2023 Promo P2

Pressure
AQ Review
The reading passages cover a range of views about
the merits and drawbacks of being under pressure.

How far do you agree that pressure provides more

benefits than harm?

Support your answer with reference to:

● the ideas and opinions from at least one of the
reading passages
● examples drawn from your own experience and
that of your society.
The reading passages cover a range of views about
the merits and drawbacks of being under
pressure.

How far do you agree that pressure provides

more benefits than harm?

Support your answer with reference to:

● the ideas and opinions from at least one of the
reading passages
● examples drawn from your own experience and
that of your society.
 1
Common
Observations
and Errors
1. Language issues
• Many candidates used the Singlish term, ‘kiasu’,
without explaining in English what it means.
• All slang/colloquial terms/internet lingo/foreign
language must be explained in English.
• Acronyms must be written in full first
2. No Singapore illustration
• No application to yourself/your society: Candidates only explained
the benefits or problems that result from stress in a generalized
way.

• E.g., Passage 1 states that “working consistently under pressure

and stress can erode our mental health and well-being.” This
means that working under pressure can take a toll on our
psychological well-being. I agree because many students face
immense pressure to do well in examinations. This has led to
anxiety and even depression when they cannot excel in the
examinations…. [Isn’t this true of any society??].
3. Lack of Evaluation
Students merely paraphrased the point from the text and then immediately
went on to describe the example.
There was no evaluation why the benefit or problem occurs in Singapore
[your society].

Eg In passage 1, the author states that “working consistently under pressure

and stress can erode our mental health and well-being.” This means that
working under pressure can take a toll on our psychological well-being. I
agree because many students in Singapore face immense pressure to do
well in the O-Level Examination. This has led to anxiety and even
depression when they could not excel in the examination…”
3. Lack of Evaluation
Students merely paraphrased the point from the text and
then immediately went on to describe the example.

Where’s the REASONS as to why

you agree that the point is true?
Eg, In passage 1, the author states that “working
consistently under pressure
- Why isand stress
there exam canstress
erodeinour
mental health and well-being.”
Singapore?This means that Paraphrase of the
- Why selected point
working under pressure candotake
Singaporean
a toll on ourstudents
face depression when they don’t
psychological well-being. I agree because many
do well? Example
students in Singapore face immense pressure to do
well in the O-Level Examination. This has led to anxiety
and even depression when they could not excel in the
examination….
 A better version…(addressing problems 2 & 3)
Paraphrase of the
“In passage 1, the author states that “working consistently under pressure and
selected stress
point (EXP)
Reasonscanwhy
erode
the our mental health and well-being.” This means that working under
demeritpressure
is true incan
SGtake a toll on our psychological well-being. I agree because
(EV/R) Singapore has a strong culture of knowledge-based excellence, this being the
main reason for our successful development despite having a small population
Examples of the
and no natural resources. Doing well academically is hence perceived as being
demerit the best
true in
way to contribute to society and the only way to secure one’s future. This
SG (EV/EG)
resulted in many students in Singapore facing immense pressure to do well in
high-stakes exams like the O-Level Examination. Due to the importance of doing
well in such exams, many students face anxiety and even depression when they
could not excel in the examination. There were even tragic cases of suicide such
as 11-year old boy who killed himself in 2016 on the day he had to show his
parents his exam results as he had underperformed…”
4. Poor examples (1) – Trivial examples
•Trivial examples to show that pressure helps us lead a
meaningful life
E.g., students feel the pressure from coaches, teachers,
peers and themselves to win in the ‘A’ Division
competitions, and when they emerge as champions, that
gives them meaning in life. (a competition at school level is not a
convincing example of “meaning in life”)
- Don’t choose this point to apply if you cannot grasp how pressure actually gives life
meaning. Poor choice of points could result in illustrations or assertions which are
contrived or superficial.
4. Poor examples (2) – lack of examples from your
society
• Personal examples only: While personal examples
can be cited, these should not be all that you cite.
The task requirements include examples from your
society.

• If you are lacking time to write the full AQ, it is

actually better if you gave the ‘society’ examples and
evaluation.
4. Poor examples (3) – overly narrow examples which tend
to be weak
•The most common example is usually about students
being stressed because of exams or CCA competitions. The
rest of the population (which is very sizeable) obviously
does not suffer from this type of stress.
•Better examples included working adults being pressurized
by finances/career advancement, or specific individuals like
athletes (e.g., Joseph Schooling feeling the pressure to win
the gold for S’pore in the Rio Olympics which could
extrapolated to other athletes and perhaps also student
 Reminders about Examples
• EXAMPLE(S) to support your stand/opinion can include
• Observable trends / situations e.g. most neighbours living in high-rise apartments
do not socialise with one another; parks near residential areas are often filled with
people exercising during the weekends etc.
• Policies / Laws (state specific names e.g. POFMA etc. but SPELL OUT THE
WHOLE NAME)
• Case studies/Specific Incidents (include specific details like the NAMES of people
etc.)
• Events / Happenings / Campaigns / Statistics etc. e.g. The National Steps
Challenge, The Pink Dot Rally etc.

*Hypothetical examples are not acceptable

**Personal anecdotes/stories are not encouraged unless they reflect societal trends/patterns
in your society
5. Qualifications
a) No qualification at all.
b) Qualifications which are irrelevant: “however not all
students are stressed, such as students who are naturally
smart, and find it easy to pass exams. I have a friend who is on
the honour roll…”
•The question was about the benefit/harm of pressure – so
that should be what the qualification is about!
5. Qualifications
How to do it:
•First, establish that Singapore students are stressed, and
show the negative impact of the stress [EXP; EV/R; EV/EG]
•Qualification: “however, over time, due to increasing
awareness of parents/educators/government regarding
mental health issues faced by the young, there have been
concerted attempts to de-escalate levels of academic
pressure, and to provide more support and guidance to youth
facing stress, as seen by…..”
 6. Not answering the question: MORE harm or MORE
benefits?
More benefits than harm:
Voila!
1) Apply a negative impact of stress as mentioned from the passages to
All task requirements
Singapore society (reasons + evidence)
2) Qualify this negative impact (previous slide)
met
3) Apply a positive impact of stress to Singapore society (reasons +
evidence; no need to qualify)
4) Evaluate that since stress is so beneficial, and that the negative
impacts are manageable/have reduced over time/will be further reduced
due to impending changes, stress is more beneficial than harmful to
Singapore
 2
Sample AQ
Paragraph
 A SAMPLE
In Paragraph 1 of Passage 1, the author states that ‘working consistently under pressure and stress can erode our
mental health and well-being.’ This means that pressure could have an adverse effect on our mental health instead
of increasing our productivity. To a large extent, I agree that pressure, especially when it is excessive, can have a
harmful effect on mental health. Having little natural resources, Singapore’s only dependable resource is its
manpower. As a result, Singapore constantly aims for excellence to retain the competitive edge in the region where
our neighbouring countries have abundant natural resources and cheap labour. This, as well as the high cost of
living in Singapore, has led to the heavy demands at work and the long hours of work. As a result, Singapore just
trails Tokyo as the most overworked city in the world, with many employees' number of actual work hours being
23% higher than the mandated 48 hours per week. The excessive stress that many employees suffer has led to poor
mental health. Furthermore, Singaporeans aged 18 to 24 (Gen Z) are the most stressed (95%) and are the most
emotionally impacted by stress, with over half saying they became more emotional or depressed. Thus, it is
imperative that employers in competitive Singapore recognise that excessive pressure affects the individual, as
well as the organisations and colleagues they work with, and do more if they hope to maintain a satisfied, healthy
and productive workforce.
 A SAMPLE
However, in recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the need to prioritise mental health in
Singapore. A study released by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) found that many workers in Singapore
prize work-life balance and mental health over higher wages. A survey done with 1,010 local workers in
2022 showed that over 50 per cent are likely to accept less pay or a reduced work role for the benefit of their
family or personal life. The Singapore government is also encouraging employers to cultivate and promote a
good work-life balance in their companies, and has launched specialised funds, such as the Work-Life
Grant, to encourage companies to implement flexible work arrangements and to have a positive workplace
with work-life strategies. Therefore, while it is a fact that there is much stress in the Singapore workplace, it
is not an extremely dire situation as many individuals have been compelled by the high-stress environment
to consider their options to prioritise their mental health. Also, there is a concerted effort from the
government to influence companies to combat the ills of workplace stress.
 Relevant referencing to show a
Clear explanation (EXP) showing
understanding of chosen point. A SAMPLE drawback of being under pressure.

In Paragraph 1 of Passage 1, the author states that ‘working consistently under pressure and stress can
erode our mental health and well-being.’ This means that pressure could have an adverse effect on our
mental health instead of increasing our productivity. To a large extent, I agree that pressure, especially when it
is excessive, can have a harmful effect on mental health. Having little natural resources, Singapore’s only
dependable resource is its manpower. As a result, Singapore constantly aims for excellence to retain the
competitive edge in the region where our neighbouring countries have abundant natural resources and cheap
labour. This, as well as the high cost of living in Singapore, has led to the heavy demands at work and the long
hours of work. As a result, Singapore just trails Tokyo as the most overworked city in the world, with many
employees' number of actual work hours being 23% higher than the mandated 48 hours per week. The excessive
stress that many employees suffer has led to poor mental health. Furthermore, Singaporeans aged 18 to 24 (Gen Z)
are the most stressed (95%) and are the most emotionally impacted by stress, with over half saying they became
more emotional or depressed. Thus, it is imperative that employers in competitive Singapore recognise that
excessive pressure affects the individual, as well as the organisations and colleagues they work with, and do more
if they hope to maintain a satisfied, healthy and productive workforce.
 Relevant Singapore Relevant details {EV/EG)
characteristics to show
applicability to society (EV/R)
A SAMPLE stated in apt examples that
support chosen point.

In Paragraph 1 of Passage 1, the author states that ‘working consistently under pressure and stress can erode our
mental health and well-being.’ This means that pressure could have an adverse effect on our mental health instead
of increasing our productivity. To a large extent, I agree that pressure, especially when it is excessive, can have a
harmful effect on mental health. Having little natural resources, Singapore’s only dependable resource is its
manpower. As a result, Singapore constantly aims for excellence to retain the competitive edge in the region
where our neighbouring countries have abundant natural resources and cheap labour. This, as well as the
high cost of living in Singapore, has led to the heavy demands at work and the long hours of work. As a result,
Singapore just trails Tokyo as the most overworked city in the world, with many employees' number of
actual work hours being 23% higher than the mandated 48 hours per week. The excessive stress that many
employees suffer has led to poor mental health. Furthermore, Singaporeans aged 18 to 24 (Gen Z) are the
most stressed (95%) and are the most emotionally impacted by stress, with over half saying they became
more emotional or depressed. Thus, it is imperative that employers in competitive Singapore recognise that
excessive pressure affects the individual, as well as the organisations and colleagues they work with, and do more
if they hope to maintain a satisfied, healthy and productive workforce.
 Qualifying the response by
A SAMPLE showing limitations/exceptions

However, in recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the need to prioritise mental health
in Singapore. A study released by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) found that many workers in
Singapore prize work-life balance and mental health over higher wages. A survey done with 1,010 local
workers in 2022 showed that over 50 per cent are likely to accept less pay or a reduced work role for the
benefit of their family or personal life. The Singapore government is also encouraging employers to
cultivate and promote a good work-life balance in their companies, and has launched specialised funds,
such as the Work-Life Grant, to encourage companies to implement flexible work arrangements and to
have a positive workplace with work-life strategies. Therefore, while it is a fact that there is much stress in
the Singapore workplace, it is not an extremely dire situation as many individuals have been compelled by
the high-stress environment to consider their options to prioritise their mental health. Also, there is a
concerted effort from the government to influence companies to combat the ills of workplace stress.

Specific examples with clear

evaluation
 3
Tips from a
Senior
Some tips from a student who wrote a good AQ response:

TIP #1: I find that reading the AQ question before reading the
passage and starting the SAQ is quite helpful. It gives time to
generate ideas in the background while I tackle the other parts of
the paper so by the time I reach the AQ I roughly know all the
examples and points I want to write. I think this can help people
who always find themselves rushing at the end to finish the AQ.
Some tips from a student who wrote a good AQ response:

TIP#2: The second thing is to prepare a solid set of a few examples which
can be used to address a wide range of topics, like how the NUS
voyeurism case can address gender issues as well as highlight the power of
the media. It helps make evaluation much easier.
TIP #3: if I have time I also try to reread the entire AQ as if someone else
wrote it to put myself in the shoes of the marker. This helps me to see if the
ideas flow and if there’s any link between the explanations that isn’t clear
to avoid writing an incoherent AQ.