PSLE students can finally put their practice papers to rest

CARE Singapore is giving students a break from exam preparation with “Rest papers”, a new initiative that transforms familiar practice papers into playful activities designed to encourage children to pause during revision.

Created in partnership with TBWA\Singapore, the initiative launches ahead of the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) written papers and replaces mock questions and exam-style exercises with low-pressure activities. Instead of solving sums or completing comprehension passages, students are encouraged to crush, cut and draw on the pages, take them outdoors and get creative.

The initiative comes amid growing concern around exam-related stress among students in Singapore. According to reports, psychologists have seen an annual increase of up to 20% in cases involving exam-related stress since 2021, with more students seeking professional support to cope with academic pressure.

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Taken at the end of primary school, the PSLE plays a key role in students' secondary school placement. In the months leading up to the examination, practice papers and mock exercises are commonly used by students preparing for the written papers.

"Rest papers" takes that familiar format and turns it into an opportunity to pause, positioning breaks as part of exam preparation rather than time taken away from it. The activities were developed with input from CARE Singapore's counselling team and seek to address concerns among students and parents that pausing during revision could mean falling behind.

There are no grades or wrong answers in the "Rest papers". Instead, the activities are designed to give students permission to step away from academic performance and engage in low-pressure creative activities during the exam season.

"Rest papers" are available free at test-paper retailers Book Point at Bras Basah Complex and Past Exam Papers at Beauty World Centre. Parents, teachers and students can also download the papers for free from CARE Singapore's website.

The initiative has also drawn interest from several primary schools looking to introduce "Rest papers" as an exam-season wellbeing resource, with additional school partnerships currently in development.

“PSLE stress today is increasingly self-driven. With peer comparison, social media, and the 'hothousing' of tuition, many Primary 6 students internalise pressure and that can lead to emotional distress. 'Rest papers' was created to break that cycle. It is intentionally not another test," said Lena Teo, clinical director at CARE Singapore.

She added, "By inviting students to pause for drawing, mini-games, and fun activities, we help them step out of perfectionism and reset their minds. This draws on research showing that short breaks and play reduce anxiety and improve focus. 'Rest papers' gives students permission to rest — because managing wellbeing is just as important as preparing for exams.”

In tandem, Anthony Chng, senior director at CARE Singapore said, "No 12-year-old should feel that every moment away from the desk is wasted, or that one examination determines their worth. 'Rest papers' will not solve every source of exam pressure. But it is a practical reminder that rest is not the opposite of preparation." He added: 

When children have space to pause, reset and return to their work with a clearer mind, that is part of preparing well.

Meanwhile, Loo Yong Ping, executive creative director at TBWA\Singapore said, "In Singapore’s achievement-driven education culture, practice papers are such a recognisable part of growing up, so we wanted to use that familiarity in an unexpected way."

"By turning the paper itself into permission to pause, we hope 'Rest papers' can help normalise taking breaks – making them feel like part of revision rather than time away from it," he added. 

The initiative follows other efforts in Singapore to take some of the pressure off students around the PSLE. In November last year, Nando’s Singapore marked PSLE results day with a cheeky social post assuring Primary 6 students that they had earned a break regardless of their results.

The brand created a mock certificate from its self-declared “Ministry of Peri-Peri”, with grades A to F all carrying the same reward: a free PERi-Tomato bowl. Students could redeem the meal by presenting their physical 2025 PSLE results slip at any Nando’s outlet, with the gesture drawing positive reactions online.

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