Bulletin Vol. 2 No. 6 Jan 1966

T h e test should a im at the " O r d i n a ry L e v e l" standard of the Genera l Certificate of Ed u c a t i on Ex am i n a t i o n. T h e G . C . E. examination paper s should be used for reference as to the standard required, b ut the contents of the Intermediate paper should be diffèrent. T h e re should be mor e emphasis on comprehension and less on composition . T h e paper should b e composed of t wo parts— Part I on comprehension and Part I I on composition and other aspects of English. T h e standard of Part I should be equivalent to that of the G . C . E. O r d i n a ry L e v el and mu st be passed by all candidates, while the standard o f Part I I should be lower in the first year, b ut it should be raised gradually u n t il it reached the G . C . E. standard. I n assessing the results of the paper, more weight should be given to the part on comprehension and less to the other part. T h e paper for each faculty varies according to its requirements; there w o u ld be three different sets of questions for the three different faculties. T h e Board of Studie s in En g l i sh should be responsible for designing the paper, but representatives of all faculties should be present as co-opted members at meetings wh e n discussion on the f o r m and contents of the paper wa s held. 2) Chinese T h e Senate agreed tha t this should be a test of a candidate's ability to w r i te and to read w i t h understanding. T h e paper should consist of tests on composition and translation. 3) T i m i n g T h e Senate agreed tha t on the recommendation of the Language De p a r t me n t s of the Colleges, students should be allowed to take the language paper/s at the end of th e first year, and that students who had passed English Language a t the G . C . E. E x am i n a t i on at the O r d i n a ry L e v e l or at other examination of equivalent standing, should be exempted f r om the Intermediate E x am i n a t i on in tha t subject. 4) I n Case o f Failure T h e Senate agreed that failure in one language in the second yea r should not debar a student f r om taking the same examination again at the end of the t h i r d year i f so recommended by b o th the Language Boards concerned and th e Board of Studies of his major subject, b ut that if he failed again in the t h i r d year he should not be p r omo t ed to the f o u r th year. On Degree Examination N u m b e r of Papers T h e Senate noted th e suggestions made by various Boards of Studies concernin g reduction of the n umb er of papers for the Ex am i n a t i o n. T h e m i n i m um n umb er of papers for the Degree Ex am i n a t i on should be seven ； five on the major subject and t wo o n the m i n or subject. T h r ee of the m i n i m um seven papers should be taken as Part I of the Ex am i n a t i on at the end of the t h i r d year, and fou r as Part I I of the Examination at the end o f the f o u r th year. Boards of Studies should be given the liberty to exceed these m i n i m um numbers if they so desired, b ut the m a x i m um tota l w o u ld be nine. On the recommendation of the Board of Studies concerned, a student m i g h t be allowed to present a thesis, and in view of l i m i t ed research facilities at the present mome n t the thesis should take the place of one paper only. Boards of Studies should consider reducing the n umb er of paper s for students w h o offer to write a thesis wh en the research facilities in this University were increased i n future. Candidates wh o failed i n one-half of the papers i n the Part I Ex am i n a t i on should be required to repeat in the t h i r d year. Part I of th e Ex am i n a t i on should be held for the first t i me in Ma y, 1967, and in that year students for this Ex am i n a t i on should still be required to take f o ur or five papers out of a total of nine papers. T h e decision to reduce the n umb er of papers for the Degree Ex am i n a t i o n to a m i n i m um of seven should come into effect i n Ma y, 1968, and as f r om that year, candidates for Part I of the Examination should take three or f o ur papers out of a total of m i n i m um seven pagers. ON EXTERNAL EXAMINERS The following are abstracts from the “Conditions of Appointment of External Examiners for Degree/ Diploma Examination". On Appointment "An Ex t e r n al E x am i n e r, n o rma l ly a senior academic abroad, is appointed b y the Un i v e r s i ty in respect of each subject field for w h i ch the Un i v e r s i ty offers courses leading to De g r e e / D i p l oma Examinations. " E x t e r n al Examiners in the Far East, Southeast Asia and H o n g K o n g are appointed for a t e rm of one year and are expected to visit H o n g K o n g d u r i ng the time of examination. External Examiners f r om outside these regions arc appointed for a t e rm of three years, and d u r i ng thi s t e rm of office they w i ll be invited to visit H o n g K o n g at least once. " T h e Un i v e r s i ty w i l l be responsible for the fares of the Ex t e r n a l Examiners and their accommodation here ." 2