Territory-wide System Assessment explained

T:全港性系統評估
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The Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA) is an assessment introduced by the Education Commission in the report of "Reform Proposal for the Education System in Hong Kong" in September 2000.[1]

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.[2]

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-subsidised schools. The assessment results of the students with intellectual disabilities, e.g. suffering from dyslexia or mental retardation can be excluded after getting medical approval.

Subjects Examined[3]

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

  1. Storytelling through pictures
  2. Group Discussion

Assessment Time: approximately seven to eleven minutes

Participants: twelve to twenty-four students

Form of Assessment:

  1. Individual Speech
  2. 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.

  1. Primary three: 40 minutes
  2. Primary six: 50 minutes
  3. Secondary three: 65 minutes
  1. Number and Algebra
    1. Shape and Space Measures
  2. Data Handling

Timeline - Problems and Controversy

2009

See also: 2009 flu pandemic in Hong Kong

2014

2015

References

  1. Web site: Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. www.hkeaa.edu.hk. 2015-11-09.
  2. Web site: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority . 30 December 2018.
  3. "Territory-wide System Assessment Question Papers and Marking Schemes". http://www.bca.hkeaa.edu.hk/web/TSA/en/PriPaperSchema.html . Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  4. Web site: 2009 年全港性系統評估──說話及視聽資訊評估 有關甲型流感 H1N1(人類豬型流感)的應變安排. 2009-05-04. 2015-11-09. 香 港 考 試 及 評 核 局.
  5. Web site: 兩校誤開考TSA 累全港換試卷. Apple Daily 蘋果日報. 2015-11-09.
  6. Web site: 全面消除操練誘因,取消小三 TSA. 2014. 香港教育專業人員協會.
  7. Web site: Parents who spend hours preparing children for Hong Kong TSA exams have 'herd mentality', education expert says. South China Morning Post. 2015-11-09.
  8. Web site: Burden of TSA duties for schools spelt out - The Standard. www.thestandard.com.hk. 2015-11-09.
  9. Web site: Education Bureau's promise to review school tests fails to satisfy union and parents. South China Morning Post. 2015-11-09.