Secondary oral exams: what they actually test
From 2027 the O-Level, N(A) and N(T) become one certificate — the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate — with subjects sat at G1, G2 and G3. The certificate is new. The oral exams are almost entirely unchanged, and this page says which parts changed and which did not, with the syllabus cited for each.
There is no practice product here yet.
What you can read today is the exam format, taken from the syllabus and cited. Practice is being built, and this page will say so plainly when it exists — not before.
G3 Chinese Language 华文 — syllabus K320, formerly 1160
| Component | Marks | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 朗读短文 Reading aloud | 10 / 5% | 考生必须朗读一篇短文。 |
| 会话 Conversation | 40 / 20% | 考生针对所提供的录像短片，以及主考员的提问，跟主考员进行一段对话。 |
| 听力理解 Listening comprehension | 20 / 10% | 三个简短对话或语段，以及三个理解篇章，共有 10 道选择题。考生先听录音，然后回答问题。 |
| Total spoken and heard | 70 | of 200 for the whole subject |
- 口试 runs about 15 minutes and is preceded by 10 minutes' preparation.
- During preparation the candidate may read the passage and watch the video clip more than once.
- 朗读短文 is marked as one holistic total — the syllabus states no split between pronunciation and fluency.
- 会话 has two equally weighted criteria: 个人意见和内容的组织, and 语文表达和流利度.
Source: SEAB syllabus K320 (PDF), read 13 September 2026.
G3 English Language — syllabus K300, formerly 1184
| Component | Marks | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Planned Response | 15 | Candidates plan and deliver a response of up to 2 minutes to a video clip and accompanying prompt presented on a computer screen. |
| Spoken Interaction | 15 | Candidates engage in a discussion with the Examiners on a topic based on the same video clip. |
| Total spoken and heard | 30 | of 180 for the whole subject |
- Paper 4 Oral Communication is 30 marks, 20% of the subject.
- There is no Reading Aloud component at G3 — only G1 retains it.
- The syllabus states: “The Oral communication examination will be delivered via computer.”
Source: SEAB syllabus K300 (PDF), read 13 September 2026.
G1 English Language — syllabus K100, formerly 1195
| Component | Marks | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Aloud | 15 | Candidates read aloud a text presented on a computer screen, demonstrating accurate pronunciation, clear articulation and appropriate prosody. |
| Spoken Interaction | 25 | Candidates view a visual stimulus in the form of a video clip in order to engage in a discussion with the Examiners. |
| Total spoken and heard | 40 | of 190 for the whole subject |
- Paper 4 Oral Communication is 40 marks, 20% of the subject.
- The two parts are not thematically linked, unlike G2 and G3.
Source: SEAB syllabus K100 (PDF), read 13 September 2026.
What changed in 2027, and what didn’t
Mostly the name. G3 Chinese keeps 朗读短文, 会话 and 听力理解 at the same marks, and the 会话 is still a conversation with an examiner about a video clip. The English oral keeps the planned response and the discussion — that structure was already in the 2026 syllabus, so there is no new format to learn. The one real difference between levels is that G1 English still has Reading Aloud, which G2 and G3 do not.
SEAB has not published the 2027 examination timetable. Written English and Mother Tongue papers move to September, other subjects sit in October and November, and results are released in January. Any specific 2027 oral date you see quoted anywhere is not yet knowable.
Last checked against the syllabus documents on 13 September 2026.