This year the total number of candidates entering the sixth Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) came close to 62,000, with over 52,100 school candidates and some 9,600 private candidates, representing a 9.5% drop in the total candidature compared to that of last year. Written examinations of Category A Senior Secondary (SS) subjects will commence this March and the results are scheduled to be released on 12 July 2017.

Two Applied Learning Chinese (for non-Chinese speaking students) (ApL(C)) courses have been introduced to the 2017 HKDSE Category B subjects, providing an additional channel for non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students to obtain an alternative Chinese language qualification to enhance their choices for further studies and employment. Over 150 NCS candidates have entered for the ApL(C) in the HKDSE.

In addition to providing ApL(C) for NCS candidates, we are also committed to meeting the needs of candidates with special educational needs (SEN). Appropriate measures are in place to ensure that they are assessed in a fair and impartial manner. Special examination arrangements are made for over 2,300 candidates with SEN this year.

Read more about the 2017 HKDSE registration statistics.

More higher education institutions worldwide are showing their acceptance of the HKDSE qualification. Over 250 institutions across the globe accept applications from our graduates to their undergraduate programmes. Additionally, some 90 higher education institutions in the Mainland and 150 Taiwan universities have opened doors to our students. The growing acceptance reflects the confidence they have on both the HKDSE qualification and the academic achievements of our students.

Other than Australia, the United Kingdom, the Mainland and Taiwan, Hong Kong students can choose to further their studies in Asia, such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia, which have also accepted the HKDSE qualification for admission to their higher education institutions.

We believe the worldwide acceptance of HKDSE will further expand, providing multiple educational pathways for the young people of Hong Kong. Learn more about the international recognition of the HKDSE.

While making sure good practices and procedures are applied to enhance the quality of the HKDSE, the HKEAA has recently carried out a review of the quality assurance (QA) framework as part of its continuous improvement process. The QA framework of the HKDSE was first formulated in 2011 to ensure that robust and rigorous quality assurance practices are in place throughout all stages of examination.

To ensure the impartiality and reliability of the HKDSE, the HKEAA has commissioned an external consultant to review the QA framework as well as monitor the implementation of the quality assurance practices within the 2017 examination cycle.

Learn more about the QA framework of the HKDSE on our website.