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2009Centre Supervisors’

Conference

HKALEUse of English

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CONTENTS• Important Notes for 2009 HKALE

• Major Exam Procedures

• Highlights of UE Listening Test

• Handling of Exam Irregularities

• Q & A

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Important Notes

for 2009 HKALE

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IMPORTANT NOTES

1. Calculators– Electronic calculators may be used in any

exam session except for language subject exams (i.e. Chinese Language & Culture and Use of English).

2. Barcode labels– Candidates are not allowed to remove any

unused barcode labels from the exam centre.

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IMPORTANT NOTES

3. Sitting the listening tests in the “Special Room”– Candidates must listen to the radio broadcas

t through the ordinary radio in the “Special Room” and cannot use their own radio with earphones.

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IMPORTANT NOTES4. Question number boxes

– Candidates have to put a “X” in the question number box on the top of each page of answer books / supplementary answer sheets on which they have written any answers.

– Remind candidates in the “15 minutes left” announcement to mark the question number box and that no extra time will be given after the “time is up” announcement to mark the box.

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Major Exam

Procedures

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BEFORE THE EXAM• Upon receipt of the question papers, stamp a school seal on

the receipt.

• Brief invigilators of the exam regulations and procedures (invigilators should report duties 30 min before the start of exam). SR4i

• Distribute the stationery and barcode labels before admission of candidates.

• Admit candidates 15 min before the start of exam (50 min before the start of Listening Test). Give them sufficient time to check the barcode sheets and exam stationery (e.g. answer books).

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BEFORE THE EXAM

• Supplementary answer sheets / graph papers are of A3 size (folded into A4 size) and should not be torn apart.

• Do not use previous years’ answer sheets / graph papers.

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BEFORE THE EXAM

• Switch off the school bell and the PA system.

• Instruct candidates to check their mobile phones (including the alarm function) and other electronic / communication devices to ensure that they have been switched off. (Give them sufficient time to check and switch off their mobile phones.)

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BEFORE THE EXAM

• Instruct candidates to put their mobile phones, preferably with the batteries removed, under their chairs in a position clearly visible to the invigilators.

• Check carefully the question paper packets and open them in front of the candidates and the invigilators.

• Ensure that candidates have sufficient time to affix the barcode labels before the exam.

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BEFORE THE EXAM

• Before making the first announcement, arrange an invigilator to stay at the entrance of the exam hall and distribute the Mobile Phone Reminder Cards to candidates arriving at the centre after the first announcement.

Note:

This arrangement is not applicable to the Listening Test.

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• Use of English Section B ─ AL(F) answer book

• Remind candidates to affix barcode labels in the designated spaces.

BEFORE THE EXAM

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Use of English Section B AL(F) Answer Book

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AFTER THE START OF EXAM

• Write the actual starting time and the correct finishing time on the blackboard.

• Nobody should be allowed to take away the question papers during the entire exam period

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AFTER THE START OF EXAM• During attendance taking, check whether

– the photo on the Admission Form / Identity Card resembles the candidate (to reduce the possibility of impersonation);

– the subject being taken is listed on the Admission Form;

– the candidate number shown on the Admission Form matches with that on the barcode label.

Note: In the Listening Test, attendance taking should be done after the admission of candidates and before the radio broadcast.

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AFTER THE START OF EXAM

• If a candidate is found to have a calculator on the desk during a language subject exam, check the calculator jacket and instruct the candidate to put it under the chair. If no irregularity is observed, it is not necessary to report such cases.

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AFTER THE START OF EXAM• In case a candidate requests to go to the toilet, arrange

an invigilator to accompany the candidate and to exercise an appropriate degree of supervision. Record the candidate number and time on Report Form SR4t.

• Ensure that early leavers do not remove the question papers and answer scripts from the exam centre.

• Report irregularities in detail to the HKEAA (e.g. suspected cheating, irregularities concerning mobile phones or electronic / communication devices, subject not listed on the Admission Form, etc.).

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END OF EXAM• When collecting the answer scripts, check whether the

candidates have affixed the barcode labels on the answer scripts.

• Collect all barcode sheets (with/without unused barcode labels) and put them in the Barcode Sheet Envelope.

• Dismiss the candidates only if the number of scripts collected tallies with the number of candidates present.

• Place the answer scripts in the appropriate script envelopes according to the candidate number ranges printed on them. The envelopes must be tied together with a piece of string.

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UE SECTION A: LISTENING TEST

Before the exam

• Switch off the school bell and the PA system.

• Determine the best radio frequency for the centre using a digital radio.

• Assign one to two classrooms close to the exam hall as “Special Rooms”. Place an ordinary radio or radio-cassette player on the teacher’s desk in the “Special Room”. Tune it to RTHK Radio 2.

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UE SECTION A: LISTENING TEST

Special Room

• In case of candidates entering the “Special Room” before 9:45 am, switch on the radio.

• Switch on the radio at around 9:45 am even if there is no candidate in the “Special Room”.

• Candidates who sit the listening tests in the “Special Room” cannot use their own radio with earphones.

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UE SECTION A: LISTENING TESTSpecial Room

• For candidates who go to the “Special Room” after the start of the exam broadcast, if they bring with them the question-answer books, they should continue to use them.

• In case the candidates do not bring with them the question-answer books, they should be given a new one.

• “Special Room” invigilators should be very flexible in handling the exam arrangements for any candidates who arrives just before / after the exam begins.

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UE SECTION A: LISTENING TESTSpecial Room

• On the Sessional Report (Special Room), “Special Room” invigilators should

1. accurately enter the candidates’ arrival time at the “Special Room” and the reasons for attending the “Special Room”;

2. affix individual candidates’ barcode labels in the designated spaces on the Sessional Report;

3. ask the candidates to sign against their candidate numbers after the collection of answer scripts.

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UE SECTION A: LISTENING TEST8:45 Invigilators report duties at the Centre

8:45-9:00 Briefing to all invigilation staff (including the “Special Room Invigilator”)

9:00-9:10 Hall:

Distribute barcode sheets

Special Room:

Pass question papers, barcode sheets (15 spare) , other exam materials and the sheet on which the best radio frequency for the centre is written to the “Special Room” Invigilator

9:10 Admit candidates into the exam hall

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UE SECTION A: LISTENING TEST9:15 Announcement to remind candidates to turn off

their mobile phones, put personal belongings under their chairs, check their barcode sheets, etc.

9:20-9:40 Take attendance

9:30&9:45 RTHK Radio 2 to broadcast a short announcement to enable candidates to confirm that they have tuned to the correct channel

9:40-9:45 Direct candidates with reception problems to the “Special Room” (changing seats are not permitted); candidates should bring with them their barcode sheets to the “Special Room”.

9:45 Direct late-comers (arriving at the centre at / after 9:45) to take the test in the “Special Room”

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UE SECTION A: LISTENING TEST9:46 Unseal question paper packets in front of invigilators /

candidates and distribute the question papers (i.e. question-answer books)

9:55 RTHK Radio 2 to broadcast “Greensleeves”

10:00 Exam starts

(Before the broadcast of test material, candidates will be instructed to write their candidate numbers on the question-answer book covers, check the number of pages and affix barcode labels on the spaces provided in the question-answer books)

11:00 End of radio broadcast (end of the test)

Collect question-answer books and barcode sheets separately

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Handling of

Exam Irregularities

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HANDLING OF EXAM IRREGULARITIES

1. Late arrivals

2. Early leavers

3. Candidates requesting to go to the toilet

4. Mobile phone irregularities

5. Suspected cheating

6. Irregularities concerning barcodes

7. Irregularities concerning the Listening Test conducted in the “Special Room”

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HANDLING OF EXAM IRREGULARITIES1. Late arrivals

• Remind the candidates to switch off the mobile phones (distribute the Mobile Phone Reminder Cards) (not applicable to the Listening Test).

• After they have been seated, remind them to place the mobile phones under their chairs in a position clearly visible to the invigilators.

• Check the candidates’ barcode labels at an appropriate time.

• Amend the attendance record.

• No extra time should be given to make up for the time lost.

• No need to report cases of late arrivals.

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HANDLING OF EXAM IRREGULARITIES2. Early leavers

• UE B & E: candidates can leave during the period from 30 min after the start of exam and 15 min before the end of exam.

• UE A & C: early leave is not allowed.

• Check whether early leavers have written their candidate numbers, affixed barcode labels and marked the question number boxes.

• Early leavers cannot take away the question papers from the exam centre.

• The answer scripts and question papers of early leavers should be collected together with those of other candidates at the end of the exam.

• Candidates requesting to leave outside the permitted time should fill in Report SR4g.

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HANDLING OF EXAM IRREGULARITIES3. Candidates requesting to go to the toilet

• An invigilator (preferably of the same gender) should accompany the candidate and exercise an appropriate degree of supervision.

• Record the candidate number and time on Report SR4t.

• In case of irregularities, report them on SR4g.

• Handle the irregularities in the presence of an invigilator.

• Under no circumstances should the body or personal belongings of a candidate be searched.

• No extra time should be given to make up for the time lost.

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HANDLING OF EXAM IRREGULARITIES

4. Mobile phone irregularities

• Locate the source of the ringing sound and instruct the candidate to switch off the mobile phone at once.

• Record the time and other details on Report SR4p. In case the mobile phone is in the operating mode, ask the candidate to show the call / SMS / MMS log after the exam.

• No further action should be taken if the source of the ringing sound cannot be located and the ring stops.

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HANDLING OF EXAM IRREGULARITIES5. Suspected cheating• Examples: copying from the answer scripts of other

candidates, obtaining unfair assistance from books, communicating with other people, using a mobile phone in the toilet.

• Remove the notes, books or pieces of papers, etc. (except for essential items such as the calculator).

• Handle the irregularities in the presence of an invigilator.

• For doubtful cases (including a candidate reporting another candidate cheating), avoid disturbing the candidate during the exam. Inform the candidate after the exam to complete a report.

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HANDLING OF EXAM IRREGULARITIES6. Irregularities concerning barcodes

• The following candidates will be given spare barcode sheets: candidates whose personalised barcode sheets are not a

vailable at the centre (e.g. for wrong centre candidates); candidates whose personalised barcode sheets are dam

aged or found to have incorrect information.

• In case of insufficient barcode labels, candidates should be asked to write their candidate numbers on their answer scripts in the designated spaces for barcode labels.

• The above cases should be reported on Report SR4b. The answer scripts concerned and Report SR4b should be placed in the “Envelope for Special Reports and Related Scripts / Answer Sheets”.

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HANDLING OF EXAM IRREGULARITIES

7. Irregularities concerning the Listening Test conducted in the “Special Room”

• Candidates who are found to have used their own radio with earphones in the “Special Room” should be stopped immediately. Report the case details and time in Report SR4g.