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LCQ8: Leak of public examination questions
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    Following is a question by the Hon Abraham Shek and a written reply by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Miss Denise Yue, in the absence of the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Professor Arthur K C Li, in the Legislative Council today (June 13):

Question:

     It has been reported that an incident of suspected leak of a public examination question occurred in the current school year.  Despite repeated assurances by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority ("HKEAA") that the processes of design, review, printing, packing and distribution of public examination papers are all tightly controlled, the occurrence of incidents of suspected leak of examination questions is still common.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether it knows the measures taken by HKEAA to prevent the leak of public examination questions; and

(b) given that there have been incidents of suspected leak of public examination questions over the years, and a number of tutorial schools have even made promotional claims that their tutors have correctly guessed questions of public examinations, whether it knows if HKEAA will learn from experience, and comprehensively review and reform the processes involved in public examinations in Hong Kong, in particular those in respect of the design and review of examination questions, so as to dispel the doubts of candidates, enhance the authoritativeness and credibility of such examinations, and ensure that all candidates will obtain the results they deserve in examinations conducted in a more fair and open manner?

Reply:

Madam President,

     On April 29, 2007, the press reported that some candidates sitting for the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination suspected that a question in the Chinese Language writing paper had been leaked.

     The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) had immediately carried out an investigation on the allegation.  After reviewing the process of preparing the examination question paper concerned, HKEAA had found no evidence of a leak.  Notwithstanding the outcome of investigation, HKEAA has, through the media and its website, invited candidates and members of the public to provide material information on the suspected leak.  However, it has not received any material information which warrants further investigation so far.

     Our reply to the question is set out below:

(a) The function of HKEAA is to ensure that public examinations are conducted in a fair, effective, and reliable manner.  The HKEAA has put in place tightly-controlled processes of designing, reviewing, printing, packing, and distributing examination papers to ensure confidentiality of public examination questions.  It has implemented the recommendations of the Corruption Prevention Department of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on declaration of interest and measures to safeguard confidentiality of examination papers.  The process of designing and reviewing public examination questions is carried out with high vigilance.  There is a stringent process in recruiting members of the vetting committees of each examination subject.  To prevent conflict of interest, HKEAA will not engage anyone who has any association with private tutorial schools in the process of designing examination questions.  In addition, HKEAA has set up an internal audit team which regularly audits internal management and the process of conducting public examinations.  

(b) EMB and HKEAA understand the public's high expectation of the credibility of the public examination system.  At the same time, we notice that media reports on suspected leak of public examination questions are often based on speculation of candidates.  HKEAA will continue to strictly enforce measures to safeguard confidentiality, conduct risk assessment from time to time, and collaborate with the Corruption Prevention Department of ICAC in reviewing the relevant processes to prevent leak of examination questions so as to ensure that public examinations are conducted in a fair, effective, and reliable manner.

Ends/Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Issued at HKT 11:15

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