Name: ______________________________________ Class: ______________ Date: ___________________________

HKDSE Mode of Assessment

The assessment will consist of a public examination component and a school-based assessment component.

For paper 1, candidates’ reading skills will be assessed. There are two parts in this paper, each worth 10%
of the subject mark. All candidates must do Part A and then choose either Part B1, the easier section, or
Part B2, the more difficult section. Candidates attempting Parts A and B2 will be able to attain the full
5 range of possible levels, while Level 4 will be the highest level attainable by candidates attempting Parts A
and B1. The exam takes 1.5 hours.

There will be two parts in paper 2, writing. It takes up 25% of the subject mark. The task in Part A will be
a short, guided one (about 200 words). Candidates will be provided with the situation and the purpose for
writing, as well as some relevant information. The task in part B will be longer and more open-ended (about
10 400 words). Candidates can choose one out of eight questions, each based on one of the eight modules in
the Elective Part of the curriculum. Candidates have to complete two parts in two hours. The weighting for
Part A & B are 10% and 15% respectively.

There are two parts in paper 3 (listening and integrated skills), each worth 15% of the subject mark. All
candidates must do Part A and then choose either Part B1, the easier section, or Part B2, the more difficult
15 section. Candidates attempting Parts A and B2 will be able to attain the full range of possible levels, while
Level 4 will be the highest level attainable by candidates attempting Parts A and B1. Part A, the compulsory
section, will consist of a variety of listening tasks. Parts B1 and B2 will comprise integrated
listening/reading and writing tasks of different levels of difficulty based on the same theme. Candidates
will be required to process information by selecting and combining data from spoken / written sources in
20 order to complete various listening / writing tasks in a practical work or study situation. At least one of the
writing tasks will require candidates to produce an extended piece of writing (100 – 200 words). Candidates
will complete this paper in about two hours.

Paper 4, the speaking paper, has two parts and takes up 10% of the subject mark. In Part A (Group
Interaction), four candidates will be grouped together and will take part in a group discussion based on a
25 given short text in eight minutes. Candidates will be given ten minutes for preparation and will be allowed
to make notes. During the discussion they may refer to their notes. In Part B (Individual Response), each
candidate will be given one minute to respond individually to an examiner’s question(s), which will be
based on the group discussion task.

SBA is compulsory for all school candidates. It has two parts. Part A (7.5%) comprises a reading/viewing
30 programme where students will need to read/view four texts over the course of three years (at least one each
from the following four categories: print fiction, print non-fiction, non-print fiction and non-print non-
fiction). Students then take part in a discussion with classmates on the texts they have read/viewed, or make
an individual presentation and respond to their teacher’s questions Part B (7.5%) comprises a group
interaction or an individual presentation based on the modules in the Elective Part of the curriculum. Of
35 the two marks reported, one mark should be based on a group interaction and one on an individual
presentation.

The modules in the Elective Part are categorised into the following two groups:
For Language Arts, the modules are Learning English through Drama, Learning English through Short
Stories, Learning English through Poems and Songs, Learning English through Popular Culture.
40 For Non-Language Arts, the modules are Learning English through Sports Communication, Learning
English through Debating, Learning English through Social Issues, Learning English through Workplace
Communication.
Learners are required to choose two to three of the modules in the Elective Part during senior secondary,
and they should opt for at least one module from each group to avoid a lopsided choice of modules.
Name: ______________________________________ Class: ______________ Date: ___________________________

DSE Component Weighting Duration

Paper 1 _______________________________ ________% ________hours

Paper 2 _______________________________ ________% ________hours

Public
Examination
Paper 3 _______________________________ ________% ________hours

Paper 4 _______________________________ ________% About 20 mins

SBA ________% /

Paper 1
- Part A is c__________________. The weighting is ________%.
- Students can choose to work on Part B1 or B2. The weighting is ________%.
- The highest level attainable by students working on B1 and 2 are _______ and ________
respectively.

Paper 2
- For Part A, candidate will complete a s__________ task in about ________words.
- For Part B, ______ questions will be given based on the ________________. The
required length is about __________ words.

Paper 3
- Part A is c__________________. The weighting is ________%. It is made up of
l__________ tasks.
- Students can choose to work on Part B1 or B2. The weighting is ________%.
- The highest level attainable by students working on B1 and 2 are _______ and _______
respectively.
- Part B is made up of l___________/r__________ and w_________ tasks, one of which
will be of the length of ___________words.

Paper 4
- In Part A, ________ candidates will take part in a _____________________ in
____________ minutes after __________ minutes of preparation.
- Part B is ____________________, in which each candidate will speak for ______
minute.

SBA
- In Part A, candidates will take _______ texts in the forms of __________________,
__________________, __________________ and __________________. The weighting
is ___________%.
- Part B weighs __________%. It is based on the ____________ modules.
- For the two parts, one should be based on ____________________ and another on
____________________.

Elective Modules
- There are _______ groups: _____________________ and _____________________.
Each has _____________ modules.
- Students should choose from both groups. They can take ______to ______ modules.