DSE citizenship exam tests students on social awareness and national principles
“One Country, Two Systems” policy featured prominently in the revamped paper, which required students to draw on “own knowledge” and analysis
Hong Kong students sitting the citizenship and social development paper in university entrance exams on Tuesday were tested on the “One Country, Two Systems” governing principle, as well as contemporary topics such as e-commerce, online influencers and the new economy.
About 50,300 candidates sat the CSD paper for the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) this year, up from 48,000 last year.
While foundational national education concepts remained central to the paper, educators noted a noticeable shift towards testing students’ broader social awareness through current affairs, including the 15th National Games and South Korean pop culture.
The CSD subject, which replaced the controversial Liberal Studies curriculum, is graded only as “attained” or “not attained”, with a passing rate of 93.2 per cent last year. Tuesday’s exam also featured prominent questions on the constitutional relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China, as well as Greater Bay Area integration.
Former Liberal Studies tutor and secondary teacher Liu Tin-yan noted a clear shift in this year’s exam, suggesting it was testing students’ “information sensitivity” and external knowledge.
She said the revamped subject appeared to be drawing on elements of the old Liberal Studies curriculum by requiring candidates to demonstrate broader social insight.