The HKALE is normally taken by a student at the end of his/her two-year sixth-form courses. The last HKALE will be held in 2013, for private candidates only. About 5,300 candidates entered for the examination.

The 2013 HKALE is conducted in the months of March to June and the results will be released in the end of July. There are 15 A-level and 15 AS-level subjects in the HKALE. AS-level subjects are taught in half the number of periods required for A-level subjects, but they require the same level of intellectual rigour. Apart from Chinese Language & Culture and Use of English and other language-related subjects, all subjects can be taken in either language. The same standards are applied in marking and grading and the language medium is not recorded on the results notices or certificates.

The results of the HKALE are expressed in terms of six grades A - F, of which grade A is the highest and F the lowest. Results below grade F are designated as unclassified (UNCL). With effect from 2002, fine grades used in 2001 and before (i.e. A(01), A(02), B(03), B(04), etc) have been abolished.

Grade E of an A-level or AS-level result is equivalent to grade E in their GCE counterparts.

Please click here for the list of subjects.