How to choose a Maths assessment book, and how many to use
Pick one main Maths assessment book that matches your child's school level and the current MOE syllabus, shows worked answers, and has a chapter list close to the school's scheme of work. Try a free sample first. Add at most one support book, such as problem sums or exam papers, for the area your child finds hardest.
Reviewed by Theon Teo, Founder · Updated
Books and prices last checked November 2026.
What should I check before buying?
Five checks take ten minutes and save a wasted book.
| Check | How to do it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Level and syllabus | Match the level on the cover to your child's level next year. Look for the current MOE syllabus. | An old edition may hold topics that have moved to another level. |
| Worked answers | Open the answer pages. Look for steps, not just final answers. | A bare answer tells a child the question was wrong, not why. |
| Chapter list | Put the contents page beside the school's scheme of work or textbook. | The book should cover what the school teaches, in an order you can follow. |
| Difficulty | Ask your child to try five questions from a sample. | Three or four right is about the right level. All wrong or all right means pick again. |
| Type of book | Decide if you need topical practice, problem sums or papers. | Each type does one job. See our guides for primary and secondary. |
How many assessment books should my child use?
One main book and at most one support book at a time. The main book is a full-syllabus topical book that follows school. The support book targets one need, such as problem sums in primary or past exam papers in Secondary 4.
More books do not mean more learning. A child with four books finishes none of them, and never goes back to redo the wrong questions. Redoing mistakes is where most of the gain is.
Topical practice or exam papers first?
Topical first. Use the topical book in the first half of the year, one chapter at a time, soon after the school has taught it. Move to exam papers nearer the exams, when most topics are done.
Papers test many topics at once. A child who has not learnt a topic will only learn that the paper was hard.
How do I check a book against the school's scheme of work?
Ask the school for the scheme of work, or look at the contents page of the school textbook. Tick each topic that appears in the assessment book's chapter list. A good match covers nearly all of them.
Every TSS book lists its chapters on the Maths assessment books page and on its own page in the shop, so you can do this check before buying.
Why try a sample first?
A sample shows three things a cover cannot. How the notes explain an idea. How hard the questions are. Whether the answers show the working.
Every TSS book has a free sample PDF with the contents page, the first notes and practice pages of chapter 1 and the answers for those pages. Each book also has a page of sample questions to read online. The links are in the table below.
What should I do for a child who is weak in foundations?
- Find the gap first. Use a few questions from the level below. If those go wrong, the gap is there.
- Buy the book for the level where the gap is, not the current level. A Primary 5 child who is shaky on fractions gains more from Primary 4 fractions than from harder Primary 5 questions.
- Pick a book with notes and worked examples in each chapter, not a book of questions alone.
- Do less, and redo it. Ten questions marked and corrected beat thirty left unmarked.
- Leave challenge books and Olympiad books for later.
TSS sells sets of two books for neighbouring levels at S$25, which suits a child who needs to go back one level before moving on. If the gap is large, a tutor who can explain and watch your child work may help more than another book.
Which TSS book matches my child's level?
Each TSS book is a printable PDF with notes, practice questions and worked answers for every chapter, and a practice exam at the end. S$15 each, S$25 for a set of two. See all of them on the Maths assessment books page.
Questions parents ask
How many Maths assessment books should my child use at one time?
One main topical book and at most one support book. Finishing one book and redoing the wrong questions helps more than starting several.
Which Maths assessment book is good for a child weak in foundations?
A topical book with notes and worked examples in each chapter, at the level where the gap is. That may be the level below your child's current one.
How do I know a book follows the current syllabus?
Check the edition and compare the contents page with the school's scheme of work or textbook. The topics should match your child's level.
Should I buy next year's book during the December holidays?
It helps to buy early if your child will preview the first few chapters. Check the level and the chapter list first, and try a free sample.
Do TSS books have worked answers?
Yes. Every chapter ends with answers that show the working, and each book ends with a practice exam and its mark scheme.
More guides to Maths assessment books
- Best PSLE Maths assessment booksWhich type of book a Primary 3 to 6 child needs, and when to use it
- Best secondary Maths assessment booksTopical books, the Ten-Year Series and prelim papers for Sec 1 to 4 and A-Maths
- PDF or printed assessment bookCost, printing at home, reuse and when a printed book is better
- All TSS Maths assessment booksTen books, Primary 3 to Secondary 4
- Free school test papersReal papers set by schools, with answers
Books from other publishers are named for information. We are not linked to them. The TSS books are our own practice material, not issued by MOE or any school. If you find a mistake on this page, tell us and we will fix it.