Welcome to the sixth issue of the HKDSE newsletter, which provides information on the progress of the new HKDSE examination being developed by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) to be launched in 2012

In this issue, the following will be covered:

 Promoting HKDSE in the United States
 Recognition of HKDSE for civil service employment
 Announcement of the first HKDSE examination timetable

If you wish to make any comments or if you have any questions, please write to May Chan, International Recognition Officer ( international@hkeaa.edu.hk ).

In August this year, a delegation from the HKEAA and the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government visited several renowned universities on the East Coast of the US to promote the HKDSE and the New Academic Structure of Hong Kong.

Led by the Chairman of the HKEAA, Mr Eddie Ng Hak Kim, the delegation met representatives from universities including Brown University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Princeton University, Tufts University, the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University.

During these meetings, fruitful discussions on the recognition of the HKDSE were made, and representatives of these universities showed great interest in the progress of the education reform in Hong Kong and said Hong Kong students would be welcome to pursue further study in the US. For more details about the trip, please click here.

The HKEAA and EDB also participated in the 97th annual meeting of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) in March. With an audience comprising academics, admission officers and registrars of numerous tertiary institutions, the annual meeting held in Seattle provided an excellent opportunity to enhance understanding of the assessment and reporting system of the HKDSE across the US higher education sector.

Currently, ninety-four overseas universities have published their admission requirements for HKDSE holders on the HKEAA website (Recognition of Qualifications for HKDSE).

The Hong Kong SAR Government announced last June that HKDSE Examination results will be accepted as a basis for civil service recruitment from 20 July 2012,

Students and parents welcomed the announcement as the HKDSE will not only widen students’ educational choices but also open up future career options.

According to the Civil Service Bureau (CSB), candidate attaining Level 2 or Level 3 in five subjects in HKDSE will be considered as meeting the minimum requirements for different grades of civil service posts.

Details can be found on the HKSAR Civil Service Bureau website at www.csb.gov.hk.

The HKEAA has announced the dates and timetables for the 2012 HKDSE and HKALE examinations. The HKDSE (Category A subjects) written examinations will be held from late March to late May 2012, while the HKAL written examinations will be conducted from late March to early May 2012. It is expected that a total of more than 100,000 candidates will sit the two examinations.

The HKEAA will announce the HKALE results on 29 June 2012 and the HKDSE results on 20 July 2012.

The timetables and results release dates have been set to ensure stringent quality assurance requirements of the two public examinations are met, while at the same time addressing the needs of different stakeholders. For details of the announcement, please click here to read the press release.