HKDSE Physics exam-day guide
HKDSE Physics · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission form / candidate slip and valid ID
Bring the admission document issued for this exam plus the identity document it names (typically the HKID card or other accepted ID). Confirm with the provider which ID types are accepted and whether a photocopy is allowed - do not assume. Keep both in one clear plastic folder so you can present them quickly at the desk.
Black or blue ballpoint pens
Bring at least three working pens in the same ink colour. Answers written in pencil, erasable ink, or a colour other than the one specified are commonly not marked. Confirm with the provider which ink colour is required.
HB pencils, sharpener, and eraser
Needed for multiple-choice answer sheets and any graph or diagram work. Bring a spare pencil and a block eraser; a soft eraser that smudges can cost you marks on machine-read sheets.
Approved calculator
Use a calculator permitted under the exam regulations: silent, battery- or solar-powered, with no stored programs, no communication capability, and no printed or graphic display beyond what is allowed. Confirm with the provider the exact list of permitted models before exam day - an unapproved machine may be confiscated.
Clear pencil case or transparent bag
Many venues require stationery to be visible in a transparent container. A clear zipped pouch also speeds up desk checks and keeps the calculator, pens, and ID together.
Geometrical instruments
Ruler (30 cm), protractor, and a pair of compasses. Graph plotting, ray diagrams, and vector addition questions often need a straight edge and a protractor for accurate readings.
Wristwatch (non-smart, silent)
Exam halls do not always have a visible clock, and phones are usually banned at the desk. A plain analogue or digital watch with alarms switched off lets you pace the paper. Smart watches and any device with connectivity are normally prohibited.
Plain water bottle, label removed
Staying hydrated helps concentration over a long paper. Bottles with printed labels are often required to have the label removed or covered. Confirm with the provider whether drinks are allowed at the desk.
Know your candidate number and seat details
Memorise your candidate number and the venue, room, and reporting time. Write them on a small card in your folder so you are not searching your phone at the entrance, where phone use may be restricted.
Check the venue route and travel time in advance
Do a dry run or check transport schedules for the reporting time. Arrive early; late arrival rules vary and admission after the start is not guaranteed. Confirm with the provider the cut-off time for late entry.
Leave phones and smart devices at home or switched off and stowed
If you must bring a phone, switch it fully off and put it in your bag away from the desk, following venue instructions. A device that sounds or is found on you during the paper can lead to disqualification.
Review the paper's instructions and data sheet before the start
Physics papers usually supply a data sheet with constants and formulas. In the reading time or first minutes, check which constants are given so you do not waste time memorising or writing them out.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to consolidating. Rework your own summary sheet of formulas, units, and definitions, and redo a small set of past-paper-style questions under timed conditions. Focus on the topics you most often lose marks on - typically circuit analysis, motion graphs, waves and optics, and energy calculations. Stop studying new material you have never seen.
Do one full timed paper or a large section of one, strictly to the clock, then mark it honestly against the scheme. Log every lost mark into three buckets: knowledge gap, calculation slip, or misread question. Most candidates lose more marks to the last two than to the first.
Light review only: read your formula sheet, unit conversions, and a list of common traps (sign conventions, SI prefixes, significant figures, reading a graph's gradient and area). Pack your folder with admission document, ID, pens, pencils, calculator, instruments, and watch. Check the calculator's batteries and that it is in the permitted mode. Confirm venue, room, and reporting time. Sleep at a normal hour - do not cram overnight.
Eat a proper meal and arrive at the venue with time to spare. Leave your phone off and stowed before entering the hall. At the desk, lay out pens, pencil, eraser, calculator, and instruments, and check the desk number matches your slip. Listen carefully to the invigilator's instructions on filling in the answer sheet and candidate number.
Read the front-page instructions and the data sheet. Scan the whole paper to see the mark allocation and which questions are compulsory versus optional. Budget time per section in proportion to marks, and note the time you must start the final section.
Answer the questions you are most confident about first to bank marks, then return to harder ones. For calculations, write the formula, substitute values with units, and state the final answer with its unit and sensible significant figures - method marks are often available even if the final number is wrong. Draw diagrams with a ruler, label axes with quantity and unit, and show ray directions with arrows. If a question is worth several marks, give that many distinct points. Watch the clock at each section boundary rather than continuously.
Check that every answer is transferred to the answer sheet in the correct place, that no question is blank (a reasoned attempt can earn method marks), and that units and significant figures are consistent. Confirm your candidate number is written correctly, then stop writing immediately when told.
Rules to check
Bring the admission document and the accepted identity document and place them on the desk for checking. Confirm with the provider which ID types are accepted and what to do if yours is lost or being renewed.
Follow all invigilator instructions. Do not start writing before you are told and stop immediately at the end of the paper; writing after time is called can lead to a penalty.
Phones, smart watches, and any device with communication or storage capability must be switched off and stowed away from your desk. Using or even holding such a device during the paper can lead to disqualification. Confirm with the provider the exact rules on bringing devices.
Only use an approved calculator. Do not bring in or use notes, formula cards, or any unauthorised material; the data sheet provided with the paper is the only reference allowed.
Raise your hand and wait for an invigilator if you need to leave the room, need more paper, or feel unwell. Leaving without permission or communicating with other candidates may be treated as misconduct.
Do not communicate with other candidates in any way once in the hall, and do not look at another candidate's work. Keep your answers covered.
Marks are awarded for correct method as well as the final answer, so show working clearly. Answers must be written in the specified ink and in the designated spaces; confirm with the provider the rules on correcting fluid and extra answer sheets.
If you believe there is an error in a question or you are disturbed during the paper, report it to the invigilator at the time and confirm with the provider afterwards how to raise a formal complaint.