Exam body defends denying unwell DSE candidate access to lift before assessment

Hong Kong's examination body, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), has defended an invigilator who denied access to a lift for a candidate with anxiety during his second mathematics paper of the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam. The incident occurred on April 13 at Caritas St Joseph Secondary School during the break between the first and second papers.

The candidate, identified as Ray Lau, a private student in his twenties, had a history of anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Lau had previously been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment. He was granted permission to take the exam in a special room due to his medical condition, for which he was also prescribed medication.

During the first paper, Lau informed the invigilators of his unwellness and took medication. After the break, he requested to use the lift back to the exam room, but the male invigilator refused, insisting he take the stairs or skip the exam. Lau felt threatened by the invigilator's reaction, stating that such treatment could be harmful, especially for someone with anxiety.

Lau filed an online report of the incident and contacted the HKEAA to lodge a complaint. However, the HKEAA ruled on June 15 that the invigilator's actions were appropriate and that the incident had not substantially affected Lau's exam. The HKEAA upheld the decision after reviewing CCTV footage and discussions with the teacher, asserting they had no authority to require the school to provide additional footage.

The HKEAA noted that they had not required the school to provide footage from areas outside the exam room and had not requested such footage from the ground-floor lift area. They stated that candidates who fell ill during an exam must follow established procedures for requesting special consideration, which typically involves submitting an application with medical documentation in advance.