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Digitalised Basic Law and National Security Law Test (Degree / Professional Grades) 

Examination Arrangement under Bad Weather (Updated at 11:30 am on 23 September 2025)

The Hong Kong Observatory has announced that the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 will be issued at 2:20 pm today (23 September 2025) and the adverse weather is expected to persist tomorrow (24 September 2025).  All afternoon sessions of the Digitalised Basic Law and National Security Law Test (Degree / Professional Grades) originally scheduled for today (23 September 2025) and all morning and afternoon sessions originally scheduled for tomorrow (24 September 2025) will be cancelled.

The Civil Service Examinations Unit (CSEU) will reassign the examination timeslots for the affected candidates and notify them by e-mail.  Candidates who are unable to attend the reassigned examination timeslots can amend or cancel the assigned examination timeslots not later than one day before the reassigned examination date, otherwise, they will be treated as absentees.  Candidates who do not receive the e-mail on the reassigned examination timeslots within three working days after the original examination date should contact the CSEU by phone at (852) 2537 6429 or by e-mail to csbcseu@csb.gov.hk.

Candidates are advised to visit this webpage again before leaving for the examination centre for the latest information.

Candidates interested in applying for the five civil service posts are reminded to take part in Basic Law and National Security Law Test earlyimages/common/new.jpg 

The next round of recruitment exercise for the posts of Administrative Officer (AO), Executive Officer II (EOII), Assistant Labour Officer II (ALOII), Assistant Trade Officer II (ATOII) and Management Services Officer II (MSOII) will begin in September 2025. As part of the entry requirements, applicants for these posts should attain a pass result in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (Degree / Professional Grades) (BLNST).  Candidates who have not attained a pass result in the BLNST must separately apply for Digitalised BLNST and obtain a pass result before the specified date (i.e. 29 November 2025) in order to be considered for appointment.
 
Please be reminded that Digitalised BLNST has a three-month suspension period. If a candidate is absent from the examination or fail the examination on 28 August 2025, his / her suspension period will be from 29 August 2025 to 28 November 2025 and he / she can only take Digitalised BLNST again on 1 December 2025 (Monday) the earliest, i.e. not able to attain a pass result in BLNST before the specified date of 29 November 2025.  Similarly, if a candidate with examination after 28 August 2025 is absent from the examination or fail the examination, he/she will not be able to take the Digitalised BLNST again before 29 November 2025. Applicants interested in the above posts are advised to take the Digitalised BLNST the earliest.  

About the Digitalised Basic Law and National Security Law Test (Degree / Professional Grades) (Digitalised BLNST) 

The Civil Service Bureau (CSB) launches Digitalised BLNST in May 2025 for prospective applicants for civil service jobs requiring degree or professional qualifications to take the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST) (Degree / Professional Grades) at their own selected timeslots throughout the year.  In view of the launch of Digitalised BLNST, with effect from June 2025, the CSB will no longer organise the paper-based BLNST on the same day of the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) in Hong Kong.  
 
The examination format, duration and content of Digitalised BLNST are identical to those of the paper-based BLNST.  The only change is that the test would be conducted by computer and the results of Digitalised BLNST will be issued by e-mail to the candidates in the form of electronic result certificates on the same day as the examination.

Who may apply

Applicants should be holders of Hong Kong Identity Card and aged 18 or above (including those who will turn 18 in the year the applicant takes the examination), and should be –
 
(a) holders of degree (not including Associate Degrees); or
 
(b) individuals who will have attained a degree (not including Associate Degree) in the current or next academic year; or
 
(c) holders of a qualification meeting the entry requirement on professional qualifications for civil service degree or professional posts [only applicable to those who are not in the above two categories of (a) or (b)].
 

[Note: Before submitting application form, applicants should refer to the “Frequently Asked Questions” for information about the eligibility of applicants for Digitalised BLNST. Applicants under category (c) should check with the government departments / grades concerned to confirm whether the qualification that they are holding is accepted for appointment to the relevant post(s).]

For applicants under category (b), viz. those who will have obtained a bachelor’s degree (not including Associate Degree) in the current or next academic year, the eligible applicants for taking Digitalised BLNST to be held in 2025 and 2026 are as follows –

Examination dates

Eligible applicants who will have attained a degree (not including Associate Degree) in the current or next academic year
First half of 2025
(i.e. on or before 30 June 2025)

Those who will have attained a degree (not including Associate Degree) in the academic year of 2024-25 (i.e. the current academic year) or 2025-26 (i.e. the next academic year)
Second half of 2025
(i.e. from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2025)

Those who will have attained a degree (not including Associate Degree) in the academic year of 2025-26 (i.e. the current academic year) or 2026-27 (i.e. the next academic year)

First half of 2026
(i.e. from 1 January 2026 to 30 June 2026)
Second half of 2026
(i.e. from 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2026)

Those who will have attained a degree (not including Associate Degree) in the academic year of 2026-27 (i.e. the current academic year) or 2027-28 (i.e. the next academic year)
Applicants who have questions about their attaining the degree qualification in a particular academic year should first confirm with their respective tertiary institutions.
 
Applicants who fail to meet the above eligibility shall be liable to disqualification from examination and / or voiding of examination results.
 
The Civil Service Examinations Unit (CSEU) will conduct random checks after examination.  Applicants selected for random checks will receive an e-mail the day after the examination. They should follow the instructions and provide copies of their academic transcripts and / or certificates within the specified timeframe to prove their highest academic qualification / professional qualification reported. Applicants who fail to provide the required proof within the specified timeframe shall be liable to voiding of examination results.

Examination Schedule

Generally speaking, Digitalised BLNST is conducted from Monday to Friday (except public holidays) at the Recruitment Centre, General Grades Office (Address: 37th Floor, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong). There are six examination timeslots per day. Limited quotas will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. In case of any special event (e.g. system maintenance), no examination will be scheduled on certain days or in certain timeslots.

Subject to availability of quota, applicants can choose the timeslot for Digitalised BLNST to be conducted in the coming 8 weeks from the day of application. The earliest date that can be selected is the next working day. New quota on the timeslot after 8 weeks (if it is a working day) will be opened for booking after midnight.

How to apply

Applicants must submit the application through Digitalised BLNST online application system.  Applications submitted in person or by mail, fax, or e-mail will NOT be processed.  Applicants should read the "Notes for Applicants" and "Frequently Asked Questions" carefully before making an application.
 
Upon completion of application procedures, applicant will be provided with an application reference number immediately. A confirmation e-mail will also be sent to the applicant’s e-mail address. Applicants should keep the application reference number until the examination result is available. Applicants should contact the CSEU by phone at (852) 2537 6429 during office hours if they do not receive the confirmation e-mail after submitting the application.  Applicants should enter their e-mail address correctly. To avoid missing any notification, applicants should ensure that their e-mail accounts can receive e-mails from the CSEU, and check each incoming mailbox (including the folders for spam, bulk and junk mails) regularly.
 
Each applicant can only reserve one examination timeslot. Subject to availability of quota, applicants can amend or cancel the reserved examination timeslot not later than one day before the scheduled examination date. 
 

Suspension Period 

To ensure optimal use of government resources, Digitalised BLNST has a three-month suspension period. If an applicant is absent from the examination or has not attained a pass result in the examination, he / she can only take Digitalised BLNST again three months after the date of absence or the date of failing the examination. To avoid affecting other candidates who have applied for Digitalised BLNST, applicants should attend Digitalised BLNST timely. Otherwise, applicants will not be allowed to sit the examination and will be treated as absentees.

Guidance Notes for Candidates

Applicants should read the "Guidance Notes for Candidates of Digitalised Basic Law and National Security Law Test (Degree / Professional Grades)" carefully before attending the Digitalised BLNST. If applicants violate the rules set out in those Guidance Notes, they are liable to a penalty, e.g. written warning, mark penalty, result downgrading, disqualification from examination, voiding of examination result, etc.

Examination Arrangements under adverse weather conditions 

Generally speaking, the examination will be held as scheduled when the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or below, and / or “Amber” or “Red” Rainstorm Warning Signal is issued.
 
If the Hong Kong Observatory issues a Pre-No. 8 Special Announcement (i.e. Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 will be issued within two hours), Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or higher, or “Black” Rainstorm Warning Signal, or if the government announces "extreme conditions", the following arrangements will be made for the Digitalised BLNST:
 
    (i)  If the above warning signal or Special Announcement is hoisted or takes effect at or after 7:00 AM, the examinations held in the morning will be cancelled.
 
   (ii)  If the above warning signal or Special Announcement is hoisted or takes effect at or after 11:30 AM, the examinations held in the afternoon will be cancelled.
 
If the above warning signal or Special Announcement is hoisted or takes effect during the examination, the ongoing examination will continue.
 
The CSEU will arrange alternative examination dates for the affected candidates and notify them by e-mail. 

BLNST (Degree / Professional Grades) 

For details about the BLNST (Degree / Professional Grades) including the examination format and sample questions, and the BLNST in the civil service recruitment, please refer to the Common Recruitment Examination and the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (Degree / Professional Grades) webpage.

Reference videos (Chinese only)

考試模式及報名攻略 考試攻略及成績發放

Enquiries

Should there be any enquiries about Digitalised BLNST, please contact the Civil Service Examinations Unit by phone at (852) 2537 6429 or by e-mail to csbcseu@csb.gov.hk.