December 2024

Season’s Greetings from the HKEAA

With Christmas and the year 2025 soon upon us, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) would like to extend its warm wishes to you and your loved ones for a joyful holiday season.

 

Looking back on 2024, with the unwavering support of the stakeholders of the education community, we have successfully conducted the 2024 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) with the optimisation of the core subjects in place and the pilot implementation of setting up HKDSE examination centres in designated locations in the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). This year, we have also held a wide range of assessments, including the Territory-wide System Assessment as well as a suite of international and professional examinations for learners in the region.

 

Despite the ever-changing environment, the HKEAA will remain dedicated to providing quality examination and assessment services for students and members of the public, facilitating them to obtain reliable qualifications while in pursuit of their goals.

DSE Inside Out: HKEAA Open Day and Information Seminars on HKDSE Core Subjects

The HKDSE qualifications have enjoyed wide recognition by local and overseas higher education institutions and employers, serving as an important credential for candidates who have completed their secondary education and aspire for further studies or a career. The HKDSE certificates reflect candidates’ knowledge and achievements and support their lifelong educational and career development.

 

To enhance a better understanding of the HKDSE from the inside out, the HKEAA invites members of the public to its Open Day on 11 January 2025 at its Hung Hom Office and Examination Centre. The event will provide the public with a behind-the-scenes look at the public examination. Additionally, seminars and an exhibition by overseas education bodies and relevant Consulates-General will be held at the Open Day. Participants will also have a chance of winning prizes at various game booths.

 

Meanwhile, the popular online information seminars on HKDSE core subjects will be held on 18 January 2025.

 

Click here for details and event registration.

Prof Wei Xiang-dong provided an update on the development of the HKDSE to admission officers of the participating institutions in the Mainland Higher Education Expo 2025/26.

Rising Recognition of the HKDSE Qualification

Enjoying widespread local and overseas recognition, the HKDSE is currently recognised by nearly 1,000 non-local higher education institutions, which have published their admission requirements for HKDSE holders on the HKEAA website for students’ reference. The number has increased steadily since the inaugural HKDSE in 2012.

 

In order to provide candidates with diverse pathways, the HKEAA has continuously promoted the HKDSE to stakeholders, including non-local institutions and organisations. Recently, the Austrian government has confirmed that the HKDSE is considered equivalent to the Austrian school leaving certificate (Matura), which allows for admission to 76 Austrian higher education institutions/ universities for designated studies. Please visit the website of Study in Austria for more information.

 

In addition, the Ministry of Education has announced that the number of Mainland higher education institutions participating in the Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions (Admission Scheme) will increase to 145 in the 2025/26 academic year. The Mainland higher education institutions participating in this scheme admit Hong Kong students based on their HKDSE results, exempting them from taking the Joint Entrance Examination for Mainland Institutions. The Admission Scheme for the 2025/26 academic year is open for applications from now until 31 December 2024. Students who are taking the HKDSE in 2025 and are interested in pursuing further studies on the Mainland can enrol through the application system under the website of The Education Examinations Authority of Guangdong Province during the aforementioned application period.

 

In November, Prof Wei Xiang-dong participated in the Mainland Higher Education Expo 2025/26, jointly organised by the Ministry of Education and the Education Bureau (EDB), providing an update on the development of the HKDSE to admission officers of the participating institutions. Click here for the presentation material.

Registration for the Third Round of Computer-based PSC

Since August 2024, nearly 800 eligible full-time in-service teachers and prospective teachers employed by publicly-funded secondary, primary and special schools have been fully sponsored by the Language Fund to take part in the new round of the ‘Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi’ (PSC) at the HKEAA’s computer-based testing centre.

 

The computer-based PSC is conducted in the form of an oral test. The Putonghua and Language Test Center of the National Language Commission (the National Language Commission) assess the candidates’ performance using the audio records submitted by the HKEAA. Candidates attaining Grade 3, Level B or above will be awarded the PSC Certificate issued by the National Language Commission. Moreover, successful applicants can also take the computer-based PSC practice test offered by the HKEAA free of charge to familiarise themselves with the PSC mode and the operation of the test system.

 

To further encourage teachers to enhance their mastery of Putonghua, the EDB has launched the Sponsorship Scheme for Teachers Taking the National Putonghua Proficiency Test (the Scheme), through the Language Fund, to fully sponsor eligible full-time in-service teachers and prospective teachers to take the PSC free of charge once on a voluntary basis. The HKEAA administers the Scheme and offers one-stop registration and test service, and the third round of PSC will be held from 22 to 23 February 2025. Eligible serving and prospective teachers employed by publicly-funded schools in the 2024/25 academic year can now submit applications via the HKEAA until 6 January 2025. Please visit the HKEAA webpage for details.

The Fourth HKEAA Research Forum — New Vista in Education Assessments: Global Vision and Whole-Person Development

The HKEAA held the fourth Research Forum in November 2024, in which esteemed assessment and education scholars from the Mainland and Hong Kong shared research findings and insights on the comparison of Hong Kong students' performance in reading, mathematics, and science with students across the world from a global perspective. Over 200 school principals, teachers and researchers joined the Forum and exchanged views on various issues includinghigh-stakes examinations, reforms and opportunities in educational assessment, and the application of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in assessment, exploring innovative strategies that will shape the future of education.

 

Assessment experts from the HKEAA and teachers also shared findings of various assessment-related research, including the benchmarking study between IELTS and HKDSE English Language, the use of AI in reading and writing assessments of English Language, and the results of the 2024 HKDSE Predicted Level Study.

 

Commissioned by the EDB, the HKEAA is conducting the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2026 in Hong Kong. On the same day, a PIRLS seminar was also held for some 200 primary school teachers.

 

Click here for highlights of the Forum.

HKEAA Staff Recognised by The Ombudsman for Service Excellence

We proudly announce that HKEAA staff members have again been honoured with The Ombudsman's Awards for Officers of Public Organisations. For 13 years in a row, HKEAA personnel have been recognised for their commitment to delivering high-quality services to candidates and the public.

 

Congratulations to two outstanding staff members: Ms Dreama Tam Tsz-ying of the International and Professional Examinations Division (IPED) and Ms Katie Law Wing-ki of the School Examinations and Assessment Division (SEAD). The Ombudsman has bestowed this award upon them to acknowledge their professionalism and commitment to excellence.

 

Since 2012, a total of 23 HKEAA staff members have been honoured with the above award.

Ms Dreama Tam Tsz-ying (middle) from IPED and Ms Katie Law Wing-ki (second from left) from SEAD of HKEAA recognised by the Ombudsman’s Awards 2024. Prof Wei Xiang-dong, Secretary General attended the Presentation Ceremony with the Heads of awarded divisions.