Singapore MOE Primary Math Syllabus
For parents of Primary 1 to Primary 6 children · Updated October 2026
MOE primary math syllabus, Primary 1 to 6
This is the current Singapore primary math syllabus, set out level by level in plain English: what your child learns each year, which topics moved under the 2021 MOE syllabus, and how the PSLE Math paper is set from 2026.
2026 is a milestone year. This year’s Primary 6 cohort is the first to sit the PSLE after learning the 2021 syllabus all the way from Primary 1.
Free PDF, 49 pages. MOE’s official 2021 Primary Mathematics Syllabus, updated December 2024.
What changed in the 2021 MOE syllabus
MOE rolled out the 2021 primary math curriculum one level at a time, starting with the 2021 Primary 1 cohort. It reached Primary 6 in 2026, so it now covers every level. The three content strands are the same, but some topics now come in a different year.
Topics that moved
As Matrix Math® Director Jason Hiak told Lianhe Zaobao, the lighter Primary 5 gives children more time to strengthen fractions, decimals, percentage and volume before Primary 6. The flip side: ratio and average now arrive in the PSLE year, leaving less time to practise them before the exam.
The PSLE Math paper from 2026
Total: 45 questions, 100 marks, 2 h 30 min. Source: SEAB PSLE Mathematics syllabus (PDF).
The primary math syllabus, level by level
The MOE syllabus is organised into three content strands: number and algebra, measurement and geometry, and statistics. Each year builds on the one before, so a gap in Primary 3 fractions shows up again in Primary 5 and 6. Here are the main new topics at each level.
Primary 1
P1 math syllabusNumber and algebra
Numbers up to 100. Adding and subtracting within 100. First steps in multiplication (within 40) and division (within 20). Counting money.
Measurement and geometry
Length in centimetres. Telling time to 5 minutes. 2D shapes, including half and quarter circles.
Statistics
Reading picture graphs.
Primary 2
P2 math syllabusNumber and algebra
Numbers up to 1,000, odd and even numbers. Times tables of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10. Fractions of a whole, and adding and subtracting like fractions. Money in dollars and cents.
Measurement and geometry
Length in metres, mass in kilograms and grams, volume in litres. Telling time to the minute. 3D shapes, and patterns with 2D shapes.
Statistics
Picture graphs with scales.
Primary 3
P3 math syllabusNumber and algebra
Numbers up to 10,000. Times tables of 6, 7, 8 and 9. Division with remainder. Equivalent fractions, and adding and subtracting related fractions.
Measurement and geometry
Kilometres and millilitres, and converting compound units. Time in seconds and the 24-hour clock. Area and perimeter. Angles, and perpendicular and parallel lines.
Statistics
Bar graphs.
Primary 4
P4 math syllabusNumber and algebra
Numbers up to 100,000 and rounding. Factors and multiples. Long multiplication and division. Mixed numbers, improper fractions and fraction of a set. Decimals up to 3 decimal places.
Measurement and geometry
Area and perimeter of composite figures. Measuring and drawing angles. Properties of rectangles and squares. Line symmetry. Nets of 3D solids.
Statistics
Tables, line graphs and pie charts.
Primary 5
P5 math syllabusNumber and algebra
Numbers up to 10 million. Order of operations. Fractions and division, and multiplying fractions. Percentage, including discount, GST and annual interest. Rate.
Measurement and geometry
Area of triangles. Volume of cubes and cuboids, and liquid in a tank. Angles on a straight line, at a point and vertically opposite. Triangles, parallelograms, rhombuses and trapeziums.
Statistics
No new topic. Earlier graph work is revisited in problem sums.
Primary 6
P6 math syllabusNumber and algebra
Dividing fractions. Percentage increase and decrease, and finding the whole. Ratio. Algebra: using letters for unknowns, and simple equations.
Measurement and geometry
Area and circumference of circles, semicircles and quarter circles. Finding unknown sides of cubes and cuboids from their volume. Unknown angles in composite figures.
Statistics
Average of a set of data.
Standard or Foundation? From Primary 5, children take Standard or Foundation Mathematics. Foundation revisits important Primary 1 to 4 concepts, and its new topics are a smaller set of the Standard ones. The levels above follow the Standard syllabus.
Want every learning outcome? The official document lists each one, level by level. Download the MOE primary math syllabus (PDF).
Knowing the topics is only half the job
The MOE curriculum puts problem solving at its centre, and the PSLE tests it. SEAB’s assessment objectives go well beyond recalling facts: children must interpret information, apply concepts in different contexts, and reason their way to a strategy.
That is why a child can know every topic on this page and still lose marks. The questions that separate a good score from an excellent one use familiar maths, presented in an unfamiliar way.
“Knowing the concept is only the first step. Students must also recognise when and how to apply it.”
Jason Hiak, Director, Matrix Math®
Book a primary math trial lesson
See how we teach the MOE syllabus at your child’s level. Your child joins a normal class, and you decide afterwards.
What happens next
- You send this form.
- We contact you within 3 working days to arrange the class.
- Your child joins the trial lesson at the centre you chose.
Prefer to chat? WhatsApp us at +65 9722 7759.
Questions parents ask about the primary math syllabus
What is the current MOE primary math syllabus?
It is the 2021 Primary Mathematics Syllabus. MOE introduced it with the 2021 Primary 1 cohort and added one level each year. From 2026, it covers Primary 1 to Primary 6.
Is 2026 the first PSLE on the new syllabus?
Yes. Children who sit the PSLE in 2026 are the first cohort to learn the 2021 syllabus from Primary 1 to Primary 6. The PSLE Math paper format also changed from 2026.
Which topics moved in the 2021 primary math curriculum?
Ratio and average are now taught in Primary 6, pie charts and nets moved down to Primary 4, and speed is no longer part of the primary syllabus.
Is speed still tested in PSLE Math?
No. Speed is not in the 2021 primary syllabus, so it is not tested in the PSLE from 2026. Rate is still taught in Primary 5.
How is the PSLE Math paper set from 2026?
There are two papers on the same day. Paper 1 (no calculator) is 1 h 10 min and 50 marks. Paper 2 (calculator allowed) is 1 h 20 min and 50 marks. Together that is 45 questions, 100 marks and 2 h 30 min.
What are the three strands of the MOE syllabus?
Number and algebra, measurement and geometry, and statistics. Every level from Primary 1 to Primary 6 is organised along these three strands.
What is the difference between Standard and Foundation Mathematics?
From Primary 5, children take Standard or Foundation Mathematics. Foundation revisits important concepts from Primary 1 to 4, and its new topics are a subset of the Standard syllabus.
Does Matrix Math® follow the MOE syllabus?
Yes. Our primary math tuition follows the MOE syllabus at every level, and our teachers know the latest changes. You can see what each level covers every week in our weekly lesson synopsis.
Our primary programme. How our lessons, classes and fees work. Primary math tuition
Moving on to secondary? See what is taught from Sec 1 to Sec 4. Secondary math syllabus
Aiming above 90 at PSLE? Read Jason’s take in Lianhe Zaobao