You can find exam papers in this database by doing a search or by browsing.

Steps to do a search

1. Type in either a course number, paper title or word/phrase in the search box
2. Select the appropriate search type (paper title, course number or full text)
3. Limit the search by
• Examination year - click the arrows and choose appropriate range of years
• Check the box(es) for the semester(s)
• Check the box(es) for the paper type(s)
4. Click the Search button

Keyword searching

You can apply the principles of keyword searching only when you search by paper title or full text. If you search by course code, please type in only one exact course number in the search box. When you search by paper title or full text, you can apply the following search concepts:

Some Search Concepts

Keyword Searching - refers to the ability to search on any word in a particular field. For example in, "Comparative studies of urbanization in Asia", the word "urbanization " is the 4th word. However keyword searches allow a user to search on "urbanization", and still retrieve this title.

Set Phrase Search - Keyword Searching in this database has been set to recognize a string of search terms, with no intervening Boolean operators, as set phrases. These search terms must match terms in the data, in the exact order as entered. Please consider these two examples, when searching on "Chinese language".

• This title, "Chinese language curriculum in Hong Kong" would be retrieved because the two search terms occur, and are in the same order, one following the other, as in the search string.
• This title, "English language teaching in Chinese secondary schools" would not be retrieved because the two search terms [Chinese language], although occurring in this title, do not occur in the same order as in the search string.

Case Insensitivity - is used throughout all the indices. Therefore searches on "Hong Kong" or "hoNg kOnG" will retrieve the same results.

Steps for browsing

You can browse by course code, academic department or degree if you are not quite sure about the exact course code or paper title. Browsing will also help you find the same exam papers bearing old style (5-digit) and new style (8-digit alpha-numeric) course codes, or even those papers without course codes. If you are interested in all exam papers set by an academic department or a degree, you can browse by clicking the relevant link.

NB:

• Old style 5-digit course codes (e.g. 65908) were used until 2000. From 1998 onwards, some courses have been assigned the new style 8-digit alphanumeric course codes (e.g. ARCH8014). From 2001 onwards, all courses bear the 8-digit alphanumeric course codes.

Displaying, saving and printing exam papers

After submitting a search or browsing by different categories, the screen will display a numbered list of results according to your search or browse categories. To display a paper, click the title and an acrobat file of the paper will display. You can then download a copy of the paper by clicking the "save" icon on the tool bar or print out a copy of the paper by clicking the "print" icon.