In spite of a slight drop of 4% in the number of entrants this year, 59,000 candidates are participating in the seventh HKDSE. Over 51,600 are school candidates and around 7,400 are private candidates.

Most candidates take four core subjects, namely Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics and Liberal Studies, and two elective subjects, the most popular of which are Biology, Economics and Chemistry with a candidature of over 14,000 each.

This year, special examination arrangements have been made for a record 2,800 candidates with special educational needs. Various arrangements are also being made to ensure the fair and impartial assessment of candidates’ performance.

Read more about the 2018 HKDSE registration statistics.

To maintain the standard and quality of the HKDSE, the HKEAA has a Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) which ensures that robust and rigorous quality assurance practices are in place in all stages of examination. The QAF was launched in 2011 and was reviewed in 2015/16 to further improve procedures and quality. The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) of the United Kingdom (U.K.), an independent consultant, was commissioned to conduct a professional evaluation of the revised QAF and give recommendations on any changes which the Authority might wish to consider in light of international best practices.

The NFER monitored the implementation of the revised QAF in the 2017 examination cycle and concluded that the HKEAA has well-developed, well-documented and rigorously applied quality control procedures for the HKDSE. The consultant was also impressed by the transparency in our policies and abundant information on the HKDSE which is available for students, schools, parents and members of the public.

Learn more about the QAF and access HKDSE publications and useful resources on our website.

Nine hundred students and parents attended a series of information seminars in January 2018 to familiarise themselves with the assessment of the HKDSE core subjects. HKEAA subject managers provided useful information to students and discussed how they could best prepare for the HKDSE. They also addressed some common queries on public examinations.

To acquaint our stakeholders with the operation of the HKDSE, we opened up the Tsuen Wan Assessment Centre during our annual Open Day. Three hundred visitors observed the procedures for the scanning of answer scripts for the first time. They also tried out the onscreen marking and the oral recording system to learn more about the marking and conduct of the HKDSE.

Visit our website for highlights of the 2018 HKEAA Open Day and presentation materials.

This year saw record recognition of the HKDSE, with more than 270 overseas higher education institutions indicating their acceptance of students with HKDSE qualification. The number of Mainland universities that admit HKDSE holders directly increased to 102 in the 2018/19 academic year, and around 150 institutions in Taiwan have also opened their doors to Hong Kong students.

A number of Korean universities recently joined hands with the Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters and the Association of Hong Kong Chinese Middle Schools to launch a Korea Study Mini-Expo in Hong Kong. The event was held to respond to the growing interest among HKDSE graduates in studying in Korea.

The worldwide acceptance of the HKDSE qualification shows that there are multiple pathways for senior secondary graduates. Click here for an overview of the recognition of HKDSE.