XN000022-1976-11-08 — Page 4

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1976

C.E.E. MULTIPLE-CHOICE SAMPLE QUESTIONS ON SALE

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FIVE VOLUMES OF MULTIPLE-CHOICE SAMPLE QUESTIONS COMPILED FROM PAPERS OF RECENT EXAMINATIONS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED BY THE HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION BOARD AND ARE NOW ON SALE.

THEY ARE AVAILABLE AT 03.20 A VOLUME FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT THE STAR FERRY CONCOURSE. THEY WILL ALSO BE ON SALE IN BOOKSHOPS SOON.

SCHOOLS PURCHASING 25 OR MORE COPIES ON BEHALF OF THEIR STUDENTS WILL BE GIVEN A TEN PER CENT DISCOUNT.

J

THE SAMPLE QUESTIONS COVER ENGLISH LANGUAGE (SYLLABUS A) ENGLISH LANGUAGE (SYLLABUS B), AND CHINESE LANGUAGE AND CHINESE HISTORY IN VOLUME I BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, MATHEMATICS, MATHEMATICS (ALTERNATIVE SYLLABUS) (CHINESE VERSIONS) IN VOLUME 11- BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, MATHEMATICS, MATHEMATICS (ALTERNATIVE SYLLABUS) (ENGLISH VERSIONS) IN VOLUME 11 ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY (CHINESE VERSIONS) IN VOLUME IV ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY (ENGLISH VERSIONS) IN VOLUME V.

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THE SECRTARY OF THE HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION BOARD, MR. K.C. CHEUNG SAID TODAY THAT THE SERIES OF SAMPLE QUESTIONS HAD NEVER BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC BEFORE.

THE BOARD DECIDED TO PUBLISH THE SERIES BECAUSE SOME MULTIPLE- CHOICE SAMPLE QUESTIONS PRINTED BY PRIVATE CONCERNS WERE OF LOW STANDARD.

+ THE SERIES IS THE WORK OF PROFESSIONAL AND CONSCIENTIOUS EXAMINERS+, HE SAID.

MR. CHEUNG EXPLAINED THAT IN A MULTIPLE-CHOICE TEST. +EACH ITEM POSES A PROBLEM IN THE 'STEM' AND PROVIDES A SET OF POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS IN THE 'OPTIONS, ONE OF WHICH -

• ONE OF WHICH THE KEY' IS THE RIGHT.. ANSWER. THE OTHERS - EITHER WRONG, OR DEMONSTRABLY INADEQUATE - BEING "DISTRACTORS'.

+EACH OF THESE OPTIONS HAS TO BE PLAUSIBLE, AND THE PAPER AS A WHOLE MUST SATISFY A TEST SPECIFICATION IN BOTH CONTENT AND DEPTH OF UNDERSTANDING.+

THE SECRETARY ADDED: +IT IS RECOGNISED THAT MULTIPLE-CHOICE TESTING HAS MANY OBVIOUS ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER TYPES OF TESTING.

+SOME OF THESE ADVANTAGES ARE: IT CAN BE OBJECTIVELY MARKED= IT EXAMINES ALL CANDIDATES EQUALLY (ALL CANDIDATES BEING REQUIRED TO ANSWER THE SAME QUESTIONS) CANDIDATES NEED SPEND LITTLE TIME IN WRITING AND MAY DEVOTE MOST OF THEIR TIME TO THINKING IT PERMITS THE SYLLABUS TO BE COVERED MORE FULLY SINCE QUESTIONS MAY EE PRE- TESTED AND THE RESULTS ANALYSED BEFORE USE, THEY SHOULD BE FREE FROM AMBIGUITY AND BE OF THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY.+

MR. CHEUNG STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT MULTIPLE-CHOICE TESTING WAS ONLY ONE EXAMINATION TECHNIQUE, WHICH ALSO HAD ITS LIMITATIONS AND SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A TOOL OF TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM.

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