The optimising proposals for the Senior Secondary core subjects have been implemented and are applicable to the HKDSE starting from 2024. The Heads of Universities Committee (HUCOM) has decided that students taking the HKDSE have to attain a minimum of level 3 for Chinese Language and English Language, level 2 for Mathematics Compulsory Part and ‘Attained (A)’ for Citizenship and Social Development ('332A'), i.e. ‘332’ and ‘Attained (A)’, in order to meet the minimum requirements necessary to apply for undergraduate programmes offered by the University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded institutions.
Apart from the four core subjects, institutions will set the requirements for elective subjects, and other admission requirements. For the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) and self-financing institutions, general admission requirements regarding the core subjects are the same as the UGC-funded sector. These institutions will also set admission requirements for elective subjects. For details, please check with the institutions concerned.
Details of the admission requirements could be found at the JUPAS website and the tertiary institutions websites.

Local Universities & Higher Education Institutions

Qualification requirements for civil service posts are normally set with reference to qualifications obtainable under the local education system or from local institutions, including Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE), Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) and the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) qualifications.
The HKDSE results are accepted by the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) of the Hong Kong SAR Government for civil service appointment (non-degree civil service grades) purpose. Details are as follows:
A candidate attaining results in five subjects in the HKDSE in any combination of the following will be regarded as having met the entry requirement of 'Level 2 in five subjects in HKDSE' for relevant civil service grades:

Level 2 in Senior Secondary subjects／‘Attained’ in Citizenship and Social Development
'Attained' in Applied Learning (ApL) subjects (subject to a maximum of two ApL subjects), and
Other Languages subjects*:

A2 or above in French / German / Spanish;
N3 or above in Japanese; and
TOPIK II Grade 3 or above in Korean.

*For Other Languages subjects offered in the 2024 HKDSE and before, question papers of the Advanced Subsidiary level from Cambridge Assessment International Education were used. Results are reported in five grades (a-e). The entry requirement for relevant non-degree civil service grades is Grade e.
Remark: If the applicant holds the HKCEE qualification, the entry requirement for relevant civil service grades is '5 passes in HKCEE'.
A candidate attaining results in five subjects in the HKDSE in any combination of the following will be regarded as having met the entry requirement for ‘Level 3 in five subjects in HKDSE’ for relevant civil service grades:

Level 3 in Senior Secondary subjects
‘Attained with Distinction’ in ApL subjects (subject to a maximum of two ApL subjects), and
Other Languages subjects#:

A2 or above in French / German / Spanish;
N3 or above in Japanese; and
TOPIK II Grade 3 or above in Korean.

#For Other Languages subjects offered in the 2024 HKDSE and before, question papers of the Advanced Subsidiary level from Cambridge
Assessment International Education were used. Results are reported in five grades (a-e). The entry requirement for relevant non-degree civil service grades is Grade c.
Remark: If the applicant holds the HKCEE and HKALE qualifications, the entry requirement for relevant civil service grades is '2A3O'.