Students moving into Form Six now face another daunting task: the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE).
A total of 33,829 candidates sat for the examination this year. Exams are in March, April and May. The results are usually released in the first week of July.
There are 19 A-level and 20 AS-level subjects in the HKALE ranging from applied maths and art to biology, business studies, computer applications and psychology.
Most students take five subjects in the exam. Except for Chinese Language and Culture, which is taken in Chinese, and Use of English, which is taken in English, subjects can usually be taken in either language.
Students are graded from A to F, with A being the highest and F the lowest.
Hong Kong has eight publicly funded universities. To be accepted into one of them, students usually need passes in Chinese Language and Culture and Use of English plus two additional A-level subjects (or one additional A-level and two AS subjects).