Exam body defends denying unwell DSE candidate access to lift before assessment
Hong Kong’s examination authority has defended an invigilator who refused to let a candidate with anxiety use a school lift after he started feeling unwell before his second assessment, arguing the man had not requested the facility in advance. Speaking to the South China Morning Post, private candidate Ray Lau* alleged that the incident occurred on April 13 at Caritas St Joseph Secondary School…
Hong Kong's examination authority, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), has defended an invigilator who refused to allow an unwell candidate access to a school lift before his second assessment. The incident occurred on April 13 at Caritas St Joseph Secondary School during a break between the first and second mathematics papers for the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam.
Private candidate Ray Lau, who is in his twenties, had requested special arrangements due to his medical history, including an anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He was prescribed medication for his anxiety and cardiac symptoms, and had been hospitalized in late December 2025. During the first paper, he signaled to invigilators that he felt unwell and took medication.
After the break, he asked a teacher for assistance, but she refused, citing a lesson. When he sought the invigilator's help, he was rebuffed and threatened with being unable to take the exam.
Lau filed an irregularity report and complained to the HKEAA on the day of the exam. However, the authority ruled on June 15 that the invigilator had provided adequate assistance and the incident did not substantially affect his exam. The HKEAA also concluded that there was no evidence of misconduct, based on CCTV footage and discussions with the teacher.
The exam body noted that they could not require the school to provide footage from locations outside the exam room, and that Lau had not reported the issue immediately or as part of his special exam arrangements application.
The HKEAA stated that candidates who fall ill during an exam must submit an application for special consideration, which involves providing supporting medical documentation and following established procedures. Renee Leung Sze-wan, a district councillor and registered teacher, called for the HKEAA to provide guidance to schools on allowing candidates access to on-site support during medical emergencies.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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