What is the DSE English exam?
The DSE English exam is the English portion of the Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE). The HKDSE is the cumulative exam for students that are finishing their six years of junior and senior education. During their education, students are required to take multiple courses, including the required course of English language. The HKDSE has specific sections for each subject, and the DSE English exam has multiple different portions where students must display their knowledge.
The portions of the DSE English exam include vocabulary, reading and comprehension, writing, and speaking. Each section’s results are given on a scale of one through five. Five is the highest score and is the goal for almost every student. The English sections of the DSE usually cumulate to about five hours of testing. The multiple sections with the length of the exam can be intimidating for students. Their six years of English language courses accumulate to the DSE English exam, but preparations can relieve pressure from the student.
Prepare for the DSE By:
Looking at the English 2021 timetable
The Hong Kong Examination and assessment authority publishes the HKDSE examination timetable each year. This timetable tells the dates for each exam, the subjects that will be tested, along with the date and times for each exam portion. This information shows what each portion will test on, and tells students how long they have to prepare for each exam. It is important to pay attention to the timetable, as it shows how long students will be tested on the English portions, and help them decide how they can best prepare.
Using DSE English past papers
Students can take part in DSE English training, where they attend multiple meetings and tutors refresh their memory and guide their study sessions. If this option is not available, or the student prefers to work differently, the student can look up past DSE English papers.
The HKDSE updates their papers and questions frequently. The goals and expectations of the DSE do not change but it allows for students to look at past papers and have an idea of what to expect without cheating. Each DSE paper covers different aspects of the English language, and understanding the expectations of each paper can help students prepare for the DSE.
DSE English paper 1
The DSE English paper 1 mainly focuses on reading comprehension and vocabulary. For the exam, students are given a paper with questions, and a separate booklet with reading passages. Students are meant to read and answer the questions on the first paper, and use the separate booklet when the questions require it.
These questions would include multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and open-ended questions. They mostly require students to pick out the correct vocabulary words for sentences and certain circumstances. The exam also has students read from a separate booklet, and list specific words that were mentioned in the booklet’s passage.
DSE English paper 2
The DSE English paper 2 examines students' writing skills. The students are given papers to write their answers on and a separate set of question papers. These question papers ask students to write thorough answers on the papers provided and are tested on their coherency, content, and organization.
These questions may ask for students to give a hypothetical review of a restaurant or to apply for a hypothetical job. The questions ask for students to be thorough and give relevant content in their answers. Overall, this portion examines students' writing tone, use of language, and clarity.
DSE English paper 3
The third DSE English paper focuses on listening and comprehension. Students are given a set of question papers and are required to listen to a recording that coincides with the questions. During the recordings, students listen to a story or a set of information that they have to remember in order to repeat the exam’s questions.
Students are required to fill in the blanks with information from the recording, create visuals that represent the recording’s information, and answer questions about what they listened to. These questions ask students about the recorded story’s plot, characters, and other specific details. The DSE English paper 3 sample also shows students required to give an analysis of some of the recordings. These answers are analysed to show the student’s comprehension skills, the building of sentence structure, tone, and accuracy.
DSE English paper 4
The final English paper covers the final sector that hasn’t been examined yet, speech. The DSE English paper 4 focuses on students speaking skills. This is also the only paper that involves group participation and discussion. Students are put into groups, and the groups are given a question paper explaining their assignment. The sample paper required the students to discuss what to include in a letter to an editor of a newspaper.
Each table has a timed discussion period, where they will decide what to include in their answer. When the time is completed, the students will end their discussion and their answers will be evaluated. The question paper also includes an individual section, where students will have one minute to verbally answer each question to an examiner. Once each portion is complete, the students will be evaluated on their individual and group speaking skills,
Each portion of the DSE English exam is very thorough and can be intimidating to students. As students look at past papers, they know what to expect for each section, and they can build their confidence and ability to achieve their desired result.
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