WP MP Kenneth Tiong to file Parliamentary question on alleged discrepancy in O-Level English Oral Exam

SINGAPORE: After students and parents have been saying that there was a discrepancy in the O-Level English Oral Exam on July 15, the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) looked into the matter, especially since this was the topic of at least one Reddit post that went viral.

The Workers’ Party Member of Parliament (WP MP) Kenneth Tiong (Aljunied) said in a July 19 Facebook post that he will be filing a Parliamentary Question on the matter.

Some candidates said they saw a different question during their preparation from the one asked by their examiners.

The SEAB confirmed on July 18, however, that there had been no such discrepancy. According to reporting from CNA, the board found that the prompts shown on candidates’ screens were identical to those displayed to examiners, and noted that some commenters online later admitted they had initially misread the prompts.

Mr Tiong, however, wrote, “I’ve been reading what students and parents say about the O-Level English oral on 15 July. Many say the question on their screen during prep was not the one the examiner asked. Not just reworded, a different type of question that needs a different answer.”

While acknowledging the statement from the SEAB and posting a screenshot of a CNA report on the matter, Mr Tiong noted that there have been many candidates throughout Singapore who have said they encountered the same issue.

“I think, when this many students flag the same problem, it should be checked thoroughly. The Oral is, after all, 20% of the English grade,” he said, adding that those who took the exam and had the issue could email him at [email protected] to share their experience.

There were around 5,000 students who sat for the examination on July 15.  SEAB has also said that only one version of the exam video and questions is distributed through its e-Examination system to all exam centres, with verification procedures in place before each session to ensure the correct materials are displayed.

Some people who had children, or whose children’s classmates encountered the issue, commented on his post.

“Yes, I don’t think the students from so many various schools will come together to cook up this incident. I don’t think MOE should just brush this matter aside lightly. My daughter is one of those affected, and I seriously believe in what she has told me. The change in question simply threw her into a state of anxiety inside her, but on the surface, she still had to keep calm and composed during the examination. How is this fair? This glitch has definitely disadvantaged those affected compared to other candidates who did not experience such a glitch. We deserve a better explanation,” one wrote.

“My daughter’s friends said that they were asked a different question/topic from what they had prepared during the 10 min. When voiced out, they were told there was no mistake,” added another. /TISG

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