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HKDSE English oral exams canceled for a third year, Music and PE exams postponed
Hong Kong has canceled this year’s HKDSE English oral exams due to the city’s epidemic, while the practical exams for Music and Physical Education were postponed to June.
The English oral exam is set to make its comeback this year in March after having been canceled for the last two years.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority had earlier issued guidelines for candidates, requesting them to wear masks and observe a 1.1-meter distance during the oral exam.
However, Secretary General Wei Xiang-dong announced the oral exam will be canceled this year in a press conference on Friday afternoon.
Wei said canceling the oral exams aims to reduce the risk of cross infection, and explained students coming from everywhere have to sit together for a group discussion and they cannot sit too far away from each other.
As for the subject's marks and weighting, Director for Public Examinations Ricardo Mak King-sang said the 10 percent marks of the English oral exam will be distributed to other papers.
The weighting of the reading paper will increase by three percent to 23 percent; that of the writing paper will increase from a quarter to 28 percent; and that of the listening paper will increase from 30 percent to 34 percent. The weighting of the school-based assessment will remain the same at 15 percent.
If candidates cannot make it to the exams because of compulsory testing or quarantine, they can apply for the constructed result, where results of the papers completed by them will be used to predict the results for the missing papers, Mak added.
As for the practical exams for the subjects Music and Physical Education (PE) scheduled between mid-February and April, they will be postponed to late-May and June.
When asked if the DSE exams could still commence as scheduled this year, Wei said it is unpredictable and described the pandemic situation as a tsunami. He also hoped candidates sitting the exams this year could understand, saying the authority is “forced” to make such arrangements.
Wei referred to past experiences and believed the arrangements won't have a great impact on students. He stressed the authority has spoken to different stakeholders before finalizing the decision as well.
On the other hand, Mak said the authority will maximize the use of each school hall and cut the number of candidate sitting at each exam. Windows will be opened and students would be at least 1.8 meter away from others.
Mak suggested schools to set up a support network as well, so that when a school is closed due to an emergency, other schools under the same network can provide an exam venue immediately.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority had earlier issued guidelines for candidates, requesting them to wear masks and observe a 1.1-meter distance during the oral exam.
However, Secretary General Wei Xiang-dong announced the oral exam will be canceled this year in a press conference on Friday afternoon.
Wei said canceling the oral exams aims to reduce the risk of cross infection, and explained students coming from everywhere have to sit together for a group discussion and they cannot sit too far away from each other.
As for the subject's marks and weighting, Director for Public Examinations Ricardo Mak King-sang said the 10 percent marks of the English oral exam will be distributed to other papers.
The weighting of the reading paper will increase by three percent to 23 percent; that of the writing paper will increase from a quarter to 28 percent; and that of the listening paper will increase from 30 percent to 34 percent. The weighting of the school-based assessment will remain the same at 15 percent.
If candidates cannot make it to the exams because of compulsory testing or quarantine, they can apply for the constructed result, where results of the papers completed by them will be used to predict the results for the missing papers, Mak added.
As for the practical exams for the subjects Music and Physical Education (PE) scheduled between mid-February and April, they will be postponed to late-May and June.
When asked if the DSE exams could still commence as scheduled this year, Wei said it is unpredictable and described the pandemic situation as a tsunami. He also hoped candidates sitting the exams this year could understand, saying the authority is “forced” to make such arrangements.
Wei referred to past experiences and believed the arrangements won't have a great impact on students. He stressed the authority has spoken to different stakeholders before finalizing the decision as well.
On the other hand, Mak said the authority will maximize the use of each school hall and cut the number of candidate sitting at each exam. Windows will be opened and students would be at least 1.8 meter away from others.
Mak suggested schools to set up a support network as well, so that when a school is closed due to an emergency, other schools under the same network can provide an exam venue immediately.
