Dismay as Chinese listening exam set to pass into history

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education candidates said they may not retake the Chinese language exam if they fail as it is the last year for the exam to have a listening paper.

The last Chinese language paper - listening and integrated skills - will start at 9.15am today.

The exam authority said about 44,900 candidates sat for the Chinese reading and writing exams held at 504 school halls, 370 classrooms and 597 special rooms for students with special education needs yesterday.

A total of 121 Covid-positive students took the exam at the designated exam center at the former Cognitio College (Kowloon) campus in San Po Kong.

A student felt sad about the cancellation of the listening paper, saying the revamped Chinese exam has barred her from retaking DSE next year.

"I felt the most confident in paper three," the student said, referring to the listening exam.

"The exam format will change too much from next year ... the liberal studies exam will also be canceled. I feel there is no second chance for me to retake next year."

Starting next year, DSE Chinese exam will only include reading and writing to account for 40 and 45 percent of the subject's final grade; school-based assessments will remain and account for 15 percent of total marks.

The last liberal studies exam will be held tomorrow. The subject has been reformed into a subject named citizenship and social development.

This year's Chinese reading exam comprised three passages - two vernacular pieces by Taiwanese authors Chen Lie and Jian Zhen, and an ancient Chinese passage by Qing Dynasty philosopher Ji Xiaolan.

Some students found the passages challenging, especially the ancient piece. "This year's passages discussed life experience, which is challenging for me," Calvin said. "A question asked how the nature scenery described in the passage is related to the author's view on death. I think that was the most challenging question for me."

Another candidate Chung said she had to use her "woman's wit" when trying to understand the ancient Chinese passage. "I had to guess what the ancient Chinese passage was talking about. It was too difficult for me," Chung said.

Ho Kit-ying, a Chinese teacher at Yu Chun Keung Memorial College, said this year's passages may be challenging to some students lacking in life experiences.

Among the three questions in the Chinese writing paper, Ho believed many students would choose the first one - "a gathering with mixed feelings" - but added the question was not as easy as it seemed.

"It's not difficult for students to recall their experience of gatherings. But they would lose marks if they only described the gathering, without highlighting the theme 'mixed feelings'."

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com

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