Under New Academic Structure (NAS), all students are expected to complete three years of junior secondary education followed by three years of senior secondary education. Upon completion of this six-year secondary education, students will take the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE), which aims to measure the attainment of students. The HKDSE was administered for the first time in 2012. Most of the candidates are presented by schools.
| Registration | 29 June – 23 July 2026 |
| Payment of Exam Fee | By 11:59 pm on 29 July 2026 (Applicable to private candidates only) |
| Applications for Late Entry / Subject Amendment | 24 July 2026 – 6 August 2026 |
| Issue of Admission Forms and ‘Instructions to Candidates’ | Mid-September 2026 |
| Examination Periods: | |
| – Written exams | 1 – 27 October 2026 |
| – Oral exams | 1 – 18 October 2026 |
| Release of Results | Late-January 2026 (tentative) |
| Deadline for Applications for Rechecking and Remarking | 5 days after the release of results |
| Release of Rechecking and Remarking Results | To be advised by Cambridge Assessment International Education (Cambridge International) |
HKDSE 2026 — September 2026 Registration
[Category A, Category B subjects examinations]
| Registration | 28 September – 19 October 2026 |
| Payment of Exam Fee | By 11:59 pm on 23 October 2026 (Applicable to private candidates only) |
| Applications for Late Entry / Subject Amendment | 23 November – 7 December 2026 (Tentative) |
| Payment of supplementary fee & subject fees (if applicable) | By 11:59 pm on 11 December 2026 |
| Deadline for Withdrawal | 30 November 2026 |
| Uploading of ‘Handbook for Candidates’ on the HKEAA website | Mid-December 2026 |
| Issue of Admission Forms: – For Practical exams – For Category A subject exams | Late-January / Early-February 2026 Mid-March 2026 |
| Examination Periods: | |
| – Practical exams (Music and PE) | Mid-February – Mid-April 2026 |
| – Written exams (Category A subjects) | 23 April – 17 May 2026 |
| – Speaking exams | Cancelled |
| Release of Results: | |
| – Category A & Category B subjects | 21 July 2026 (Tentative) |