DSE Candidates To Undergo Strict Temperature Checks

Some 50,000 secondary students sitting the upcoming university entrance exams will be subject to strict temperature checks before they are allowed to enter the examination centres, the chairman of the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools said on Wednesday.

Teddy Tang was speaking on an RTHK programme after authorities hinted that it is very likely the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examinations will proceed as scheduled on April 24.

The exams were pushed back from March 27 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The guidelines are clear. If a student has a fever, meaning their body temperature is higher than 38 degrees, they shouldn’t take the exam. The checking will be strict. Candidates will be screened by an infrared temperature detector. Then their forehead temperature will be checked. For suspected cases, their ear temperature will be taken,” Tang said.

He said schools that will be used as exam centres are all ready, with the Examination Authority providing them with supplies such as face masks and hand sanitisers for candidates.

Tang said social distancing measures will be in place to avoid crowding, for example, candidates will be allowed to start going into venues 40 minutes before exams to prevent queues.

Students will also be required to fill in a form to declare that they do not have any respiratory tract infection symptoms, and that they are not under mandatory quarantine. They could be penalised or disqualified for giving false or misleading information.

The exam period will last about a month and results are expected to be released in July.

The Secretary for Education, Kevin Yeung, and the Secretary General of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, So Kwok-sang, were due to announce later on Wednesday the arrangements for the exams.