THE Form Five Examination was first introduced in 1946 after Hong Kong was liberated from Japan in World War II.
Three years later, it was renamed the Hong Kong School Certificate Examination and in 1974, it became the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE).
The Hong Kong Examinations Authority was set up in 1978 to take over the Education Department's duties in the exams.
Before 1968, the certificates listed only the subjects that candidates passed and only students who passed English and four other subjects were eligible for a certificate.
At the very beginning, only four grades - distinction, credit, pass and fail - were introduced.
It was not until 1968 that an alphabetical grading system from A to H was adopted, and later, it was changed to A to G, and A to F.