At a Glance
- Part A — compulsory (10%)
- Part B1 or B2 — choose one (10%)
- B1 is the easier section; candidates choosing B1 can attain up to Level 4.
- B2 allows access to the full range of levels.
Official HKEAA Format
- Candidates answer multiple-choice, short-response and extended open-ended questions on texts of different lengths and difficulty.
- The number of passages may vary from year to year. Follow the instructions and required number of answers on the paper.
Marking Criteria
- Questions use question-specific marking schemes and acceptable responses; this is not simple keyword matching.
- For sentence answers, marks are awarded when the response is appropriate and the required idea is communicated clearly enough to understand.
- A marking scheme is not “the one model answer”. Different wording may earn credit when it conveys the required meaning. Extra material can lose clarity if it contradicts the answer, creates ambiguity, gives competing answers or ignores the requested number.
Recommended Timing
This is a DSE LevelMate preparation recommendation, not an official HKEAA requirement.
- Part A — about 40 minutes
- Part B2 — about 45 minutes
- Final check — about 5 minutes
- If attempting B1, adjust the split to the actual length and difficulty; keep the final five minutes.
Exam Strategy
- Use the question word to decide what the answer must do: identify, explain, compare or infer.
- For a 1-mark question that is taking too long, write the best-supported answer, flag it and move on.
- Before copying words from the passage, check that any pronouns have clear references and that the content directly answers the question.
Final 5-Minute Check
- 1Fill every unanswered item.
- 2Check questions requesting a specific number of answers.
- 3Remove contradictory or competing answers.
- 4Recheck pronouns and references.
- 5Verify copied names, dates, figures and spelling.
- 6Match every answer to the question word.
Common Mistakes
- Copying keywords from the passage without checking whether they answer the question.
- Writing several guesses where one answer is requested.
- Answering only some parts of a multi-part question and overlooking the rest.
- Copying a sentence without resolving who or what a pronoun refers to.
- Spending too long on one low-mark question.