The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE; Chinese: ??????) is an academic qualification offered by Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). The HKDSE examination is the only public examination in the new 3-3-4 education system introduced in Hong Kong secondary schools, as a replacement of the former Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) in which nearly all Hong Kong secondary student participated.
Video Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
Subjects examined
Under the new examination framework, many subjects in the HKCEE and the HKALE have been combined to suit the varying interests and abilities of the students. Candidates are examined on core subjects and their electives. Most candidates are expected to take four core subjects and two or three electives (see list below).
Each HKDSE subject includes a compulsory part and an elective or extended part. The elective or extended part consists of modules from which students may choose. An elective module is an integral component of the standard curriculum, but an extended module is designed for students who may need additional knowledge and skills.
- Elective Part Example: The elective part of the HKDSE English Language curriculum takes up 25% of the lesson time. Proposed 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. In the examination, the paper is divided into two levels, which students can choose during the exam. The easier level allows a maximum grade of 4 but the other allows a 5**.
- Extended Part Example: HKCEE Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, HKALE Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics (except Mechanics, a main part of the subject, which has disappeared entirely in HKDSE), and Mathematics and Statistics were merged into a single new subject, known as Mathematics. Candidates who wish to study Mathematics at a higher level have the flexibility to choose whether they would like to take one of the extended part modules: Calculus and Statistics or Algebra and Calculus. However, the extended modules are considered as half a subject, despite having syllabuses amounting to a full subject, so they are losing appeal to students, and fewer students are choosing them.
Examinations of most Category A subjects are conducted between early March to early May, and the oral examinations and some other subjects are conducted at earlier time. Category C subjects are conducted in June (for French and Spanish, they may be taken the previous November). Category B subject do not have an oral examination.
Students can take up to 8 subjects in the HKDSE; if they take 8 Category A subjects, at least one of them should be Ethics and Religious Studies, Music, Visual Arts, or Physical Education.
Subjects
Category A: New Senior Secondary Subjects
Category A subjects are offered by HKEAA and provided by traditional secondary education. They include core subjects, which all candidates are required to study, and elective subjects, which are used as admission requirements in universities.
For Mathematics, grades for the extended part (Module 1 and Module 2) are listed separately on certificates.
- Core subjects
- Chinese Language
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Liberal Studies
For Mathematics, in addition to the compulsory part, which all students should study, candidates optionally take one of the following extended part modules for each sitting:
- Module 1 ("M1", Calculus and Statistics)
- Module 2 ("M2", Algebra and Calculus)
However, except in special cases, a pass in an extended part cannot be used to replace a pass for a compulsory part for university admissions.
- Electives
- Chinese Literature
- Literature in English
- Chinese History
- Economics
- Geography
- History
- Tourism and Hospitality Studies
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Combined Science (students taking this subject choose 2 subjects out of Biology, Chemistry and Physics)
- Integrated Science (consisting of Biology, Chemistry and Physics)
- 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)
If at least one of the subjects below is included, candidates may take a maximum of 8 category A subjects. If not, at most of 7 category A subjects can be taken.
- Ethics and Religious Studies
- Music
- Visual Arts
- Physical Education
Category B: Applied Learning Subjects
Category B subjects are offered by certain providers, and the results are 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 as admission requirements, which is the equivalent of a Grade 2 in an elective for Attained and Grade 3 for Attained with Distinction.
Category C: Other Language Subjects
They may be used to replace Chinese for university admissions for students whose mother tongue is not Chinese but may not be used to replace English. It may be used as an elective for Chinese students if they do not use it as an language requirement. In some cases, instead of Category C subjects, IGCSE Chinese Language pass (or a similar Chinese qualification) is required for admission in some institutes for non-Chinese students.
Category C subjects adopt the same paper as the General Certificate of Education AS-level and are provided and marked by the Cambridge International Examinations.
- Japanese
- French
- German
- Spanish
- Hindi
- Urdu
It is also to be noted that it institutions and departments may not recognise results in Category B and C subjects, but they may consider them as referencing materials.
Maps Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
Grading
For Category A subjects in HKDSE, results are expressed in terms of seven levels, 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) also exist in special cases like absence, cheating, or an attempt not reaching the standard of level 1.
Also, in the criterion-referenced grading system, experts from each subject set the standards for each level. Level descriptors and examples are based on syllabus objectives and collected data, including past exam statistics and answer scripts. Grading in a criterion-referenced system reflects a candidate's level of attainment in the particular subject and not the place of the candidate in comparison to others. Before the exam, candidates are familiar with the different level descriptors and samples and may use them as objectives for their study. After results are released, candidates have a clearer picture of their attainment level. Tertiary institutions and employers have more robust information to use for admission or recruitment purposes. However, the 5* and 5** grades are awarded in normal distribution, as in previous examinations, and are given to the top 30% and 10%, respectively, of level 5.
Taken in secondary 6, the HKDSE exams, according to UCAS's expert report, are comparable to international accepted exams, such as the IB Diploma and UK A-Levels, normally taken in secondary 7 but are arguably easier than the HKALE, which it replaced.
One should be aware that the HKDSE exams are designed for local students in Hong Kong to allow them to apply to local universities through JUPAS. The IB Diploma and other international qualifications are normally taken by private school students. The international exams and the private schools associated with them have become more popular in Hong Kong. There has been a considerable amount of concern about the emergence of a bipartite education system, based on wealth instead of merit. However, students with solely-international exams result cannot apply through JUPAS, which has a higher number of admissions, in terms of total intake.
A criterion-referenced system fits the principles and objectives of the new 3-3-4 secondary system in Hong Kong. Clearly-stated learning outcomes and grading standards help teachers and students to understand the topic at hand, and they provide a guide for improvement and realistic benchmark attainment levels.
The school-based assessment (SBA) is also implemented to reduce reliance on the "one-off" public oral examination.
Impact on schools
One notable impact on schools in Hong Kong is the discontinued need for a sixth form college. Nevertheless, the first such college, PLK Vicwood KT Chong Sixth Form College, remains in operation, mainly as an upper secondary school.
See also
- Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination
- Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination
- Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia
- Matriculation examination
References
External links
- Hong Kong Education Bureau
- Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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