| Homepage | Guestbook |
The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination
HKCEE

According to the Hong Kong yearbook, there were 418 grammar secondary schools with a total enrollment of 456,700 in Hong Kong during 1996. These schools offer a five-year secondary course (form 1 to 5, equivalent to grade 7 to 11 in Canada) in a wide range of academic, cultural and practical subjects leading to the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE).

The 20 technical schools with an enrollment of 20,515 prepare students for the HKCEE with an emphasis on technical and commercial subjects. The 27 prevocational schools and the two practical schools offer a curriculum with a vocational and practical orientation, however, their 24,000 students may also write the HKCEE.

In Hong Kong, completion of form 5 (grade 11) is considered completing high school. Students are required to write a compulsory examination (HKCEE). If they get satisfactory scores in the HKCEE, they can further their education into form 6 and 7 (grade 12 and 13) to prepare themselves for a university education.

Most grammar schools offer form 6 and 7 leading towards the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE), also known as the A-Level or the university entrance examination. Students wishing to attend a 4-year university spend one year in form 6 and those wishing to attend a 3-year university, such as the University of Hong Kong, spend two years for form 6 and 7.

The Hong Kong educational system is among the most competitive in the world. In 1996, 114,229 candidates sat for the HKCEE, whereas only 23,887 form 6 places were available. The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination is considered the most important examination in the students' life. The result of the HKCEE determines a student's future, whether the student desires to further one's studies or to enter the work force.

Each form 5 student can register for a maximum of 10 subjects from a total of 42 offered in the available subject list, which includes English Language, Chinese Language, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, History, Economics, Chinese History, Chinese Literature, Computer Studies, Religious Studies, French, Art, Principle of Accounts and Music.

The percentage of grade awards at grade E and above for exam candidates has been between 60 and 65 over the years. Before 1991, it was extremely rare for any student to obtain 10A in the HKCEE. Between 1991 and 2000, there were fewer than 15 students (out of all form 5 students in Hong Kong) obtaining 10A each year. Out of the 418 grammar secondary schools, only 20 of them ever produced 10A students. Here is a list of these top elite schools in the Hong Kong educational system:

The number of 10A students each school produced for the HKCEE during the 1990s:

 
Name 
Total 
2000 
1999 
1998 
1997 
1996 
1995 
1994 
1993 
1992 
1991 
Queen's College
25
1
1
5
4
2
4
4
2
0
2
Diocesan Girls' School
15
3
6
1
2
1
1
0
0
0
1
Wah Yan College (HK)
9
2
0
0
1
0
0
2
1
3
0
Wah Yan College (KLN)
7
0
0
2
1
2
1
0
0
0
1
St. Paul's Co-ed. College
4
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
La Salle College
4
1
2
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
Diocesan Boys' School
3
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
Sha Tin Govt. Sec. School
2
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
St. Joseph's College
2
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Maryknoll Convent School
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
Salesian School
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
Pui Ching Middle School
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
King's College
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
Queen Elizabeth School
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Christian Alliance S.C. Chan Memorial College
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
St. Paul's College
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Po Leung Kuk CFA No.1 College
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Shun Tak Fraternal Assn. Leung Kau Kui College
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
GRAND TOTAL
82
13
10
14
9
5
8
8
5
5
5

August 2000