DSE rides Korean wave

DSE candidates can opt for Korean language exams in 2025.

Japanese, French, Spanish and German remain on the exam tables, along with Korean, but Hindi and Urdu are off, taking the number of languages options down from six to five.

In announcing the changes yesterday, the Examinations and Assessment Authority said the four languages will, along with Korean, form the "other language subjects" option for Diploma of Secondary Education exam candidates and will need to take official language examinations offered by official cultural organizations.

The Korean move comes after an HKEAA agreement with South Korea's National Institute for International Education.

The current Cambridge Assessment International Education Advanced Subsidiary level exams will no longer be used. Instead, students' results that meet the stipulated proficiency level can be included in DSE results.

That is due to Cambridge International's discontinuation of Japanese and Hindi exams from 2024. The last test will be next November for 2024 DSE candidates.

Students who wish to include Korean in their DSE results should submit scores from the Test of Proficiency in Korean - the official proficiency test for non-native speakers and includes reading, writing, and listening components - taken in the past two years.

They have to obtain at least a Level 3, or reach a minimum of 180 learning hours.

The exam is held thrice a year in Hong Kong in April, July, and October.