Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education

Acronym	HKDSE
Type	Paper-based standardised test
Administrator	Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority
Purpose	Admission to undergraduate programs of universities or colleges
Year started	2012 (2012)
Duration	Varies by subject
Score range	Scored on scale of 1–5, in 1-point increments, then 5* to 5**
Offered	Annually
Regions	Hong Kong
Languages	English, Traditional Chinese (Papers can be written in Simplified Chinese)
Annual number of test takers	52,687 (2020)
Prerequisites	School candidates: Completion of senior secondary education Private candidates: No
Fee	Language subjects: HK$644 Other subjects: HK$431 Initial Fee: HK$494
Used by	Universities in Hong Kong through the JUPAS system, recognised by universities worldwide via the UCAS tariff points
Website	hkeaa.edu.hk/en/hkdse/

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
Traditional Chinese	香港中學文憑
Simplified Chinese	香港中学文凭
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xiānggǎng zhōngxué wénpíng Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Hēung góng jūng hohk màhn pàhng Jyutping Hoeng1 gong2 zung1 hok6 man4 pang4

Notice board shown in HKDSE examination centres.

Candidates leaving the exam centre at Queen's College after sitting for the HKDSE English Language Paper 3 Listening and Integrated Skills examination.

The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) is an academic qualification offered by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). The HKDSE examination is Hong Kong's university entrance examination, administered at the completion of a three-year senior secondary education. Since the implementation of the New Senior Secondary academic structure in 2012, HKDSE serves as replacement for the previous Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (O Levels) and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (A Level).

Under the NSS (New Senior Secondary) structure, pupils are required to study four compulsory "core subjects" (Chinese and English languages, mathematics and liberal studies) and choose one to four "elective subjects" amongst the 20 options available.

Background

Under the new examination framework, a number of subjects in the HKCEE and the HKALE have been combined to suit the varying interests and abilities of pupils. Candidates are examined on core (compulsory) subjects and on electives of their choice. Most candidates are expected to take four core subjects and two or three electives (see the list below).

Each HKDSE subject is composed of a compulsory part and an elective or extended part. The elective or extended part is a "module" of a student's choice, and concentrates on a specific topic or skill. An elective module is an integral component of the standard curriculum, while an extended module is designed for students with specific aim(s) or those who have higher ability(ies) who may want additional knowledge and skills.

• Elective Part Example: The elective part of the HKDSE English Language curriculum takes up 25% of the lesson time. Modules in the elective part are divided in two groups: "Language Arts" and "Non-Language Arts", both of which are about learning English in different contexts and media. During the examination, candidates can choose to write a higher level (Paper B2) or a standard level (Paper B1) paper. Finishing B1 allows the candidate to achieve a maximum grade of 4 while writing B2 allows a 5**.
• Extended Part Example: HKCEE Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, HKALE Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics (except the Mechanics part of the subject, which has been cancelled in the HKDSE), and Mathematics and Statistics were merged into a single new subject simply known as, Mathematics. Candidates who wish to study Mathematics to a higher level have the flexibility to choose whether they would like to take one of the extended part modules: "M1" Calculus and Statistics or "M2" Algebra and Calculus. However, the extended modules are considered as half a subject, despite having syllabuses amounting to a full subject, so they are not as attractive to students, and there has been a decline in number of pupils choosing them.

Written examinations of Category A subjects are mostly conducted between early March to early May. Oral examinations and some other subjects are administered earlier. Testing for Category C subjects takes place in June; French and Spanish may be taken the previous November. Category B subjects do not have an oral examination.

Before the exam, candidates have a chance to become familiar with the different level descriptors and samples and may use them as objectives for their study. Also, they can also familiarise with the exam requirement by doing DSE Past Paper. When results are released, candidates can have a clearer picture of their attainment level. Thus, tertiary institutions and employers also have more accurate and robust information for admission or recruitment purposes.

Subjects

The HKDSE is divided into three different categories, including 24 senior secondary subjects, over 40 applied learning subjects and six other language subjects.

Category A: New Senior Secondary Subjects

Category A subjects are traditional school subjects and their exams are administered by HKEAA. Both core (compulsory) subjects and elective subjects are in the criteria of Category A. Results of such subjects are widely accepted for university admission.

For Mathematics, grades for the extended part (Module 1 and Module 2) are listed separately on the certificates issued by HKEAA.

Core subjects

• Chinese Language (reading, writing, listening and integrated skills, oral speaking).
• English Language (reading, writing, listening and integrated skills, oral speaking).
• Mathematics.
• Liberal Studies.

As for Mathematics, in addition to the compulsory part, candidates can optionally take one of the following extended part modules:

• Module 1 ("M1", Calculus and Statistics).
• Module 2 ("M2", Algebra and Calculus).

As for Liberal Studies, the subject curriculum features six modules, including:

• "Personal Development and Interpersonal Relationships."
• "Hong Kong Today."
• "Modern China."
• "Globalization."
• "Public Health."
• "Energy Technology and the Environment."

However, except in extreme cases, a passing grade in an extended part cannot be used to offset a fail in a compulsory part for university admissions (especially for UGC-funded courses).

Electives

Elective subjects can be chosen by students according to their interests and strengths. However, a majority of secondary schools do not provide all 20 choices to the students due to the shortage of teachers specific fields.

According to the Registration Statistics for 2018 released by the HKEAA, the most chosen subject is Physics, with a total of 11,658 candidates in the HKDSE. The exam allows students to choose one to four elective subjects. Around 70.4% of students choose a combination of four core subjects and two elective subjects, while 17.4% of them chooses four core subjects and three elective subjects.

2019 HKDSE subject combinations of school candidates
(elective subjects include Categories A, B and C subjects):

  4 core subjects + 1 elective subject (9.0%)

  4 core subjects + 2 elective subjects (70.4%)

  4 core subjects + 3 elective subjects (17.4%)

  4 core subjects + 4 elective subjects (0.2%)

  Other (3%)

• Chinese Literature
• English Literature
• Chinese History
• Economics
• Geography
• History
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Combined Science (choosing two subjects out of Biology, Chemistry and Physics)
• Integrated Science (consisting of Biology, Chemistry and Physics)
• Tourism and Hospitality Studies
• Business, Accounting and Financial Studies
• Design and Applied Technology
• Health Management and Social Care
• Technology and Living (previously known as Home Economics)
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Ethics and Religious Studies
• Music
• Visual Arts
• Physical Education

Category B: Applied Learning Subjects

Category B subjects are offered by certain providers. Assessments of these subjects are administered by the same, and the results subject to the HKEAA's adjustment. They are vocational-oriented subjects to satisfy the needs of employers.

Applied Learning Subjects may be used by tertiary institutes for admission purposes, in which case it is seen as the equivalent of achieving a Grade 2 in a traditional elective subject for a subject status of "Attained" and Grade 3 or above for "Attained with Distinction". Starting from 2018, "Attained with Distinction" is further refined to "Attained with Distinction (I)" (equivalent to Grade 3) and "Attained with Distinction (II)" (equivalent to Grade 4 or above). However, a number of prestigious universities in Hong Kong do not view Category B subjects with the same status a traditional elective would enjoy for admission purposes.

Areas of study include:

• Creative Studies
• Media and Communication
• Business, Management and Law
• Services
• Applied Science
• Engineering and Production
• Applied Learning Chinese (for non-Chinese speaking students)

Category C: Other Language Subjects

These may be used to replace Chinese for university admissions for students whose mother tongue is not Chinese, but it may not be used to replace English. It may also be chosen as an elective for native Chinese speaking students, however it will not have the status of an alternative language requirement. In some cases, instead of a Category C subject, an IGCSE Chinese Language pass (or similar Chinese qualification) is required for admission in some institutes for non-Chinese speaking students.

Category C subjects adopt the same paper as the General Certificate of Education AS-level. These are provided and marked by Cambridge International Examinations.

• French
• German
• Japanese
• Spanish
• Hindi
• Urdu

Educational institutions and/or departments are not obliged to recognise results of Category B and C subjects, though they might consider them as references.

School-based assessment

Main article: School-based assessment

The school-based assessment (SBA) available for a majority of subjects (notably includes three of the four core subjects, Chinese Language, English Language and Liberal Studies, with the exception of Mathematics) reduces reliance on a "one-off" public examination as projects and reports handed in throughout senior secondary are graded and counted toward the HKDSE results on fixed weightings.

Grading

For Category A subjects in HKDSE, the performance of candidates is categorised and released on a scale of seven levels indicated on the examination certificate. Level 5** being the highest and level 1 the lowest. Distinction levels 5** and 5* (read as "five-double-stars" and "five-star") are awarded to the two best-performing groups of candidates attaining level 5. Unclassified grade (U) are awarded for absence, cheating, or an attempt not reaching the standards of level 1.

Category A: New Senior Secondary Subjects

HKDSE level	HKDSE mark shown in result notice	Total mark	Equivalent grade comparing with other exams					Examination result comparison in Physics
			HKALE	HKCEE	UCAS	GCE A-Level		2014 HKDSE percentile	2010 HKCEE percentile
						as suggested by UK	as suggested by HK
Level 5	5** (top 10% of level 5 achievers)	7	A-B	A	56	A*	A*	2.8%	4.8%
	5* (top 30% of level 5 achievers)	6	B-C	A	52	A*/A	A*/A	11%	14.5%
	5	5	C	B	48	B	A/B	27.3%	32.7%
Level 4	4	4	D	C	32	D	C	50.1%	57.2%
Level 3	3	3	E	D	16	E	D	73.8%	79.2%
Level 2	2	2	F	E	Unavailable	Not recognized		90.4%	90.8%
Level 1	1	1	U	F				98.1%	U
Unclassified	U	U	U	U				100%	100%

According to UCAS, academic attainment level of the HKDSE exams are comparable to international high school leaving examinations such as the IB Diploma and the GCE A-Levels. UCAS Tariff points attached to each subject, other than both parts of Mathematics, are as shown above.

Category B: Applied Learning Subjects

Subjects	Result	Comparing to HKDSE Category A results
Applied Learning Subjects (excluding ApL Chinese)	"Attained with Distinction (II)"	Level 4 or above
	"Attained with Distinction (I)"	Level 3
	"Attained"	Un­known
Applied Learning Chinese (for non-Chinese speaking students)	"Attained with Distinction"	Level 3 or above
	"Attained"	Un­known

Notes: Category B subjects are taught to be comparable to Category A subjects with reference to the form above, to date the majority of local universities however, do not consider Category B subjects for admission by JUPAS.

Category C: Other Language Subjects

These subjects are graded by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), on grades "A" to "E" (with grade "E" being the lowest and grade "A" the highest). Achievement below grade “E” is not recorded on the diploma awarded to candidates.

Marking

In the criterion-referenced grading system, experts in related subject matters establish the marking standards for each level. Thereafter, level descriptors and examples are constantly reviewed based on syllabus objectives and statistical data, including exam statistics and answer scripts. Gradings of a criterion-referenced system reflect a candidate's level of attainment in a particular subject rather than the place of the candidate in comparison to others.

Markers of HKDSE are mostly teachers of secondary schools. They are appointed to different assessment centres to perform Onscreen Marking (OSM). Exam papers are first scanned into the database from scanning centres, then distributed to the markers through the computer systems.

Admission to local universities

See also: Joint University Programmes Admissions System

The HKDSE are designed for local students in Hong Kong to enable them to gain admission to local universities through the unified Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS). International qualifications, on the other hand, are more often taken by private, DSS or international school students; these qualifications, and the schools teaching them, are becoming more popular in Hong Kong. Due to the differences between the local and international qualifications, there has been a considerable amount of concern over the emergence of a bipartite education system, based on wealth instead of merit. However, students with only international exams results cannot apply through JUPAS, which accounts for a higher portion of admissions to undergraduate programmes in terms of total intake.

Impact on schools

One notable impact on schools in Hong Kong is the discontinued need for sixth form colleges due to the cancellation of HKALE and 7th form. Nevertheless, some of these colleges, such as PLK Vicwood KT Chong Sixth Form College, remain in operation as senior secondary schools.

Criticism

Unbalanced focus

The HKDSE is criticized for placing too much emphasis on the four core subjects, causing some students to neglect the elective subjects. Tsui Lap-chee, president of the University of Hong Kong at the time of the introduction of HKDSE, said that: "The Education Bureau demands universities [to screen pupils by] setting the so-called 3322 as minimum entry requirement for undergraduate programmes — a minimal of grade 3 in Chinese Language and English Language, and a minimal of grade 2 in Mathematics and Liberal Studies. [It is] insufficient for studying in universities." He proposed a minimal grade requirement for two elective subjects, which the Education Bureau rejected. He also mentioned that many students do not study the optional extended modules for Mathematics, leaving them lacking the advanced mathematics knowledge needed for science and engineering studies; it is very difficult for them to make this up in their undergraduate courses.

Hindrance to admission

Since the launch of the HKDSE, the Chinese language paper is often dubbed the "paper of death" (Chinese: 死亡之卷). Some have the opinion that the high expectation is well-founded since Cantonese Chinese is the daily language of Hong Kong, but every year nearly half of all candidates fail the subject. They hence lose the chance to gain entrance to a university because of the '3322' requirement. It is reported that some of the authors of passages employed in the Chinese papers found the questions in the paper difficult to answer. Elaine Yau of SCMP commented that the exam results are "proving [HKDSE as] a major hindrance to admission".

Moreover, it is reported that a lot of students are stressed out by the HKDSE.

2020 arrangements due to the COVID-19 outbreak

In light of the outbreak of coronavirus in Hong Kong, the Education Bureau had made some new plans for this year's HKDSE. A press conference was held on February 6 to announce the alternative plans. Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung said that all oral and practical examinations to be held before March 27 will be postponed. He went on further to mention two different options considered by the Bureau and the Hong Kong Examinations & Assessment Authority. Option one stated that written exams would take place on March 27 as scheduled, whereas physical education and music practical exams and the Chinese oral exams would be postponed to May. Option two stated that all examinations would be postponed by four weeks, as well as cancelling all oral examinations. At the end of February, the bureau announced that option one would be adopted where HKDSE will be held as schedule on March 27 and Chinese oral exams will be postponed to May 18. The result releasing date will also be postponed to July 15. Some measures were made by the Bureau to prevent the chance of virus transmission, such as all candidates will be provided a mask when entering the examination venue and their body temperature will be checked. For those who could not attend HKDSE due to heath condition, their final grade of the subject can be determined based on school performance, but the maximum grade they can obtained will be level 5.

Candidates this year expressed dissatisfaction on the new arrangements. Some thought that it is too risky to have such huge amount of candidates staying in a packed area, the possibility of virus transmission would be high. Some thought that the Education Bureau should have made the call earlier instead of just less than 6 weeks before the official exam date. A Form Six student mentioned in an interview that he hoped the bureau would be more transparent in their decision-making process as the uncertainty surrounding the new arrangement had caused more burden to candidates and made them feel more stressed about the public exam.

See also

• Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination
• Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination
• Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia
• Matriculation examination

External links

• Hong Kong Education Bureau
• Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority
• BChui HKDSE