A recurring theme in the "story" of PSLE papers is the emergence of "legendary" difficult questions that spark nationwide debate.
: Official reports note that while most of the paper is manageable, roughly 15% of questions are specifically designed to be "challenging" to differentiate the highest scorers (AL1 and AL2). The Transition to the AL System Psle Papers
: In 2005, a math question was found to be mathematically inconsistent; the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) eventually annulled it and awarded 2 marks to every student. A recurring theme in the "story" of PSLE