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Territory-wide System Assessment (Abbreviation: TSA; Chinese: 全港性系統評估) is an assessment introduced by the Education Commission in the report of "Reform Proposal for the Education System in Hong Kong" in September 2000.
Contents
- Introduction
- Chinese Language
- Writing Assessment
- Listening Assessment
- Reading Assessment
- Multimedia Information Assessment
- Oral Assessment
- English Language
- Reading and writing Assessment
- Speaking Assessment
- Mathematics
- Timeline Problems and Controversy
- References
The Territory-wide System Assessment is held in June every year since 2004 for students of Primary 3, Primary 6 (implemented in alternate year starting from 2011) and Secondary 3. The Territory-wide System Assessment is designed for facilitating learning and teaching after evaluating the average learning standard of the students in the subject of Chinese language, English language and Mathematics at the end of key stage 1-3.
Introduction
The Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA) is a territory-level assessment launched and administered by the Education Bureau (Chinese:教育局) since 2004. The aims of the Territory-wide System Assessment is to objectively assess the basic learning competencies and learning progress of the students at different stages of learning. The capabilities of students are analysed through the Territory-wide System Assessment in order to improve the effectiveness in learning and teaching. Educational policies can be reviewed with the help of the data collected through the Territory-wide System Assessment. The Territory-wide System Assessment is conducted in the form of pencil and paper (except Chinese and English oral assessment) and the examined subjects are Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics. The Territory-wide System Assessment is compulsory for all Primary 3, Primary 6 and Secondary 3 students from government-subsidized schools. The assessment results of the students with intellectual disabilities, e.g. suffering from dyslexia can be excluded after getting medical approval.
Chinese Language
The assessment of Chinese language is divided into 5 sub-papers each with a focus on a specific skill of reading, writing, listening, oral and multimedia information respectively. Meanwhile, candidates from primary three, six and secondary three will be chosen randomly to apply the test of multimedia information in every school.
Writing Assessment
Assessment Time: 40 minutes
Number of questions: 2
Question Form: short essay (mainly narrative, descriptive essay) and practical writing (letter, invitation card, memo, notice, diary, journal, etc)
Word Limitation: No
Assessment Time: 75 minutes
Number of Questions: 2
Question Form:Specified writing and practical writing (mainly announcement, notice, speech and reports, etc)
Word Limitations: No
Listening Assessment
Reading Assessment
Assessment Time: 25 minutes
Number of Questions: two short stories and one to two practical writings (depends on the questions’ nature)
Type of passages: narrative, exposition and practical writing (letter, invitation card, etc)
Question Form: Multiple choice questions, fill in the blanks, sentence ordering, short questions, etc
Assessment Time: 30 minutes
Type of passages: Vernacular Chinese (Narration, Description, Exposition, Argumentation, and lyrical literature. etc), Classical Chinese, practical passage
Question Form: Multiple choice questions
Multimedia Information Assessment
Assessment Time: 15 minutes
Participants: 30 students
Type of Video: two to three parts (depends on the videos’ nature)
Video Format: video will only be played once
Question Form: Multiple choice questions
Assessment Time: 15 minutes
Participants: all secondary three students
Video Format: video will only be played once
Question Form: Multiple choice questions
Oral Assessment
Assessment Time: approximately four to eight minutes
Participants: twelve to twenty-four students
Form of Assessment:
- Storytelling through pictures
- Group Discussion
Assessment Time: approximately seven to eleven minutes
Participants: twelve to twenty-four students
Form of Assessment:
- Individual Speech
- Group Discussion
English Language
The assessment of English language in primary school is divided into 3 sub-papers each with a focus on a specific skill of reading and writing, listening and speaking respectively. The assessment of English language in secondary school is divided into 4 sub-papers each focus on a specific skill of reading, writing, listening and speaking respectively. Candidates from every school will be chosen randomly to attend the speaking assessment.
Reading and writing Assessment
The question form of Reading part is Multiple choice question. The Writing part requires to write an essay based on a topic or write a story based on the pictures given.
Assessment time: 25 minutes
Word limit for Writing part: Write about 30 words
Assessment time: 50 minutes
Word limit for Writing part: Write about 80 words
Assessment time for Reading part: 30 minutes
Assessment time for Writing part: 40 minutes
Word limit for Writing part: Write about 150 words.
Listening Assessment
The question form of primary school assessment is Multiple choice question while the question forms of secondary school assessment are Multiple choice question and filling the blanks. Each recording will be played twice.
Assessment time: 20 minutes
Assessment time: 30 minutes
Assessment time: 25 minutes
Speaking Assessment
Preparation time: 2 minutes
Assessment time: 3 minutes
The assessment is divided into two parts. Part 1 is reading alone and part 2 is answering one question asked by teacher.
Preparation time: 2 minutes
Assessment time: 3 minutes
The assessment is divided into two parts. Part 1 is reading alone and part 2 is answering one question asked by teacher.
Preparation time: 3 minutes
Assessment time: 2 minutes
Candidates are required to give an individual presentation
Mathematics
The assessment of Mathematics is provided in both Chinese and English according to different needs of students. Every student from all schools have to apply this assessment.
- Primary three: 40 minutes
- Primary six: 50 minutes
- Secondary three: 65 minutes
Timeline - Problems and Controversy
2009
See also: 2009 flu pandemic in Hong Kong
2014
2015