The CRE is one of the examinations reserved for university degree holders who wish to apply for positions in the government. The CRE, or Common Recruitment Examination, is an examination that gauges applicants' language proficiency in Chinese and in English, as well as their suitability to work in the government.
There are a total of 3 papers in the CRE. They are the Use of English (UE), the Use of Chinese (UC), and the Aptitude Test (AT). The AT, a reasoning test, has a multiple choice format.
Forty-five minutes for each paper
UE and UC have 3 result levels: Fail, Level 1 and Level 2 with Level 2 being the highest.
AT has 2 result levels: Pass or Fail.
CRE results for all 3 papers attaining passing levels or above are of permanent validity.
Candidates who have attained specified levels of results in recognized examinations can be used as equivalents for CRE UE or UC papers and decide whether they need to take these papers.
| CRE UE | HKALE UE | GCE AL English Language | IELTS Academic Module |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 2 | Grade C or above | Grade C or above | 6.5(2-yr validity period/no subtest score under 6.0) |
| Level 1 |
Grade D | Grade D | |
| CRE UC | HKALE Chinese Language and Culture or Chinese Language and Literature |
||
| Level 2 | Grade C or above | ||
| Level 1 |
Grade D | ||
In order to be eligible for recruitment at degree or professional levels, applicants have to attain grade Level 1 or 2 in the UE and UC papers in the CRE as stipulated by individual recruiting departments. For AT, a Pass is required by some departments in addition to UE and UC requirements.
For some departmental positions such as those offered by the disciplined services, different entry pay points are offered according to different levels of academic attainments and their CRE results. Degree holders may not be eligible for degree pay point if they have not met the requisite CRE results.
Civil service positions vary in CRE, academic, and other requirements. Find out the specific requirements of positions one is interested in before deciding which CRE papers to take.
CRE results attainment at any level does not imply meeting entry requirements which are set by individual recruiting departments together with other recruitment criteria in the form of specific tests, interviews, and academic vetting procedures.
The CRE is held independently of the recruitment process for any civil service post. If you are interested in any civil service positions, apply directly to the recruiting departments.
Also reserved for university degree holders who wish to apply for positions in the government, the BLT is administered for the purpose of raising public awareness and promoting a culture of learning of the Basic Law in the community.
One bilingual paper made up of 15 multiple choice questions that assess candidates knowledge of the Basic Law
20 minutes
There is no passing mark set for the BLT. The full mark of the paper is 100.
The result of the BLT is of permanent validity. Candidates may, if they wish to, take the BLT again when applications for the next round of tests are called.
All candidates applying for civil service posts will be assessed on their knowledge of the Basic Law via the BLT. Results of this test will constitute an appropriate weighting in a candidate's overall assessment. However, it will not affect a candidate's eligibility for applying for a civil service post.
Acquisition of BLT results does not imply that a candidate has fully met the entry requirements of any civil service post at degree or professional level.
The BLT is held independently of the recruitment process for any civil service post.
Applicants for the CRE and BLT must be either university degree holders (Associate Degree holders excluded), OR final year students of an undergraduate program; OR holders of a qualification meeting the entry requirement on professional qualifications for civil service degree or professional posts.
CRE and BLT are held twice a year. Check government website for latest information about examination location and dates. (click here)
Enquiries may be directed to the CSEU by phone at (852) 2537 6429, by e-mail to csbcseu@csb.gov.hk, or by post to Room 718, 7/F, West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong.
http://www.csb.gov.hk/english/recruit/cre/949.html
The purpose of this web page is to provide a quick overall picture of Government recruitment information. You are advised to visit the following Government webpage for fidelity, details, currency of information, and use it as the official source.
