Zoe Tay can relax on Wednesday (Oct 2).

That is when the all-important Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) ends and her testing time is over.

Her second oldest son Ashton is sitting the examination where the result determines which secondary school he can enrol in.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News to promote her upcoming drama My Guardian Angels, Tay, 51, said she had tried to get Ashton, 12, to focus on what is important ahead of the exam.

"I don't want him to have any regrets in the future. I told him: 'I'm very worried for you because you don't seem worried for yourself.'"

Like any concerned Singapore parent, Tay, who has two other sons with her pilot-husband Philip Chionh, made sure that Ashton was up to the test by ensuring that he did not fall ill during the PSLE.

The oral examinations for English and Mother Tongue started in August.

She also brewed herbal soup for him and monitored his work at night when she came back from shooting.

But Tay is careful not to pressure her sons too much.

"I always tell him that he has to start revising early and he can't cram for the exams at the last minute."

Her eldest son Brayden is 14 so that leaves only Nathan, eight, still to tackle the PSLE challenge.

"I'll think about that hurdle later," she said.

With the year-end holidays approaching, there is time to relax for now but if the family head to the beach, Tay has to deal with another issue.

Should she pack her bikini in the luggage?

Brayden has told her that he does not want her to wear the skimpy item.

He thinks she looks fat in the costume, she said.

"He kept telling me I was fat and it made me think if I was," Tay added, revealing what he said during a family trip to Bali.

She thinks that he is getting to an age when he may feel uncomfortable seeing his mother showing "too much skin".

Since beach outings are rare for the family, she noted too that her sons "might not be used to seeing me in swimwear".