HKDSE English cheat sheet

Paper 1 Reading is one paper with two parts: Part A (compulsory) and Part B (choose B1 easier or B2 harder); B2 carries a higher weighting than B1, so the choice trades difficulty for marks.

Question types recur across texts: multiple choice, true/false/not given, short answer, table or flow-chart completion, summary cloze, matching headings or features, and sequencing events.

For True/False/Not Given, False means the text contradicts the statement; Not Given means the text neither confirms nor contradicts it - absence of evidence is not contradiction.

Answers to short-answer and completion items must be copied from the text unless the rubric says 'in your own words'; grammar must fit the gap and word limits are strictly enforced.

Skimming yields gist and text structure; scanning locates specific names, numbers, dates and keywords; both are needed because questions follow text order in many task types but not in heading-matching.

Distractors often reuse exact wording from the passage while the correct option paraphrases it, so matching surface words is a known trap.

Inference items ask what is implied rather than stated; the answer must be supported by textual evidence, not by general knowledge.

Vocabulary items are tested in context; a word's meaning is fixed by surrounding clues such as definition, contrast, example and cause-effect signals.

Paper 2 Writing has two parts: Part A (a shorter guided task, often school-based, around 200 words) and Part B (a longer task chosen from several options, around 400 words).

Part B options typically cover argumentative/discussion essays, letters to the editor, proposals, reports, articles, blogs and short stories, each with its own expected conventions.

The four marking criteria are Content, Language, Organisation and Appropriateness (register, format, tone and awareness of audience and purpose).

Format conventions are marked: a letter needs salutation and sign-off, a report needs headings and a purpose statement, an article needs a headline, a proposal needs recommendations.

Register must match audience: formal for letters to authorities and reports, semi-formal for articles, informal only for personal blogs or friends.

A thesis-led introduction states the position; each body paragraph carries one controlling idea with a topic sentence, support and example; the conclusion restates rather than introduces new content.

Cohesion is shown by referencing (this, such, the former), linking adverbials and paragraphing; overuse of memorised connectors is penalised as mechanical.

Task achievement requires covering every bullet or prompt point; missing one prompt point caps the Content mark regardless of language quality.

Language range is rewarded through varied sentence structures and precise lexis; accuracy matters more than ambitious vocabulary used incorrectly.

Paper 3 combines a listening component with integrated skills tasks: candidates listen to recordings, then use the notes together with printed reading material to produce written output.

Part A is listening with tasks such as note completion, table completion, multiple choice and short answers; Part B applies those notes to extended writing tasks in a data file.

Answers are marked for content points drawn from BOTH the listening recording and the reading texts, so omitting either source loses marks.

Spelling, grammar and word limits are enforced in note completion; answers must fit the grammatical slot and the stated maximum number of words.

Recordings are played once; candidates write while listening, using abbreviations and symbols, then transfer and expand notes during the reading time.

Integrated tasks require synthesis, not copying: information must be reorganised, paraphrased and framed in the required genre (email, report, article, letter).

Signposting language signals answers: 'however', 'the main reason', 'what we decided', 'finally' typically precede or introduce the key point.

Numbers, dates, times and proper nouns are frequent answer targets and are common sources of lost marks through transcription slips.

The Speaking paper has four parts: Part A a short self-introduction/response section, Part B a group discussion based on a written prompt, Part C an individual response to a short text or stimulus, and Part D follow-up questions from the examiners.

Group discussion is assessed on interaction: initiating, responding, building on others' ideas, and including quieter members - monologuing or dominating lowers the interaction mark.

The four criteria are Pronunciation and Delivery, Communication Strategies, Vocabulary and Language Patterns, and Ideas and Organisation.

Communication strategies include paraphrasing when a word is unknown, circumlocution, asking for clarification and repairing a breakdown - these earn credit rather than penalty.

Candidates should expand answers with reasons and examples; one-word or single-sentence answers give the examiner nothing to assess for range.

In the individual response, candidates read a short text, then summarise and give a personal view; reading the text aloud verbatim is not the task.

Pronunciation is judged on intelligibility, stress and intonation, not on accent elimination; misplacing sentence stress can obscure meaning.

Preparation time is short (a few minutes); notes should be keywords, not a script, because reading a script aloud is penalised.

SBA for English Language is assessed through a portfolio of speaking tasks (individual presentation and group interaction) done during Secondary 5 and Secondary 6, not a written exam.

Marks are not a single performance: the two best assessment scores are used, one from an individual presentation and one from a group interaction.

Assessment criteria mirror the public speaking paper: pronunciation and delivery, communication strategies, vocabulary and language patterns, and ideas and organisation.

Tasks must be based on texts or materials read or viewed (fiction, non-fiction, film, media), and the book or material must be genuinely used as the basis of the talk.

Plagiarism or memorised, pre-written scripts are penalised; assessment depends on live, unrehearsed response to questions.

Group interaction requires genuine exchange: asking questions, responding to peers, and developing points rather than delivering a prepared speech in turn.

Teachers assess and internally moderate; scores are submitted to the HKEAA and subject to external moderation, so consistency across classes matters.

Keeping a reading or viewing log with dates and reflections supports the portfolio and demonstrates authentic engagement with the material.