Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) and Basic Law Test (Degree / Professional Grades) (BLT)
Frequently Asked Questions
About CRE results
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Q1.
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How are the CRE results classified?
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A1.
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Starting from the CRE held in December 2006, candidates' results in the Use of English (UE) and Use of Chinese (UC) papers are classified as 'Level 2', 'Level 1' or 'Fail', with 'Level 2' being the highest. Results in the Aptitude Test (AT) paper are classified as pass or fail. 'Level 2' and 'Level 1' results of the two language papers and the pass result of the AT paper are of permanent validity.
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Q2.
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How are the existing valid pass results obtained in previous CREs treated?
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A2.
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Pass results obtained in CREs held in June 2006 or earlier are valid for three years from the month that the examination results were released to the candidates. Holders of valid pass results in the UE and UC papers obtained in these CREs are regarded as meeting the general language proficiency requirements of all degree and professional grades for the remaining validity period.
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Q3.
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What are the required levels of results in the two language papers for the application of different civil service posts at degree or professional level?
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A3.
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As a general requirement in language proficiency, applicants for civil service posts at degree or professional level are required to obtain either 'Level 2' or 'Level 1' results in the UE and UC papers in the CRE. Such requirement will be stipulated by individual recruiting grades/departments in the relevant recruitment advertisements. Applicants with 'Level 2' results in the UE and UC papers will be considered as meeting the language proficiency requirements of all degree or professional grades.
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Q4.
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If I intend to join the disciplined services grades, do I need to take the CRE?
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| A4. |
Some disciplined services grades, such as Police Inspector, offer different entry pay points to candidates according to their academic qualifications. Degree holders without the requisite CRE results may apply for these posts but will not be eligible for obtaining the pay points for degree entry. Therefore, it is advisable for degree holders who wish to join these grades to sit for the CRE.
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| Q5. |
I have 'Level 2' or 'Level 1' results (or valid pass results obtained in CREs held in June 2006 or earlier) in the UE and UC papers only. Is it a must for me to sit for the AT paper?
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| A5. |
Certain civil service posts at degree or professional level require 'Level 2' or 'Level 1' results in the UE and UC papers only. If you wish to apply for civil service posts that also require a pass result in the AT paper, you will need to sit for the AT paper.
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| Q6. |
Is it a must to sit for all three papers in the coming CRE if I have just failed one or two of the papers? Will you accept valid results in the three papers obtained from different CREs?
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| A6. |
Results are issued for individual papers. You may therefore choose to sit for only one or any combination of papers which you have failed to attain the requisite results of particular civil service posts. For the purpose of applying for civil service posts, results obtained from different CREs can be taken together so long as the results are all valid at the time of the job application. (Please also see Q&A 13)
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About HKALE, GCE A Level and IELTS results
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Q7.
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I have passed the Use of English in the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) (or English Language of the General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) (GCE A Level)) and/or Chinese Language and Culture in the HKALE. Will I be exempted from the CRE?
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A7.
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Grade 'C' or above in Use of English of the HKALE or English Language of the GCE A Level is accepted by the recruiting grades / departments as equivalent to 'Level 2' in the UE paper of the CRE. Grade 'C' or above in Chinese Language and Culture or Chinese Language and Literature of the HKALE is accepted by the recruiting grades / departments as equivalent to 'Level 2' in the UC paper of the CRE. If you have the above result(s), you need not, and will not be arranged to, take the UE and/or UC paper(s).
Grade 'D' in Use of English of the HKALE or English Language of the GCE A Level is accepted by the recruiting grades / departments as equivalent to 'Level 1' in the UE paper of the CRE. Grade 'D' in Chinese Language and Culture or Chinese Language and Literature of the HKALE is accepted by the recruiting grades / departments as equivalent to 'Level 1' in the UC paper of the CRE. If you have the above result(s), you may wish to take this into account in deciding whether you need to take the UE and / or UC paper(s) having regard to the requirements of civil service post(s) in which you are interested.
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Q8.
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(Follow up question to A.7) I have Grade 'C' or above in the said subjects in the HKALE / GCE A Level. Do I still need to sit for the two language papers of the CRE?
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A8.
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If you have Grade 'C' or above in Use of English of the HKALE or English Language of the GCE A Level, and Chinese Language and Culture or Chinese Language and Literature of the HKALE, you will be considered as meeting the general language proficiency requirements of all degree or professional grades. Thus, you need not, and will not be arranged, to sit for the UE and UC papers of the CRE.
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Q9.
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(Follow up question to A8) I only have Grade 'D' in the said subjects in HKALE / GCE A Level. Does it mean that I still have to take the two language papers of the CRE to obtain 'Level 2' results?
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A9.
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As a general requirement in language proficiency, applicants for civil service posts at degree or professional level are required to obtain either 'Level 2' or 'Level 1' results in the UE and UC papers in the CRE as required by individual recruiting grades/departments. You may wish to refer to the requirements of civil service post(s) in which you are interested to decide whether you need to take the UE and / or UC paper(s).
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Q10.
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I have taken the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. Will I be exempted from the CRE?
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A10.
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An overall band score of 6.5 or above with no subtest score below band 6 obtained in the same sitting in the Academic Module of the IELTS within the 2-year validity period of the test are accepted as equivalent to 'Level 2' result in the UE paper of the CRE. If you have the above results, and are certain that the relevant IELTS results will still be valid at the time of the job application, you may consider whether to take the UE paper in the CRE.
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Q11.
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I have valid IELTS results as mentioned in A10. Can I still sit for the UE paper of the CRE?
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A11.
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You can still sit for the UE paper of the CRE even though you have valid IELTS results.
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Q12.
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Will you accept a combination of IELTS results obtained from different sittings as an equivalent to the results of the UE paper of the CRE?
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A12.
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No, we only accept IELTS results in the overall band and subtests obtained in the same sitting.
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Q13.
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Will you accept a combination of results obtained from CRE, HKALE, GCE A Level and IELTS?
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A13.
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For meeting the general language proficiency requirements of degree or professional grades, a combination of results obtained from CRE, HKALE, GCE A Level and IELTS will be accepted, provided that all the results are valid at the time of the job application. Relevant results obtained in different CRE / HKALE / GCE A Level sittings will be accepted (e.g. a pass result in AT paper obtained in the CRE held in June 2006, a pass result obtained in the UE paper of the CRE in December 2005 and Grade 'C' in the Chinese Language and Culture of the HKALE in 1998). As for IELTS, only results obtained in the same sitting will be accepted.
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Q14.
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Apart from the results of HKALE, GCE A Level and IELTS, are there any public examination results being accepted as equivalent to CRE results?
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A14.
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At present, only the relevant results of HKALE, GCE A Level and IELTS are accepted as equivalent to CRE results. (Please also see Q&A 7 & 10)
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About BLT results
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Q15.
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Is there a passing mark for the BLT? What can I do if I cannot attain a good result in the BLT which is of permanent validity?
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A15.
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The BLT result will not affect a candidate's eligibility for job application and recruitment interview. It will be one of the considerations to assess the suitability of a candidate. There is no passing mark set for the BLT and the full mark of the paper is 100. Candidates may choose to take the BLT again when applications for the next round of BLT are called.
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Q16.
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I am not a degree holder and wish to apply for non-degree / non-professional civil service posts. Can I apply for the BLT?
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A16.
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Applicants for the BLT should be holders of degree or professional qualifications. Applicants for non-degree / non-professional grades will be tested on their BL knowledge through written test / oral questions during the recruitment process. The arrangements for BL assessment to be conducted by individual recruiting grades / departments will be set out in the relevant recruitment advertisements placed on or after 1 September 2008. You may also visit the CSB homepage for details about the BL assessment.
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Q17.
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I already possess the requisite CRE results. Is it a must for me to take the BLT before I apply for civil service posts at degree / professional level?
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A17.
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BL knowledge will not be a prerequisite for application to a civil service job, but will be one of the considerations to assess the suitability of a candidate. For civil service jobs at degree / professional level to be advertised from 1 September 2008 onwards, candidates will need to have taken the BLT.
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General
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Q18.
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Where can I get past papers of the CRE / BLT for reference?
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A18.
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CRE and BLT papers are not published. Sample questions of the CRE and BLT are available on this homepage.
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Q19.
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What is the syllabus for the CRE?
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A19.
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There is no prescribed syllabus for the CRE. The UE and UC papers assess candidates' language proficiency whereas the AT paper assesses their reasoning abilities. The examination format and sample questions can be found on this homepage.
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| Q20. |
What is the syllabus for the BLT?
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| A20. |
The scope of the BLT will be based on the text of the Basic Law (which includes all its annexes, attachments and appendices). Relevant reference materials can be found in the government Basic Law homepage (www.info.gov.hk/basic_law). The examination format and sample questions can be found on this homepage.
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| Q21. |
If I want to amend my personal particulars, what can I do?
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| A21. |
If you want to amend your personal particulars, such as your name, identity document number and correspondence address, etc, you may write to Senior Executive Officer (Examinations) 2 of the Civil Service Examinations Unit at Room 707, 7/F, Main Wing, Central Government Offices, Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong, giving your name in English and HKID / Passport No.
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About result notification and job application
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Q22.
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When and how will I receive the results of the CRE / BLT?
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A22.
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Result notification will be sent by post to the candidates about one month after the date of examination / test.
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Q23.
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What should I do if I want to have a review on my CRE / BLT result?
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A23.
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Your request should be made in writing and sent by post / by hand to the Civil Service Examinations Unit at Room 707, 7/F, Main Wing, Central Government Offices, Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong, or by e-mail to: csbcseu@csb.gov.hk within one week from the date of the result notification. Late submissions will not be entertained.
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Q24.
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If I obtain 'Level 2' or 'Level 1' results in the UE and UC papers and a pass result in the AT paper of the CRE, will I be qualified for applying for civil service posts? When and how can I apply for these posts?
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A24.
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Individual recruiting grades / departments will stipulate in the relevant recruitment advertisements their CRE requirements. As the CRE is held independent of the recruitment process for any civil service post, you should apply to the recruiting grades/departments direct in response to recruitment advertisements published in newspapers and on this homepage. Vetting of academic and / or professional qualifications will be carried out by the recruiting grades / departments which may also conduct separate examinations/interviews in addition to the CRE.
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Q25.
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Do I need to retain the letter of CRE results?
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A25.
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You must retain the letter, which is a proof of your attainment in obtaining the requisite CRE results when you apply for civil service posts at degree or professional level.
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| Q26. |
Do I need to retain the letter of BLT result?
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| A26. |
You must retain the letter of BLT result. It is a proof of your BLT result and you are required to present the original copy to the recruiting grades / department when attending recruitment interview.
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Q27.
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I have lost the letter of CRE results. Can I get another copy?
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A27.
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You may make a request in writing which may be sent by post to the Civil Service Examinations Unit at Room 707, 7/F, Main Wing, Central Government Offices, Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong, or by e-mail to csbcseu@csb.gov.hk.
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| Q28. |
Can I use the CRE results to apply for jobs outside the civil service?
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| A28. |
The CRE is a threshold examination for civil service appointment purpose. It is not a general academic qualification.
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