Why Your CAT 4 is Stuck at Band 3 📉 (And How to Fix It)

The Reality Check

You know this feeling. The clock is ticking. You have ideas in your head, but once you start writing your CAT 4 composition, everything feels rushed, flat, and predictable. You finish on time, yet the result comes back: Band 3. Again.

This problem shows up clearly in PSLE English and O-Level English Paper 1. Students often think the issue is vocabulary or grammar. That is only half the truth. As a former MOE marker, I can tell you this: most CAT 4 essays fail because of weak plot control, unclear sentence structure, and misuse of “cheem” words that do not actually score.

Markers do not reward effort. They reward control. This guide shows you exactly what a Band 1 CAT 4 essay looks like, how it matches the marking scheme, and how to rewrite weak paragraphs the way examiners expect.

The “Visualized” Model Answer ✨

Topic: Write about a time when you learned an important lesson.

The moment I slammed the door shut, the silence felt heavier than the humid afternoon air pressing against my skin. My backpack lay forgotten on the floor as I replayed my mother’s words in my head. I had walked away, convinced that I was right, convinced that listening was a sign of weakness.

At school, the day unfolded normally, yet nothing felt the same. During recess, laughter echoed across the canteen, but I sat alone, stirring my noodles without appetite. My phone vibrated. A message from my mother appeared, short and calm, written in carefully chosen words. She asked if I was safe. No anger. No lecture. Just concern. That quiet restraint unsettled me more than shouting ever could.

After school, rain poured relentlessly, soaking my uniform as I trudged home. Each step felt slower, heavier. When I finally opened the door, the familiar scent of dinner wrapped around me, warm and comforting. My mother stood by the stove. She did not turn around immediately. The soft clatter of utensils against metal filled the space between us.

“Sit down,” she said, her voice steady. I expected disappointment, perhaps anger. Instead, she spoke about her own mistakes when she was younger, about moments when pride had cost her friendships and opportunities. Her honesty stripped away my defences. I realised that my refusal to listen was not strength, but fear — fear of being wrong.

That evening, I apologised. The words felt awkward at first, then freeing. I learned that day that listening does not diminish one’s voice. It strengthens it. Since then, whenever conflict arises, I remind myself of that rain-soaked walk home and the quiet power of understanding.

The Mark Scheme Decoder 🛠️

The “Singapore Trap” 🇸🇬

Step-by-Step Rewrite Drill ✍️

Band 3 Paragraph (Weak):

I was very angry and shouted at my mother. I felt very bad later. I learned that I should listen to people more because it is important.

Band 1 Rewrite (Strong):

I raised my voice, words spilling out before I could stop them. The moment they landed, regret followed. Only later did I understand that my anger came from refusing to listen, not from being unheard.

Explanation:

The Band 3 version tells the marker what happened, but it lacks control. Vocabulary is repetitive (“very”), sentences are flat, and the lesson is stated without depth. In the Band 1 rewrite, verbs are specific (“raised,” “spilling”), sentence length varies, and reflection is embedded naturally. This is what markers reward under Sentence Structure and Plot Development.

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