HKDSE Physics

The exam is administered by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), which publishes subject information, the Assessment Framework, SBA materials, and past papers. This page is independent study material and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the HKEAA. Always check hkeaa.edu.hk for authoritative arrangements.

Physics is listed by the HKEAA as a Category A Senior Secondary elective subject, not a core subject. The four core subjects are Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics Compulsory Part, and Citizenship and Social Development. You choose Physics alongside other electives.

Results are reported under the Standards-referenced Reporting (SRR) system, with levels from 1 to 5, and 5** as the top level. The HKEAA has published an animation explaining the grading process from Level 1 to 5** for candidates and parents. Standards-referenced means your level reflects what you demonstrate, not a fixed quota.

The HKEAA maintains a School-based Assessment section covering the SBA introduction, subject information on SBA, moderation of SBA scores, teachers' handbooks, and FAQs. Whether and how SBA applies to your cohort depends on the current Assessment Framework. Check the Physics SBA subject information page and confirm with your teacher.

The HKEAA publishes an Assessment Framework of Senior Secondary subjects, linked from the Subject Information page, which sets out the assessment arrangements. Sample papers are also available from the HKEAA. Use these, not third-party summaries, to confirm the paper structure and weighting for your examination year.

The senior secondary Physics curriculum covers mechanics, heat and gases, waves, electricity and magnetism, and radioactivity and nuclear energy. These are broad areas, and each contains multiple sub-topics. Work from the HKEAA Assessment Framework to see exactly what is examinable, then practise applying each concept to unfamiliar situations.

The HKEAA provides for rechecking and remarking of results and for appeal review, and candidates may also re-sit the examination in a later year. Specific deadlines, fees, and eligibility rules are set by the HKEAA each year. Check the Rechecking and Remarking and Appeal Review pages, and the exam registration pages, for current details.

Start with the Assessment Framework to map the examinable content, then work topic by topic through mechanics, heat and gases, waves, electricity and magnetism, and radioactivity and nuclear energy. Practise past and sample papers under timed conditions, and review your errors by concept rather than by question. Confirm the exam timetable on the HKEAA website.

Typical losses come from misreading the question, giving a formula without showing substitution, omitting units or using the wrong ones, and ignoring significant figures. In explanations, candidates often state a law without applying it to the specific situation. Practise writing full working and precise explanations, and check that your answer addresses what was actually asked.

The HKEAA states that Combined Science and Integrated Science are being phased out under optimising measures implemented from Secondary 4 in the 2021/22 school year and applicable to the 2024 HKDSE and beyond. Physics remains a separate Category A elective subject, so candidates can continue to take it as their science elective.