Free PSLE Maths paper: Word problems: supposition, excess and shortage
A full Paper 1 and Paper 2 at P6 prelim level, in the 2026 SEAB format, for Singapore P6 pupils. 29 of the 100 marks are on word problems: supposition, excess and shortage; the rest cover the other PSLE topics, as a real paper does.
Free. No sign-up to start. Untimed, like homework, and your answers save as you type. Paper 2 follows Paper 1. The score shows the moment Paper 2 is handed in, and a parent can unlock the full diagnosis and have it emailed.
What is in the paper
| Questions | Marks | Calculator | SEAB time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 multiple choice, then short answers | 30 | 50 | No | 1 h 10 min |
| Paper 2 short answers, then structured questions | 15 | 50 | Yes | 1 h 20 min |
The focus: 29 marks on word problems: supposition, excess and shortage, across both papers, from one-mark multiple choice to a five-mark final question. Also in the paper: Circles, Rate, Triangles and quadrilaterals, Volume, Percentage, Whole numbers, Measurement, Fractions, Ratio, Area and perimeter.
Timing is up to you. Sit it in one go against the SEAB times for exam practice, or spread it over a few evenings as class homework is.
Where the marks go in supposition word problems
Supposition and excess and shortage are the heuristics PSLE uses to separate the top bands. Assume every item is the cheaper one, then correct; or share two ways and compare what is left over and what is short.
The mistakes this paper looks for
- Dividing by the price of one item instead of the difference in prices
- Taking the difference of what is left over and what is short, when one way leaves some over and the other runs short (they add)
- Answering with the other item's count
Try a question from this paper
Paper 1, Question 13 (2 marks). A quiz has 20 questions. Each correct answer scores 3 marks and each wrong answer loses 1 mark. Farah answered every question and scored 32 marks. How many questions did Farah get right?
- 7
- 9
- 13
- 10
Show the answer
(3) 13
If all 20 were right: 60 marks.
Each wrong answer costs 3 + 1 = 4 marks: 60 − 32 = 28
Wrong: 28 ÷ 4 = 7, so right: 13
What the report tells you
- The score for each paper and the total, with the PSLE Achievement Level band it falls in.
- Word problems: supposition, excess and shortage skill by skill, apart from the rest of the paper.
- What we diagnosed: the mistakes the wrong answers point to, such as stopping a step early or taking a fraction of the wrong whole.
- Three things to work on, and every question with its correct answer.
The score is free for everyone. The full diagnosis is sent to a parent's email, and nothing else is done with the details.
20 seats. One paper a day.
Online P6 Maths crash courses in the Singapore school holidays: one full paper a day, marked before class, a report like this to parents every night.
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