Removal of Annotation Symbol from PSLE Certificates for Students Granted "Access Arrangements"

Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider removing the annotation symbol from the PSLE certificates of those candidates who have been granted access arrangements during the PSLE such as extra time allowance.

Mr Lawrence Wong: Examinations are meant to certify the academic achievements of candidates and are administered under a set of standardised conditions. This is to ensure a fair examination and that examination results can be compared meaningfully across candidates.

For students with Special Educational Needs or medical conditions, standardised testing conditions may result in them being given an inadequate assessment of their abilities or being unable to take the examinations altogether. To cater to these candidates, the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) provides access arrangements, which may range from exemption from specific components of the examination and provision of extra time, to provision of a separate room or enlarged print.

When access arrangements have been granted, SEAB’s policy is to annotate on the examination certificate only when there are significant modifications of the examination. This is done to indicate factually that the candidate has taken the examination under conditions that are different from the standard prescribed conditions, and to uphold the integrity and fairness of the examination.

A student's progression to secondary education will not be affected by the annotation, as school postings do not take such annotations into account.