For the more than 100,000 secondary school students, who sat for the HKCEE exams, today will be marked by nail-biting moments as they find out the results that will determine their futures.
But those who don't make the grades for university entry need not despair.
Rather, they should embrace the gamut of alternatives thanks to the government's efforts to expand post-secondary education options.
'Form Five school leavers should take advantage of the benefits of further education, particularly since there are now multiple pathways open to them,' says Leung Yam-shing, education adviser at the Vocational Training Council.
Now, more than ever, a post-secondary qualification is a necessity, as students will find themselves having to compete in an increasingly competitive knowledge-based economy, explains Dr Victor Lee, director of the Chinese University's school of continuing and professional studies.
The school has seen its annual pool of HKCEE applicants grow by a steady 2 to 5 per cent in the past five years, as students are increasingly keen to pursue further studies.
Translation, Chinese journalism, business administration and animation are among some of the most desirable three-year, full-time higher diploma programmes offered.