PSLE Chinese Oral Study Guide · 华文口试 · Chapter 2

PSLE Chinese Oral Past-Year Topics (2019–2025) + 2026 Predictions

Seven years of confirmed PSLE Chinese Oral topics, the bread-and-butter vs curveball pattern that holds every year, and the six themes we would actually build vocabulary around for 2026.

Want the full explanation? For the full data-driven analysis of which themes are overdue and which are most likely to appear in 2026, read the pillar article: PSLE Chinese Oral topics 2026: what 9 years of data reveals →

Seven years of confirmed topics (2019–2025)

The PSLE Chinese Oral exam runs over two days, and each day features a different video and conversation topic. One pattern holds every year without exception: one day is always significantly harder than the other. The easier day is commonly called the “bread and butter” day; the harder one is the curveball.

Year	Day 1	Day 2
2025	Helping each other / learning 互相帮助 / 学习	Travel / family 旅游 / 景点 / 家庭
2024	Reading / love of books 阅读	Healthy eating 健康饮食
2023	Keeping school clean 保持校园清洁	Friendship / sharing 珍惜友谊
2022	Being considerate / neighbours 为他人着想	Holiday planning / family 假期 / 亲子
2021	Responsibility / tidying up 责任感 / 整理	Saving water / environment 节省用水 / 环保
2020	Recycling / volunteering 环保 / 义工	Road safety 交通安全
2019	Technology for learning 科技	Keeping school clean 校园清洁

What the seven years actually tell you

Eight out of nine years from 2017 onwards have featured at least one topic centred on values — helping others, being responsible, doing the right thing. Interpersonal relationships account for 31% of all topics, the single largest category. If your child can speak confidently about helping others, caring for the community, and family relationships, they are prepared for the most common exam shape.

The curveball day tends to come from one of three buckets: a specific lifestyle angle (healthy eating, road safety), a seasonal hook (travel, holidays), or a theme that hasn't been tested in years (environment in 2020, technology in 2019). Preparing only for the bread-and-butter day is how students score well on Monday and crash on Tuesday.

Six themes worth preparing for 2026

Nobody can predict exactly what SEAB will test. The themes below are a starting point based on historical patterns, curriculum alignment, and what hasn't appeared in recent years. Treat them as a vocabulary syllabus, not a crystal ball.

#	Theme	主题	Why prepare for it
1	Environment & sustainability	环境保护	Singapore Green Plan 2030 is curriculum-aligned; not tested in 2025; appeared regularly 2020–2023.
2	Technology & screen time	科技 / 屏幕时间	MOE Cyber Wellness update; AI and deepfake angles completely untested at PSLE level.
3	Community & volunteerism	社区精神 / 助人	Most recurring theme overall; core Character & Citizenship Education topic.
4	Health & well-being	健康 / 身心健康	Mental-health framing is untested; a new angle on a familiar theme is possible.
5	Family bonds	家庭关系 / 亲情	Caring-for-elderly angle untested recently; evergreen exam theme.
6	SG culture & racial harmony	种族和谐 / 文化	Not tested since 2020; SG60 year gives it a natural hook; appeared in roughly 15% of 2025 school prelims.

The pattern you can rely on

If there is one pattern worth betting preparation time on, it is this: values-based prompts dominate. Helping others, being responsible, caring for your community, looking after your family. Your child needs specific personal stories for each of those buckets, not generic opinions. A child who can name the time they helped a classmate, the day they noticed litter in the void deck, or the evening they cooked for grandma scores better than a child reciting a perfect template answer about what Singaporeans in general should do.

Get the full 9-page printable guide

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