What the paper is worth
From the SEAB English Language syllabus (0001), in force from the 2025 examination.
| Weighting | 20% of the English grade — 40 of 200 marks |
| Reading Aloud | 15 marks |
| Stimulus-based Conversation | 25 marks |
| Time | About 10 minutes — 5 minutes preparation, about 5 minutes examination |
| Stimulus | One photo stimulus |
| Worth knowing | The two parts are not linked thematically — the reading passage and the conversation topic are unrelated |
English Oral topics by year
The stimulus was a poster or illustrated scene up to 2024. From 2025 it became a real photograph, and the three questions became independent of each other.
| 2026 | |||
| Day 1 | Children playing at a neighbourhood playground, with families nearby | Free time and play | Rebuilt drill → |
| Day 2 | A crowded public bus, most seats taken and several passengers on their phones | Public transport and consideration | Rebuilt drill → |
| 2025 | |||
| Day 1 | An ice cream cart outside a shopping mall with a long queue | Queuing and orderliness | Rebuilt drill → |
| Day 2 | A hawker centre with diners at the tables | Food and eating out | Rebuilt drill → |
| 2024 | |||
| Day 1 | A poster announcing the opening of a new park | Outdoor space and public behaviour | Rebuilt drill → |
| Day 2 | A poster for School Attendants Appreciation Week | Appreciation and helping the elderly | Rebuilt drill → |
| 2023 | |||
| Day 1 | A poster for a science exhibition at the Science Centre | Places of interest and school holidays | Rebuilt drill → |
| Day 2 | A girl writing in her diary, with a birthday card, cake and family photo on the desk | Keepsakes and memories | Rebuilt drill → |
| 2022 | |||
| Day 1 | A poster about recycling old sports shoes | Recycling and the environment | |
| Day 2 | A boy playing games on a tablet at a time his timetable set aside for homework | Screen time and self-discipline | |
| 2021 | |||
| Day 1 | A girl still asleep at six in the morning while her alarm rings, with a note about a competition | Sleep and time management | |
| Day 2 | A poster for a talk on caring for pets | Animals and how we learn | |
| 2020 | |||
| Day 1 | A poster inviting residents to a gathering to meet their neighbours | Neighbourliness | |
| Day 2 | A ticket to a school graduation concert | Performing and school events | |
| 2019 | |||
| Day 1 | A library bookshelf displaying recommended titles | Reading habits | |
| Day 2 | A poster on a computer lab door listing what to do before leaving | Rules and forgetfulness | |
| 2018 | |||
| Day 1 | A secondary school banner inviting primary pupils to join | Choosing a school, making friends | |
| Day 2 | A poster calling for sign-ups to a speech contest | Speaking in public | |
| 2017 | |||
| Day 1 | A poster asking pupils to submit poems for Teachers' Day | Appreciation and gratitude | |
| Day 2 | A poster for a Cleanest Classroom contest | Keeping shared spaces clean | |
| 2016 | |||
| Day 1 | A poster calling for nominations for a Supportive Friend award | Friendship and kindness | |
| Day 2 | A poster for a junior baking activity | Food and eating habits | |
| 2015 | |||
| Day 1 | A poster for a weekend storytelling and reading activity | Weekends and free time | |
| Day 2 | A poster for a school fun run for families | Family activities | |
华文口试历年主题
华文口试用的是录像短片，不是图片。2024至2026年我们已经根据考生的回忆重建成完整的练习。
| 2026 | |||
| 第一天 | 男孩在电梯口遇见形迹可疑的陌生人，通知邻居后一起报警 | 提高警惕 · 邻里守望 | 重建版 → |
| 第二天 | 男孩在家踢球打破花盆，把碎片藏起来，后来在走廊又闯了祸 | 承认错误 · 诚实 | 重建版 → |
| 2025 | |||
| 第一天 | 两个场景：女生做数学题遇到困难，男生帮她讲解；女生不会打篮球，男生教她 | 互相学习 · 同学合作 | 重建版 → |
| 第二天 | 一家人参观动物园，看大象和长颈鹿，喂长颈鹿吃胡萝卜，看海狮接飞盘表演 | 参观动物园 · 本地景点 | 重建版 → |
| 2024 | |||
| 第一天 | 三个场景：在图书馆选书、和奶奶一起看书、晚上和妈妈一起读 | 阅读习惯 | 重建版 → |
| 第二天 | 三个场景：在食堂把蔬菜拨到一边、妈妈劝他试一试、最后愿意吃蔬菜水果 | 健康饮食 | 重建版 → |
| 2023 | |||
| 第一天 | 以保持环境卫生为主题 | 公德心 · 环境卫生 | |
| 第二天 | 以友谊为主题 | 友谊 · 人际关系 | |
| 2022 | |||
| 第一天 | 以关怀长者为主题 | 关怀长者 | |
| 第二天 | 以假期计划为主题 | 生活习惯 · 假期安排 | |
| 2021 | |||
| 第一天 | 以整理个人物品为主题 | 生活习惯 · 整理 | |
| 第二天 | 以节约用水为主题 | 保护地球 · 节约用水 | |
| 2020 | |||
| 第一天 | 以关怀有需要的人、回收物品为主题（不同来源说法略有出入） | 关怀他人 · 回收 | |
| 第二天 | 以公路安全为主题 | 公路安全 | |
| 2019 | |||
| 第一天 | 以户外学习为主题 | 学习方式 · 户外学习 | |
| 第二天 | 以保持环境卫生为主题 | 公德心 · 环境卫生 | |
| 2018 | |||
| 第一天 | 以友谊为主题 | 友谊 · 人际关系 | |
| 第二天 | 以图书馆礼仪为主题，同时谈到遵守规则 | 公德心 · 遵守规则 | |
| 2017 | |||
| 第一天 | 以友谊为主题 | 友谊 · 人际关系 | |
| 第二天 | 以邻里关系为主题 | 邻里关系 | |
Which English themes repeat most
Counted from our own table above, 2015–2026. A child with one real personal story for each of the top four clusters has covered most of what has actually been tested.
| School life and learning | 6 |
| Community and neighbourliness | 4 |
| Free time, play and the outdoors | 4 |
| Food and eating | 3 |
| Environment and recycling | 2 |
| Friendship and kindness | 2 |
| Reading and libraries | 2 |
| Screen time and self-discipline | 2 |
| Performing and school events | 2 |
| Animals and pets | 1 |
| Cultural festivals and racial harmony | 0 |
Cultural festivals and racial harmony has still never appeared in English Oral in twelve years. It has come up in 华文. That makes it the obvious dark horse — worth having one story ready, not worth building a strategy around.
How to use this without turning it into guesswork
- Pick the four most repeated clusters. Make sure your child has one real story for each — something that actually happened to them.
- Practise the theme, not the topic. The picture changes every year; the underlying idea does not.
- Then go and answer aloud. Reading a topic list teaches nothing. There are 102 English drills and 102 in 华文, sorted by theme.
- Use the real timing. Candidates get about five minutes with the stimulus before the conversation, which is far longer than most families practise with.
- Do not memorise answers. Since 2025 the questions are independent and open-ended, which is exactly what defeats a rehearsed script.
Questions parents ask
What were the PSLE English Oral topics in 2026?
Children playing at a neighbourhood playground on Day 1, and a crowded public bus on Day 2. Candidates also reported that the pictures were printed in black and white.
What were the PSLE Chinese Oral topics in 2026?
Day 1 followed a boy who spots a suspicious stranger at his lift and alerts his neighbours, who call the police. Day 2 followed a boy who breaks a flower pot playing football indoors and hides it rather than owning up.
Does SEAB publish past year oral topics?
No. Oral is conducted live with a picture or video the examiner presents, so there is no paper to publish. Every list you find online, including this one, is compiled from what candidates and parents remembered afterwards.
Do you have the actual pictures from past years?
No. The pictures on our drills are our own reconstructions of the scenes candidates described. They are built for practice, not to reproduce the examination material.
How much is the oral worth?
Paper 4 is worth 20% of the English grade — 40 of 200 marks. Reading Aloud carries 15 marks and the Stimulus-based Conversation carries 25. Candidates get about 5 minutes of preparation and about 5 minutes of examination time.
Which themes come up most often?
Across 2015 to 2026, school life and learning is the most frequent English cluster, followed by community and neighbourliness, and free time and the outdoors. Cultural festivals has still never appeared in English Oral.
How should we use this list?
Not as a prediction. Use it to make sure your child has one real personal story for each recurring theme, then practise aloud using the drills linked beside each year.
Spotted something we got wrong?
This list is built from public recollections and it will have errors. If your child sat a paper and remembers differently, tell us — we will correct it and credit you.