- One expert explains that the passage itself was not too tough, but the questions were ‘most difficult’ in DSE history
- Teachers also highlight that this is not the first time an autobiography has been featured in the city’s university entrance exams
In response to what they felt was a tough reading passage on the DSE exam, scores of pupils have written comments on Michelle Obama’s Instagram page. Photo: HandoutUse of extracts from Michelle Obama’s memoir in the English reading paper of this year’s university entrance exams should not have been a surprise for candidates, Hong Kong teachers and tutors said after scores of pupils who found the test too tough turned their anger on the former US first lady.
Students flocked to Obama’s Instagram account to show their frustration after the exam last Friday. The reading comprehension part of the exam used excerpts on how her mother and great-aunt shaped her growth from her bestselling book Becoming.
Some exam candidates said it would be Obama’s fault if they did not get a good mark for the test.
But teachers highlighted this was not the first time an autobiography had featured in the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams as extracts from other memoirs were used in the English reading papers in 2014 and 2019.
English paper featuring Michelle Obama’s personal essay most challenging in years
They suggested candidates should read across different subjects and genres to ensure they had mastered the subject.
But one teacher said the reaction of pupils was “extremely shameful” and insisted exam candidates should have been aware that any type of English texts could appear in the reading paper.
“I don’t see how students can find it shocking for such a popular book to appear in the exam. They should have worked on their reading skills before sitting for the English exam and mastered the subject through exploring different cultures,” Lily*, an English teacher from a secondary school, said.
There is no compulsory reading list for pupils to familiarise themselves with the reading part of the paper. There is also no rule of thumb for how the reading passages are selected, and they can be drawn from any source, including news articles, reputable websites or extracts from books.
Lily emphasised that the DSE English examination’s goal was to test the ability of pupils to understand and interpret a broad range of texts, not just what they had studied in textbooks.
“English is a vibrant, fluid language and the DSE exams reflect that,” she said.
Becoming, published in 2018, was the biggest-selling book published in the United States that year and more than 17 million copies were sold worldwide. The book was available in 24 languages and also adapted into an Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary.
Lily said the subject committee decided on each year’s DSE English paper.
“The members usually comprise a representative from the Education Bureau, English teachers from various secondary schools and at least one member of teaching staff with a doctoral degree in the subject,” she explained.
Candidates lash out on Michelle Obama for tough English exam
Alan Chan – an English tutor at King’s Glory Education Centre – said a memoir by Clive James, an Australian writer, television personality and critic, was featured in 2019’s English reading paper.
“The questions that year were not easy either, but I didn’t hear students complaining,” he said.
He added he believed the outrage expressed this year was because Obama was an easy target for pupils. “Michelle Obama is a very famous person, and they can have a channel to vent their anger and dissatisfaction about the DSE exams,” Chan said.
Lily admitted that each paragraph of the Obama extract was difficult for pupils to comprehend if they were not familiar with the slang and language used. “Students really had to exercise their inference skills this year to interpret the passage,” she said.
Chan added that, rather than blaming the text for being difficult, it was the questions that made pupils stumble.
“I don’t think the passage is the most challenging one, but the questions were the most challenging in DSE history because there are so many inference questions and so many questions that need students to have a deep understanding of the passage ... and then write it in their own way,” he said.
Tom*, another secondary school teacher, said this year’s paper would have been an advantage for pupils who had developed English reading habits, especially those at schools which offered English literature elective courses.
“They are used to reading these genres so they would have the ability to interpret, understand and answer open-ended questions,” he said.
Your Voice: Why Hong Kong pupils are commenting on Michelle Obama’s Instagram
Chan added that any pupils who had read Obama’s book might have an advantage over those who had not, but insisted it would not have given them a major edge. “When it comes to answering questions, they also need exam skills and some English knowledge,” he said.
Tom said he often gave his students reading work from The New York Times or the South China Morning Post, but they barely had enough time to finish all the material. “As such, students’ reading ability is genuinely based on their self-discipline or motivation,” he said.
Tom said teachers usually prepared a variety of texts designed to expose pupils to as many different genres as possible, but added the Obama excerpt was not typical of reading materials used.
Chan said pupils should read more in English to avoid problems with exams in the future. “They can watch some documentaries from Netflix or Disney+ with English subtitles. They can mute the sound and read just the subtitles.”
*Names were changed at interviewees’ request.