What Parents Must Know About The New PSLE Visual Text Format

AGrader Learning Centre
42 minutes ago
6 min read

Has your child recently come home from school feeling overwhelmed by a "poster question" in their English paper? Are you staring blankly at a social media post or advertisement in their textbook, wondering how this is even part of English? You're not alone. Many parents are just as puzzled as their Primary 5 and 6 children when it comes to the new PSLE visual text format.

With the introduction of this updated format in the English examination, visual text comprehension has taken on a new level of complexity. Now more than ever, children must understand how images and words work together to convey meaning. Gone are the days of analysing just a single advertisement or poster. The latest change? Students must now interpret two texts at the same time—and answer challenging questions that demand cross-referencing, inference, and keen observation.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through what every parent must know about this format, why it’s so tricky, and how you can support your child in mastering this crucial PSLE component.

What Is a Visual Text?

What Is the Purpose of Visual Text?

What Makes Visual Texts Tricky?

The New Format: Two Texts

Why Do Students Struggle with Visual Texts?

How Can Parents Help?

Mistakes to Watch Out For

What Is a Visual Text?

Let’s begin with the basics. A visual text is any piece of information that communicates a message using a combination of words and images. Think of posters, brochures, advertisements, infographics, or even a cleverly designed social media post. These texts often use layout, colours, images, font size, icons, and structure to capture readers' attention and convey key messages.

Understanding a visual text goes beyond just reading. It requires students to analyse how the design elements support the message, identify the target audience and purpose, and respond to both text and visuals through structured questions.

What Is the Purpose of Visual Text?

The main purpose of visual texts is to inform, persuade, or entertain—often all at once. For instance, a poster promoting an amusement park doesn’t just say “Come visit!” It uses exaggerated action words, eye-catching colours, smiling faces, and bonus offers (“Free passes for the first 500!”) to persuade the reader to act.

To read visual texts effectively, students must be able to decode these visual clues and connect them with the written content.

What Makes Visual Texts Tricky?

Students must interpret more than just words. Elements such as layout, images, colours, font size, icons, and overall structure all contribute to the meaning of a visual text. These elements often work together to convey a message, and overlooking even one detail can lead to confusion.

Another challenge is the presence of distractors, which are intentionally included to test students’ observation and reasoning skills. These may include:

Misleading graphics
Small-print disclaimers
Overlapping event timings or details

The New Format: Two Texts

A recent change to the PSLE format now requires students to refer to two related texts instead of one. This shift means that students must cross-reference and evaluate both sources simultaneously to arrive at accurate answers.

In addition, the total marks allocated to the visual text component have been reduced from 8 to 5, making it even more important to answer each question carefully and correctly.

For example:

A recent change to the PSLE format now requires students to refer to two related texts instead of one

Examples of Common Visual Text Questions

The Ministry of Education has not made the task any easier—the type of questions asked require critical thinking, not just observation. Here are a few visual text examples drawn from updated PSLE-style assessments:

1. Intended audience

E.g. Who is the intended audience of Text 1?

(1) People looking for part-time jobs at amusement parks

(2) Students doing a school project about theme parks

(3) Families and individuals interested in fun and thrilling activities

(4) Engineers designing roller coasters for new amusement parks

Answer: (3)

The poster uses fun words, bright visuals, and talks about exciting rides and food stalls. It is meant to attract visitors who want to enjoy themselves, especially families and thrill-seekers. It even mentions “something for everyone” and shows happy people on a ride.

2. Meaning of visuals/icons

E.g. The picture in Text 1 suggests that the experience at ThrillWorld will be ________ .

(1) relaxing

(2) dreadful

(3) exhilarating

(4) monotonous

Answer: (3)

The picture shows happy people screaming and enjoying a fast roller coaster. This tells us the rides are thrilling and full of excitement—not boring or relaxing.

3.Inference

E.g. Why does Text 1 highlight that the first 500 visitors will receive free passes?

(1) To reward visitors who plan their trip in advance.

(2) To limit the number of people entering the park on the first day.

(3) To encourage people to arrive early and create a sense of urgency.

(4) To ensure that visitors have enough time to explore all the Attractions.

Answer: (3)

By saying “first 500 visitors,” the poster makes people want to come early so they do not miss out on free passes. It is a smart way to attract more visitors quickly.

Cross-text

E.g. How does Text 2 support the claim in Text 1 that ThrillWorld offers “exciting rides”?

(1) It describes the Twister Coaster as a ride that felt like flying.

(2) It states that visitors were initially nervous before enjoying the rides.

(3) It mentions that some visitors found the rides too fast and overwhelming.

(4) It explains that the Mega Drop was closed due to maintenance on opening day.

Answer: (1)

The writer talks about how thrilling the Twister Coaster was—it had loops and spins and made them feel like they were flying. This shows the rides are exciting, just like the poster claims.

Why Do Students Struggle with Visual Texts?

Even students who are strong in vocabulary and grammar can stumble in this section. Here’s why:

They skip the visuals or only glance at bolded text.
They make assumptions instead of reading all options carefully.
They focus only on one of the texts, forgetting that the answer might lie in the other.
They haven’t been trained to understand visual texts holistically—how images and words interact.

Why Do Students Struggle with Visual Texts

How Can Parents Help?

As a parent, you don’t need to become an English teacher. But you can support your child with simple strategies at home.

1. Expose Them to More Visual Text Examples

Encourage your child to observe and interpret:

Posters at the supermarket
Social media posts
Event flyers and brochures
Infographics in newspapers

2. Annotate Together

When practising, teach your child to:

Circle action words and key phrases
Underline dates and disclaimers
Jot down the target audience and purpose
Identify how the image supports the message

3. Practise Question Types

Use mock papers or create your own questions using real-world materials. Cover question types like:

Visual text question about purpose
Inference
Meaning of icons
Cross-text comparisons

Encourage your child to observe and interpret

Mistakes to Watch Out For

Don’t let your child skip the image or layout—they’re essential to text comprehension.Encourage them to read both texts fully, even if one seems more ‘important’.Remind them to avoid guessing—go back to the visual clues.

The new PSLE visual text format might look confusing at first glance, but with the right strategies and mindset, your child can tackle it confidently.

If your child is struggling to keep up with the ever-evolving English syllabus, enrolling them in AGrader’s Primary English Programme could be the game-changer they need. Every weekly lesson is thoughtfully curated to align with the latest MOE syllabus, ensuring that students stay ahead of school content while receiving targeted practice through high-quality, in-house worksheets. From Primary 1 to PSLE, our experienced teachers guide students through essential components like comprehension, grammar, cloze, visual text, and oral communication—all within a structured, exam-focused framework.

What truly sets AGrader apart is our Everloop system. Beyond weekly lessons, students gain access to bonus resources from up to three previous academic levels—a powerful tool for revisiting foundational concepts and reinforcing mastery. With weekly spelling tests, revision papers, and bi-annual diagnostic assessments, students not only improve their English skills but also gain confidence in handling the demands of the PSLE English paper. Help your child build a strong foundation and achieve English excellence—enrol in AGrader’s Primary English Programme today!