HKDSE exam takers in mainland China face 220% jump in registration fee to HK$8,000
Hong Kong exam body says fee increase will support ‘sustainable and effective operation’ as three-year pilot scheme ends
Students sitting Hong Kong’s university entrance exam in mainland China next year will pay a registration fee of HK$8,000 (US$1,020), a 220 per cent increase from the current HK$2,500 as a pilot scheme has ended.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) announced the fee adjustments for various exams on Friday, adding that local students would face a 4 per cent increase to sit each subject, with charges ranging from HK$540 to HK$808.
The authority said the substantial surge in the registration charge, also known as the initial fee, for students sitting the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) on the mainland was because a three-year pilot scheme had ended.
“With the completion of the pilot scheme, it will no longer be sustainable for the HKEAA to continue providing subsidies on a regular basis,” it said.
“The HKEAA will make an appropriate adjustment to the initial fee (mainland examination centre) for the 2027 HKDSE to support the sustainable and effective operation of these centres.”
Under the scheme, exam centres were set up on the mainland to allow eligible Hong Kong candidates to sit the HKDSE remotely from 2024.
The operational cost of the centres covered exam security arrangements, additional equipment, personnel deployment, and the delivery and secure storage of question papers, answer scripts and examination materials.