The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) would like to respond to some of the points Jon Lowe makes in "Innovation starts in creative education" published on China Daily Hong Kong Edition (Aug 12, 2016).

We assume that Mr Lowe is referring to the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) English Language Paper 1 (Reading) when he writes, "the core English paper is dominated by comprehension tasks in which students need to synthesize information, answer questions about language usage, etc." The synthesis of information is one of the assessment objectives of the reading paper, so it should not come as a surprise that this particular skill is being tested there.

The paper also aims to integrate the testing of grammar and vocabulary in the context of the reading passage rather than testing language usage in isolation, and consists of a combination of fixed and constructed response test items as well as short answer questions.

Another comment that Mr Lowe makes is that "all the comprehension tasks involve the same kind of formal English, almost exclusively from newspaper pieces, or the occasional official report, about subjects that a very 'square' person has decided are of interest to young people" An analysis of the text-types used in the HKDSE English language examination from the sample paper (published in 2009) to the most recent examination in 2016 shows that a diverse range of text-types has been used, from literary texts such as poetry, prose, and short stories to non-fiction book reviews, opinion-editorials, essays and feature articles.

While there may be a tendency for texts to be taken from newspapers and magazines, the texts selected are not all similar: They are sourced from a variety of publications, and the news angle and readership, as well as the writer's individual style, register and tone, vary significantly.

It is also worth pointing out that our examination papers are developed by moderation committees representing different stakeholders, each bringing language, testing and teaching expertise to the table. The committees follow a test specification, which includes the types of materials to be used in the examination as well as moderation guidelines which instruct the committee to adhere to curriculum requirements and assessment objectives when developing the paper.

Therefore, the suitability of a topic is not based on an individual's personal judgement but on whether the topic is consistent with the modules and units outlined in the Curriculum and Assessment Guide jointly developed by the Education Bureau and the HKEAA.

Further information about the HKDSE is available at the HKEAA website www.hkeaa.edu.hk.

NEIL DRAVE

Senior manager (English) of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority

(HK Edition 08/26/2016 page1)