中文（繁體）
中文（简体）
English
HKDSE ICT Past Paper Drilling Guide: Paper 1 (55%), Paper 2 (25%) and the SBA
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · HKDSE ICT
HKDSE ICT has an unusual spread: Paper 1 (compulsory) 55%, Paper 2 (electives) 25% and a 20% school-based assessment, with Paper 1 lasting 2 hours and Paper 2 1 hour 30 minutes. Paper 1’s multiple-choice section alone is 22% – a score line that can be raised reliably within weeks.
How many papers does HKDSE ICT have, and what are they worth?
Direct answer: Paper 1 (compulsory) is 55%, 2 hours – Section A multiple-choice 22%, Section B short and structured questions 33%, all compulsory. Paper 2 (electives) is 25%, 1 hour 30 minutes, made up of short and structured questions from the elective part. The school-based assessment is 20% for school candidates.
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Compulsory) | Section A multiple-choice carries 22%; Section B (short and structured questions) carries 33%; compulsory part, all questions to be attempted | 55% | 2 hours |
| Paper 2 (Electives) | Short and structured questions carrying 25%; candidates answer questions from the elective part | 25% | 1 h 30 min |
| School-based Assessment (SBA) | School candidates only, 20% of the subject: a project-based investigation | 20% | During the course |
ICT Paper 1’s MC section is 22% of the subject in about 30 minutes – the best return per minute on the paper. If time is short, take the MC section plus the database and programming questions in Section B before the memorisation-heavy topics.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Compulsory) | Drill by topic – computer systems, programming, databases, networking, multimedia – writing complete code fragments by hand and checking syntax | Syntax errors in code, skipped normalisation steps, confused terms (primary versus foreign key) |
| Paper 2 (Electives) | Drill only your elective; the emphasis is on procedural steps and the standard drawing of flowcharts and relationship diagrams | Non-standard flowchart symbols; schemas with no keys or relationships marked |
| School-based Assessment (SBA) | Choose the project topic early and keep every draft so the process is visible | Starting the project last, with a final artefact and no process record |
How should ICT programming questions be drilled?
Direct answer: write by hand, not only at a keyboard. In the hall you must produce a complete program fragment or flowchart with a pen, and handwriting exposes gaps in syntax memory – missing semicolons, misplaced brackets, undeclared variables. Write code by hand in every drill, then check it line by line against the scheme, logging syntax errors separately from logic errors.
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
How many ICT electives should you drill?
Direct answer: the one you will sit. Paper 2 is 25% in 1 hour 30 minutes and the questions come from the elective part, so spreading across electives only dilutes depth. Elective questions reward standard notation (flowcharts, ER diagrams) and procedural steps, so use one consistent set of symbols in practice.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Handle the Paper 1 MC section in weeks 1-2 and again in week 11, leaving the middle for programming and database questions; the SBA must run alongside drilling, never at the end.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Compulsory) | 2 小時 | Section A about 30 min; Section B about 85 min; 5 min checking |
| Paper 2 (Electives) | 1 小時 30 分鐘 | About 20 min per question; 10 min checking |
| School-based Assessment (SBA) | 修業期間 | Settle the topic in the second term of S5; finish the main work in the S6 first term |
When should the ICT SBA begin?
Direct answer: settle the topic in the second term of S5 and finish the main work in the S6 first term. The SBA is 20% – slightly below Paper 2 but far more controllable; the main risk is leaving it late, handing in an artefact with no process record, when the marking looks at design and testing evidence.
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Programming only on a computer | Every code question done in an IDE | The exam requires handwriting, so syntax details cost heavily | Write code by hand in every drill and check it line by line against the scheme |
| Inconsistent flowchart and ER notation | Drawing whatever feels right | Diagram marks are lost and the marker cannot award them | Fix one standard notation and reuse it in every drill |
| SBA left to the end | The project starts in the final month | An artefact with no process scores low | Choose the topic in S5, finish the main work in the S6 first term |
The error log and the mark scheme
Split the ICT error log into terminology (LAN versus WAN, HTTP versus HTTPS) and procedures (program logic, normalisation, flowcharts). Test terminology by recall and procedures by redoing the short question.
How many years should you drill?
Ten years covers the compulsory content, though older technology questions may be obsolete – follow the current guide. Sit the latest five years fully timed; Paper 2 covers the elective and five years is enough.
How many years of HKDSE ICT past papers should you drill?
Direct answer: no official figure. ICT’s compulsory topics and question types are stable, so ten years covers the main ground; because technology dates quickly, some older questions may be obsolete, and where a question conflicts with the current guide, follow the guide. Sit the latest five years fully timed and use earlier years for programming and database drills.
Frequently asked questions
Does Paper 2 really only cover the elective part?
Yes. Paper 2 consists of short and structured questions set on the elective part, answered from the chosen elective.
Can the SBA be skipped?
School candidates must take it – 20% of the subject. Private candidates are exempt and are graded on the written papers.
Which programming language may I use?
Follow the curriculum and the paper’s instruction; answers must show a complete, recognisable program structure, and marking looks at logic and structure more than language trivia.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| HKEAA 2027 HKDSE ICT Assessment Framework | Confirm the 55% / 25% / 20% split and the section weightings |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-practice-questions/en-dse-practice/ | Mock exam practice area |
Related: DSE exam practice area · subject guides · HKDSE Physics drilling guide
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
After drilling, the hard part is telling a conceptual error from a writing error. Tell us the year group, the school and your available times, and TutorZone will match you with a tutor who knows the HKEAA assessment requirements.
Demand for tutors in this subject is steady, and those who can explain the marking scheme and where marks are won are especially sought after. Register free; you pay only when a match succeeds.
