The HKCEE is normally taken by a student at the end of his/her five-year secondary education. In 2010, 127,162 candidates entered for the examination. 90,063 of them are school candidates and 37,099 are private candidates.

The HKCEE is conducted in the months of April and May and the results are released in the second week of August. Most day school candidates take 7 to 8 subjects in the HKCEE. Apart from language subjects and other language-related subjects, all subjects can be taken in either English or Chinese. The same standards are applied in marking and grading and the language medium is not recorded on the result notices or certificates.

Except for the subjects of Chinese Language, English Language and French, the results of all other subjects of the HKCEE are expressed in terms of six grades A – F, of which grade A is the highest and F is the lowest. Results below grade F are designed as unclassified (UNCL).

Starting from 2007, the results of Chinese Language and English Language will be recorded using levels, of which Level 5 is the highest and Level 1 is the lowest. Performance below Level 1 will be designated as “UNCL” (unclassified). Level 5 candidates with the best performance will have their results indicated by the symbol *.

A grade C or above in most of the HKCEE subjects is recognized as equivalent to an O-level pass (grade C or better) in an overseas GCE examination and grade E is widely accepted in Hong Kong as a basic level of achievement for employment purposes.

With the commencement of the New Senior Secondary Curriculum at Secondary 4 in 2009/2010, the last cohort of school candidates will sit for the 2010 Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE). The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority will offer the last round of the HKCEE in 2011 to private candidates in 22 subjects. For further details, please click here.