The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) is an examination organised by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). The HKDSE examination is Hong Kong's university entrance examination, administered at the completion of the three-year New Senior Secondary (NSS) education, allowing students to gain admissions to undergraduate courses at local universities through JUPAS. Since the implementation of the New Senior Secondary academic structure in 2012, HKDSEE replaced the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (O Level, equivalent of GCSE) and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (A Level).

Under the NSS academic structure, pupils are required to study four compulsory "Core Subjects" (Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics, and Liberal Studies) and one to four "Elective Subjects" (the majority with two to three subjects) among the twenty available. On the 31 March 2021, it was announced that Liberal Studies would be renamed Citizenship and Social Development and have its curriculum revamped starting from the 2024 HKDSEE.

Background and administration Under the NSS, a number of subjects in the HKCEE and the HKALE have been combined to suit the varying interests and talents of students. School pupils study both core (compulsory) subjects and elective subjects. Most candidates in the HKDSEE sit all four core subjects plus two or three electives to satisfy local university admission requirements.

In some HKDSE subjects, each student studies the Compulsory Part along with an Extended Module of that subject of the student's choice, or in other cases, an Elective Part, which concentrates on a specific topic or skill. While in certain subjects such as Mathematics, students are only required to study the Compulsory Part, the Elective Modules are voluntary. As such, an Elective Part forms a part of the subject curriculum, whereas an Extended module is designed for students with specific aims or those who have higher abilities who may want additional knowledge and skills. The selection of offerings for both varies from school to school. For example, some schools offer both Extended Modules 1 and 2 for Mathematics, while others may offer only the Compulsory Part. Elective Part Example: English. The Elective Part of the English Language curriculum takes up 25% of total lesson time. The selection of Elective Parts is divided into two areas: "Language Arts" and "Non-Language Arts", each of which teaches English as used in different contexts and through various mediums. During HKDSEE, candidates also have the choice to write either the more difficult level (B2) or the standard level (B1) part of the paper, in addition to the mandatory Part A. Writing B1 allows the candidate to attain as high as level 4 in that paper, while writing B2 allows a 5**(five-double-star), the highest level obtainable. Extended Module Example: Mathematics. Students who wish to study Mathematics to a higher level have the flexibility to choose one of the two Extended Modules: "M1" Calculus and Statistics or "M2" Algebra and Calculus. However, the Extended Modules are considered only half a subject by the HKEAA, despite having syllabi amounting to full elective subjects. As a result, they became not as attractive to students, and there has been a decline in number of pupils studying them.

Written examinations of Category A (Traditional) subjects are usually conducted between early March through early May. Speaking (Oral) components and examinations for certain Category B (Applied Learning) subjects are administered earlier. Category C (Other Languages) subjects usually take place in June (French and Spanish may be taken in the previous November), in line with CAIE AS-level practice.

Before the exam, candidates have a chance to become familiar with the different level descriptors and samples and may use them as objectives for their study. Also, they can familiarise with the exam requirement by doing DSE Past Paper, which can be found here. For each level, there is a DSE cut off score. Thus, tertiary institutions and employers also have more accurate and robust information for admission or recruitment purposes.

Subjects HKDSE subjects are offered in three different categories, including 24 in Category A: NSS (Traditional), over 40 in Category B: ApL (Applied Learning) and 6 in Category C: Other Languages.

Category A: New Senior Secondary Subjects Category A subjects are traditional school subjects. Exams in this category are held directly by HKEAA. Both Core Subjects (Compulsory for University Admission) and Elective Subjects fall under Category A. Results of these subjects are generally accepted for local and international university admission.

Core subjects Chinese Language English Language Mathematics Before 2024: Liberal Studies (levels are divided into 7 parts, from 1 to 5**) Starting from 2024: Citizenship and Social Development (divided only into 2 levels, attained or unattained)

For Mathematics, in addition to the Compulsory Part, candidates may take one of the following Extended Modules: Module 1 ("M1", Calculus and Statistics). Module 2 ("M2", Algebra and Calculus). Candidates are allowed to choose only one of the two extended modules when sitting for the same year's public exams. The compulsory part of mathematics and its extended module are officially seen as one singular subject; hence they must be taken in the same language (of English or Chinese) and alongside the compulsory part of Mathematics. The compulsory part and the extended modules’ examination papers are however separated and are taken on separate dates. Levels attained are also printed separately on the diploma certificate.

For Liberal Studies, the subject curriculum featured six Modules, including: "Personal Development and Interpersonal Relationships." "Hong Kong Today." "Modern China." "Globalization." "Public Health." "Energy Technology and the Environment."

In most cases, a pass in an Extended Part of a subject cannot substitute a pass in the Compulsory Part for university admission, especially when applying through JUPAS for UGC-funded courses.

Electives

Students can choose one to four electives among 20 Elective Subjects according to their interests and strengths. However, most schools do not offer a full selection of the 20 subjects in their curriculum due to practical limitations.

According to the Registration Statistics for 2018 released by the HKEAA, the most chosen subject is Physics, with a total of 11,658 candidates. Around 70.4% of students choose a combination two elective subjects, while 17.4% choose three elective subjects.

Category B: Applied Learning Subjects Category B (ApL) subjects are offered by course providers, which are usually Higher Education Institutions. Assessments of these subjects are conducted by the course providers, and the results reported to the HKEAA for adjustment. They are mostly vocational or professional subjects.

Applied Learning Subjects may or may not be considered by tertiary institutions for admission, according to HKEAA, a reported level of "Attained" on the certificate is considered as equivalent to a Grade 2 in a Category A subject, and "Attained with Distinction" to Grade 3 or above. From 2018, "Attained with Distinction" has been further refined to "Attained with Distinction (I)" (equivalent to Grade 3) and "Attained with Distinction (II)" (equivalent to Grade 4 or above). However, the more prestigious universities in Hong Kong usually consider Category B subjects as mere 'Interest Groups' for admission purposes, believing them to be inferior to the traditional academic subjects in Category A.

Areas of study in Category B include:

Category C: Other Language Subjects These are language electives. They may be used to replace Chinese Language for university admissions for students whose first language is not Chinese, but it may not be used to replace English. It may also be chosen as an elective for native Chinese speaking students, in which case it will not serve as an alternative language for UG admission. In many cases, in lieu of a Category C subject, an IGCSE Chinese Language pass (or similar Chinese qualification) can also be accepted for admission to UG programmes for non-Chinese speaking students.

Up to 2024, Category C subjects use the papers of CAIE GCE AS-level language subjects. These are provided and marked by Cambridge Assessment International Education. Starting from 2025, Official language examinations taken within 2 years before the HKDSE examination could be reported in the certificate. N3 or above is required for Japanese. Grade 3 or above is required for Korean. A2 or above is required for the remaining language subjects.

Tertiary Institutions are not obliged to recognise results of Category B or C subjects, while Category C subjects are generally accepted due to them being also an AS-Level subject, Category B subjects, especially for the more prestigious institutions, are usually only considered for reference in cases where two potential students are equal in other aspects.

School-based assessment

School-based Assessments (SBA) are conducted for the majority of subjects for school candidates, which notably includes three of the four core subjects, Chinese Language, English Language and Liberal Studies, with the exception of Mathematics. It reduces reliance on a one-off public examination as students' projects and assignments throughout senior secondary years are graded by their teachers. After HKEAA adjusts the grades, they are counted toward the HKDSE results on fixed weightings.

Grading For Category A subjects, the performance of candidates is categorised and released on a scale of seven levels indicated on the examination certificate. Level 5** being the highest and level 1 the lowest. Distinction levels 5** and 5* (read as "five-double-stars" and "five-star") are awarded to the two best-performing groups of candidates attaining level 5. Unclassified Level (UNCL) are given in cases of absence, cheating, or an attempt not reaching the standards of level 1.

Category A: New Senior Secondary Subjects

UCAS tariff points for HKDSE Examination: Level 5** (top 10% of level 5 achievers)=56 Level 5* (top 30% of level 5 achievers)=52 Level 5=48 Level 4=32 Level 3=16 Level 2=N/A Level 1=N/A

The UCAS Tariff points attached to each subject level (excluding Mathematics) is as shown above, UCAS is the university admission system in United Kingdom.

Category B: Applied Learning Subjects SubjectsResultComparing to HKDSE Category A resultsApplied Learning Subjects (excluding ApL Chinese)"Attained with Distinction (II)"Level 4 or above"Attained with Distinction (I)"Level 3"Attained"Applied Learning Chinese (for non-Chinese speaking students)"Attained with Distinction"Level 3 or above"Attained" Note: Albeit Category B subjects are taught to standards designed to be comparable to Category A subjects, with reference to the form above, to date the majority of local universities however, do not consider Category B subjects for admission by JUPAS.

Category C: Other Language Subjects

These subjects are graded by CAIE, on grades "A" to "E" (with grade "E" being the lowest and grade "A" the highest). An achievement below grade “E” is called 'Ungraded', and is not recorded on the diploma awarded to candidate.

Marking In the criterion-referenced grading system, experts in relevant subject matters establish the marking standards for each level. Thereafter, level descriptors and examples are set and constantly reviewed based on syllabus objectives and statistical data, including exam statistics and candidate answer scripts. Gradings produced by a criterion-referenced system reflect a candidate's level of attainment in a particular subject instead of the rank order of the candidate in comparison to others.