The Education Bureau stuck to its stance that parents and schools had participated in a revamped version of the TSA, which was ­presented in January as the Basic Competency Assessment. The bureau said there was no extra drilling under a new format of questioning.

The alliance of 36 lawmakers requested an urgent meeting with Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung and education ­minister Eddie Ng Hak-kim, ­demanding the administration ­either shelve the entire scheme or at least let schools and parents ­decide if they want to take part.

The unlikely coalition came after two months of discussion between the different political parties involved in it, Ip Kin-yuen said.

Priscilla Leung urged the ­government to resolve the conflict by heeding their calls before angry parents and teachers take matters further by boycotting the test.

“Allowing the schools and ­parents to freely join the test is a very desirable middle ground,” she said. “I hope there will be a smooth transition between the two administrations and that the incumbent government can cool the tension down with our joint party consensus.”

The TSA was designed to ­assess competence in order to ­improve learning and teaching, but parents complain it encourages intensive drilling and places too much pressure on pupils.

Lam, who was elected as the city’s next chief executive on ­Sunday, said on Tuesday that she hoped to talk to Leung’s administration about abolishing this year’s test, as promised in her election platform.

But in what was seen as a slap in her face, Leung dismissed the idea, saying it could be done only after July 1, when Lam takes over.

Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan echoed Lam, saying it was meaningless to have the test in May when the incoming leader had already pledged to scrap it next year.

“Leung and Eddie Ng should not forcibly defend the scheme for the sake of saving face,” she said.