RTHK English
Hong Kong’s university entrance exams kicked off on Wednesday, with many students arriving early at exam centres to ease their nerves before the test period began. Nearly 4,000 candidates sat the visual arts exam, the first subject of this year’s Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE). At one centre in Tsuen Wan, students filed in one by one, carrying their art supplies and school essentials despite the rainy weather. One candidate, a student surnamed Cheung, said her anxiety kept her awake the night before. “There’s some nervousness and excitement. I couldn’t sleep at all last night. I packed my acrylics, rulers, pens and eraser in advance," she said. "I prepared everything either last night or the night before because I was afraid I might forget something to the exam. I started preparing in March and I would find my teachers on some days to help me practice." Another student surnamed Chan said she double-checked her belongings multiple times before leaving home and felt a wave of relief when she ran into friends along the way. "I checked my art supplies the night before. I referred to the online checklist as well as the one given by my teacher to make sure I have everything," she said. "I happened to bump into my classmate when I was taking the taxi and seeing a friend calmed me down a bit. We rarely bump into friends, so it felt like a lucky start to the day." Meanwhile, Tse Chun-hung, vice-principal of AD&FD POHL Leung Sing Tak College, said the school opened early to let candidates wait indoors before the exam began. "When students arrived before the official time, we let them in to prepare and rest. The start of the exam was very smooth," he said. "We had about 80 students taking the paper. I saw students generally knew how to use the 'Check-in Smart' app on their own and there weren't any problems." This year’s DSE has over 58,000 registrants in total — the highest number in the past five years — including more than 12,000 private candidates, making up roughly 20 percent of all test-takers, an increase of about 18 percent from the previous year. Edited by Tony Sabine
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