Commentary Last year the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (equivalent to GCE Advanced Level) History examination was full of factual inaccuracies, ambiguities, and repetitive answers; are there any improvements this year? The 2022 exam papers and marking scheme were recently published, and I got a copy as soon as it was out. As expected, the situation has become worse to the extent that the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, which runs the exam, find it difficult to use quotation marks properly. Based on the marking scheme (hereafter as “the document”), some observations are listed below.
(a) Question 1c, Paper 1 asks whether Japan could be regarded as a strong and westernized country during 1900-26. The document explains that evidence of Japan as a strong country is that “Japan was one of the members in the League of Nations.” The logic behind this assertion is that membership in the League of Nations was a symbol of national strength. Is it true? Among the 63 members of the League, were they–including Abyssinia, which was invaded by Italy in 1935–all “strong countries?” Most importantly, as China was a founding member, the document’s argument is tantamount to saying that the Chinese communists’ current claim “China was a weak country before 1949” is a false proposition….