ENGLISH · Common Test for University Admissions (大学入学共通テスト)
ENGLISH/21
English Listening
English · 2020 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: National Center for University Entrance Examinations (DNC)
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.0 / 5
200
140 min
Information integration across practical texts and audio: identify purpose, retrieve details quickly and infer the speaker or writer’s intended meaning.
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
200
Duration
140 min
Session difficulty
3.0 / 5
Calculator policy
Scientific calculators permitted only where specified in the DNC implementation guidelines; programming functions and CAS are prohibited. En
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
英語 covers English Communication and Logic/Expression objectives: understanding written and spoken information, grasping main ideas and details, and using language for communication across purposes and contexts. R7 Common Test English separates Reading and Listening, with both …
English Reading is 80 minutes/100 points and Listening is 60 minutes/100 points, giving equal official score weight to written and spoken comprehension.
Reading items often require scanning for conditions: dates, eligibility, price, sequence and exceptions can overturn an otherwise plausible answer.
Listening tasks may include visual choices; inspect the visual before audio begins so you know what distinctions to hear for.
The DNC Problem Evaluation Committee publishes per-subject reports after each January session, rating alignment with the Course of Study (学習指導要領), item difficulty balance, and whether items discriminate without exceeding syllabus scope.
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
Cognitive skills emphasised in official test design.
Reading comprehension
Weight: 35100%Listening comprehension
Weight: 35100%Inference and integration
Weight: 2057%Vocabulary Inference Contextual
Weight: 1029%
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
Reading: Choosing an option that is true in general but not stated or implied by the passage. — Underline the exact textual evidence befo…
Listening: Continuing to think about a missed word and losing the next clue. — Write a question mark, keep listening and infer from later…
Inference: Over-interpreting emotional tone without evidence. — Base intent on modal verbs, reasons, contrast markers and speaker actions.
Charts and visuals: Ignoring conditions in footnotes or legends. — Read labels, units and exception notes before matching.
Vocabulary: Stopping at an unknown word instead of using surrounding context. — Infer part of speech, positive/negative tone and relation…
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
Official body
National Center for University Entrance Examinations (DNC)
Grading system
Reading and Listening are each scored 0–100 raw (200 total); universities apply deviation values (偏差値)
Scale band
Reading 0–100
Scale band
Listening 0–100
Scale band
Deviation value
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
Read for task purpose
Before reading the passage, identify whether the question asks purpose, detail, inference, order, chart matching or summary. This changes what you scan for.
Use text architecture
Practical texts have headings, dates, conditions, prices and exceptions. Long passages have thesis, evidence, contrast and conclusion. Read structure before line-by-line detail.
Train listening notes
For listening, write who/where/when on the left and reason/result/condition on the right. Do not transcribe; capture decision-changing information.
Anticipate paraphrase
Correct options rarely repeat the exact wording. Build synonym awareness: increase/rise, cause/lead to, however/although, require/need.
Protect one-time audio
When a listening item covers two questions, split your attention immediately. Mark partial answers and move with the broadcast.
Pace the reading paper
Aim to clear short practical tasks quickly and preserve time for dense final passages. If a detail is hard to locate, skip and return after easier evidence is secured.
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
No data available in official reports
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
No data available in official reports
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Reading: practical texts, notices, articles and long passages
Official topic weighting
Listening: conversations, monologues and integrated information
Official topic weighting
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
Reading: practical texts, notices, articles and long passages
Listening: conversations, monologues and integrated information
Difficulty trend
How session difficulty has shifted across recent years
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
English Reading: Practical texts, articles, emails, notices, charts, long reading and inference items English Listening: Short conversations, longer talks, announcements, integrated listening and visual-reference items
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
Reading: practical texts, notices, articles and long passages
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiListening: conversations, monologues and integrated information
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiEnglish
Session priority from examiner report
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
英語 covers English Communication and Logic/Expression objectives: understanding written and spoken information, grasping main ideas and details, and using language for communication across purposes and contexts. R7 Common Test English separates Reading and Listening, with both …
- 2Message
English Reading is 80 minutes/100 points and Listening is 60 minutes/100 points, giving equal official score weight to written and spoken comprehension.
- 3Message
Reading items often require scanning for conditions: dates, eligibility, price, sequence and exceptions can overturn an otherwise plausible answer.
- 4Message
Listening tasks may include visual choices; inspect the visual before audio begins so you know what distinctions to hear for.
- 5Message
The DNC Problem Evaluation Committee publishes per-subject reports after each January session, rating alignment with the Course of Study (学習指導要領), item difficulty balance, and whether items discriminate without exceeding syllabus scope.
- 6Pitfall
Reading: Choosing an option that is true in general but not stated or implied by the passage. — Underline the exact textual evidence befo…
- 7Pitfall
Listening: Continuing to think about a missed word and losing the next clue. — Write a question mark, keep listening and infer from later…
- 8Pitfall
Inference: Over-interpreting emotional tone without evidence. — Base intent on modal verbs, reasons, contrast markers and speaker actions.
- 9Pitfall
Charts and visuals: Ignoring conditions in footnotes or legends. — Read labels, units and exception notes before matching.
- 10Pitfall
Vocabulary: Stopping at an unknown word instead of using surrounding context. — Infer part of speech, positive/negative tone and relation…
- 11Strength
Read for task purpose: Before reading the passage, identify whether the question asks purpose, detail, inference, order, ch
- 12Strength
Use text architecture: Practical texts have headings, dates, conditions, prices and exceptions. Long passages have thesis,
- 13Strength
Train listening notes: For listening, write who/where/when on the left and reason/result/condition on the right. Do not tra
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
2020 2020
English
英語 covers English Communication and Logic/Expression objectives: understanding written and spoken information, grasping main ideas and details, and using language for communication across purposes and contexts. R7 Common Test English separates Reading and Listening, with both emp
英語 covers English Communication and Logic/Expression objectives: understanding written and spoken information, grasping main ideas and details, and using language for communication across purposes and contexts. R7 Common Test English separates Reading and Listening, with both …
English Reading is 80 minutes/100 points and Listening is 60 minutes/100 points, giving equal official score weight to written and spoken comprehension.
Reading items often require scanning for conditions: dates, eligibility, price, sequence and exceptions can overturn an otherwise plausible answer.
Reading: Choosing an option that is true in general but not stated or implied by the passage. — Underline the exact textual evidence befo…
Listening: Continuing to think about a missed word and losing the next clue. — Write a question mark, keep listening and infer from later…
- Total marks
- 200
- Duration
- 140 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.0 / 5
- Calculator policy
- Scientific calculators permitted only where specified in the DNC implementation guidelines; programming functions and CAS are prohibited. En
Session analysis
英語 covers English Communication and Logic/Expression objectives: understanding written and spoken information, grasping main ideas and details, and using language for communication across purposes and contexts. R7 Common Test English separates Reading and Listening, with both emphasizing authentic communicative tasks and information processing. National Center for University Entrance Examinations (DNC) emphasises information integration across practical texts and audio: identify purpose, retrieve details quickly and infer the speaker or writer’s intended meaning.. Priority revision: Reading: practical texts, notices, articles and long passages, Listening: conversations, monologues and integrated information. Before reading the passage, identify whether the question asks purpose, detail, inference, order, chart matching or summary. This changes what you scan for.
Updated 2026-07-03
Paper breakdown
English Reading: Practical texts, articles, emails, notices, charts, long reading and inference items English Listening: Short conversations, longer talks, announcements, integrated listening and visual-reference items
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by syllabus topic
Revision priority from official test-design weighting.
Mark accessibility
Estimated difficulty spread based on official design.
Information integration across practical texts and audio: identify purpose, retr
Paper structure
Official paper breakdown for this subject.
English Reading
100·10·50%
English Listening
100·10·50%
Official syllabus scope
英語 covers English Communication and Logic/Expression objectives: understanding written and spoken information, grasping main ideas and details, and using language for communication across purposes and contexts. R7 Common Test English separates Reading and Listening, with both emphasizing authentic communicative tasks and information processing.
Difficulty verdict
Rated 3/5 for January sessions. Information integration across practical texts and audio: identify purpose, retrieve details quickly and infer the speaker or writer’s intended meaning.
What examiners measure
1. Understand main ideas, details, purpose and implied meaning in written English. 2. Follow spoken conversations, monologues and announcements, including speaker intent. 3. Integrate information across texts, charts, notices, emails and audio prompts. 4. Infer vocabulary, reference and logical relationships from context. 5. Manage time and attention across long reading and one-time listening tasks.
Where the marks are
Highest-weight syllabus areas: Reading: practical texts, notices, articles and long passages; Listening: conversations, monologues and integrated information.
Examiner notes & key calculations
- English Reading is 80 minutes/100 points and Listening is 60 minutes/100 points, giving equal official score weight to written and spoken comprehension.
- Reading items often require scanning for conditions: dates, eligibility, price, sequence and exceptions can overturn an otherwise plausible answer.
- Listening tasks may include visual choices; inspect the visual before audio begins so you know what distinctions to hear for.
- Paraphrase is central: the option may convert an active sentence into passive, a cause into a result, or a concrete detail into a summary.
- For main-idea questions, ignore isolated examples and identify the statement that covers the whole passage or audio segment.
- For order questions, mark sequence words and time phrases such as first, after, before, finally, used to, and will.
- Official evaluation stresses communication purposes, so ask what the writer/speaker is trying to accomplish: inform, invite, warn, persuade, compare or request.
- Paper 1: English Reading · 100 marks · 80 min · Practical texts, articles, emails, notices, charts, long reading and inference items.
- Paper 2: English Listening · 100 marks · 60 min · Short conversations, longer talks, announcements, integrated listening and visual-reference items.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 60 min
- Total marks
- 100
- Weighting
- 50%
- Question types
- Short conversations, longer talks, announcements, integrated listening and visual-reference items
- Before reading the passage, identify whether the question asks purpose, detail, inference, order, chart matching or summary. This changes what you scan for.
- Practical texts have headings, dates, conditions, prices and exceptions. Long passages have thesis, evidence, contrast and conclusion. Read structure before line-by-line detail.
- For listening, write who/where/when on the left and reason/result/condition on the right. Do not transcribe; capture decision-changing information.
Common mistakes
Reading
Choosing an option that is true in general but not stated or implied by the passage.
How to avoid: Underline the exact textual evidence before committing.
Listening
Continuing to think about a missed word and losing the next clue.
How to avoid: Write a question mark, keep listening and infer from later context.
Inference
Over-interpreting emotional tone without evidence.
How to avoid: Base intent on modal verbs, reasons, contrast markers and speaker actions.
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.