Background:

• Since the implementation of the optimising measures for the four senior secondary core subjects in the 2021/22 school year, schools have more space to optimise the arrangement of the lessons of M1/M2, creating more favourable conditions for students taking M1/M2. The recognition of M1/M2 has also increased significantly in recent years. For example, starting from 2024, all eight UGC-funded universities have recognised M1/M2 as an elective subject in the General Entrance Requirements, and Level 2 in M1/M2 is also recognised as one of the five HKDSE subjects in fulfilling the minimum entrance requirement of Associate Degree and Higher Diploma Programmes. These changes not only have resulted in an increase in the number of students interested in taking M1/M2, but have also made learner diversity in M1/M2 more worthy of attention.

• In order to further promote the development of M1/M2 curriculum, the Curriculum Development Council Committee on Mathematics Education (CDCC(ME)) established an Ad Hoc Committee in February 2023 to explore specific enhanced measures to cater for learner diversity in M1/M2 at the curriculum level. In June 2023, by taking into account the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee, CDCC(ME) proposed short-term and medium-term enhanced measures to cater for the learner diversity in M1/M2 at the curriculum level.
  
  
  • The short-term enhanced measures recommend refining the question design and requirements for Section A of the HKDSE Examination Papers of the Extended Part, taking into account the learning needs of students with average abilities in Mathematics. The HKDSE Mathematics Subject Committee of HKEAA decided in its meeting in September 2023 that the questions of Section A of the HKDSE Examination Papers of the Extended Part will be changed from the current "short questions" to "elementary short questions" starting from the 2027 examination. The relevant assessment framework has been uploaded to HKEAA's website in July 2024.
    
    
  • The medium-term enhanced measures mainly involve reviewing the curriculum content of the Extended Part, with due consideration of the candidates' results in the HKDSE Examination of 2027 Mathematics Extended Part; and at the same time the feasibility and effectiveness of dividing the content into Foundation and Non-foundation Topics will be carefully studied.

Short-term enhanced measure to cater for learner diversity:

The following descriptors and illustrative examples of "elementary short questions" of Section A of the HKDSE Examination Papers of the Extended Part from 2027 are endorsed by CDC-HKEAA Committee on Mathematics Education:

• Descriptors 
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• Illustrative examples in M1 
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• Illustrative examples in M2 
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• Recent Developments in the implementation of M1/M2 Curriculum and the Enhanced Measures for catering Learner Diversity ——Briefing Seminar (Dec 2023) (Handouts)