Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
| Acronym | HKDSE |
|---|---|
| Type | Paper-based Standardised Examination |
| Administrator | Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority |
| Purpose | Admission to undergraduate programs of universities and colleges |
| Year started | 2012 |
| Duration | Varies by subject |
| Score range | Scored on Levels of 1–5, in one-level increments, then 5* to 5** within level 5 |
| Offered | Annually |
| Regions | Hong Kong |
| Languages | English, Traditional Chinese (Papers can be written in Simplified Chinese) |
| Annual number of test takers | 50,803 (2024) |
| Prerequisites | School candidates: Completion of Secondary School under NSS Private candidates: None |
| Fee | Language subjects: HK$747 Other subjects: HK$499 Initial Fee (Private Candidates): HK$572 Initial Fee (Mainland Candidates):HK$2,059 |
| Used by | Universities, locally through JUPAS, internationally via UCAS tariff points. |
| Website | hkeaa.edu.hk/en/hkdse/ |
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| Chinese | 香港中學文憑 | ||||||||
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| Education in Hong Kong |
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The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE) is an examination organised by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). The HKDSE examination is Hong Kong's university entrance examination, administered at the completion of the three-year New Senior Secondary (NSS) education, allowing students to gain admissions to undergraduate courses at local universities through JUPAS. Since the implementation of the New Senior Secondary academic structure in 2012, HKDSEE replaced the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (O Level, equivalent of GCSE) and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (A Level).
Under the NSS academic structure, pupils are required to study four compulsory "Core Subjects" (Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics, and Liberal Studies) and one to four "Elective Subjects" (the majority with two to three subjects) among the twenty available. On the 31 March 2021, it was announced that Liberal Studies would be renamed Citizenship and Social Development and have its curriculum revamped starting from the 2024 HKDSEE.