SINGAPORE — The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) has confirmed that there was no discrepancy in the GCE O-Level English oral examination held on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The question displayed to candidates was the same as that shown to oral examiners, following complaints on social media alleging otherwise.

About 5,000 candidates sat for the oral examinations that morning. Some candidates, including a Reddit user, reported seeing different prompts on their screens compared to what examiners had, with the user stating he was "stunned" and requested more time to gather his thoughts.

Responding to queries from CNA on Saturday, July 18, SEAB said it conducted investigations after receiving such feedback. The findings confirmed that all candidates and oral examiners accessed the same examination video and test content. SEAB explained that for each oral exam session, only one version of the exam video and questions is released via its e-Examination system to all examination centres. Additionally, processes are in place before the oral examination begins to verify that the correct video and questions are shown onscreen.

SEAB also noted that oral examiners are experienced teachers who complete a standardisation exercise before deployment to ensure fair and consistent assessment for all candidates. The planned response component of the oral exam accounts for 10 percent of the overall O-Level English grade.

The board observed that some individuals had initially misread the prompts, which may have contributed to the confusion. SEAB assured that candidates were assessed fairly based on their prepared responses and in accordance with the assessment rubrics.

Sources