A new round of the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) and the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST) (degree/professional grades) will open for application from tomorrow (March 23). Prospective applicants for civil service posts at degree or professional level are welcome to apply before the deadline of 5pm on April 5.
 
     A spokesman for the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) reminded persons planning to apply for civil service posts at degree or professional level in the near future that they are required to have valid CRE results and should make use of the opportunity to take part in this round of examination, tentatively scheduled to be held on June 1. 
 
     The pool of eligible candidates for civil service jobs requiring an undergraduate degree has been expanded to students in their third year of undergraduate studies (in a four-year curriculum). Therefore, this round of examination will be open to holders of a degree, or a professional qualification meeting the entry requirement of the posts, or undergraduate students graduating in the academic year of 2023/24 or 2024/25.
 
     The CRE consists of three papers, namely Use of Chinese (UC), Use of English (UE) and Aptitude Test (AT). Results in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE) or other specified public examinations are accepted as equivalents to different levels of results for UC and UE. Therefore, applicants who have attained the specified results in the language subjects concerned in the HKDSEE or other specified public examinations will not be arranged to take the UC and/or UE paper(s). Please visit the CSB webpage (www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html) for the specified results and the language subjects concerned. Applicants should note that different civil service posts have different Chinese and English language proficiency requirements. No public examination results are accepted as being equivalent to the AT. Applicants for some civil service posts at degree or professional level are also required to obtain a pass result in the AT paper in order to be eligible for applying for the posts concerned.
           
     All applicants are required to obtain a pass result in the BLNST for all civil service recruitment exercises, regardless of whether they have taken any Basic Law Test centrally conducted by the CSB or individual bureaux/departments in previous recruitment exercises. A pass result in the BLNST has permanent validity. The CSB has been conducting the BLNST (degree/professional grades) since June 11, 2022. Those who possess a pass result in the BLNST (degree/professional grades) need not apply again.
           
     Applicants may choose to take any of the CRE papers and/or the BLNST paper in the coming examination.
 
     Details about the coming CRE and BLNST will be uploaded to the CSB webpage (www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html) tomorrow. Persons interested in taking the examination may apply through the online application system on the CSB webpage, or by using the CRE and BLNST application form (CSB31 (3/2024)) which can be downloaded from the CSB webpage or obtained from any Home Affairs Enquiry Centre of the Home Affairs Department or Job Centre of the Labour Department.
           
     General enquiries may be directed to the Civil Service Examinations Unit by phone at 2537 6429 or by email to csbcseu@csb.gov.hk.

Ends/Friday, March 22, 2024
Issued at HKT 16:00

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