Ref: DSE/CR 3/2025

23 May 2025

HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION

Examination Circular No. (7) 2024/2025
2026 Examination Timetable and Date of Release of Results

1. This circular is to inform schools of the examination schedule for the 2026 Hong Kong Diploma of
Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) and the tentative date of release of results. Schools’ support
and co-operation are enlisted to ensure the smooth conduct of the examinations.

2. In drawing up the 2026 HKDSE examination schedule for Category A subjects (Annex 1), consideration
has been given to the general holidays for the year 2025/26, the subject combination statistics and the
general pattern of the 2025 examination.

3. The main features of the 2026 examination timetable are as follows:

(a) The written examinations will start on 8 April 2026. The core subject examinations will be held
on 9 – 11 April and 13 – 14 April.

(b) The English Language speaking examinations will be held tentatively from mid-March to late
March 2026. The Physical Education (PE) and Music practical examinations will be scheduled
from mid-February to late March 2026.

(c) Elective subjects with an SBA component or options requiring equating will be examined earlier
to allow more time for moderation and data processing. Science and humanities subjects will be
scheduled on alternate days, where possible. Simulations of the subject combinations have been
conducted with a view to minimising the number of candidates who have to sit examinations for
four or more consecutive days.

(d) Four examination dates (i.e. April 17, April 21, April 28 and May 5) have been tentatively
earmarked for Literature in English, Technology and Living (TL), Physical Education (PE) and/or
Music examinations. Two or more subjects will be scheduled on the same session provided that
there is no overlap of candidates. In case there is no overlap of candidates for Literature in English,
TL, PE and Music examinations, 5 May 2026 will be used as a reserve date. The examination dates
of these subjects will be finalised after the normal closing date of registration, by early November
2025. In addition, 6 May 2026 is earmarked as a reserve date for contingency purposes.

4. Six Other Languages subjects, viz. French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish, with an additional
subject of Urdu, will be offered under Category C subjects in the 2026 HKDSE. Candidates who intend
to enter for Category C subjects have to take the stipulated language examinations administered in Hong
Kong by the official organisations, which are the official providers of the language examinations
concerned. Candidates should enroll themselves with the examination administrators of the stipulated
language examinations according to the schedule of the respective language examinations. Candidates’
results obtained in these examinations at the stipulated minimum proficiency level or above will be
included in the HKDSE Category C results. The HKDSE accepts results obtained in the language
examinations taken within two years preceding the HKDSE the candidate sits. If a candidate takes the
language examinations more than once at the same or different levels, only the highest level and result
attained will be reported under the HKDSE Category C subjects. A deadline will be stipulated for the
acceptance of the results obtained from these examinations and candidates have to pay an examination
fee for registering a Category C subject during the registration period. Details will be announced in early
September 2025.
Date of Release of Results

5. The date for the release of the 2026 Categories A, B and C examination results is tentatively scheduled
for Wednesday, 15 July 2026.

Support from schools

6. To ensure the smooth conduct of the 2026 HKDSE, the cooperation and collaborative support from all
participating schools is indispensable. Schools are requested to note the highlights of the 2026
examination timetable in paragraph 3 above when planning their calendars and activities for 2025/26.

7. Schools have been our important partners in examination administration through their provision of
invigilation staff and school premises for the conduct of examinations, which is a requirement of schools'
participation in the public examinations. To facilitate the continuous implementation of the ‘Home cum
District Centre’ arrangements for the core subjects and the enhanced home centre approach for SEN
candidates in the HKDSE as well as to ensure adequate supply of examination centres for all candidates
in different districts, schools are obligated to accommodate all of their own candidates as well as some
external and/or private candidates in the core subject examinations. We earnestly request schools’
continued support by making available all possible examination venues for the conduct of the core
subject written examinations. In addition to providing a school hall, schools that needs an additional
examination venue to accommodate all their candidates sitting the core subject written examinations at the
Home Centre may consider reserving a multi-purpose activity room as additional examination centre (Hall
2) to reduce the usage of the classroom centres and the required number of invigilators in the classroom
centres.

Chinese Language Thursday, 9 April 2026 (AM)

Friday, 10 April 2026 (AM)
English Language
Written examinations Saturday, 11 April 2026 (AM)
Mathematics Compulsory Part Monday, 13 April 2026 (AM)
Citizenship and Social Development Tuesday, 14 April 2026 (AM)

8. The availability of suitable school venues for the conduct of the English Language speaking examinations
is also our major concern to ensure that oral examiners and candidates can be assigned to examination
centres in their chosen districts as far as possible. To facilitate our planning for the 2026 HKDSE, schools
are urged to make their classrooms available for the conduct of the English Language speaking
examinations for both normal and SEN sessions for the examination period shown below:

mid-March – late March 2026 (tentative)

Normal Sessions
(Mon – Fri, 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm)
Speaking examinations
Sessions for SEN candidates late March 2026 (tentative)

9. The accommodation requirements for the 2026 Examination will be sent to schools in late September 2025.

10. Schools are requested to draw the attention of their teachers and students concerned to the contents of this
circular.

KENNETH CHU
Head of School Examinations and Assessment

To: Principals of Participating Schools

 附件一
Annex 1
2026 年 香 港中 學 文 憑考 試時 間 表
Examination Timetable for 2026 HKDSE
日期及時間 應考科目
Date & Time Subjects to be examined

四月八日（星期三） AM Visual Arts 1,2 視覺藝術（一）及（二）

Apr. 8 Wed PM
四月九日（星期四） AM Chinese Language 1,2 中國語文（一）及（二）
Apr. 9 Thu PM
四月十日（星期五） AM English Language 1,2 英國語文（一）及（二）
Apr. 10 Fri PM
四月十一日（星期六） AM English Language 3 (Listening and 英國語文（三）（聆聽及綜合能力考核）
Apr. 11 Sat PM Integrated Skills)
四月十三日（星期一） AM Mathematics Compulsory Part 1,2 數學必修部分（一）及（二）
Apr. 13 Mon PM
四月十四日（星期二） AM Citizenship and Social Development 公民與社會發展
Apr. 14 Tue PM
四月十五日（星期三） AM Ethics & Religious Studies 1,2 倫理與宗教（一）及（二）
Apr. 15 Wed PM
四月十六日（星期四） AM Chemistry 1,2 化學（一）及（二）
Apr. 16 Thu PM
四月十七日（星期五） AM Design & Applied Technology 設計與應用科技（一）及（二）／英語文學
Apr. 17 Fri PM 1,2/Literature in English 1 (Note 2) （一）（註 2）
Literature in English 2 (Note 2) 英語文學（二）（註 2）
四月十八日（星期六） AM Health Management & Social Care 1,2 健康管理與社會關懷（一）及（二）
Apr. 18 Sat PM
四月二十日（星期一） AM Biology 1,2 生物（一）及（二）
Apr. 20 Mon PM
四月二十一日（星期二） AM Chinese Literature 1,2/Technology & Living 中國文學（一）及（二）／科技與生活
Apr. 21 Tue PM 1,2 (Note 2) （一）及（二）（註 2）
四月二十二日（星期三） AM Physics 1,2 物理（一）及（二）
Apr. 22 Wed PM
四月二十三日（星期四） AM Geography 1,2 地理（一）及（二）
Apr. 23 Thu PM
四月二十四日（星期五） AM Information & Communication Technology 資訊及通訊科技（一）及（二）
Apr. 24 Fri PM 1,2
四月二十五日（星期六) AM History 1,2 歷史（一）及（二）
Apr. 25 Sat PM
四月二十七日（星期一） AM Business, Accounting & Financial Studies 企業、會計與財務概論（一）及（二）
Apr. 27 Mon PM 1,2
四月二十八日（星期二） AM Literature in English 1 (Note 2)/Technology 英語文學（一）（註 2）／科技與生活
Apr. 28 Tue & Living 1,2 (Note 2) /Physical Education （一）及（二）（註 2）／體育（一）及
1,2 (Note 2)/Music 1A & 1B (Note 2) （二）（註 2）／音樂 1A 及 1B（註 2）
PM Literature in English 2 (Note 2) 英語文學（二）（註 2）
四月二十九日（星期三） AM Chinese History 1,2 中國歷史（一）及（二）
Apr. 29 Wed PM
四月三十日（星期四） AM Mathematics Extended Part Modules 1,2 數學延伸部分單元（一）及（二）
Apr. 30 Thu PM
五月二日（星期六） AM Tourism & Hospitality Studies 1,2 旅遊與款待（一）及（二）
May 2 Sat PM
五月四日（星期一） AM Economics 1,2 經濟（一）及（二）
May 4 Mon PM
五月五日（星期二） AM Literature in English 1 (Note 2)/Technology 英語文學（一）（註 2）／科技與生活
May 5 Tue & Living 1,2 (Note 2)/Physical Education （一）及（二）（註 2）／體育（一）及
1,2 (Note 2)/Music 1A & 1B (Note 2) （二）（註 2）／音樂 1A 及 1B（註 2）
PM Literature in English 2 (Note 2) / Reserve 英語文學（二）（註 2）／後備
五月六日（星期三） AM Reserve 後備
May 6 Wed PM

註：
Note:
(1) 2026 年 5 月 1 日（勞動節）
1 May 2026 (Labour Day)

(2) 英語文學、科技與生活、體育及音樂科的考試日期，將會在報考日期完結後落實。
The examination dates for Literature in English, Technology & Living, Physical Education and Music will be finalised
after the closing date of registration.
實習考試／口試日期 Examination Period for Practical/Speaking Examinations

體育（實習考試） : 2026 年 2 月下旬至 3 月下旬

Physical Education – Practical : late February – late March 2026
音樂（實習考試） : 2026 年 2 月中旬至 3 月中旬
Music – Practical : mid-February – mid-March 2026
英國語文（口試） : （一般試場）2026 年 3 月中旬至 3 月下旬（星期一至星期五）
English Language – Speaking : (Normal Sessions) mid-March – late March 2026 (Monday to Friday)
（特別試場）2026 年 3 月下旬
(SEN Sessions) late March 2026

放榜日期（暫定）Date of Release of Results (tentative)

約於 2026 年 7 月 15 日
Around 15 July 2026