ENGLISH-LANGUAGE · HKDSE
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE/31
(Listening and Integrated Skills)
English Language · 2025 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA)
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.8 / 5
232
330 min
Sports Events and Workplace Sociology
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
232
Duration
330 min
Session difficulty
3.8 / 5
Level 5**
~85% of max
Level 5*
~79% of max
Level 5
~73% of max
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
The 2025 HKDSE English paper strikes a balanced yet challenging tone. Part A of the Reading sub-test presents accessible topics on celebrity gossip, but raises the stakes with subtle psychological vocabulary and multi-part reference questions. Part B2 (Quiet Quitting) is linguist
The 2025 HKDSE English paper strikes a balanced yet challenging tone.
Part A of the Reading sub-test presents accessible topics on celebrity gossip, but raises the stakes with subtle psychological vocabulary and multi-part reference questions.
Part B2 (Quiet Quitting) is linguistically demanding, packed with corporate buzzwords and idiomatic expressions like "acting your wage" and "pull myself up by my bootstraps." This requires candidates to possess not just literal decoding skills, but a mature grasp of modern workplace sociology.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Synthesizing &
Weight: 8100%Reading Comprehension
Weight: 788%Vocabulary &
Weight: 563%Listening & Note-taking
Weight: 450%Note-
Weight: 338%Register & Creative Writing
Weight: 225%Tone A
Weight: 113%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
No data available in official reports
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Reporting source
HKEAA Subject Examination Report — comments on candidates’ performance with marking schemes
Level 5**
Outstanding — competitive JUPAS programmes (medicine, law, top faculties)
Level 5*
Excellent — strong JUPAS profile for selective programmes
Level 5
Good — meets most university entrance requirements
Level 4
Satisfactory — foundation programmes or less selective routes
Level 3
Pass threshold for many sub-degree and vocational pathways
Admission context
Levels feed JUPAS and non-JUPAS university applications; 5** and 5* are most selective
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
No data available in official reports
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.
Match the expected response style for “Find” questions.
Match the expected response style for “Write” questions.
Match the expected response style for “Complete” questions.
Name or point to the specific feature asked for — avoid extra explanation.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 2
Min per mark: 1.9
Min per mark: 1.3
Min per mark: 1.1
Min per mark: 1.1
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
The World of Sports
79 marks this session
Occupations, Careers and Prospects
63 marks this session
The Media and Publications
42 marks this session
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
The World of Sports
The Internet
Changes Brought about by Technology
Customs, Clothing and Food of Different Places
Great Stories
Occupations, Careers and Prospects
Successful People and Amazing Deeds
Customs, Clothing and Food of Different Places (Cultural Heritage)
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Paper 1 (Reading):
Paper 2 (Writing):
Paper 3 (Listening & Integrated Skills):
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
The World of Sports
79 marks this session
Practise in RevuiOccupations, Careers and Prospects
63 marks this session
Practise in RevuiThe Media and Publications
42 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
The 2025 HKDSE English paper strikes a balanced yet challenging tone. Part A of the Reading sub-test presents accessible topics on celebrity gossip, but raises the stakes with subtle psychological vocabulary and multi-part reference questions. Part B2 (Quiet Quitting) is linguist
- 2Message
The 2025 HKDSE English paper strikes a balanced yet challenging tone.
- 3Message
Part A of the Reading sub-test presents accessible topics on celebrity gossip, but raises the stakes with subtle psychological vocabulary and multi-part reference questions.
- 4Message
Part B2 (Quiet Quitting) is linguistically demanding, packed with corporate buzzwords and idiomatic expressions like "acting your wage" and "pull myself up by my bootstraps." This requires candidates to possess not just literal decoding skills, but a mature grasp of modern workplace sociology.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
2025 2025
English Language
The 2025 HKDSE English paper strikes a balanced yet challenging tone. Part A of the Reading sub-test presents accessible topics on celebrity gossip, but raises the stakes with subtle psychological vocabulary and multi-part reference questions. Part B2 (Quiet Quitting) is linguist
The 2025 HKDSE English paper strikes a balanced yet challenging tone. Part A of the Reading sub-test presents accessible topics on celebrity gossip, but raises the stakes with subtle psychological vocabulary and multi-part reference questions. Part B2 (Quiet Quitting) is linguist
The 2025 HKDSE English paper strikes a balanced yet challenging tone.
Part A of the Reading sub-test presents accessible topics on celebrity gossip, but raises the stakes with subtle psychological vocabulary and multi-part reference questions.
- Total marks
- 232
- Duration
- 330 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.8 / 5
- Level 5**
- ~85% of max
- Level 5*
- ~79% of max
- Level 5
- ~73% of max
Session analysis
The 2025 HKDSE English paper strikes a balanced yet challenging tone. Part A of the Reading sub-test presents accessible topics on celebrity gossip, but raises the stakes with subtle psychological vocabulary and multi-part reference questions. Part B2 (Quiet Quitting) is linguistically demanding, packed with corporate buzzwords and idiomatic expressions like "acting your wage" and "pull myself up by my bootstraps." This requires candidates to possess not just literal decoding skills, but a mature grasp of modern workplace sociology.
Updated Jun 11, 2026
Paper breakdown
Paper 1 (Reading):
Paper 2 (Writing):
Paper 3 (Listening & Integrated Skills):
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
78% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Integrated Writing / Extended Tasks
115·5·50%
Short Answer / Open-ended Questions
60·40·26%
Essay / Creative Writing
42·2·18%
Multiple Choice
(MCQ)
15·15·6%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Difficulty trend
Compare difficulty across recent years.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
Paper 1 Part A (Com
0.50 m/minPaper 1 Part B2 (Di
0.93 m/minPaper 2 Part A (Sho
0.53 m/minPaper 3 Part A (Lis
0.94 m/minPaper 3 Part B (Int
0.76 m/minTotal marks
186
Total time
248 min
Avg pace
0.75
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Changes Brought about by Technology (AI & Virtual Classrooms)
88%88%
Biodiversity & Sustainable Eco-tourism
75%75%
Difficulty Verdict
The 2025 HKDSE English paper strikes a balanced yet challenging tone. Part A of the Reading sub-test presents accessible topics on celebrity gossip, but raises the stakes with subtle psychological vocabulary and multi-part reference questions. Part B2 (Quiet Quitting) is linguistically demanding, packed with corporate buzzwords and idiomatic expressions like "acting your wage" and "pull myself up by my bootstraps." This requires candidates to possess not just literal decoding skills, but a mature grasp of modern workplace sociology.
Examiner notes & key calculations
- Verbatim Lifting: Copying long chunks of text directly into summary tables or integrated tasks without adjusting pronouns or sentence structures.
- Register Mismatch: Writing a formal invitation email to a guest speaker or a presentation script using overly casual, colloquial language.
- Referencing Ambiguity: Failing to accurately trace pronouns (like "it" or "one area") to their precise noun phrase antecedents.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 2h
- Total marks
- 106
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.