The Education Ministry will introduce "e-examination" for mother tongue starting from this year's A-level Mother Tongue Language "B" exam.

For the first time, computer-based writing will be introduced.

Some 300 students from 20 junior colleges under the Mother Tongue Language B programme will complete their functional writing on a computer, where they will type out either an email response or a blog entry. Previously, students had to write their answers using traditional pen and paper method. They will still be allowed to bring in dictionaries to the exam.

This computer-based writing will be introduced to O-level students under the Mother Tongue Language B programme in 2014.

Next year, both A- and O-level students taking Mother Tongue Language B will also use short video clips, instead of pictures, as a stimulus during their oral examination.

The new exam format is in line with the recommendations made by the 2010 Mother Tongue Languages Review Committee to promote greater use of information technology to enrich students' learning. The change will align teaching with testing so that students are assessed on the knowledge and skills acquired during their course of study.