Higher Technical Examination Programme

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In Denmark, the Higher Technical Examination Programme (HTX, in Danish: Højere Teknisk Eksamen) is a 3-year vocationally oriented general upper secondary programme which builds on the 10th-11th form of the Folkeskole. It leads to the higher technical examination, the HTX-examination, which permits a student to qualify for admission to higher education,^[1] subject to the special entrance regulations that apply to the individual course. The programme gives special attention to scientific, technical and communicative subjects. HTX graduates may study at any Danish technical, scientific or traditional university as well as technical and technological academy (akademi) or college (professionshøjskole).

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Hi, there. My name is Emma, and in today's lesson, we will be looking at how to do well on the speaking part of the IELTS. So the speaking part of the IELTS is divided up into three sections. Today, we're just going to be looking at section No. 1. So first of all, I will explain how to do well -- oh, sorry. First, I'll explain what happens in Part 1 of the IELTS. And from there, we'll look at some things you should do to do well and some things you shouldn't do, okay? So let's get started. So what happens in Part 1 of the IELTS? Well, first of all, the speaking Part 1 of the IELTS is for both those taking the General IELTS exam and the Academic. So whether you're taking the Academic or the General IELTS, it's the same test with the same questions. Okay. It lasts between four to five minutes. It's made up of first an introduction. So the examiner is going to introduce himself or herself. Then, you will introduce yourself. So for example, "Hi. My name is Emma. Nice to meet you." Okay, so there's an introduction. And then, the examiner is going to ask you some questions about yourself. So these questions aren't that difficult. Usually, they're about where you're from. So for example what city you were born in, where you grew up. They might be about work. They might be about what you study, about your friends, about your hobbies, food, sports, and another thing I don't have up here, family. Family is also common on this part of the IELTS. Okay? So usually, the examiner, after introducing himself or herself, they will talk to you about two of these topics. Okay?" Now, the way they mark this part of the IELTS is they're looking specifically for pronunciation, okay? So can they understand what you're saying? Do you pronounce things well? They're going to be looking at fluency. So what's "fluency"? Well, do you go, "Uh, um, uh, uh" a lot during the test? Or do you speak very clearly, in a very nice rhythmic way? Do you use organizers or transitions? "First of all, secondly, finally." Do you use words like this? "Another reason." Or do you have problems speaking at a normal rate? So they look at that in fluency." Then, they mark you also on vocabulary. Do you use words like "good, bad" a lot? Those are very low-level words. Or do you use high level words that really show off your vocabulary?" The final thing you're marked on is grammar and accuracy. So for example, do you only use the present test for the whole test or are you able to correctly use the present tense, the past tense, present perfect, future? How well is your grammar? Okay? So don't panic. Maybe you're weak in grammar. Maybe you make some mistakes in grammar. But you're marked equally on these four components, okay? So now, let's look at some tips on how to do well on Part 1 of the speaking part of the IELTS. Okay. So what are some of the things we should do to get a good mark in Part 1 of the IELTS for speaking? Well, we have a list here of dos. Okay? So these are things you want to do. So the first thing that's very important is when you first meet the examiner, okay? If you're very nervous, and you don't make eye-contact, and you look at the floor the whole time, you're not going to do well on the IELTS even if your English is pretty good. So it's very important to present yourself with confidence, okay? You want to go into that test and know you're going to do well. If you think you're going to do well, you're going to do a lot better. Okay? If you think you're going to do badly, you're probably going to do badly. So think you're going to do well, and be confident. Okay? Another important thing is be friendly. Okay. You want to smile. Body language is actually very important in the IELTS. You want to make eye-contact, okay? So don't look at your feet. Don't look at your hands. Look at the examiner. But you don't have to stare at them, okay? Just look at them when you talk. Another thing a lot of students forget is they don't act excited when they're answering questions. So what do I mean by this? Well, they talk with a monotone. So for example, "Do you like playing sports?" This is a common question on the IELTS. A student might respond, "I really like playing basketball. Basketball is a good sport." Okay. If the examiner hears that, you're probably not going to get a good mark. You should act excited about what you're saying. Okay? "Yes. I love sports. Basketball is my favorite. It's, you know -- I love watching basketball. It's a lot of fun to play." If you seem excited, you will do better. Okay. The next thing that's very important is the vocabulary you use, okay? So remember, you're getting marked on four different things. One of these things is vocabulary. So how do you improve your vocabulary mark? Well, don't use simple, easy, boring, low-level words like, "I like basketball because it's good. I don't like soccer because it's bad." Okay? These words, "bad, good ", they're too easy. You need to try to find vocabulary that is higher level and practice before you do the IELTS. So for example, a good thing to do is look at the list of topics you will probably be asked about. Food is a very common thing they will ask you about. So try to come up with vocabulary in advance and practice this vocabulary about the different topics. So for example, I know they may ask me a question about food. So I might learn some words that have to do with food. Maybe I don't know the word "cuisine". Well, if they ask me a question about food, I can say, "My favorite type of food -- I love Indian cuisine." Okay? And there you go. They've just noticed you used a higher level word. Same with friends. A common word we use when we talk about friends, we talk about "acquaintances". Okay? So this is another good word to use. So again, try to come up with vocabulary for each of the different topics, and practice. Okay. Now, in this part of the IELTS, the examiner may ask you about what you like. "Do you like to play sports? What hobbies do you like? What are your favorite foods?" Now, one thing a lot of students do is they overuse "I like". "I like this. I like that. I like this. I like that." This is not going to help you with your vocabulary mark. So instead of using "I like" a lot, try something different. "I enjoy playing basketball. I enjoy hanging out with my friends. I really love yoga. I really love bowling." Okay? "I prefer playing sports to doing other activities." So "I enjoy, I really love, I prefer" -- I'm sure you can come up with more, but it's good to practice these types of expressions before you do the IELTS, okay?" Another key tip: Expand your answers. So what does this mean? Well, maybe the examiner asked you a question, "What is your favorite food?" Or -- sorry. Let me think of a good example. "Do you like to play sports?" Okay? The examiner might ask you that. Some students might just say, "No." And that's their answer. "Do you like to play sports? Do you like to cook?" "No." Well, the examiner is not going to be able to judge your English if you answer questions yes or no. You have to give bigger, longer answers. So this is what I mean by expand. Don't just say "yes" or "no". Even if you don't know what to say, make something up. So for example, a common question they ask, "Where are you from?" Now, I could just say, "I'm from Toronto." Or, "Toronto." This isn't going to help my IELTS mark. It's better if I expand this answer. "I'm from Toronto. It's actually the biggest city in Canada. It's also considered one of the most multicultural cities in the world." I don't have to talk too long about Toronto. I don't want to say the whole history of Toronto. I don't want to keep talking and talking and talking. But I don't want a very short answer. So you need to find an answer that is not too short and not too long. You want something in the middle. Okay? So that's what I mean by "expand". One way to expand your answers is by giving examples. So I asked this question earlier. You know, "What's your favorite food?" "Oh, I love Indian cuisine." How can I add to this? I can give examples. "My favorite dish is palak paneer. It's made from spinach, a type of cheese they use in India, spices. You know, we often eat it at my house." So there. Instead of just saying, "I like Indian food", I've given a lot of examples. And that's what you want to do, okay? Finally, most importantly, practice. Okay? So you know the types of questions you're going to get. A lot about what you do for work, what do you study, how many people are in your family -- these types of questions. Now, it's important to practice your answers. Okay? Practice with your friends. Practice with a mirror. Practice, practice, practice. It's very important that you practice answering these types of questions before you do the IELTS. Okay, so now, let's look at some of the "don'ts", some things you shouldn't do in the IELTS. Okay. So what are things you shouldn't do? Okay, now, we're going to look at a list of what you shouldn't do. So "don'ts". Okay. Don't do this. Don't speak with a monotone. So I already mentioned this. Don't speak where your voice flat, okay? Don't speak like, "I have a mother and a father." Don't say things like that. Speak with enthusiasm, okay? Not monotone. Okay. Don't give yes/no answers. "Do you have a family?" "Yes." That's a horrible answer." Okay? It's more -- "Have you traveled to China?" "No." Okay. These types of answers are not the ones you want to give. Expand. Make your answer longer, even if you have to lie. It's okay to lie on the IELTS as long as you speak. That's the most important thing. Okay. Do not repeat the question. Okay. So if they say, "Do you like sports?" "Yes, I like sports." You're wasting a sentence. Instead of repeating the question back to them, find a better way to say it. "Do you like sports in" "Yes. There are many sports that I find very fun and interesting." Okay, so don't repeat the question. "Do you have a family?" "Yes, I have a family." It's not a good thing to do." Don't go off topic. So sometimes, students -- they're really actually excited, and they want to talk. And they want to show off their language skills. And so they think, "Oh, yes. I need to expand my answers." But instead of expanding, they go and they talk about so many different things that don't have to do with the topic. So for example, if they ask me a question on my hometown, if I start talking about Toronto, and then I start talking about education, and then I start talking about technology, this is going off on too many different topics. Stick to what they ask you. Okay? You can give examples, but they should be about -- they should refer to the question they asked you. Okay. Don't answer, "I don't know." So in the first part of the IELTS, this would actually be a difficult -- I can't imagine you actually using this answer because the point of Part 1 of the IELTS is to make you feel comfortable. So the examiner asks you questions about yourself. So you should know these answers. "What are your favorite hobbies? What types of foods do you like to eat? How many members are there in your family?" You shouldn't answer, "I don't know" to any of these questions. They're about you. And if -- maybe you don't know. Maybe you've never thought about what's your favorite food. Just make it up. Okay? Even if you hate sushi, even if you hate West Indian food or Canadian food. That's okay. Just make it up. "I love West Indian food. I love Canadian food." If you don't know, make up your answer. Don't speak too quickly, and don't speak too slowly. Okay? So this is a little bit about fluency. What often happens with students is when they get nervous, they start to talk really, really, really fast, and they go a mile a minute. They just go so fast. So if you're the type of person that does this, practice is speaking in environments where you get nervous. So this way, you can practice maybe ways to deal with stress, ways to deal with nervousness. Try not to speak too quickly. Also, don't speak very slowly, okay? I've had some students who have used a lot of "uh's" and "ah's", and this is a problem. So don't speak too slowly. Okay? Another thing: Don't speak quietly. Okay? A lot of students, they're nervous, and they're shy, so they talk like this. And the examiner has to really listen. They can't hear what they're saying, and so you're not going to do as well if you talk quietly. Talk with confidence. Talk loudly so they can hear what you're saying. Okay. Finally, the most important point: Don't worry about being perfect. You do not have to speak perfect English to do well on the IELTS. Even if you're aiming for a mark of nine on the IELTS, a bandwidth of 9 -- sorry. If you're looking for the mark of nine, you do not need perfect English, okay? You can make mistakes. So if you make a mistake, that's okay. If you can correct it easily, do so. If you try to correct it and you're going to make more mistakes or you're going to take a lot of time, it's okay; just leave it. If you make a mistake, continue to talk. Move on. There's a chance that the examiner didn't even hear that mistake. And they expect you to make mistakes. So if you make a mistake between using "a" or "the", if you make a mistake in terms of grammar, it's okay. Native speakers make mistakes, too. People are used to hearing native speakers, ESL students make mistakes. So you do not have to be perfect. I can't say that enough. Don't worry about being perfect. Okay? So if you're wondering the types of questions you may see on the IELTS, and if you want to practice with a friend or even in front of the mirror, I strongly recommend you visit the website www.goodluckielts.com. On this website, there are more tips, as well as practice questions for Part 1 of the IELTS. And information, too, on the writing section, listening section, and reading section, okay? So I also invite you to come and do our quiz at www.engvid.com where you can practice some of these tips that we've talked about today. So until next time, take care.

HTX-programme

The aim of the programme is to give the students a general and technical upper secondary education, which through theoretical and workshop-related teaching qualifies the students for admission to higher education. The programme furthermore provides a partial basis for occupational employment and qualifies the student for a reduction of the schooling period in a vocational education and training programme.

The HTX-programme is a 3-year programme. The introductory 6-month semester details the aims of the secondary school period of the vocational education and training programmes offered by the college.

The programme caters to the 16- to 19-year-old bracket and is divided into years with a certain number of obligatory and optional subjects of both a general and a vocational nature. Students may have the same teacher for different subjects throughout the programme.

The programme builds on the 9th form of the Folkeskole or a corresponding qualification and is of 3 years' duration. The school organises the teaching so that the aims of individual subjects are met, before the students are to be examined in the subject. Each student completes their own final project.

Admission requirements

The 3-year HTX-programme builds on to the 10th year of the Folkeskole or similar education.

All pupils that have received the relevant education and passed the prescribed examination(s) can continue in an upper secondary programme of more or less their own choice.

Access, however, is not automatically available to the general upper secondary programmes. If a school finds that the pupil and their parents are not taking the education and guidance provided seriously, and/or that there is a risk that the pupil will not be able to meet the requirements of the general upper secondary programmes, the pupil may be recommended to sit for an admission test to one of the general upper secondary programmes.

History

The HTX Programme was established in 1982 by the Ministry of Education as an experiment to oblige the rising demand for more technical and scientific educated labour in Denmark at the time. Before 1982 there were only three ways to get a university degree in the Danish education system; through the ‘Gymnasium (STX)’, ‘Higher Preparatory Examination (HF)’ or ‘Higher Commercial Examination Programme (HHX)’. Of those, only the Gymnasium could lead directly to a technical university education, but it wasn't a wholesome^{[clarification needed]} way since there were a lot of mandatory subjects which was of no use at a technical university education (classical studies [Danish: oldtidskundskab], religious studies, history, and physical education). None of those oriented in special only^{[clarification needed]} to the scientific, technical and communicative subjects, which in a more and more globalised Denmark began to matter a great deal. The labour market was experiencing downturns due to great changes in the Danish business sector, where Denmark's role in the world was shifting from a productive industrial country (like China), to a more service-industrial country, with research and "production of knowledge" becoming the most vital markets. To be compatible with the rest of the world, more engineers and scientists needed to be educated.

This was where the Higher Technical Examination Programme entered the picture. HTX was then only offered as a 2½-year programme, which only gave admission to certain technical educations, like bachelor engineer (Danish: teknikumingeniør) and civil engineer (Danish: civilingeniør) in construction. As an experimental programme, the HTX was using the most modern method of teaching,^{[clarification needed]} and a lot of interdisciplinary group- and project-work to imitate situations that students would encounter in the real world – something that wasn't being done a great deal in gymnasia. The programme also quickly adapted computer technology for use in the education like mathematics. The main subjects were of course chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics, and the education was on the same level as the gymnasium, without the unnecessary subjects. The programme was a great success. As the experimental phase was being closed in 1988, the HTX programme was to become a fully integrated part of the Danish education system. It began to spread throughout the Danish education system, and was offered at the most technically oriented vocational secondary schools (Danish: tekniske erhvervsskoler) before long. The programme though had image problems as it was somehow regarded a "geek-school" because of the great deal of technical and scientific subjects that didn't attract female attention, which caused the HTX programme to be very male-dominated in the first years.

On 1 January 1991, the subjects were divided into A, B and C levels, which for that reason removed the last thing that kept the HTX programme from being a complete academically oriented upper secondary education equal to the gymnasium. The HTX programme was now also extended to 3 full years of studying, with a final exam in the A-level subjects at the last year. From now on, the HTX programme could lead to any university education, but still with focus on the technical and scientific subjects, and less on the humanist subjects, though it was also possible to take optional subjects (like design and psychology) that may give access to some humanist university educations. Some new unique subjects to be found only at the HTX programme, like the "technique-subject" (Danish: teknikfag), technology and history of technology were introduced. At the same time, the mandatory level of chemistry, physics and mathematics was set a level higher (B-level) than at the gymnasium (C-level), which meant that an HTX graduate, unlike an STX graduate, automatically had admission to any technical university education.

In 2005, there was a gymnasium reform. The gymnasium, the HHX programme and the HTX programme were now fully equal, which means that they have the same optional subjects, and they have adopted some of each other's strengths to make a fully integrated academically oriented upper secondary education. For example, the 3 programmes have very similar 6-month introduction semesters (grundforløb), which make it easy to shift between the 3 programmes to find the most suitable for one. Furthermore, the subject "history of technology" was made obligatory at C-level.

In 2007 the Ministry of Education revised the "Gymnasium-reform", and introduced biotechnology as a new optional subject, which until 2009 is offered only as an experiment.

Specialization, subjects and levels

The HTX programme is based on technical and scientific subjects at the highest mandatory level offered in Denmark. Furthermore, it is as well based on a wide range of optional subjects similar to those found in the Gymnasium or at the HHX programme. Some of the optional subjects are business, economics, work environment, history of technology, international technology and culture, information technology, material technology, design, statistics, quality control, etc.

The subjects can be taken at 3 levels: A, B and C, with A as the highest level and usually a studying time of 3 years. The students choose at least three A-level, three B-level, and one C-level subjects to meet the requirements for a full HTX-exam diploma.

The new students who are admitted, begins at the Programme in August every year, in the so-called "1st g" (Danish: første g). The first half year is spent at an "introductory semester" (grundforløb) where the students are randomly selected into classes, with an emphasis on the students' selected line of study. Here they receive education in Danish, English, mathematics, physics, chemistry, technology and information technology to ensure that the students are all equally prepared. The biggest differences between the new students are in mathematics, where basic needs are taught (like solving equations and algebra). The introductory course is finished with an obligatory "portfolio examination", whose purpose is to make clear (to both the teachers and the student) how and what the student has learned over the past half year of introduction to the HTX programme. The duration of the exam is 20 minutes.

Before Christmas, the students must have chosen their desired 'line of study' (studielinje). A line of study is a compilation of subjects at different levels, all of which adhere to the minimal requirements of the HTX-exam. This is the final, binding choice, which forms the programme with some differences depending on study specialization. A line of study consist of 2 subjects chosen by the school, and one subject with relevance chosen by voting among the pupils. This may, however, vary between schools throughout the country. If a subject is included in a line of study, its level will be raised. C-level will be raised to B, and B-level to A. If the subject is not mandatory, it will be included as a C-level subject. For instance, English is mandatory at B-level, but if it is in a line of study, it is raised to an A-level. But there are 2 major exceptions: Communication/IT will be raised from C-level to A-level, and Design will be a B-level subject even though it is not a mandatory subject.

Most of the schools offer at least 3 different lines of study, namely:

"Natural Science" with Mathematics A and Physics A, Chemistry A or Biotechnology A
"Technical" with Technology A and another relevant subject
"Communicative" with Communication/IT A and English A or Design B

In the last year of the programme, the students are obliged to choose one of three rather unusual "Area of technical specialization" at level A. In this subject the students spend an entire day at working with specialization. The choice of Area of technical specialization decides the specialization indicated in the certificate. The students can choose between the following specialisations:

Construction and energy (a subject with emphasis on real-world construction of buildings.)
Design and production (a subject with emphasis on the design and production of electronics.)
Process, food and health (a subject with emphasis on chemical processes with regard to the production of consumables.)

Methods

The teaching is based on vocational theory and method and on practical vocational conditions. The aim of the course to be a preparation for higher education studies must be reflected in the organisation of the teaching. Teaching methods included develop the independence of the students and their ability to argue, generalise and make abstractions.

The teaching is organised so that the subjects support each other with a view to creating an appropriate and equal distribution of the workload of students.

When attending to the HTX programme, one must expect that a great part of the work is done in groups, and that there will be a lot of interdisciplinary projects, too. Although there is also common class education, and lectures in different subjects.

It's a very practical programme, as theory is being proved in practise when possible.

The incorporation of computers is very visible, as over 90% of all students bring their laptop to school for taking notes, calculate (students will get education in programs like MathCad, AutoCAD, Maple and SmartSketch), draw etc. It's not a requirement, but it's a big advantage to have a laptop at the HTX programme. Most schools are able to lend laptops to students who haven't got one themselves.

Pupil evaluation

Students are given marks for the year's work on the basis of their performance in class and their homework.

As a rule, the examinations are held at the end of the programme. A student can normally only be registered for the examination if they have participated in the instruction, and have handed in required written work and had it approved by the teachers concerned.

Oral and/or written examinations are held in almost all of the subjects. The students' performance at the examination is assessed by the teacher/examiner and external examiner(s) appointed by the Ministry of Education.

Certification

When the students have completed all the examinations at the end of the 3rd year, the school issues a certificate indicating all the marks obtained by the students at the examination and in the year's work.

The Ministry of Education decides on the design of the certificate.

Schools in Denmark

Region Nordjylland

EUC Nord, Frederikshavn (VEC North)
EUC Nord, Hjørring (VEC North)
Aalborg Tekniske Skole (Aalborg Technical School) (2 schools)
Erhversskolerne Aars (The Vocational Schools Aars)
Nordvestjysk Uddannelsescenter, Thisted (North-West Jutlandic Education Center)

Region Midtjylland

Skive Tekniske Skole (Skive Technical School)
Viborg Tekniske Gymnasium, Mercantec (Viborg College of Technology, Mercantec)
Randers Tekniske Skole (Randers Technical School)
Grenaa Tekniske Skole (Grenaa Technical School)
Silkeborg Tekniske Skole (Silkeborg Technical School)
Århus Tekniske Skole (Århus Technical School) (3 schools)
Holstebro Tekniske Gymnasium (Holstebro Technical Gymnasium)
Herningsholm Erhversskole, HTX Herning (Herning) (Herningsholm Vocational School)
Uddannelsescenter Ringkøbing-Skjern Skjern (Education Center Ringkobing-Skjern)
Learnmark Horsens - HTX (Learnmark Gymnasium)

Region Syddanmark

Vejle Tekniske Gymnasium (Vejle Technical Gymnasium)
EUC Lillebælt - In the past named Fredericia-Middelfart Tekniske Skole (Fredericia-Middelfart Technical School)
HANSENBERG
Grindsted Erhvervsskole (Grindsted Vocational School)
EUC Vest, Esbjerg (VEC West)
EUC Syd, Haderslev (VEC South)
EUC Syd, Tønder (VEC South)
EUC Syd, Aabenraa (VEC South)
EUC Syd, Sønderborg (VEC South)
Odense Tekniske Gymnasium (Odense Technical Gymnasium)
Kold Tekniske Gymnasium (Kold Technical Gymnasium)
Svendborg Erhversskole (Svendborg College of Science Technology and Business)

Region Sjælland

EUC Nordvestsjælland, Holbæk (VEC North-West Zealand)
EUC Ringsted, Ringsted
Selandia - CEU, Slagelse (Selandia - CVE)
EUC Lolland, Nakskov (VEC Lolland)
CEUS, Nykøbing Falster (CVES)
EUC Sjælland, Næstved (VEC Zealand)
EUC Sjælland, Køge (VEC Zealand)
Roskilde Tekniske Gymnasium (Roskilde Technical Gymnasium)
ZBC Vordingborg (Zealand Business College)

Region Hovedstaden

Erhversskolen Nordsjælland, Helsingør (The Vocational School Zealand)
Erhversskolen Nordsjælland, Hillerød (The Vocational School Zealand)
TEC; Technical Education Copenhagen, Lyngby (Technical Education Copenhagen)
Ballerup Tekniske Gymnasium (Ballerup Technical Gymnasium)
TeSe, Ishøj (TeSe)
TEC; Technical Education Copenhagen, Frederiksberg (Technical Education Copenhagen)
Københavns Tekniske Skole, HTX Sukkertoppen(Valby) (Copenhagen Technical College)
Københavns Tekniske Skole, HTX Vibenhus (Østerbro) (Copenhagen Technical College)
Bornholms Erhvervsskole, Rønne (Bornholm's Vocational School)

References

^ Jensen, S. (1995). Secondary Education in Denmark. Collection Education. Council of Europe Press. p. 11. ISBN 978-92-871-2745-7. Retrieved 17 February 2024.

This page was last edited on 9 March 2024, at 13:36

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