For PSLE, use black or dark-blue ballpoint pens for written answers and 2B pencils for answer-sheet shading and diagrams, following the paper’s instructions. The 2026 candidate rules say not to use erasable-ink pens or correction fluid or tape.
When a pen-written answer needs changing, cross it out neatly and write the corrected answer clearly. SEAB recommends a 0.5mm ballpoint tip to reduce smudging; this recommendation should not be confused with a claim that every different tip size automatically loses marks.
Punggol parents can make the exam kit simpler by removing correction tape and checking the pens the child already uses. This guide explains the distinction between written answers, shaded answers and corrections, so the child can practise the same routine before exam day.
In this guide
Check the candidate instructions
Distinguish a recommendation from a rule
Practise a clear pen correction
CHAPTER 1 OF 5
Check the candidate instructions
Read the current rules linked from SEAB’s PSLE page and the school’s briefing. The examination paper’s own instructions remain important for the task being answered.
Choose familiar, working stationery rather than introduce several new products immediately before the examination. Test the pens on ordinary practice work.
If a stationery instruction is unclear, ask the teacher directly. An advertisement calling a pen suitable for exams is not the same as the candidate rules.
CHAPTER 2 OF 5
Distinguish a recommendation from a rule
SEAB’s writing-instruments FAQ explains its ballpoint and pencil recommendations and says candidates are not penalised merely for a pen or pencil failing to match those recommendations.
That does not mean the family should disregard the current PSLE instructions on erasable ink or answer format. Use the recommended kit and follow the rules rather than try to identify exceptions.
Check the actual ink type if the child is accustomed to an erasable pen. Colour alone does not tell you whether the pen is appropriate.
CHAPTER 3 OF 5
Practise a clear pen correction
Ask the child to cross out an unwanted answer neatly, leave the replacement readable and continue. A small correction is normal; covering the page with dense scribbling makes it harder to follow.
SEAB’s correction-tape FAQ explains the risks to readability, incomplete rewritten answers and the condition of scripts.
Do not replace tape with elaborate rewriting of an otherwise clear response. The practical aim is an identifiable final answer and legible working.
CHAPTER 4 OF 5
Keep answer-sheet shading separate
Use the instructed pencil for the multiple-choice answer sheet. When changing a shaded answer, erase it cleanly and make the intended final choice clear.
Check that the eraser works without damaging ordinary practice paper. Also ensure the child knows which question number they are changing.
Pen-written corrections and pencil-shaded corrections are different actions. Practising them separately helps prevent the child reaching for the wrong tool under time pressure.
CHAPTER 5 OF 5
Pack a straightforward exam kit
Check functioning pens, sharpened pencils, an eraser and the mathematical instruments required by the school’s briefing. Keep the kit easy for the child to recognise and use.
Remove items the child does not need for the examination, including the familiar correction tape that might otherwise be used automatically.
Our calculator guide and dictionary guide cover device and book checks. A short kit check and a familiar correction habit are more useful than last-minute stationery shopping.
Information checked on 11 October 2026. Follow the current official and school instructions for your child’s individual arrangements.
