Botswana PSLE English study guide
Botswana PSLE English · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) is a national examination administered by the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC), the body mandated under section 5 of the Botswana Examinations Council Act (Act No 11 of 2002) as amended by the Botswana Examinations Amendment Act, 2019 to manage, conduct examinations and assessments in general education and to award certificates in respect of the said examinations and assessments. The PSLE sits at the end of primary schooling and is taken by Standard 7 learners as they prepare to move into junior secondary education. BEC publishes PSLE administration information, PSLE reports, assessment material and a list of PSLE examination centres, and results are released through the PSLE Results Summary on the BEC website. The English component of the PSLE tests the literacy skills built across the primary years: reading comprehension, vocabulary and language use, punctuation and grammar, and extended writing. Because BEC describes its examination and assessment system as affiliated to the national curriculum, preparation should follow the primary English syllabus and the reading and writing skills taught in class. A sensible study plan combines regular reading of short passages, targeted practice on grammar and vocabulary, timed composition writing, and review of past mistakes. Topics on this exam: English. The Botswana PSLE English study guide has 1 section and about 457 words.
01English for the PSLE: Reading Comprehension, Language Structure and Vocabulary
The Botswana PSLE English paper tests how well you read, understand and use English. Questions usually fall into three groups. Comprehension questions give you a short passage and ask about facts, sequence, cause and effect, character feelings, and the writer's purpose. Language structure questions test grammar: tenses, subject–verb agreement, pronouns, prepositions, articles, plurals, and direct to indirect speech.
457 words, about 2 minMore study resources for Botswana PSLE English
- Practice questionsChoose the word that correctly completes the sentence: The children playing football in the field yesterday.
- FlashcardsSubject-verb agreement. The rule that a verb must match its subject in number: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
- Cheat sheetSubject-verb agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb (she walks); a plural subject takes a plural verb (they walk); compound subjects joined by 'and' take a plural verb unless they name one idea.
- Key termsnoun. A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea, such as 'teacher', 'Gaborone', or 'happiness'.
- Study planIdentify the main idea and supporting details in short passages by underlining topic sentences in ten practice texts.
- Common mistakesUnder time pressure candidates reach for a memorised story they practised in class and try to bend the prompt to fit it, rather than reading what the task actually asks for.
- Exam-day guideBring the printed copy of your admission letter or registration slip if one was issued to you.