https://www.scmp.com/rss/521793/feed The latest news and top stories on the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. A prominent Hong Kong based statutory body, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) is dedicated to administering public examinations and assessments. Established in 1977, it serves as Hong Kong’s sole public examination board. Its main areas of focus include conducting the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination, Territory-Wide System Assessment and various... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Doris Wai Doris Wai Hong Kong students taking the English paper in university entrance exams on Friday were pleasantly surprised by relatable topics such as bubble tea and starting a YouTube channel. But many candidates sitting the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam were caught off guard by the inclusion of two poems in the reading section for the first time. About 53,000 students sat the reading and writing papers, while the listening test will be held on Saturday. More than 58,000 candidates are taking... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3349691/bubble-tea-and-youtube-topics-please-hong-kong-dse-exam-takers-poems-add-twist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3349691/bubble-tea-and-youtube-topics-please-hong-kong-dse-exam-takers-poems-add-twist?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:09:30 +0000 Salomé Grouard Salomé Grouard Hong Kong’s education system is famously unforgiving. From cutthroat kindergarten admissions to hours of nightly homework and an average of five hours of private tutoring a week, children face tremendous pressure to perform in the world’s third most competitive economy. In such an environment, arts education rarely makes the cut – often dismissed as a luxury rather than a path to success. “Growing up, I had so many talented friends who gave up on art as they went through school,” says... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3343401/how-hong-kong-schools-and-artists-offgodtate-are-nurturing-creativity-ai-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3343401/how-hong-kong-schools-and-artists-offgodtate-are-nurturing-creativity-ai-era?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Jane Lee,Victor Kwok Jane Lee,Victor Kwok Interest in Hong Kong’s Diploma of Secondary Education has increased steadily in recent years. The government is committed to strengthening the city’s role as an international education hub, not just in tertiary education but also in basic education. Following this directive, the Education Bureau recently invited all Direct Subsidy Scheme schools to apply to increase their intake of non-local students. Hong Kong’s education sector offers biliteracy and trilingualism, and provides a broader range... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337385/hong-kong-should-offer-international-dse-boost-education-hub-goal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337385/hong-kong-should-offer-international-dse-boost-education-hub-goal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words In a recent Chinese-language blog post, Hong Kong’s undersecretary for education Dr Jeff Sze Chun-fai wrote about the city’s digital education blueprint. We at Just Feel welcome the government’s commitment to strengthening the city’s artificial intelligence-related competencies,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3333622/hong-kongs-ai-education-quest-needs-human-connection-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3333622/hong-kongs-ai-education-quest-needs-human-connection-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 03:30:11 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu The performance of private candidates sitting Hong Kong’s university entrance exams will not affect the chances of pupils achieving top scores, authorities have said, after the Post found significant improvements in non-school takers’ grades over the past two years. The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority’s remarks on Tuesday were accompanied by comprehensive data on top achievers in three core subjects of the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) for the last two years. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3323250/private-dse-candidates-marks-will-not-affect-hong-kong-pupils-scores-exam-body?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3323250/private-dse-candidates-marks-will-not-affect-hong-kong-pupils-scores-exam-body?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 16:39:37 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu The number of non-day school candidates achieving the highest grades across various subjects in Hong Kong’s university entrance exams has significantly increased over the past two years amid a growing trend of mainland Chinese students taking the tests, the Post has found. An analysis by the Post of official data showed that the number of non-day school candidates securing Level 5**, the highest grade in the seven-tier system of Hong Kong’s Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE), had increased at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3323107/why-are-more-non-day-school-candidates-achieving-top-scores-hong-kongs-dse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3323107/why-are-more-non-day-school-candidates-achieving-top-scores-hong-kongs-dse?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 00:30:14 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong’s university entrance exam should be internationalised to help turn the city into a global tertiary education hub, several lawmakers have suggested ahead of the annual policy address next month, arguing the move will not harm local students’ interests. The legislators also called for the establishment of more Diploma for Secondary Education (DSE) exam centres outside Hong Kong. Other suggestions included awarding non-local DSE students “bonus points” under the admission process for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3322925/internationalise-hong-kongs-dse-help-turn-city-education-hub-lawmakers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3322925/internationalise-hong-kongs-dse-help-turn-city-education-hub-lawmakers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 10:34:59 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Hong Kong should immediately introduce a residency period for subsidised university degree places instead of gradually implementing it over two years, to prevent the dependants of non-local talent from exploiting the transition, a concern group has said. The call was issued in a petition from the Hong Kong Local Students Rights Concern Group, but was dismissed by the Education Bureau on Wednesday night, with authorities arguing it would take time to prepare for the city’s university entrance... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3322700/hong-kong-urged-quickly-adopt-residency-rule-subsidised-university-spots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3322700/hong-kong-urged-quickly-adopt-residency-rule-subsidised-university-spots?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:57:47 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The growing popularity of Hong Kong’s university entrance exam among mainland students seeking higher learning bolsters the city’s ambition to become an education hub. It has also nurtured a booming lucrative industry across the border that warrants closer oversight. A Post report found that the curriculum for the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam was available in at least 72 schools and four tutorial centres in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Among them,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3321680/dse-needs-oversight-ensure-growth-popularity-remains-healthy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3321680/dse-needs-oversight-ensure-growth-popularity-remains-healthy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 22:45:08 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A mainland Chinese tutorial centre has pressed on with promoting a programme costing nearly HK$200,000 (US$25,480) a year that it claims can help pupils attend a Hong Kong subsidised secondary school with accommodation and “intensive training”, despite warnings from authorities, the Post has found. A Post reporter posing as a parent was sent marketing materials on Wednesday, a day after Hong Kong’s Education Bureau demanded a report from Caritas St Joseph Secondary School over joint promotion... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3321762/mainland-china-tutorial-centre-undeterred-warning-over-hong-kong-school-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3321762/mainland-china-tutorial-centre-undeterred-warning-over-hong-kong-school-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 12:42:32 +0000 William Yiu,Leopold Chen William Yiu,Leopold Chen The performance of local students in Hong Kong’s university entrance exams has not been affected by an influx of private candidates, authorities have said, even though the number of mainland Chinese participants has grown substantially and includes some whose eligibility has been questioned. The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority’s defence coincides with calls from lawmakers for more stringent regulations over collaboration between local private secondary schools and mainland... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3321633/hong-kong-dse-pupils-not-affected-rising-number-private-candidates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3321633/hong-kong-dse-pupils-not-affected-rising-number-private-candidates?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 16:14:30 +0000 Lynn Zhang,Leopold Chen,Lorraine Chiang,William Yiu Lynn Zhang,Leopold Chen,Lorraine Chiang,William Yiu More than 70 schools in mainland China are offering Hong Kong’s university entrance exam courses, with some operators planning for further expansion given the curriculum’s growing demand, the Post has found. The rising popularity of the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) also prompted calls for Hong Kong authorities to internationalise the assessment launched in 2012 to boost the number of non-local candidates. At least 72 schools and four tutorial centres in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3321379/hong-kong-university-entrance-exam-courses-offered-over-70-mainland-schools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3321379/hong-kong-university-entrance-exam-courses-offered-over-70-mainland-schools?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:30:12 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen More than 90 per cent of Hong Kong students from four mainland Chinese schools met the city’s university’s minimum requirements in the local public exams, far exceeding the overall average of 38 per cent of all assessment candidates. The four schools in the Greater Bay Area are the only institutions on the mainland approved by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority to register their students as school candidates for the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams. Students pursuing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3321329/90-pass-rate-hong-kongs-mainland-based-dse-pupils-exceeding-city-average?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3321329/90-pass-rate-hong-kongs-mainland-based-dse-pupils-exceeding-city-average?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 04:00:22 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial When it comes to studying abroad, the top choices are usually the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Increasingly, Hong Kong has also become a popular destination thanks to its top universities, international environment, affordable education fees and good career prospects. The city’s appeal is not confined to just foreign students. A growing number of mainland Chinese pupils are taking the city’s university entrance examinations. The Diploma of Secondary Education exam is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3319086/hong-kong-must-make-most-its-allure-mainland-overseas-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3319086/hong-kong-must-make-most-its-allure-mainland-overseas-students?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Out of the 55,000 candidates who took Hong Kong’s university entrance exams this year, about 1,000 were non-local students. While authorities have recently updated the relevant regulations, they have long boasted about the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) as an internationally recognised curriculum and welcomed non-local students as private candidates. The Post examines the revised regulations for DSE private candidates and the competitive landscape they face. 1. Who is qualified for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3318504/why-do-non-local-students-take-dse-hong-kong-and-how-competitive-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3318504/why-do-non-local-students-take-dse-hong-kong-and-how-competitive-it?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 03:00:10 +0000 Lorraine Chiang,Timon Johnson,Leopold Chen,Lynn Zhang Lorraine Chiang,Timon Johnson,Leopold Chen,Lynn Zhang Students in Hong Kong have received their results for the Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (DSE), the local university entrance exams that pupils take after six years of secondary schooling. This year’s exams produced 16 students with perfect scores, a record since the DSE’s launch in 2012, including the second “ultimate top scorer”, who achieved the highest marks among all top candidates and the first cross-border high-flier. While 129 students have achieved top marks over the past 14... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3318490/hong-kongs-dse-14-years-pupils-best-subjects-worst-performers-and-top-schools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3318490/hong-kongs-dse-14-years-pupils-best-subjects-worst-performers-and-top-schools?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 01:30:49 +0000 William Yiu,Lo Hoi-ying William Yiu,Lo Hoi-ying Sixteen students have achieved perfect scores in Hong Kong’s university entrance exams, a record for the diploma programme and up from 11 last year, with authorities attributing it partly to a decrease in lesson time for core subjects following a curriculum change. One top Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) scorer secured the highest grade across seven subjects, including three core ones and four electives and the extended maths module, as well as securing an “attained” grade in citizenship... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3318275/hong-kong-dse-16-students-achieve-perfect-scores-highest-exams-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3318275/hong-kong-dse-16-students-achieve-perfect-scores-highest-exams-history?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 08:09:53 +0000