Basic Competency Assessment

Basic Competency Assessment comprises three components, namely Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA), Student Assessment Repository* (STAR) and Web-based Learning and Teaching Support (WLTS).

* Student Assessment Repository (STAR) is an upgraded version of Student Assessment and was launched in January 2017.

In 2000, the Education Commission proposed to introduce Basic Competency Assessment in its report entitled "Learning for Life. Learning through Life"  to better enhance the effectiveness of learning and teaching.  TSA is one of the components of Basic Competency Assessment.  TSA is an assessment on students' basic competencies in Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics upon completion of the three key stages of learning (i.e. Primary 3, Primary 6 and Secondary 3).  Basic competencies form part of the curriculum and are embedded in schools' everyday teaching and internal assessments.  Students are expected to acquire the basic competencies in the three subjects in order to proceed effectively to the next key stage of learning.

At the territory-wide level, TSA data enables the Government to review education policies and focused support provided for schools.  An annual Territory-wide System Assessment Report gives an account of the overall performance of students participating in the assessment in a particular year.

At the school level, TSA provides four types of school reports with different coverage for schools' selection to serve the purpose of Assessment for Learning.  It helps teachers identify the overall strengths and weaknesses of students and formulate plans to improve the effectiveness of learning and teaching in light of the assessment data and their schools' development needs.  In general, after analysing students' performance in TSA, schools will follow up through various measures, such as adjusting the teaching content, revamping the design of worksheets and assessments, and arranging after-school remedial programmes to cater for learner diversity.

All TSA items are uploaded onto the following websites:

• Primary 3 and Primary 6 TSA
• Secondary 3 TSA

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STAR is an online assessment item bank covering a vast array of assessment items of Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics from Key Stages 1 to 3.  The platform provides instant assessment reports on the performance of participating students for teachers' reference through a computer system.  All primary and secondary schools can use it any time during the school year on a voluntary basis.  The related feedback helps teachers review individual students' learning progress and difficulties with reference to the key learning points, and set the next learning objectives for the students. 

With a view to constantly enhancing learning and teaching effectiveness, catering for students' learner diversity as well as strengthening Assessment for Learning and assessment literacy, the platform has been further upgraded to STAR since October 2020, extending the coverage progressively from Basic Competencies to the full curricula of Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics.  Apart from the relatively large amount of reading assessment tasks of language subjects currently offered, STAR will encompass more listening, writing and speaking assessment tasks.  The assessment items of Mathematics will also cover the learning objectives of the Non-foundation Topics (applicable to Key Stage 3) by phases.

To further enhance the STAR user experience and help interested schools to more effectively incorporate STAR into their school-based curriculum as a regular, frequently-used assessment tool, the platform features will be enhanced and strengthened by phases to enhance learning and teaching effectiveness.  

Please browse the STAR platform for more details: https://star.hkedcity.net/en

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WLTS is an online platform of ready-made learning and teaching resources developed to address students' learning difficulties. Teachers can use the resources to devise follow-up plans and adjust strategies and plans in learning and teaching. There are also interactive games designed for students to learn in a fun way.

Please browse the WLTS platform for more details: https://wlts.edb.hkedcity.net/en/

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Established in October 2014, the Coordinating Committee on Basic Competency Assessment and Assessment Literacy (the Committee) is tasked with recommending directions for the development of "Basic Competency Assessment" (including "Territory-wide System Assessment" (TSA) and "Student Assessment") as well as the enhancement of assessment literacy among schools. 

• Membership list of the Coordinating Committee on Basic Competency Assessment and Assessment Literacy

The Education Bureau (EDB) announced in late October 2015 that the Committee would conduct a comprehensive review of the implementation of TSA.  Two working groups have been set up under the Committee to conduct an in-depth study of the reporting and administration and the papers and question design of TSA respectively, with a view to recommending short, medium and long-term improvement measures. The Committee submitted to EDB the Report on Review of the Territory-wide System Assessment in February 2016.

• Membership list of the Working Group on Administration and Reporting of the Coordinating Committee on Basic Competency Assessment and Assessment Literacy
• Membership list of the Working Group on Papers and Question Design of the Coordinating Committee on Basic Competency Assessment and Assessment Literacy

The Committee submitted to the Education Bureau the Report on 2016 Tryout Study (Primary 3) in December 2016. Based on the recommendations by the Committee, the TSA 2016 (Primary 3) should be implemented as a tryout arrangement in order to obtain views on the adjusted assessment papers and question design together with the different formats of reporting.  The outcome of the 2016 Tryout Study (Primary 3) would be appropriately adopted for enhancement of the 2017 assessment arrangement. Please click here for details.

The Education Bureau announced in January 2017 the introduction of the 2017 Research Study, extending the new initiatives for enhancement under the 2016 Tryout Study (Primary 3) to all primary schools in the territory in 2017 with a view to collecting more comprehensive feedback. The new initiatives for enhancement included improving assessment papers and question design, enhancing school reports, strengthening diversified professional support measures and including a questionnaire survey on learning attitude and motivation. All public sector primary schools (i.e. more than 470 schools) and more than 20 private primary schools participated in the 2017 Research Study. Details are set out in the Report on Review of the Primary 3 Territory-wide System Assessment 2015-17.

Having assessed the developments of the COVID-19 epidemic, gauging the views of the school sector and making reference to the previous experiences in handling epidemics, the Education Bureau (EDB) has decided to suspend the Territory-wide System Assessment (including all oral and written assessments), which is originally scheduled to be held from April to June of the current school year. Considering the setting of all questions of the Territory-wide System Assessment has basically been completed, the EDB will discuss with the school sector on how to make good use of the assessment materials set against the related Basic Competencies, allowing both schools and the EDB to better understand how the class suspension due to the epidemic as well as various arrangements on "suspending classes without suspending learning" have affected students' learning. It enables schools to focally address the area students warrant support in future with a view to enhancing assessment for learning.

In view of the volatility of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Education Bureau (EDB) has decided to suspend the Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA) 2021 (including all speaking assessments and pen-and-paper assessments) so that schools can make the most out of the remainder of the current school year to conduct face-to-face lessons. The EDB will collaborate with the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) and Hong Kong Education City Limited (HKEdCity) again to roll out the “Gainful Use of Territory-wide System Assessment 2021 Materials” arrangement, enabling schools to make best use of the TSA materials already prepared and consolidated by the HKEAA with the original pen-and-paper mode or the online assessment mode provided on the Student Assessment Repository (STAR) platform, so as to understand the learning situation of students under the epidemic and follow up on their support needs. The related arrangements and participation details will be announced in the briefing sessions to be held in later April 2021.

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Resources

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Update on TSA

2016 Tryout Study (Primary 3) and 2017 Basic Competency Assessment Research Study

2016 Tryout Study (Primary 3)  Sharing of school experience

TSA Series

Introduction to TSA

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