Ref. : ASR/2023-24/20231127(2)

To: HPSHCC Students

Final Examination Timetable

Semester 1, 2023/24

(Updated on 1 Dec 2023)

The examination period for Semester 1, 2023/24 is from 18 December 2023 to 3 January 2024. Please refer to Appendix I of this notice for the final examination timetable. As the College may review and modify the timetable as needed, please stay informed by keeping an eye on the Learner Portal for any changes or updates.

This notice covers the following:

• A. Examination Timetable
• B. Examination Arrangements
• C. Examination of CCSA8004 China’s Development, Hong Kong and the National Security Law
• D. Arrangements for Absence from Examinations
• E. Release of Assessment Results

We would also like to remind you of the following important information and regulations.

• F. Regulations and Conduct
• G. Permitted / Required Materials for Examinations
• H. Adverse Weather Arrangements
• I. Caution against Fraudulent Emails
• J. Special Arrangements during the Examination Period

Please read through them carefully. It is important that you understand and follow them.

A.  Examination Timetable

Appendix I of this notice provides the final examination timetable of Semester 1. A personalised examination timetable will be available in SCORE for students starting from 29 November 2023 (Wednesday), which includes the following information.

• Dates, times and assigned venues of the examinations
• Assigned seat numbers

A step-by-step guide on how to access your personalized timetable in SCORE is available in Appendix II.

Please stay informed by keeping an eye on the Learner Portal for any changes or updates as the College may review and modify the timetable as needed.

B.  Examination Arrangements

The examination will take place on HPSHCC campus. Students must attend the examination as scheduled in person. The seating plan of the venues will be posted to the Learner Portal one day before the respective examination session and outside the venue on the examination day. Please make sure to check and identify your assigned seat number before the examinations.

On the examination day, you are expected to arrive at the venue at least 20 minutes before the start of the examination. No extra time will be given to students admitted late. Besides, you will not be permitted to leave during the first hour and the last 30 minutes of the examination. You should bring your student card or HKID card as proof of identity while attending examinations. Students who fail to attend a scheduled examination will receive a fail grade for the course, which will be recorded on their transcripts.

Please note that there will be special arrangements for lift service (see Section J) during the examination period. Please allow extra time to reach your examination venues if necessary.

C.  Examination of CCSA8004 China’s Development, Hong Kong and the National Security Law

CCSA8004 China’s Development, Hong Kong and the National Security Law (NSL) is a mandatory graduation requirement. Year 2 students of Associate Degree or Higher Diploma programmes who have not obtained a pass in the NSL examination during their first year of study are scheduled to take the NSL examination of Semester 1, 2023/24.

If you belong to this specified category, you will be automatically assigned to either of the examination sessions (1) 09:30 – 10:30 and (2) 14:30 – 15:30 on 3 January 2024 (Wed). You may also view the details of your assigned session in SCORE through the personalised examination timetable.

Please note that requests for session change will not be entertained. A fail grade (U) will be given for the course, which will be recorded on transcripts, if students fail to present themselves for the examination as scheduled.

If students fail to obtain a pass in this NSL examination, they will be assigned to retake the examination of Semester 2, 2023/24.

Please remember to bring an HB pencil and an eraser to the NSL examination as you will be required to record your answers on an OMR MC sheet. A sample of the MC sheet is in Appendix III for your reference.

The course learning materials (four lecture videos and PowerPoint slides) are available in SOUL (under Course CCSA8004-HP). Students are expected to study the materials with a self-directed learning approach to prepare for the examination. A mock quiz is also available in SOUL to assist you in better preparing for the examination.

Please be aware that this is a mandatory course and must be completed before graduation. We encourage you to devote adequate time and effort to this course to avoid any setbacks in your graduation plans.

D.  Arrangements for Absence from Examinations

Students are expected to attend the examinations in person as scheduled. A fail grade will be given if student fail to present themselves for any examinations without a valid reason, even if they have obtained high marks in the continuous assessments of the course.

In case you have symptoms of respiratory track infection, you should wear a mask to protect yourself and others. During attendance checking, students may be asked to remove their masks for identity verification.

Please do not start the examination if you have fever or fall ill on the day of examination. No make-up examination will be arranged to students who attempted the examinations. If students are unable to attend an examination under extenuating circumstances such as serious sickness, they should apply for absence from examination by submitting:

• a complete form titled ‘Application for Absence from Examination(s)’;
• the original copy of the relevant supporting document(s) ^{NOTE 1}; and
• a non-refundable application fee of HK$300 per course

to the College within five working days after that day of the respective course examination.

If you experience fever or fall ill on the examination day, you are strongly advised to consult with medical professionals as soon as possible and NOT to attend the examiantion. Please note that make-up examinations will not be arranged for students who have attempted the examinations in all circumstances.

Please refer to Appendix IV for application procedures and details.

^{NOTE 1} In case of sickness, the College will ONLY accept medical certificates issued by registered doctors (註冊西醫) or Chinese medicine practitioners (註冊中醫)1 in Hong Kong. The date(s) of sick leave granted must include the examination date(s) of the course(s) concerned. Medical certificates issued by listed Chinese medicine practitioners (表列中醫) will NOT be accepted.

E.  Release of Assessment Results

The assessment results of Semester 1 will be released on 15 February 2024 (Thu) via SCORE. If you wish to apply for admission to desired universities, you may consider submitting your application first, and then providing the assessment results to the universities at a later stage after the results are released.

A separate notice about the release of assessment results will be posted in the Learner Portal nearer the time.

Regarding make-up examinations, please refer to Section D for the details of the respective arrangements and release of assessment results.

F.  Regulations and Conduct

We expect all students to maintain academic integrity and adhere to the College’s regulations. The College takes a serious attitude to students who violate the regulations or commit any misconduct in assessments including examinations, ETAs, tests, quizzes, assignments and projects. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic misconduct are serious violations of academic standards. Violations of the regulations or academic integrity will result in disciplinary actions and may have serious consequences for academic progress.

We would also like to remind you of the following for examinations.

• Please bring your student card or HKID card for identification purposes.
• Students should not enter the examination venue until instructed by invigilators. After entering the examination venue, students are not allowed to leave the venue without prior approval from the invigilators.
• During the first hour and last 30 minutes of the examination, students are not allowed to leave the venue or visit the washroom. Students should go to the washroom beforehand if necessary.
• Students are strongly advised not to bring handheld computers / tablets, mobile phones, smartwatches and other kinds of electronic / communication devices with mobile applications installed or wireless technologies supported that can emit sound (e.g. mobile phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth earphones / headphones, electronic dictionaries, databank watches etc.) to the examination venue. If these devices are carried as accompaniment, they must be switched off, including any alarm function and sealed inside the bags under the chairs.
• Students are required to follow the instructions of the invigilators and not allowed to communicate with other students during examination.

We encourage you to take time to familiarise yourselves with the ‘Regulations and Conduct of Examinations’ under Appendix D of the Student Handbook (P92-98). The handbook is available under “My Resources” in the Learner Portal. Please do not hesitate to seek clarification if you have any questions or concerns.

G.  Permitted / Required Materials for Examinations

Please consult your course lecturers on the materials, for example, calculators, dictionaries, permitted / required for examinations.

Stationery

You should make sure you have all the necessary stationery (pens, pencils, erasers, rulers, correction pens, etc.) with you on the examination day. Please note that the exam venue does not provide stationery and it is important that you bring sufficient stationery to complete the examination.

Electronic Calculators

Please consult your course lecturers if calculators are allowed and on the use of calculators. You are responsible for making sure your calculator works properly during the examinations.

Regulations for the use of calculators are laid down in clause B18 under Appendix D Regulations and Conduct of Examinations (P95) of the Student Handbook (under My Resources in the Learner Portal).

HB Pencils and Erasers

Students who are sitting the following course examinations are required to bring an HB pencil and an eraser to mark the answers on a multiple-choice answer sheet.

The above table may be updated from time to time and please check it closer to the examination time.

Please use an HB pencil to fill out the corresponding box with the letter that corresponds to your answer choice for the question. If you need to change an answer on the MC sheet, please use an eraser to completely erase the previous answer before marking your new answer choice. A sample of an MC sheet is in Appendix III for your reference.

H.  Adverse Weather Arrangements

There will be special arrangements under the adverse weather conditions as follows.

• (i) Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 (or above) is hoisted or likely to be issued within two hours announced by the Hong Kong Observatory
• (ii) ‘Extreme conditions’ after super typhoons are in force (announced by the Government before Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 is replaced by Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 by HKO)
• (iii) Black Rainstorm Signal is in force

Under these conditions, examinations that have not started will be cancelled. For examinations that have already started, please refer to Section 15.1 of the Student Handbook for the arrangements.

In the event of cancellation of examinations, the College may at its discretion postpone / reschedule the examinations to the period of 4– 11 January 2024. Announcement will be made in the Learner Portal as appropriate.

I. Caution against Fraudulent Emails

There have been past incidents that students received fraudulent emails claiming that their examinations were cancelled or postponed, leading to confusion and missed assessments. These emails may appear to come from a trusted sender, for example, the College or course lecturer.

To ensure that emails you receive regarding any cancellation/postponement of assessments are legitimate, please verify the information you receive through the Learner Portal, via which the College will notify you officially of any updates or changes about the examination arrangements.

If you receive any suspicious or unusual emails, please report to the College immediately at exam.records@hkuspace-plk.hku.hk.

J.  Special Arrangement during the Examination Period

Temporary Closure of Learning Commons

The Learning Commons will be closed during the examination period. As an alternative, Room 701 on HPSHCC campus will be reserved as a study room for students during this time. The opening hours for the room are 8 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday only.

In order to provide a quiet environment, students should observe the following rules regarding the use of the study room:

• Eating or drinking is not allowed in the room
• All sound-making functions of electronic devices such as mobile phones should be disabled

Please be considerate to other users and make appropriate use of this space for your studying needs. College staff reserves the right to issue a warning to students who cause disturbance to other users, and to disallow them from using the room in the future.

Temporary Arrangement on Lift Service

During the examination period, the lift will not stop at 5/F when there is an examination in progress on that floor. Please use the stairs to access the 5/F during that time.

The lift will operate as usual at other times. Please allow extra time to reach your examination venues if necessary.

Please do not hesitate to contact the College Office by phone (tel. no.: 3923 7000) or by email (exam.records@hkuspace-plk.hku.hk) if you need any assistance.

We wish you all the best in your preparations for the examinations.

HPSHCC Office