Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination
Encyclopedia
The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE, 香港中學會考) was a standardized examination between 1974 and 2011 after most local students’ five-year secondary education, conducted by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority
(HKEAA). The examination will be discontinued in 2012. Its former roles will be played by the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
as part of educational reforms
in Hong Kong.
In 2010, the final year in which school candidates were accepted, 127,162 candidates entered for the examination. 90,063 of them were school candidates and 37,099 were private candidates.
The HKCEE is conducted from late February to June, but major subjects are all-taken between mid-April and May, after the major subjects examination in HKALE
are completed, by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). For oral examinations, they are conducted in late May to early July.
The results are released in early August, traditionally on the following Wednesday after the first-round admission of JUPAS
has been released. There are 39 subjects available in the HKCEE. Most day school candidates take 6 to 8 subjects in the HKCEE, with 10 being the upper limit. Apart from Chinese and English which are taken by almost every school candidate, and language-specific subjects (French
, Chinese History (Chinese only), Buddhist Studies
(Chinese only), Literature in English (English only), Putonghua (Chinese only) and Word Processing
& Business Communication (English only), all subjects can be taken in either Chinese or English. The same standards are applied in marking and grading regardless of the choice of language, and the language medium is not recorded on the results notices or certificates. It is, however, recorded on the admission forms.
(HKALE), students must pass certain requirements of HKCEE as a prerequisite. The Joint University Programmes Admissions System
(JUPAS), including the EAS system under JUPAS, also consider students' HKCEE results as a requirement, and as a decisive factor of admission in the admission processes. Thus, students' results in HKCEE not only affect their application to Form 6; they also directly affect the chance of entering the universities after Form 7, which is commonly ignored by students until they have entered Form 6. In JUPAS, most admissions programs give HKCEE results about a 10–30% weighting, and some as much as 50%; the HKALE results provide the other 50%. Thus, HKCEE is currently the initial stage of University Entrance Examination nowadays.
The HKCEE is fully recognized by other countries including New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the U.S. and many major countries around the world. The level of HKCEE is equivalent to that of Year 11 in Australia and Year 11 in the UK.
For comparison, the Mathematics syllabus of HKCEE is equivalent to New Zealand's NCEA
Level 2 Mathematics at Form 6 (Year 12) level (excluding Calculus) rather than NCEA Level 1 or its predecessor the School Certificate
examination sat by the country's Form 5 (Year 11) students.
Additional Mathematics in the HKCEE is on balance academically more advanced than NCEA Level 3 Mathematics with Calculus, sat by Form 7 (Year 13) students in New Zealand to gain university entrance in science and engineering. HKCEE's Additional Mathematics is also recognized by most of the programs in Hong Kong's universities as equivalent to HKALE Pure Mathematics.
For the examination questions on the same topics, those in HKCEE tend to be loaded with unclear wordings and difficult manipulations compared with their NCEA counterparts.
In other subjects, such as the sciences like Chemistry
, Physics
, the syllabi covered in HKCEE are similar to that of the SAT Subject Tests
sat in Grade 12, but it is arguably easier to obtain a score of 760 on the SAT Subject Tests
than to obtain a grade of A in the HKCEE examination despite the fact that Grade 12 is theoretically equivalent to Form 6 under the Hong Kong school system.
Results below grade 'F' are designated as unclassified ("UNCL"), assigned either when candidates hand in unanswered or unintelligible paper(s), or when candidates are assumed to have cheated. Candidates not taking the exam are designated as Absent ('ABS') for that subject.
Before 2002 grades A - F were each divided into two "fine grades", making the original number of grades available twelve, from A(01) to F(12). The fine grades in both HKCEE and HKALE were lifted in 2002, as they were accused of being discriminatory to students.
Most of the results are graded "on the curve" but at the same time a cutoff score for each grade is also used. Obtaining an A is very difficult, especially for languages in the past system, where only about 1.5–3% of students received A's. On average, only the top 3–4% in each subject can get an A. The cutoff scores vary greatly from subject to subject and from year to year. To give a clearer picture, for Chinese, A-grades are sometimes given for candidates having scored 70 or above, while for Mathematics, an A invariably translates to a score in excess of 90. The cutoff scores are not released by the HKEAA publicly; the information is only available to teachers.
Official statistics can be found on the HKEAA website: http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/doc/fd/2004cee/39-60.pdf
The point system was in chaos in its first year of implementation since level 2, which is the passing line in HKEAA, counts as two points in some schools and the HKEAA, but counts as one point in EMB and most schools. This counting process not only confused Form 5 students, but also some Form 6 students who repeated the exam to obtain better Language results for JUPAS admissions. The problems with the points system caused changes in the method for calculating points in HKEAA in the following years.
Since the two syllabi in English were merged into one along with the new system, some schools were worried that the level of English is insufficient for the HKALE as they expect HKEAA will decrease the difficulty to allow students who previously studied in Syllabus A(mainly from some non-EMI schools) to pass more easily. This resulted in some schools rejecting students who had a level 2 in English.
The system will be fully utilised in all major subjects in the HKDSE.
Requirements of sitting in HKALE are independent from the Form 6 admissions since they are managed by separate organisations. A student who passes all the minimum requirements for sitting in HKALE also meets all the requirements for applying for Form 6, but not vice versa. Schools may admit a student who failed in language subjects, providing that the school would bear the risk that he/she may not pass again in the following year, not allowing them to sit for the HKALE.
For admissions to the four-year Higher Diploma programs in HKIVE
and degrees in The University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong
, and the University of Science and Technology, the best 7 subjects, instead of 6, are counted. In other cases, the best 5 or 6 subjects are counted. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, in addition, did not accept "combined certificates" (results obtained in more than two examinations) and must be fulfilled in a single attempt (usually the first one).
and TOEFL
.
Starting from 2007, HKCEE standards-referenced reporting was adopted in Chinese language and English language subjects. The results in the two subjects have also been benchmarked against International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) results.
The Hong Kong Diploma for Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) will be conducted for the first time in 2012. To secure appropriate recognition of HKDSE qualifications, the HKEAA has been holding discussions with international agencies including University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), National Academic Recognition Information Centre
(NARIC), Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
(UCAS) in the UK and the Australian Education International (AEI) in Australia to conduct benchmarking and comparability research on HKDSE.
Although HKEAA examinations have been widely accepted, some universities have set particular criteria for admission of overseas students. For instance, the University of Cambridge
in the UK has set out admission requirements for under-age or minor candidates concerning guardianship arrangements.
In cases where candidates wish to further their studies abroad, they may be required to take as one of the basic requirements certain unified examinations conducted by the examination authorities of that particular country. These include, for example, the National Higher Education Entrance Examination for Universities in Mainland China and the SAT
for the United States.
UK NARIC is the UK's National Agency for the UK Government. They are the official information provider on information on wide-ranging international qualifications and skills attained from outside the UK.
Although NARIC is a National Agency for the UK Government, the institutions of higher education may make their own decision on what foreign qualifications or study they will accept, and UK NARIC has only an advisory role.
The two new HKCEE language subjects have been benchmarked against the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) by the Cambridge Assessment. The HKCEE results in Chinese Language and English Language are recognised as equivalent to the IGCSE results as follows:
. Hence, the policy of the HKEAA indirectly denied less privileged students from gaining access to information pertaining to how examination papers are scored. This might have created a socio-economic bias in the ability of students to obtain good results in the HKCEE. Moreover, according to media reports, some so-called "star tutors" managed to earn more than HK$
7 million per annum (~US$
900,000), leading some to speculate that the HKEAA's policy had indirectly transferred large amounts of wealth to these cram schools.
To deal with this problem, the HKEAA started to release the marking schemes together with the year's examination papers in 2003.
(JUPAS) since 2003, allowed school Candidates with 6 or more "A"s (Distinctions) on their first attempt of the HKCEE, with level 4 or above in English Language, and also level 4 or above in Chinese Language or "C" or above in French or Putonghua to apply for the University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong
, or the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
institutions after their Secondary 6 study, without the need to sit for the HKALE.
Each year about 400–600 students entered the scheme via this subsystem in JUPAS. A selection procedure exists in this scheme but, unlike the mainstream scheme of JUPAS, the students are guaranteed a firm offer in EAS regardless of the number of applicants in EAS. Students who met the EAS requirements do not need to apply for this scheme to enter the aforementioned universities (though most of them will), but they need to take part in the HKALE and participate in the mainstream scheme if they did not participate and want to pursue their studies in Hong Kong.
There are also rare cases where students who were eligible for the EAS are given independent offers by universities outside EAS.
to all subjects, to reduce stress on students due to studying for exams. Starting from 2006, two subjects—Chinese History and History—have been implented with the school-based assessment, replacing the previous multiple choice paper in public examinations.
Owing to the transition from the seven-year curriculum (five years of secondary and two years of sixth form
/ matriculation) to a six-year curriculum of secondary education, the HKCEE and the HKALE will be phased out and replaced with a new examination, the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
Examination (HKDSE).
In 2007, the curricula for Chinese and English were revised. The two subjects were no longer graded along the normal distribution curve but rather by criteria referencing (with the exception of the highest grade, the 5*). Numerical levels are used instead of the traditional letter grades.
The proposed revisions specific to Chinese include:
The proposed revisions specific to English include:
HKEAA had also announced that candidates who sat in the 2006 exam who wished to retake Chinese or English subjects were to take the new syllabi. It is questionable whether those candidates, who were used to the old syllabi, could adapt to the structure of the new syllabi in nearly half a year.
In an attempt to mitigate the situation, the HKEAA publicly apologised and offered free rechecks on the oral component of the English language subject for all candidates. Candidates who would have had a higher score if the error had not occurred received an upgrade. In total, the error affected 670 candidates. 422 candidates had their oral component mark upgraded while 248 had their overall English Language subject grade upgraded. This cascade reaction affected 233 candidates who were eligible for Form Six Admission.
However, the mistake was discovered far too late. It was discovered when the Form Six Admission process was almost over. Since some candidates were unable to find a school for their matriculate education because they received an incorrect grade, the EMB
was forced to increase the school quotas for some schools to accommodate those affected students. HKEAA chairman Irving Koo assured the students that their education would not be affected due to this error.
's and cell phones while they were in the toilet. This rumour was first propagated on local forums and Young-M. The incident generated widespread public furor.
Numerous discussions were initiated on local forums. Candidates sitting for the paper demanded a re-take of the paper and an apology from the HKEAA. Some candidates collaborated with political parties to hold protests against the HKEAA's decision to not re-administer the paper. A protest (Cantonese) was proposed for the 31st of May or the 1st of July.
On a local forum, a candidate threatened to sue the HKEAA, saying that justice needed to be defended. More than 100 complaints were received by the HKEAA regarding the incident.
The actual articles used in the exam:
2 students lodged a complaint to the Hong Kong Examinations & Assessments Authority regarding this incident. A spokesperson of the HKEAA stated that copying by candidates will result in no marks given to the plagiarised parts.
In paper 1, the format in previous years was that two passages were supplied, one in Vernacular Chinese
and one in Classical Chinese
, and candidates were required to answer questions mainly in words. In 2008, however, the second passage was a Chinese poem
instead. Also, half of the total scores were from multiple choice
questions, and in some questions choices were said to be difficult to distinguish. For example, in question 5, the four choices were "believable" (可以相信), "affirmative" (肯定的是), "proved by facts" (事實證明) and "undeniable" (無可否認). Some teachers said that they could not even make the relevant decisions in a short period of time, or said the paper required deduction skills and common sense rather than Chinese knowledge, while some candidates said the paper was more like gambling than examination. Some also commented that the passages were too difficult for CE level. Even a university professor admitted that he could not finish the exam without using a reasonable amount of time. The first Vernacular Chinese passage was said to be of the difficulty of Form 7 Advanced Level Examination
Chinese Language and Culture, and the second poem, Moonlight Of Spring River (春江花月夜) in Tang Dynasty
, was even said to be of difficulty of university Chinese Literacy. The Examinations and Assessment Authority
replied that papers can be set in any format and style.
In paper 5, where candidates were required to listen to a recording and do various tasks, both the recording and the data file were criticised. A Halloween
advertisement was included in the recording, and some candidates afterward said that they felt uneasy or thought the radio channel was switched. In the data file, Chinese slang terms were discussed in an extract from a newspaper article and in a poster promoting reading. Some teachers and students criticised the materials for promoting slang terms, some students said that they had not heard of such terms, and others said that the HKEAA had misconceptions about the use of those slang terms. The Authority responded that, as is the norm, some of the materials provided were deliberately false or worthless, in order to promote critical thinking and choice-taking by students.
On YouTube
and Internet forum
s, ringtones of the recording appeared after the paper, including the imitation of Cantopop
duo Twins
singing their song "Lian Ai Da Guo Tian" (戀愛大過天, Love Is More Important Than Anything), and also the recording of the Halloween advertisement.
Some candidates also suggested actions to protest the difficulty of the comprehension paper, by wearing black clothes and staying on seats after the end of examinations on 2 May and 3 May 2008, when the English Language examinations were held.
Since 2003, the authority issued the examination report and question papers in year form and this book included a question paper, suggested answers (changed to marking schemes since 2005), and candidates performance and examination statistics; the price ranged from HK$20–45.
Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority
the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority , administers the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination .-History:The agency was established in 1977...
(HKEAA). The examination will be discontinued in 2012. Its former roles will be played by the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education will be the only public exam in the new 3-3-4 education system to be introduced in Hong Kong secondary schools; it will be a replacement of the existing Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination and be the...
as part of educational reforms
334 Scheme
The 334 Scheme is the new academic structure for senior secondary education and higher education in Hong Kong. This scheme begins starting from the 2009 school year. By 2012, HKDSE will replace HKCEE and HKALE.- Curriculum :...
in Hong Kong.
Overview
Students usually take the HKCEE at the end of their five-year period of secondary school in Hong Kong; it is compulsory for students who want to pursue further education. However some students take individual examinations, mostly to increase their chance of continuing their study or fulfilling certain requirements in tertiary education programs.In 2010, the final year in which school candidates were accepted, 127,162 candidates entered for the examination. 90,063 of them were school candidates and 37,099 were private candidates.
The HKCEE is conducted from late February to June, but major subjects are all-taken between mid-April and May, after the major subjects examination in HKALE
Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination
The Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination , or more commonly known as the A-level, conducted by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority , is normally taken by senior students at the end of their matriculation in Hong Kong. In 2010, 39,772 candidates entered for the examination...
are completed, by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). For oral examinations, they are conducted in late May to early July.
The results are released in early August, traditionally on the following Wednesday after the first-round admission of JUPAS
Joint University Programmes Admissions System
The Joint University Programmes Admissions System or JUPAS in Hong Kong is a unified system for applying to the nine member institutions for full-time undergraduate programmes. In 2008 admissions, 35,298 students applied for programmes of the nine institutions under this scheme...
has been released. There are 39 subjects available in the HKCEE. Most day school candidates take 6 to 8 subjects in the HKCEE, with 10 being the upper limit. Apart from Chinese and English which are taken by almost every school candidate, and language-specific subjects (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Chinese History (Chinese only), Buddhist Studies
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
(Chinese only), Literature in English (English only), Putonghua (Chinese only) and Word Processing
Word processing
Word processing is the creation of documents using a word processor. It can also refer to advanced shorthand techniques, sometimes used in specialized contexts with a specially modified typewriter.-External links:...
& Business Communication (English only), all subjects can be taken in either Chinese or English. The same standards are applied in marking and grading regardless of the choice of language, and the language medium is not recorded on the results notices or certificates. It is, however, recorded on the admission forms.
Purpose
After sitting the HKCEE and having their examination results announced, candidates may apply for a place in Form 6 amongst local schools in Hong Kong. Moreover, to qualify for the Hong Kong Advanced Level ExaminationHong Kong Advanced Level Examination
The Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination , or more commonly known as the A-level, conducted by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority , is normally taken by senior students at the end of their matriculation in Hong Kong. In 2010, 39,772 candidates entered for the examination...
(HKALE), students must pass certain requirements of HKCEE as a prerequisite. The Joint University Programmes Admissions System
Joint University Programmes Admissions System
The Joint University Programmes Admissions System or JUPAS in Hong Kong is a unified system for applying to the nine member institutions for full-time undergraduate programmes. In 2008 admissions, 35,298 students applied for programmes of the nine institutions under this scheme...
(JUPAS), including the EAS system under JUPAS, also consider students' HKCEE results as a requirement, and as a decisive factor of admission in the admission processes. Thus, students' results in HKCEE not only affect their application to Form 6; they also directly affect the chance of entering the universities after Form 7, which is commonly ignored by students until they have entered Form 6. In JUPAS, most admissions programs give HKCEE results about a 10–30% weighting, and some as much as 50%; the HKALE results provide the other 50%. Thus, HKCEE is currently the initial stage of University Entrance Examination nowadays.
The HKCEE is fully recognized by other countries including New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the U.S. and many major countries around the world. The level of HKCEE is equivalent to that of Year 11 in Australia and Year 11 in the UK.
For comparison, the Mathematics syllabus of HKCEE is equivalent to New Zealand's NCEA
National Certificate of Educational Achievement
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement is, since 2004, the official secondary school qualification in New Zealand.It has three levels, corresponding to the levels within the National Qualifications Framework, and these are generally studied in each of the three final years of...
Level 2 Mathematics at Form 6 (Year 12) level (excluding Calculus) rather than NCEA Level 1 or its predecessor the School Certificate
School Certificate (New Zealand)
The New Zealand School Certificate or School Certificate was a former New Zealand secondary school qualification for high school students in Year 11...
examination sat by the country's Form 5 (Year 11) students.
Additional Mathematics in the HKCEE is on balance academically more advanced than NCEA Level 3 Mathematics with Calculus, sat by Form 7 (Year 13) students in New Zealand to gain university entrance in science and engineering. HKCEE's Additional Mathematics is also recognized by most of the programs in Hong Kong's universities as equivalent to HKALE Pure Mathematics.
For the examination questions on the same topics, those in HKCEE tend to be loaded with unclear wordings and difficult manipulations compared with their NCEA counterparts.
In other subjects, such as the sciences like Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, the syllabi covered in HKCEE are similar to that of the SAT Subject Tests
SAT Subject Tests
SAT Subject Tests is the name for 20 multiple-choice standardized tests given on individual subjects, usually taken to improve a student's credentials for admission to colleges in the United States. Students typically choose which tests to take depending upon college entrance requirements for the...
sat in Grade 12, but it is arguably easier to obtain a score of 760 on the SAT Subject Tests
SAT Subject Tests
SAT Subject Tests is the name for 20 multiple-choice standardized tests given on individual subjects, usually taken to improve a student's credentials for admission to colleges in the United States. Students typically choose which tests to take depending upon college entrance requirements for the...
than to obtain a grade of A in the HKCEE examination despite the fact that Grade 12 is theoretically equivalent to Form 6 under the Hong Kong school system.
Grading and UK Equivalence
The results of the HKCEE are expressed in terms of seven grades A - U (or 5*-1 and U for Chinese and English) other than French.| Grade | Point(s) | Recognition |
|---|---|---|
| A (5*) | 5 | Distinction or IGCSE A* |
| B (5) | 4 | Credit or IGCSE A*(A for Chinese and English) |
| C (4) | 3 | Credit or IGCSE A(B for Chinese and English) |
| D (3) | 2 | Pass or IGCSE B(C for Chinese and English) |
| E (2) | 1 | Minimum requirement for employment purposes, a pass in HKCEE or IGCSE C/D (D for Chinese and English) |
| F (1) | 0 | Failed |
| U (UNCL) | 0 | Unclassified, a grade lower than F |
Results below grade 'F' are designated as unclassified ("UNCL"), assigned either when candidates hand in unanswered or unintelligible paper(s), or when candidates are assumed to have cheated. Candidates not taking the exam are designated as Absent ('ABS') for that subject.
Before 2002 grades A - F were each divided into two "fine grades", making the original number of grades available twelve, from A(01) to F(12). The fine grades in both HKCEE and HKALE were lifted in 2002, as they were accused of being discriminatory to students.
Most of the results are graded "on the curve" but at the same time a cutoff score for each grade is also used. Obtaining an A is very difficult, especially for languages in the past system, where only about 1.5–3% of students received A's. On average, only the top 3–4% in each subject can get an A. The cutoff scores vary greatly from subject to subject and from year to year. To give a clearer picture, for Chinese, A-grades are sometimes given for candidates having scored 70 or above, while for Mathematics, an A invariably translates to a score in excess of 90. The cutoff scores are not released by the HKEAA publicly; the information is only available to teachers.
Official statistics can be found on the HKEAA website: http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/doc/fd/2004cee/39-60.pdf
New Grading System
Since 2007, as a steppingstone towards the grading system HKDSE that will be introduced in 2010, a new grading system was introduced to the exams in the subjects of Chinese and English. Under the new system There are seven grades: five numerical grades from 1–5, where 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest, and two other grades, "5*" and "UNCL", for students with particularly outstanding and poor performance respectively. The traditional "on-the-curve" system was not used other than to distinguish between the 5*'s and the 5's.The point system was in chaos in its first year of implementation since level 2, which is the passing line in HKEAA, counts as two points in some schools and the HKEAA, but counts as one point in EMB and most schools. This counting process not only confused Form 5 students, but also some Form 6 students who repeated the exam to obtain better Language results for JUPAS admissions. The problems with the points system caused changes in the method for calculating points in HKEAA in the following years.
Since the two syllabi in English were merged into one along with the new system, some schools were worried that the level of English is insufficient for the HKALE as they expect HKEAA will decrease the difficulty to allow students who previously studied in Syllabus A(mainly from some non-EMI schools) to pass more easily. This resulted in some schools rejecting students who had a level 2 in English.
The system will be fully utilised in all major subjects in the HKDSE.
Further Studies
Students' results in HKCEE and their conduct(behavior at school which is usually shown in the school's internal report) at school are the main admission factors in Secondary 6, which is the main stream for university admission. In EMB's official admission processes, students with 4 passed subjects, or 3 passes with 5 marks (both excluding language subjects) is the minimum requirement. Students with 14 marks above, including passes in English and one other Language subject have an advantage as they can be admitted from the first stage of Form 6 admissions. Students scoring 30 marks (the maximum) with L4/C in two designated language subjects (one of which must be English) in their first attempt will be permitted to apply to the Direct Entry for the 3 major Universities in Hong Kong (see below).Requirements of sitting in HKALE are independent from the Form 6 admissions since they are managed by separate organisations. A student who passes all the minimum requirements for sitting in HKALE also meets all the requirements for applying for Form 6, but not vice versa. Schools may admit a student who failed in language subjects, providing that the school would bear the risk that he/she may not pass again in the following year, not allowing them to sit for the HKALE.
For admissions to the four-year Higher Diploma programs in HKIVE
Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education
The Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education is one of the member institutions of the Vocational Training Council offering vocational education to post secondary students in Hong Kong through its nine campuses located across the territory....
and degrees in The University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong is a research-led university in Hong Kong.CUHK is the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with Nobel Prize winners on its faculty, including Chen Ning Yang, James Mirrlees, Robert Alexander Mundell and Charles K. Kao...
, and the University of Science and Technology, the best 7 subjects, instead of 6, are counted. In other cases, the best 5 or 6 subjects are counted. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, in addition, did not accept "combined certificates" (results obtained in more than two examinations) and must be fulfilled in a single attempt (usually the first one).
International recognition
HKEAA has been working closely with international agencies, overseas universities and colleges to promote recognition of HKEAA examinations. Standards of performance in the HKCEE and HKALE have for many years been benchmarked against standards in comparable subjects at British GCE O-Level and A/AS-Level. In the case of performance in the English Language, studies have been conducted to link standards of performance in HKCEE English Language (Syllabus B) and HKALE Use of English to standards in IELTSIELTS
IELTS , or 'International English Language Testing System', is an international standardised test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Pty Ltd, and was established in 1989.There are two versions of...
and TOEFL
TOEFL
The Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL , evaluates the ability of an individual to use and understand English in an academic setting....
.
Starting from 2007, HKCEE standards-referenced reporting was adopted in Chinese language and English language subjects. The results in the two subjects have also been benchmarked against International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) results.
The Hong Kong Diploma for Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) will be conducted for the first time in 2012. To secure appropriate recognition of HKDSE qualifications, the HKEAA has been holding discussions with international agencies including University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), National Academic Recognition Information Centre
National Academic Recognition Information Centre
All EU and EEA states and all the associated countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus have a designated National Academic Recognition Information Centre , which provides a way to compare academic qualifications as part of the Bologna Process...
(NARIC), Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
UCAS
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is the British admission service for students applying to university and college. UCAS is primarily funded by students who pay a fee when they apply and a capitation fee from universities for each student they accept..-Location:UCAS is based near...
(UCAS) in the UK and the Australian Education International (AEI) in Australia to conduct benchmarking and comparability research on HKDSE.
Although HKEAA examinations have been widely accepted, some universities have set particular criteria for admission of overseas students. For instance, the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in the UK has set out admission requirements for under-age or minor candidates concerning guardianship arrangements.
In cases where candidates wish to further their studies abroad, they may be required to take as one of the basic requirements certain unified examinations conducted by the examination authorities of that particular country. These include, for example, the National Higher Education Entrance Examination for Universities in Mainland China and the SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
for the United States.
UK NARIC is the UK's National Agency for the UK Government. They are the official information provider on information on wide-ranging international qualifications and skills attained from outside the UK.
Although NARIC is a National Agency for the UK Government, the institutions of higher education may make their own decision on what foreign qualifications or study they will accept, and UK NARIC has only an advisory role.
The two new HKCEE language subjects have been benchmarked against the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) by the Cambridge Assessment. The HKCEE results in Chinese Language and English Language are recognised as equivalent to the IGCSE results as follows:
| HKCEE | IGCSE |
| 5* | A* |
| 5 | A |
| 4 | B |
| 3 | C |
Marking schemes
While the HKEAA have been publishing booklets of past examination papers of each subject at an affordable price, the marking schemes (i.e. official detailed solutions) of past examinations were never readily available to the public. The official argument from the HKEAA for not publishing these marking schemes was that it might be "pedagogically unsound" and would encourage "rote memorisation" behaviors from students. Nevertheless, students were often able to obtain these "restricted documents" by taking classes at cram schoolsCram schools in Hong Kong
Cram schools in Hong Kong are referred to as Tutorial schools . According to the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong, a third of secondary school students went for private tutoring in the 2004-05 school year, spending a total of HK$18.9 million per month...
. Hence, the policy of the HKEAA indirectly denied less privileged students from gaining access to information pertaining to how examination papers are scored. This might have created a socio-economic bias in the ability of students to obtain good results in the HKCEE. Moreover, according to media reports, some so-called "star tutors" managed to earn more than HK$
Hong Kong dollar
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
7 million per annum (~US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
900,000), leading some to speculate that the HKEAA's policy had indirectly transferred large amounts of wealth to these cram schools.
To deal with this problem, the HKEAA started to release the marking schemes together with the year's examination papers in 2003.
HKSAR Government Scholarship
The HKSAR Government Scholarship is a prestigious award associated with the HKCEE Examination. The top 30–40 candidates in the HKCEE Examination receive this scholarship each year. Counterintuitively, many 10A students fail to receive this award. This apparent paradox is mainly due to the methodology in which the HKSAR Government Scholarship is awarded. Rather than calculating the number of A's each student has, the HKSAR Government Scholarship is awarded on the basis of the highest total in raw scores attained in the seven best subjects of each student. Consequently, many 9A, 8A, and even 7A students go on to win this award while 10A students go home empty handed. This has been a major source of complaint from eager parents of 10A students who felt cheated from this coveted prize.Early Admission Scheme
The Early Admission Scheme (or simply "EAS"), a subsystem of the Joint University Programmes Admissions SystemJoint University Programmes Admissions System
The Joint University Programmes Admissions System or JUPAS in Hong Kong is a unified system for applying to the nine member institutions for full-time undergraduate programmes. In 2008 admissions, 35,298 students applied for programmes of the nine institutions under this scheme...
(JUPAS) since 2003, allowed school Candidates with 6 or more "A"s (Distinctions) on their first attempt of the HKCEE, with level 4 or above in English Language, and also level 4 or above in Chinese Language or "C" or above in French or Putonghua to apply for the University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong is a research-led university in Hong Kong.CUHK is the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with Nobel Prize winners on its faculty, including Chen Ning Yang, James Mirrlees, Robert Alexander Mundell and Charles K. Kao...
, or the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is a public university located in Hong Kong. Established in 1991 under Hong Kong Law Chapter 1141 , it is one of the nine universities in Hong Kong.Professor Tony F. Chan is the president of HKUST...
institutions after their Secondary 6 study, without the need to sit for the HKALE.
Each year about 400–600 students entered the scheme via this subsystem in JUPAS. A selection procedure exists in this scheme but, unlike the mainstream scheme of JUPAS, the students are guaranteed a firm offer in EAS regardless of the number of applicants in EAS. Students who met the EAS requirements do not need to apply for this scheme to enter the aforementioned universities (though most of them will), but they need to take part in the HKALE and participate in the mainstream scheme if they did not participate and want to pursue their studies in Hong Kong.
There are also rare cases where students who were eligible for the EAS are given independent offers by universities outside EAS.
List of subjects
Subjects in bold are the major examination subjects (which over 20% of students sit); most secondary schools will provide these curricula for students.- Accommodation and Catering Services 2
- Additional Mathematics
- Biology
- Buddhist Studies 1
- Chemistry
- Chinese History
- Chinese Language
- Chinese Literature
- Commerce
- Computer and Information Technology
- Design and Technology 5
- Design and Technology (Alternative Syllabus) 5
- Economic and Public Affairs 3
- Economics 3
- Electronics and Electricity
- English Language
- Fashion and Clothing 4
- French
- Geography
- Government and Public Affairs
- Graphical Communication
- History
- Home Economics (Dress and Design) 4
- Home Economics (Food, Home and Family) 2
- Integrated Humanities
- Literature in English
- Mathematics
- Music
- Physical Education
- Physics
- Principles of Accounts
- Putonghua
- Religious Studies 1
- Science and Technology
- Social Studies
- Technological Studies 5
- Travel and Tourism
- Visual Art
- Word Processing and Business Communication (English)
- Buddhist Studies may not be taken with Religious studies; Religious Studies are available in Protestant and Catholic versions on the same paper, which varies in the citations of the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. Chapters that only appear in the Catholic version are not in the Syllabus. Both subjects are open-booked. - Accommodation and Catering Services may not be taken with Home Economics (Food, Home and Family)
- Economics may not be taken with Economic and Public Affairs
- Home Economics (Dress and Design) may not be taken with Fashion and Clothing
- Design and Technology may not be taken with Design and Technology (Alternative Syllabus) or Technological Studies
Cancelled/Renamed subjects
The year in parenthesis is the last year of examination.- Woodwork (1992)
- German (2001)
- Typewriting (2002)
- Metalwork (2004)
- Art (2005) (Changed to Visual Arts)
- Computer Studies (2005), Information Technology (2005) (Changed to Computer and Information Technology)
- Textiles (2007)
- Technical Drawing (2007)
- Ceramics (2007)
- Human Biology (2007) (Was an alternate syllabus of Biology)
- Engineering Science (2007) (Was an alternate syllabus of Physics)
Future developments
The Authority is gradually implementing school-based assessmentSchool-based assessment
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority has recently moved from norm-referenced to standards-referenced assessment, including the incorporation of a substantial school-based summative oral assessment component into the compulsory English language subject in the Hong Kong Certificate...
to all subjects, to reduce stress on students due to studying for exams. Starting from 2006, two subjects—Chinese History and History—have been implented with the school-based assessment, replacing the previous multiple choice paper in public examinations.
Owing to the transition from the seven-year curriculum (five years of secondary and two years of sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
/ matriculation) to a six-year curriculum of secondary education, the HKCEE and the HKALE will be phased out and replaced with a new examination, the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education will be the only public exam in the new 3-3-4 education system to be introduced in Hong Kong secondary schools; it will be a replacement of the existing Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination and be the...
Examination (HKDSE).
In 2007, the curricula for Chinese and English were revised. The two subjects were no longer graded along the normal distribution curve but rather by criteria referencing (with the exception of the highest grade, the 5*). Numerical levels are used instead of the traditional letter grades.
The proposed revisions specific to Chinese include:
- The removal of the 26 selected essays, excerpts from the classics, poems and ancient lyrics in the original curriculum, replacing them with a selection of reading materials by the teachers.
- Independent reading comprehension and writing papers.
- The addition of a listening comprehension examination.
- The addition of a speaking (oral) examination.
- The addition of a paper testing integrated skills.
- The addition of a school-based assessmentSchool-based assessmentThe Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority has recently moved from norm-referenced to standards-referenced assessment, including the incorporation of a substantial school-based summative oral assessment component into the compulsory English language subject in the Hong Kong Certificate...
(SBA) scheme that accounts for 20% of the exam mark.
The proposed revisions specific to English include:
- The abolishment of two separate syllabi. Before 2007, two syllabi coexisted. Grades attained on syllabus A were considered 2 grades inferior to grades attained on syllabus B (e.g. a C on syllabus A was equivalent to an E on syllabus B), which is an O-level equivalent.
- The abolishment of the testing of grammar and language usage which was once part of the old reading comprehension and usage paper. (Grammar will be tested alongside comprehension in the same section)
- A refined writing paper, now requiring two separate pieces of writing, one guided, one independent and more open-ended.
- A refined reading comprehension paper, with questions requiring written answers instead of the old format in which every question was a multiple choice question.
- A refined speaking skills paper, requiring more independent thinking than the previous routinised paper.
- The addition of a school-based assessment scheme that accounts for 15% of the exam mark.
HKEAA had also announced that candidates who sat in the 2006 exam who wished to retake Chinese or English subjects were to take the new syllabi. It is questionable whether those candidates, who were used to the old syllabi, could adapt to the structure of the new syllabi in nearly half a year.
2005 English Language (Syllabus B) grading error
In 2005, the oral component of the Syllabus B English language examination was incorrectly added to the total score due to a recent upgrade to the HKEAA computer system and the supervisor in charge failed to double-check the results. Subsequently, many candidates received an incorrect total score which resulted in an incorrect final grade for the subject. The problem was so severe that some students wrongfully received an F grade (2nd lowest grade) when they were supposed to receive an A (highest grade) in the oral section. Since the final English mark is calculated by averaging the marks in the oral, reading comprehension, listening, and writing sections, having an F in oral would have seriously affected the final English mark if the candidate did well in other components.In an attempt to mitigate the situation, the HKEAA publicly apologised and offered free rechecks on the oral component of the English language subject for all candidates. Candidates who would have had a higher score if the error had not occurred received an upgrade. In total, the error affected 670 candidates. 422 candidates had their oral component mark upgraded while 248 had their overall English Language subject grade upgraded. This cascade reaction affected 233 candidates who were eligible for Form Six Admission.
However, the mistake was discovered far too late. It was discovered when the Form Six Admission process was almost over. Since some candidates were unable to find a school for their matriculate education because they received an incorrect grade, the EMB
Education and Manpower Bureau
The Education Bureau is responsible for education policies in Hong Kong.The bureau is headed by the Secretary for Education and oversees the Secretariat, University Grants Committee and Student Financial Assistance Agencies...
was forced to increase the school quotas for some schools to accommodate those affected students. HKEAA chairman Irving Koo assured the students that their education would not be affected due to this error.
2005 English Language (Syllabus B) incident
A proofreading exercise in Paper 2 of the HKCEE English Language (Syllabus B) quoted a message adapted from an online forum. Some students flamed on that forum in anger after the exam. This caused the HKEAA to hold several internal meetings banning the use of messages from the online forum.2006 English Language (Syllabus B) paper 2 incident
The HKCEE English Language (Syllabus B) 2006, the last year for this syllabus, was administered on 4 May 2006. Regarding Paper 2, Reading Comprehension and Usage, some candidates complained that the HKEAA, in providing all of the study sources via the Internet, created the potential for candidates to access the solutions with electronic devices such as PDAPersonal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
's and cell phones while they were in the toilet. This rumour was first propagated on local forums and Young-M. The incident generated widespread public furor.
Numerous discussions were initiated on local forums. Candidates sitting for the paper demanded a re-take of the paper and an apology from the HKEAA. Some candidates collaborated with political parties to hold protests against the HKEAA's decision to not re-administer the paper. A protest (Cantonese) was proposed for the 31st of May or the 1st of July.
On a local forum, a candidate threatened to sue the HKEAA, saying that justice needed to be defended. More than 100 complaints were received by the HKEAA regarding the incident.
The actual articles used in the exam:
- http://www.usatoday.com/life/2001-08-31-parapara.htm, an article on the Para ParaPara Parais a synchronized group dance that originated in Japan. Unlike most club dancing and rave dancing there are specific synchronized movements for each song much like line dancing...
scene in Hong Kong, published by USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
on August 31, 2001. - http://www.stoptextbully.com, a website about cyber-bullyingCyber-bullyingCyber-bullying is the use of the Internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. As it has become more common in society, particularly among young people, legislation and awareness campaigns have arisen to combat it.-Definition:The term...
, consisting of numerous grammatical and structural mistakes
2007 Chinese Language paper 2 incident
In 2007 HKCEE Chinese Language Paper 2 (Writing), Question 2 'Lemon Tea' was suspected to be leaked beforehand since a tutor, called Siu Yuen, from King's Glory Education Centre gave his students a sample article of a similar title 'Iced Lemon Tea' well before the exam. This led to assumption that this tutor had knowledge of the question in the actual exam by whatever means.2 students lodged a complaint to the Hong Kong Examinations & Assessments Authority regarding this incident. A spokesperson of the HKEAA stated that copying by candidates will result in no marks given to the plagiarised parts.
2007 English Language questions leakage incident
Before the examination date of English Language Papers in 2007, "Mr. Ken", one of the well-known tutors at the Modern Education Centre in Hong Kong, called his students back to the tutorial centre for a few days before the test to review some material on fashion. It was later found that the actual test had some of the same topics and even some questions identical to that of the tutor's, fueling worries of a possible leakage.2008 Chinese Language incident
Controversies were in two papers, paper 1, comprehension, and paper 5, integrated skills.In paper 1, the format in previous years was that two passages were supplied, one in Vernacular Chinese
Vernacular Chinese
Written Vernacular Chinese refers to forms of written Chinese based on the vernacular language, in contrast to Classical Chinese, the written standard used from the Spring and Autumn Period to the early twentieth century...
and one in Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...
, and candidates were required to answer questions mainly in words. In 2008, however, the second passage was a Chinese poem
Chinese poetry
Chinese poetry is poetry written, spoken, or chanted in the Chinese language, which includes various versions of Chinese language, including Classical Chinese, Standard Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Yue Chinese, as well as many other historical and vernacular varieties of the Chinese language...
instead. Also, half of the total scores were from multiple choice
Multiple choice
Multiple choice is a form of assessment in which respondents are asked to select the best possible answer out of the choices from a list. The multiple choice format is most frequently used in educational testing, in market research, and in elections-- when a person chooses between multiple...
questions, and in some questions choices were said to be difficult to distinguish. For example, in question 5, the four choices were "believable" (可以相信), "affirmative" (肯定的是), "proved by facts" (事實證明) and "undeniable" (無可否認). Some teachers said that they could not even make the relevant decisions in a short period of time, or said the paper required deduction skills and common sense rather than Chinese knowledge, while some candidates said the paper was more like gambling than examination. Some also commented that the passages were too difficult for CE level. Even a university professor admitted that he could not finish the exam without using a reasonable amount of time. The first Vernacular Chinese passage was said to be of the difficulty of Form 7 Advanced Level Examination
Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination
The Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination , or more commonly known as the A-level, conducted by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority , is normally taken by senior students at the end of their matriculation in Hong Kong. In 2010, 39,772 candidates entered for the examination...
Chinese Language and Culture, and the second poem, Moonlight Of Spring River (春江花月夜) in Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, was even said to be of difficulty of university Chinese Literacy. The Examinations and Assessment Authority
Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority
the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority , administers the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination .-History:The agency was established in 1977...
replied that papers can be set in any format and style.
In paper 5, where candidates were required to listen to a recording and do various tasks, both the recording and the data file were criticised. A Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
advertisement was included in the recording, and some candidates afterward said that they felt uneasy or thought the radio channel was switched. In the data file, Chinese slang terms were discussed in an extract from a newspaper article and in a poster promoting reading. Some teachers and students criticised the materials for promoting slang terms, some students said that they had not heard of such terms, and others said that the HKEAA had misconceptions about the use of those slang terms. The Authority responded that, as is the norm, some of the materials provided were deliberately false or worthless, in order to promote critical thinking and choice-taking by students.
On YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and Internet forum
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
s, ringtones of the recording appeared after the paper, including the imitation of Cantopop
Cantopop
Cantopop is a colloquialism for "Cantonese popular music". It is sometimes referred to as HK-pop, short for "Hong Kong popular music". It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop...
duo Twins
Twins (group)
Twins is a Hong Kong-based female Cantopop duo which was created in the summer of 2001 by Emperor Entertainment Group . Twins is made up of two girls, Charlene Choi Cheuk-Yin and Gillian Chung Yan-Tung. They were a popular group in Hong Kong and a top band in China. Their fanbase included Japan,...
singing their song "Lian Ai Da Guo Tian" (戀愛大過天, Love Is More Important Than Anything), and also the recording of the Halloween advertisement.
Some candidates also suggested actions to protest the difficulty of the comprehension paper, by wearing black clothes and staying on seats after the end of examinations on 2 May and 3 May 2008, when the English Language examinations were held.
Publishing
As a regular practice, the HKEAA publishes past papers, marking schemes and examination reports every year. In previous years, only past papers were available; most subjects will put past papers of the previous 5 years into a joint edition (except English and Putonghua that contains a tape/CD). Marking schemes are to be given to markers only.Since 2003, the authority issued the examination report and question papers in year form and this book included a question paper, suggested answers (changed to marking schemes since 2005), and candidates performance and examination statistics; the price ranged from HK$20–45.