August 22, 2026
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Every year, pupils preparing for the PSLE English examination wonder what the composition topic might be.
Although no one can predict the actual topic, examining past-year questions can help pupils recognise the kinds of stories they should be prepared to write. The aim is not to memorise a model composition for every possible question. Instead, pupils should develop a flexible collection of characters, experiences, problems and emotions that can be adapted to different topics.
| Year | Topic |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Being thankful |
| 2024 | Trying something new |
| 2023 | A change for the better |
| 2022 | A long wait |
| 2021 | A promise |
| 2020 | Something was lost |
| 2019 | A celebration |
| 2018 | Teamwork |
| 2017 | A special gift |
| 2016 | A secret |
| 2015 | Being considerate |
A useful story plot structure following the “Story Mountain” is:
Introduction – Normal situation: A pupil is preparing for a class celebration.
Rising Action – Problem starts: She discovers that a new classmate has been left out.
Climax – Problem is resolved: Although she is shy, she invites the classmate to join her group.
Falling Action – Resolution of problem: The classmate begins to feel welcome.
Conclusion – Reflection: The pupil realises that including someone can be more meaningful than the celebration itself.
This is a very simple plotline to start with and once students are more comfortable with it, they can make it more complex and interesting by using techniques such as the flashback technique or adding an additional twist in the plot that the main character needs to solve.
We’ve also built an AI Composition and Situational Writing grader that can help parents and tutors to grade essays quickly and easily. There is both a web version and a WhatsApp version. Immediate feedback is given for students to improve on their Content (such as develop better plots or avoid logic gaps) and Language (write better sentence structures and improve vocabulary range). You can try it for free here: AI Compo and Sit Writing Grader
The possible topics can be organised into several broad families. This helps pupils recognise the types of stories they should be prepared to write.
These topics involve a character developing through an experience, overcoming a limitation or becoming more confident. Examples are:
Overcoming a challenge
A memorable lesson
A moment of courage
Facing a fear
A new beginning
These topics focus on friendship, helping others and the way people treat one another. Examples are:
The value of friendship
The power of kindness
An act of kindness
A helping hand
These topics involve a difficult decision, a mistake or an opportunity to demonstrate an important value. Examples are:
A mistake
A time of regret
The value of honesty
These topics focus on meaningful, unexpected or unusual events. Examples are:
A day of surprises
A day to remember
A surprising discovery
These are practice themes rather than predictions of future PSLE questions. Organising them into broad families allows pupils to build flexible story ideas that can be adapted to different topics.
Pupils do not need to write and memorise 10, 15 or 20 complete model compositions. A better approach is to build a flexible “story bank”.
For my own kids, I try to use one story idea that may be adapted to several topics.
For example, a pupil who admits to accidentally damaging a classmate’s project could adapt the story for:
However, the pupil must adjust the focus of the story so that it directly addresses the chosen topic. Simply inserting the topic into the final paragraph is not enough.
Past-year PSLE composition topics suggest that pupils should be prepared to write meaningful stories about familiar experiences rather than rely on spectacular plots.
The strongest compositions usually contain:
Most effectively, pupils should learn how to develop a simple situation into a focused and emotionally engaging story. Critically, they should use show-not-tell to describe emotional parts of the story as well. That is a skill that can help them respond confidently to a wide range of composition questions.
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