Back to school as flexibility rules for DSE exams

Students will be able to sit for core Diploma of Secondary Education examination subjects at their own school, with adjudicators given the discretion to delay exam times by 15 to 30 minutes in the case of emergencies.

The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority said it will implement "home cum district centre arrangements" for the exams that begin late April.

"It is mainly to increase the administrative flexibility of schools for holding public exams, especially under the ongoing pandemic. It can allow the original school to contact and take care of their students, as well as deal with emergencies," a spokesman said.

He also said the arrangement can "help reduce the psychological pressure of candidates and solve the problem of insufficient examination venues."

The authority said most school candidates will sit for the four core subjects - Chinese language, English language, mathematics and liberal studies - on campuses.

Private candidates and a small number of candidates whose schools are not schdeuled as exam centers will have to go to district centers.

About 500 school halls and 1,000 classrooms will be used as exam centers this year, compared to 354 and over 3,400, respectively, last year.

The authority will announce further details later.

On Friday, it also announced some precautionary measures at exam centers, based on Centre for Health Protection advice.

For written exams, schools shall let candidates enter earlier from 8am or 1pm so exams can start at 8.30am or 1.30pm.

But the listening and integrated skills exams for English and Chinese language on April 28 and 30 cannot be delayed as the radio broadcast of the exam content will start at 10am and candidates must arrive at the exam centers by 8.45am.

Candidates must have their body temperature taken and health declaration forms signed before entering the exam hall.

Exams for visual arts subjects begin on April 23. Students will take their core subject exams from April 26 to May 3.