How to use the DSE timetable: from the HKEAA release to a maths revision countdown
The most reliable way to find out the exam dates and times for each DSE subject is to look directly at the exam arrangements page on the HKEAA website. That page has an exam timetable and provides the 2027 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination timetable. This article does not reproduce individual subject dates; instead it explains how to read the official timetable, how to avoid using outdated information, and how to arrange maths revision into a countdown based on the order of exams. The HKEAA exam arrangements page also covers exam notices from 2026 to 2012 and provides information on exam registration and exam fees. Chinese Literature and Visual Arts are subjects using double marking, so their assessment differs from that of ordinary subjects. The HKEAA also holds online information seminars on core subjects for senior secondary students; the maths session covers assessment requirements and exam tips, and can be used as a supplement to understanding the key assessment points.
This article was put together automatically from official and organisation sources. Check the latest information from the organisation concerned.
- The exam timetable should follow the exam arrangements page on the HKEAA website, which provides the 2027 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination timetable.
- The exam arrangements page also covers exam notices from 2026 to 2012 and provides information on exam registration and exam fees.
- This article does not reproduce individual subject dates, to avoid using outdated information.
- Arrange the official timetable into a countdown by exam order, starting with the earliest exam.
- Seven subjects use double marking, including Chinese Literature and Visual Arts.
- The maths seminar has the Assessment Development Manager explaining assessment requirements and exam tips, from 2:00pm to 3:30pm.
Find the official timetable first, don't rely on copies
The first step in planning revision is to get the correct exam timetable. The HKEAA's exam arrangements page has an exam timetable, and the website also provides the 2027 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination timetable. In other words, the year and the arrangement of subjects should follow this official page.
Old timetables or self-compiled versions often circulate online, and their subject order and dates may not match the latest announcement. The HKEAA exam arrangements page also covers exam notices from 2026 to 2012, so the same page holds information for several years at once; readers should check which year they are looking at, to avoid treating an old notice as the latest arrangement. Building your revision plan on the official page reduces the risk of setting the wrong countdown periods because of outdated information.
Three steps to a revision countdown
Turning the official timetable into a usable revision tool can be done in three steps. First, open the HKEAA exam timetable page and confirm that all the subjects you are entered for are listed. Second, put the subjects you need to revise in order of when they are examined, from earliest to latest. Third, set revision slots for each subject, starting with the earliest exam while keeping fixed slots for later subjects, so that everything is not crammed into the end.
The countdown is only a tool, not a promise. Once it is set up, keep returning to the official page to check; if there are updates, the HKEAA's latest announcement should be your reference. To find out when registration and fees should be handled, go back to the exam registration and fees page on the HKEAA website rather than working out dates yourself from the countdown.
Where maths sits in the countdown
Maths is one of the core subjects, and revision usually takes longer, so it suits a fixed weekly slot on the countdown rather than being left until the exam is near. Dividing topics into small parts and working through them week by week makes it easier to keep up with other subjects at the same time.
The HKEAA has held online information seminars on core subjects for senior secondary students. In the maths session, the Assessment Development Manager explained the assessment requirements and exam tips, from 2:00pm to 3:30pm. Such seminars help you understand the key assessment points, but they are not the timetable itself, and the two should be treated separately: assessment requirements decide what you revise, and the official timetable decides the order in which you revise it.
How double-marked subjects differ from other electives
Seven DSE subjects use double marking, including Chinese Language, English Language, Liberal Studies, Chinese Literature, Chinese History, Visual Arts and Literature in English. In Liberal Studies, for example, each candidate is marked independently by at least two and at most four markers. A different assessment method does not change a subject's place on the timetable, but it does affect the skills you should focus on when revising.
So if a candidate's electives include Chinese Literature or Visual Arts, revision planning should not only follow the timetable order but also take account of how these subjects are assessed. Other electives have their own assessment arrangements, and the HKEAA's published information should be your reference; experience from one subject should not be applied directly to another.
Using official information to understand assessment requirements
Besides the timetable, the HKEAA exam arrangements page also covers exam notices for several years and provides information on exam registration and exam fees. Registration, fees and exam arrangements are separate matters and should be checked separately on the official pages rather than being confused with one another.
The DSE Information Day was held on Saturday 17 January 2026 at the HKEAA Homantin office and exam centre, 68 Gillies Avenue South, Hung Hom, Kowloon (MTR Ho Man Tin Station Exit B1), with two sessions, 10:30am to 12:30pm and 2:00pm to 4:00pm, with the same content in both. The online information seminars on core subjects were held on Saturday 24 January 2026: Citizenship and Social Development from 10:30am to 11:30am, Chinese Language from 12:00pm to 1:30pm, Maths from 2:00pm to 3:30pm, and English Language from 4:00pm to 5:30pm. The events were conducted in Cantonese, except the English Language seminar; the enquiry number is 3628 8806. These events are mainly for senior secondary students and are a way to understand assessment requirements.
How parents can support
A parent's role is not to plan every revision session for their child, but to help them get the correct official information and to remind them to check the HKEAA page when the countdown changes. For maths, parents can watch whether their child practises in a regular slot rather than cramming just before the exam.
If you are considering tutoring, first distinguish between tutoring centres, private tutoring, home tutoring and online tutoring, then choose according to your child's actual needs rather than making a hasty decision as exams approach. Before choosing, you can refer to the maths tutoring guide to understand the features and considerations of each format.
Free and steady daily practice
Once the countdown is set up, it needs steady daily practice to support it. Sprout Classroom is a free Hong Kong maths learning website, offering short courses from Primary 1 to Secondary 6, explained by the cartoon online teacher Sprout. It has no tutoring centre and no human tutors, and is not recognised by the Education Bureau or the HKEAA. It is suitable for short, frequent daily practice alongside the official timetable.
Remember: the timetable, registration and assessment arrangements should always follow the HKEAA's latest announcement; the learning website's courses are practice material only and cannot replace official information.
- Learn maths for free: the Primary 1 to Secondary 6 learning model
- Maths topics: Primary 1 to Secondary 6
Frequently asked questions
Where can Hong Kong parents and candidates find the DSE exam timetable?
The HKEAA exam arrangements page has an exam timetable, and the website also provides the 2027 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination timetable. The same page also covers exam notices from 2026 to 2012, so check the year when you open it. When planning revision, follow that official page and re-check it when needed.
When is the maths exam?
This article does not reproduce individual subject exam dates, because such information should be checked directly on the HKEAA exam timetable page, and the latest announcement should be your reference.
Where can I find registration and exam fee information?
The HKEAA website provides information on exam registration and exam fees. It is on a different page from the exam timetable, so check them separately rather than working out dates yourself from the countdown.
Which subjects use double marking?
Seven DSE subjects use double marking, including Chinese Language, English Language, Liberal Studies, Chinese Literature, Chinese History, Visual Arts and Literature in English. In Liberal Studies, for example, each candidate is marked independently by at least two and at most four markers.
How do the online information seminars on core subjects differ from the exam timetable?
The exam timetable sets out the exam arrangements for each subject; the online information seminars on core subjects have the Assessment Development Manager explaining assessment requirements and exam tips, with the maths session from 2:00pm to 3:30pm. They serve different purposes and are best used together.
My child is not a senior secondary student. Is this information useful?
The information seminars are mainly for senior secondary students. Younger students can first build steady maths practice habits, and look closely at the official timetable and assessment requirements when they reach senior secondary.