If a public exam is supposed to provide a uniform measurement of academic achievement for the selection process by higher educational institutions and an objective reference for vocational evaluations, then the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) must be seen to be a failure.
The HKCEE has no bearing on the university entrance selection process.
Things were different 40 years ago, when an HKCEE certificate was a guarantee of a job. Today, we have a more educated population and skilled jobs require greater specialisation and so the importance of the HKCEE has diminished.
Employers looking, for example, for sales representatives don't care about applicants' HKCEE results, even though the certificate is attached to the bottom of most applicants' resumes.
The skills needed by society in general and by the business community have changed and this is an ongoing process. The Hong Kong education system has not kept pace with these changes.
Members of the business community complain about the poor English and Chinese language skills of graduates. We should not blame the universities for this state of affairs, because students' language skills should have been developed at school.