The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority published DSE 2027 entry arrangements on 8 September 2026. School candidates and private candidates must apply through the HKEAA online services from 11 September to 7 October. Exam-fee payment closes at 11:59pm on 14 October, with a late-payment window from 15 to 20 October during which a surcharge of HK$321 per candidate applies before the application is accepted. The withdrawal deadline is 30 November, and the candidate handbook goes online in mid-December.
On the timetable, practical exams (Physical Education and Music) run from mid-February to late March 2027; the English Language oral exam is 9–18 March (20 March for special-needs candidates); Category A written papers run 6 April to 3 May; and results for Categories A, B and C are released on 14 July 2027. For candidates, a 6 April start means the core papers cluster around the Easter break, demanding a tighter revision cadence than recent years.
JUPAS 2027 applications close at 5pm on 2 December, with the late-application window opening at 9am on 4 December, from when candidates may pay to revise choices. E-APP’s first round opens on 3 December. DSE registration and JUPAS application therefore overlap through October to December, so candidates should frame their JUPAS preferences before the written papers begin.
A change drawing strong interest from Greater Bay Area families is the expansion of mainland “venue schools”. The HKEAA is exploring a phased growth from the current 4 mainland venue schools to 12, adding 8 Guangdong-approved Hong Kong/Macao children’s schools, including Harrow Hong Kong Children’s School Qianhai Shenzhen, Shenzhen Pulin Yunhai,深圳德萃, Shenzhen Jingfan, Foshan Jinan-HK, Foshan Zhong Huang Xing Yu, Guangzhou Zhong Huang, and Hou Kong Middle School Affiliated Hengqin.
Since 2024 the HKEAA has run the DSE in the Greater Bay Area on a pilot basis; about 800 Hong Kong/Macao candidates sat in the mainland during the first three-year trial. After review, authorities agreed to extend the pilot for another three years, 2027–2029. The mainland venues remain at the existing three venue schools, and the eight new schools, if approved, would also let their eligible Hong Kong/Macao Form 6 students sit as school candidates.
The HKEAA stressed a point to allay local parental concern: students at these Hong Kong/Macao children’s schools are themselves Hong Kong/Macao residents, and whether they sit as school candidates or private candidates they are not extra examinees, so they do not add to the competition for funded university places in Hong Kong. A new review mechanism will periodically inspect mainland venues and curriculum quality to preserve the DSE’s international standing.
Action checklist for candidates: complete registration before 7 October and confirm fees are paid; settle exam fees before 14 October to avoid the surcharge; submit JUPAS before 2 December; and if studying or planning to study at a Bay Area Hong Kong/Macao school, track the approval of the eight new venue schools, which directly affects whether one can sit in the mainland venue. Fold these dates together with the DSE written papers and result day into one revision calendar — the cheapest way to avoid a last-minute slip.