This is an original illustration, not an official 2026 PSLE audio item. For genuine national-format rehearsal, follow the approved recordings and current examination instructions supplied by the relevant school or teaching provider.
Do you know? Why Foundation Listening and Oral are not the same as Standard Paper 3 and 4
The Foundation raw totals happen to match the Standard NTIL Listening (15) and Oral (50) totals in 2026. However, that does not make the entire Foundation and Standard qualification equivalent. The Standard subject additionally tests writing and language use/reading through two written papers, raising its overall raw total to 200.
Parents should be especially cautious when comparing percentages. Fifteen marks is a much larger fraction of 65 than of 200. A Standard pupil who is strong in composition needs to prepare it; a Foundation pupil should not abandon the examined Oral simply to copy a Standard writing timetable.
Choose activities based on the actual registered course and the child’s skills, not on a superficially similar mark number in a table.
Do you know? Standard NTIL Paper 1: guided or picture-based essay
Standard NTIL Paper 1 lasts fifty minutes and carries forty raw marks, weighted twenty percent. Candidates choose between a guided essay and a picture-based essay. The task requires generating coherent written language, a distinct examination demand absent as a standalone Foundation paper.
A Standard candidate may need help organising events from pictures, choosing appropriate vocabulary or explaining the central message. Memorising an attractive essay about a favourite topic can be unhelpful if the actual pictures show a different situation.
Parents can support planning through simple questions about sequence and relevance, leaving formal language correction to an appropriate teacher when necessary. A Foundation learner can enjoy some written activities for enrichment without treating the Standard essay as a compulsory exam.
Do you know? Standard NTIL Paper 2: a ninety-five-mark paper
Standard NTIL Paper 2 contributes 95 raw marks and 47.5% of the 200-mark assessment, over one hour forty minutes. Booklet A includes language-use multiple choice, cloze comprehension, reading multiple choice, vocabulary and comprehension from a graphic stimulus.
Booklet B includes idioms or proverbs or word pairs, completion of sentences and open-ended comprehension. This is a wide-ranging reading and written-expression paper that goes beyond the two-part Foundation NTIL format.
If a child is registered for Standard Hindi or another Standard NTIL, the full Paper 2 deserves deliberate, accurate preparation. If the child takes the Foundation subject, selected vocabulary tasks may help language learning but should not be called a complete Foundation mock.
Do you know? What about the Standard NTIL monolingual dictionary?
The Standard NTIL format permits a monolingual dictionary for Paper 1 Writing only, free of annotations. It does not state unrestricted dictionary access throughout the examination, and the Foundation scheme has no separate composition paper to apply that instruction to.
An approved dictionary can support accurate word choice, but it cannot choose a plot or generate a good argument on the student’s behalf. Reliance on repeated lookups may also disrupt a timed composition. Language familiarity remains the foundation of effective writing.
Consult the current school and examination regulations for approved materials. A smartphone translation tool is not automatically permissible simply because a language dictionary is allowed in one Standard paper.
Do you know? Why the five languages share one examination-format PDF
SEAB provides one Standard NTIL format and one Foundation NTIL format covering Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Panjabi and Urdu. This makes the common structure easy to verify: component counts, item types and duration are presented in one official document.
Shared format does not erase important differences in scripts, grammar, vocabulary, cultural content or teaching arrangements. A tutor capable in one language cannot automatically be treated as qualified to correct every other NTIL solely because their exam tables are similar.
Parents should choose support that matches the actual language and use the correct code. Where a language-specific explanation is unclear, ask the school’s authorised teaching provider rather than rely on an English paraphrase of an unknown word.
Do you know? Panjabi and Punjabi: which spelling is on the SEAB entry?
SEAB uses the spelling ‘Panjabi’ in its 2026 subject titles, with Standard code 0010 and Foundation code 0020. Families may see the alternative spelling ‘Punjabi’ elsewhere. Search results, books and school materials can therefore use different spellings for related language labels.
Use the official SEAB subject code to prevent confusion when purchasing a paper or checking a registration. A similar everyday spelling does not authorise the use of an unrelated syllabus or an incorrect national entry.
School guidance is especially important if a child’s home-language description differs from the terminology used on the PSLE entry document. The administrative code determines the examined subject.
Do you know? Hindi: why the code matters more than generic Hindi tutoring
Standard Hindi is 0011 and Foundation Hindi is 0021 in the official 2026 directory. Both relate to Hindi-language learning, but the national examinations differ markedly. A ‘PSLE Hindi tuition’ description may be insufficient to tell whether the intended course includes the forty-mark written essay and ninety-five-mark reading paper.
Parents should show the actual subject code and school learning objectives to any tutor. A student practising Foundation Listening and Oral needs careful work with comprehension and speaking; a Standard candidate also needs coherent independent writing and a larger range of reading tasks.
The most useful feedback identifies exactly what the learner cannot yet do, such as recognising a spoken correction, reading aloud accurately or explaining a visual scene, rather than applying the same workbook to every Hindi pupil.
Do you know? Gujarati, Bengali and Urdu have their own matching codes
In 2026, Gujarati is 0012 or Foundation 0022, Bengali is 0013 or Foundation 0023, and Urdu is 0014 or Foundation 0024. These pairs follow the shared Standard and Foundation NTIL formats but refer to distinct languages.
If a parent sees a very different number in an older school document, confirm whether it relates to a prior examination year or another education level. Secondary examinations have their own codes and should not be confused with the PSLE subject list.
Record the full name and current code on the family’s learning plan. This simple administrative step reduces the chance of buying irrelevant language materials or making wrong claims about which national paper a child must sit.
Do you know? Foundation NTIL is not the same format as Foundation Chinese, Malay or Tamil
All are Mother Tongue-related PSLE subject categories, but the official formats are not identical. Foundation Chinese, Malay and Tamil have their own SEAB syllabuses and e-Oral arrangements. Foundation NTIL uses the separate listening-and-picture-oral format, with sixty-five raw marks.
A parent who follows an online article about Foundation Tamil video Oral should not assume that the Foundation Hindi examination requires the same video-stimulus task. The NTIL document instead lists picture description and interpretation or explanation.
This is a good example of why the word ‘Foundation’ by itself cannot determine every paper’s structure. Always open the language’s actual SEAB format.
Do you know? What about PSLE Score and Foundation NTIL marks?
The PSLE Score is governed by MOE’s grading and posting rules, while SEAB’s NTIL PDF specifies the national examination’s raw component marks and literacy tasks. Foundation NTIL totals sixty-five raw marks, unlike the hundred-mark Foundation Chinese, Malay or Tamil examples many parents encounter.
Do not apply a generic ’75 raw marks for Foundation AL A’ rule literally to a sixty-five-mark exam. The numerical totals operate on different raw scales. Ask the school how the applicable NTIL result is graded and incorporated in the child’s official PSLE and school-posting records.
If the family’s child is exempt from Mother Tongue or is taking a language in lieu of an MTL, further administrative rules may apply. Such individual cases require current MOE guidance, not an assumed arithmetic conversion invented from a tuition website.
Do you know? Reading aloud does not mean the child must sit a reading-comprehension paper
Reading Aloud in Foundation NTIL asks the candidate to recognise and pronounce the supplied passage. It tests meaningful oral reading. A written comprehension question instead asks the candidate to select or compose answers about the meaning of a text, often under separate formal written conditions.
The Foundation NTIL format contains the first of these but does not list a separate written reading-comprehension booklet. The distinction helps parents focus on accurate decoding, natural phrasing and oral confidence without mislabelling every reading exercise as a national paper task.
A teacher may still ask the child questions about what was read as an educational activity. Understanding supports oral expression and is worthwhile even when that particular format is not an assessed written component.
Do you know? Why a memorised picture speech may be fragile
A pupil may practise an attractive speech about a school playground and deliver it fluently. When the actual picture instead shows a library, market or community activity, the rehearsed story may no longer be relevant. The stronger skill is observing carefully and constructing a new description from what is actually visible.
Ask the child to identify the main action and two supporting details, then explain one reasonable conclusion. Gradually reduce prompts as language confidence grows. Keep language correction specific and supportive rather than interrupting every word before an idea is complete.
Practise with several ordinary, age-appropriate scenes, always marking them as teaching examples rather than predicted official questions.
Do you know? How to identify a weak listening habit
An incorrect Listening MCQ can result from not recognising vocabulary, missing a contrast word, focusing on an irrelevant detail or misunderstanding the question’s purpose. Treating all mistakes as ‘poor hearing’ ignores those different possibilities.
After the pupil responds, ask which part of the recording supported their choice. Revisit the phrase during correction, then use a fresh, similar recording to see whether the child can respond independently.
A short error record such as ‘chose the earlier meeting time instead of the corrected time’ makes the next practice task clearer than a generic note saying the pupil should listen harder.
Do you know? A four-week Foundation NTIL preparation cycle
Week one: confirm the language and Foundation code, then identify a recurring challenge in listening, reading aloud or picture speaking. Week two: teach that skill through short examples and one guided attempt. Week three: change the recording, passage or picture and test whether the learner can respond without prompts.
Week four: use suitable school-provided tasks under more representative conditions, review the reason for errors and continue ordinary language conversation. If the child is registered for Standard NTIL, a separate plan should include Writing and Language Use/Comprehension.
This is an illustrative family routine, not a formal MOE or SEAB timetable. The child’s school can adjust the pace to current learning, access to appropriate language instruction and wellbeing.
Do you know? How a parent can help without speaking the examined NTIL fluently
Parents do not need to invent grammar corrections in a language they are not fluent in. They can help organise learning time, maintain access to appropriate reading and listening material, and ask the child to describe what they practised and why.
Use qualified school or NTIL language instructors for accurate pronunciation, script recognition and language usage. An inaccurate parent-created translation can introduce confusion that takes extra teaching to repair.
The family can still support independent learning by tracking which tasks improved across changed attempts. For example, note whether the pupil can answer a new announcement question or explain a different picture without a model script.
Do you know? Why cultural connection can enrich language learning beyond PSLE
Learning Hindi, Panjabi, Gujarati, Bengali or Urdu can help children participate in family and cultural communication and encounter a broader range of stories and perspectives. The formal Foundation examination selects certain language skills for assessment; it does not define every worthwhile use of that language.
Reading stories, enjoying age-appropriate media and conversing respectfully can support interest and confidence. Parents should avoid making every language encounter a scored test, particularly when the child is still building fluency.
The national examination is one milestone. The larger educational goal is to make meaningful communication possible while respecting the child’s actual learning needs and the school-provided course.
Frequently asked parent questions about Non-Tamil Indian Languages
Does 2026 PSLE Foundation Hindi have a written composition paper?
No. Foundation Hindi 0021 uses the Foundation NTIL scheme assessing Listening and Oral, without a separate written paper.
Does Foundation Panjabi have the same format?
Yes, subject 0020 follows the shared Foundation NTIL examination document.
What are the five Foundation codes?
Panjabi 0020, Hindi 0021, Gujarati 0022, Bengali 0023 and Urdu 0024.
What are the Standard codes?
Panjabi 0010, Hindi 0011, Gujarati 0012, Bengali 0013 and Urdu 0014.
How many Foundation raw marks are there?
Sixty-five: fifteen for Listening and fifty for Oral.
How long is Foundation Listening?
Approximately thirty minutes for fifteen multiple-choice questions.
How many marks is Foundation Reading Aloud?
Twenty of the fifty Oral marks.
What is Picture Description worth?
Twenty marks within Foundation Oral.
What is Picture Interpretation or Explanation worth?
Ten marks within Foundation Oral.
How long is Foundation Oral?
About eleven minutes, including five minutes’ preparation.
Does the Foundation exam have written reading comprehension?
No separate written reading-comprehension paper is listed, although Oral includes Reading Aloud.
How is Standard NTIL different?
It assesses Writing, Language Use and Comprehension, Listening and Oral across 200 raw marks.
How much is Standard NTIL Writing?
Forty marks, twenty percent, in a fifty-minute paper.
What is Standard Language Use and Comprehension worth?
Ninety-five raw marks, 47.5%, over one hour forty minutes.
What is the Standard Listening weighting?
Fifteen marks, 7.5% of the 200-mark Standard total.
What is Standard Oral’s weighting?
Fifty marks, 25% of Standard NTIL.
Are the same raw marks necessarily the same overall percentage?
No. For example, fifteen listening marks represent a different fraction of 65 and 200 total marks.
Can a Standard NTIL candidate use a dictionary?
A suitable unannotated monolingual dictionary may be used in Standard Paper 1 Writing only, under the syllabus rules.
Does Foundation NTIL use PSLE Chinese’s e-Oral video task?
The Foundation NTIL PDF specifies picture description and interpretation, rather than the separate Foundation Chinese video-based scheme.
Can an older Standard Hindi workbook help a Foundation student?
Selected vocabulary or reading exercises may help, but its full four-component paper format is not a Foundation mock.
How do Foundation grades relate to PSLE Score?
Use MOE’s official grading and school advice. Do not equate Foundation NTIL’s 65 raw marks with a generic 100-mark Foundation threshold.
Can a pupil take Hindi in place of Tamil automatically?
Do not assume so. Language approval and school arrangements are governed by MOE and the child’s registered subject.
Why does SEAB call it Panjabi rather than Punjabi?
Panjabi is the spelling used in the official 2026 PSLE subject directory. The code confirms the entry.
Does an NTIL subject have one shared teacher for all five languages?
The syllabus structure is shared, but the languages are distinct. Seek qualified support for the actual language.
What should we practise for Foundation listening?
Age-appropriate spoken announcements, conversations and stories, followed by evidence-based questions and changed recordings.
What should we practise for picture oral?
Accurate observation, meaningful language, direct responses and relevant explanation using new images.
Can parents correct pronunciation from guessed transliterations?
It is safer to use qualified teachers and reliable language audio than to teach uncertain sound mappings.
Does an unfamiliar picture guarantee poor results?
No. The learner can apply observation and explanation skills to new everyday contexts.
Will the 2026 format apply automatically in 2029?
No. Check the official examination-year documents for a later candidate.
Where are the official PDFs?
SEAB’s PSLE 2026 directory links the combined Standard and Foundation NTIL subject-format documents.
Official 2026 SEAB NTIL format and parent references
Download the SEAB Foundation NTIL syllabus for codes 0020–0024 and the Standard NTIL syllabus for codes 0010–0014. The 2026 PSLE subject-format directory confirms each language and code. For questions about subject approval, grading or arrangements in lieu of a Mother Tongue Language, consult MOE’s and the school’s current instructions, not an unverified conversion of 65 raw marks.
Related parent articles: Can My Child Take Hindi Instead of Tamil in Primary School?, Foundation Tamil versus Standard Tamil, and Higher Mother Tongue and PSLE Score calculations. The immutable Clementi small-group teaching example illustrates diagnosis and independent application as general educational techniques, not as an NTIL paper-format authority.