September 2023

Mr Samuel Yung Wing-ki, Chairman (first from left) and Prof Wei Xiang-dong, Secretary General (first from right) of the HKEAA welcomed the new members Ms Merry Chey Fung-lin (second from left) and Ms Dora Yue Kar-man (middle), as well as Mr Frederick Poon Siu-chi (second from right)

HKEAA Welcomes New Council Members

The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) welcomes the Government’s appointment of Mr Frederick Poon Siu-chi, Principal of St. Paul’s Co-educational College, for a term of three years with effect from 1 September 2023. Meanwhile, Ms Merry Chey Fung-lin of City University of Hong Kong and Ms Dora Yue Kar-man of the University of Hong Kong, have joined the Council representing the Heads of Universities Committee (HUCOM) as ex-officio members.

 

Gratitude was also extended to former members Ms Katherine Cheung Marn-kay and Dr Kan Kar-yin, as well as former ex-officio members, Ms Margaret Cheung Wai-fong and Ms Jeannie Tsang Wing-shi, for their unwavering support and dedications for the work of the Authority.

 

The Council is the highest governing body of the HKEAA, responsible for formulating examination policies and monitoring the work of the Authority. Except for ex-officio members, its members are either appointed by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or nominated by HUCOM. Click here for details of the Council.

Registration for the 2024 HKDSE

Registration for Category A Senior Secondary subjects and Category B Applied Learning (ApL) subjects of the 2024 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) is now open. Secondary 6 students may register for the HKDSE via their schools whilst those who meet the entry requirements may register as private candidates through the HKDSE Examination Online Services by 5 October 2023.

 

Registration for Category C (Other Languages－November 2023 series) examinations was closed, with the assessment offered by Cambridge Assessment International Education for the last time in October this year, while the written examinations of Category A subjects will be taking place from early April to May next year. The assessment of Category B ApL subject is conducted by the approved course providers without any public examination; however, the moderation and quality assurance of the assessment are conducted by the HKEAA. Click here for more details of the 2024 HKDSE registration.

 

Enquiries

Tel: 3628 8860

Email: dse@hkeaa.edu.hk

Inclusion of Urdu (International) in Category C Subjects for the 2026 HKDSE and Beyond

New arrangements will be implemented for Category C (Other Languages) subjects starting from the 2025 HKDSE, under which candidates will have to take the stipulated language examinations administered by the official organisations. The HKEAA has recently signed an agreement with the Federal Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (FBISE) Islamabad, Pakistan for the inclusion of Urdu (International) as one of the Category C (Other Languages) subjects from the 2026 HKDSE onwards. Under the new arrangements, the number of Category C subjects offered will increase from five to six in the 2026 HKDSE and beyond.

 

Same as the arrangements for the other five language subjects, namely French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish, candidates should enroll in Urdu (International) directly with the FBISE within two years preceding the HKDSE they sit. They also need to register for the relevant language subject during registration for the HKDSE. Candidates’ results meeting the stipulated proficiency level, i.e. grade E or above in Urdu (International), will be included in the HKDSE Category C results.

 

The Urdu (International) is provided under the national curriculum of Pakistan. The examination will be benchmarked with the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC), which is the qualification for students who have completed 11 or 12 grades in Pakistan. The certificate issued by the FBISE enjoys recognition in the country. Holders of the aforementioned qualification will duly satisfy the Urdu language prerequisite for admission into higher education institutions in Pakistan, provided they also fulfill the other requirements stipulated by the respective tertiary institutes.

 

Read the press release, the HKEAA webpage and the HKDSE blog for details.

Join the HKDSE Online Information Seminar

The HKDSE has been an important credential for senior secondary school students, enabling them to pursue further study or career development. To help students and their parents stay well-informed about the HKDSE, an online information seminar will be held on 14 October 2023.

 

During the seminar, representatives of the HKEAA will share information regarding interim resumption arrangement for public examinations and School-based Assessment of 2024 HKDSE elective subjects, assessment arrangements in relation to the optimising measures for the Senior Secondary core subjects for the 2024 HKDSE and beyond, and new arrangements for Category C (Other Languages) subjects for the 2025 HKDSE and beyond. Information regarding examination papers development, marking and grading, as well as the international recognition of the HKDSE will also be covered in the seminar. To register for the informative seminar, please visit the HKEAA website.

Dr Siu Wai-lok, Head of Assessment Technology and Research of the HKEAA, recently introduced the DFS and AQP to secondary school principals during a school briefing

Empowering Learning and Teaching through Data-driven Assessment Enhancement Programme

Throughout the years, the HKEAA has been at the forefront of promoting ‘Assessment for Learning’ in collaboration with the education community. Recently, the HKEAA launched its Data-driven Assessment Enhancement Programme with the purpose of boosting teachers’ skills in test design through the use of assessment data and guidance from subject experts. The programme comprises two assessment technologies: the HKDSE Diagnostic Feedback System (DFS) and the Assessment Quality-assurance Platform (AQP), as well as relevant teacher training.

 

Online learning modules and item writing workshop of this programme are conducted by HKEAA staff and subject experts to help teachers master the principles and methods of setting examination and assessment questions focusing on diagnostic multiple-choice items. Through examples and guided exercises, teachers understand the features and functions of the DFS and AQP platforms, develop a test paper, interpret statistical data, and write key knowledge/hint for their students.

 

With the DFS, teachers gain access to over 3,500 multiple-choice questions with diagnostic feedback for ten HKDSE subjects, covering Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Economics, Geography, Tourism and Hospitality Studies, Physical Education, Information and Communication Technology, and Business, Accounting and Financial Studies. Through the DFS, teachers can compile assessment papers tailored to their students’ needs by selecting questions from a particular year, scope of content and level of difficulty, etc. The system provides a one-stop platform for teachers and students to carry out assessment and obtain diagnostic feedback, such as estimated grades of students in the HKDSE and subject experts’ feedbacks on individual questions, thereby allowing in-depth analysis of students’ performances and enhancing students’ learning.

 

As for the AQP, it is a web-based system developed by the HKEAA. Through analysing students’ responses, the AQP offers a range of statistical indicators for teachers to identify problematic items and address the specific learning needs of individual students. By leveraging the information provided by the platform, teachers can improve on the design of future assessments with the goal of enhancing learning outcomes of students.

 

Recently, the HKEAA has introduced the Data-driven Assessment Enhancement Programme to schools, demonstrating how they can empower teachers in developing quality assessment papers and customising their learning and teaching strategies by utilising assessment data effectively. View the most recent webinar and learn more about the school subscription.

 

Enquiries

Tel: 3628 8511

Email: dfs@hkeaa.edu.hk

Enhancing Staff Well-being and Building Staff Capacity

The HKEAA is committed to promoting staff wellness and health by fostering a positive and joyful work environment. As part of our ongoing efforts, we have since the start of 2023 launched the ‘Happy Workplace’ programme for staff members. The programme embraces the theme of ‘Celebration, Wellness, Family, Support and Appreciation’.

 

Throughout the year, we have arranged monthly surprises and light-hearted giveaways as tokens of gratitude and support for our staff members. These giveaways include fresh fruits, herbal tea packs, cakes and drink coupons, words of gratitude and support, and more. We have also arranged various online health talks delivered by professionals, covering topics such as stress management, care for long COVID by chinese medicine, to raise staff health awareness.

 

In addition to the well-being of our staff members, we also attach great importance to developing staff capacity. This year, we have arranged comprehensive training programmes covering various areas such as problem solving, language and communication, digital leadership, change management, information technology, project and time management, as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) awareness, etc. From September 2022 to August 2023, around 40 training sessions were organised for our colleagues. In the upcoming year, we will continue to arrange training sessions to help our staff develop their potential and enable them to effectively handle challenges in a fast-changing world.