Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination

The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE; Traditional Chinese: 香港中學文憑) is an academic qualification offered by Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). The HKDSE examination is the only public examination in the new 3-3-4 education system introduced in Hong Kong secondary schools, as a replacement of the former Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) in which nearly all Hong Kong secondary student participated.

Under the new examination framework, many subjects in the HKCEE and HKALE have been combined to suit the varying interests and abilities of the students. Candidates are examined on core subjects and elective options of their preference. Most candidates are expected to take four core subjects plus two or three elective subjects (see list below).

Each HKDSE subject includes a compulsory part and an elective or extended part. The elective or extended part consists of modules from which students may choose. An elective module is an integral component of the standard curriculum, whereas an extended module is designed for students who may need additional knowledge and skills.

In order to fulfill the requirement of undergraduate programmes provided by tertiary institutions, regardless of programmes' availability in Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS), a certain level of minimum requirements is needed to be achieved:

Some institutions may have a higher general entrance requirement such as a higher language requirement and/or an extra elective. Moreover, results obtained in non-Category-A subjects may not be counted.

Examinations of most Category A subjects are conducted between early March to early May, while the oral examinations and some other subjects are conducted at earlier time. Category C subjects are conducted in June (for French and Spanish, they may be taken on previous November). Category B subject do not have an open examination.

Students can take maximum of 8 subjects in HKDSE, and, in the case of taking 8 Category A subjects only, at least one of them should be Ethics and Religious Studies, Music, Visual Arts, or Physical Education.

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