Hong Kong Government – Administrative Officer & Common Recruitment Exam
HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION GOVERNMENT
(1) Recruitment of Administrative Officer; and
(2) Application for taking Common Recruitment Examination and Basic Law Test (Degree / Professional Grades) (CRE and BLT) outside Hong Kong
(1) Recruitment of Administrative Officer
Salary:
Master Pay Scale Point 27 (HK$60,065 per month) to Master Pay Scale Point 44 (HK$116,165 per month)
Entry Requirements:
Candidates should have –
(a) (i) A first or second class honours bachelor’s degree from a Hong Kong university, or equivalent [Note (1)]; or (ii) A postgraduate degree from a Hong Kong university, or equivalent, where the qualifications considered in totality are comparable to the requirement in (a)(i);
(b) A Pass in the Aptitude Test in the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) [Notes (2) and (6)];
(c) A good command of both Chinese and English and have met the language proficiency requirements of Level 2 in the two language papers (Use of Chinese and Use of English) in the CRE, or equivalent [Notes (2) to (6)]; and
(d) A pass result in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (Degree / Professional Grades) (BLNST) [Note (7)].
(Remark: Candidates will be required to pass the Joint Administrative Officer / Executive Officer / Labour Officer / Trade Officer / Management Services Officer / Transport Officer Recruitment Examination (JRE) to be held tentatively on 2 December 2023 [Notes (8) to (11)].)
Duties:
Administrative Officers are professional public administrators who play a key role in the HKSAR Government. They are involved in policy formulation, resource allocation, implementation of major government programmes and promotion of the interests of Hong Kong in the Mainland and overseas. Posted around different bureaux and departments at regular intervals, they enjoy variety in their career and contribute to different areas of work in the Government.
Terms of Appointment:
A new appointee to the Administrative Officer rank will normally be appointed on civil service probationary terms for three years. Upon passage of probation bar, he/she may be considered for appointment on the prevailing permanent terms.
Prospects:
We recruit the best candidates who possess directorate potential, and we offer them excellent career prospects. The most able and aspiring officers may fill leading positions in bureaux or departments.
Enquiry addresses and telephone numbers:
Hong Kong:
Administrative Service Division, Civil Service Bureau (Address: Room 918, 9/F., West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong / Tel. No.: (852) 2810 3155 / E-mail address: csbasd@csb.gov.hk)
NOTES:
- Students pursuing a bachelor's degree or equivalent and graduating in the year of 2024 or 2025 may also apply. If selected, appointment will be subject to, among others, the attainment of requisite academic qualification in the year of 2024 or 2025 respectively.
- Candidates’ results in the Aptitude Test (AT) paper of the CRE are classified as Pass or Fail, while the results of the Use of Chinese (UC) and Use of English (UE) papers of the CRE are classified as Level 2, Level 1 or Fail, with Level 2 being the highest. Level 2 and Level 1 results of the two language papers and Pass result of the AT paper obtained from December 2006 onwards are of permanent validity. Applicants with valid requisite results in the AT, UC and UE papers obtained in previous CREs are deemed to have met the entry requirements (b) and (c) of the six posts.
- Level 5 or above in Chinese Language of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE) is accepted as equivalent to Level 2 in the UC paper of the CRE. Level 5 or above in English Language of the HKDSEE is accepted as equivalent to Level 2 in the UE paper of the CRE.
- Grade C or above in Chinese Language and Culture or Chinese Language and Literature of the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) is accepted as equivalent to Level 2 in the UC paper of the CRE. Grade C or above in Use of English of the HKALE or in English Language of the General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) (GCE A Level) is accepted as equivalent to Level 2 in the UE paper of the CRE.
- An overall band of 6.5 or above with no subtest score below band 6 obtained in the same sitting in the Academic Module of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) within the two-year validity period of the test is accepted as equivalent to Level 2 in the UE paper of the CRE. The IELTS test result must be valid on any date during the application period.
- Applicants who do not possess the requisite CRE results, or equivalent, may also apply for the post(s). They will be arranged to take the relevant paper(s) of the CRE specially organised by the Civil Service Bureau on the same day of JRE (tentative). Their applications will be processed subject to their obtaining the requisite CRE results.
- All applicants for civil service jobs will be assessed on their knowledge of the Basic Law and the National Security Law. A pass result in the BLNST is an entry requirement for all civil service jobs. Only those candidates who have passed the BLNST will be considered for appointment. For candidates who have not taken the relevant BLNST or have not attained a pass result in the relevant BLNST at the time of application, they may still apply for the post(s) and arrangements will be made for them to take the relevant BLNST on the same day of JRE (tentative).
- Eligible applicants will be arranged to sit the JRE to be held tentatively on 2 December 2023. Candidates residing or studying outside Hong Kong may take the JRE on the same date outside Hong Kong.
- As it takes time to process all applications, an invitation to the JRE does not imply that an applicant has met the entry requirements of the post(s) being applied for.
- Eligible applicants should immediately contact the Civil Service Examinations Unit by phone at (852) 2537 6429 or by e-mail to csbcseu@csb.gov.hk if they do not receive the e-mail notifying them of the relevant details of the JRE by 20 November 2023.
- Any request for review of examination results of the JRE should be made in writing and should reach the Civil Service Examinations Unit at Room 2511, 25/F., Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong within 7 calendar days from the date of notification as to whether an applicant is invited to attend selection interview. Late requests will not be entertained. Please note that a review of JRE results may lead to upward, downward or no adjustment to the original marks.
HOW TO APPLY:
All completed application forms must be submitted on or before the deadline for application via one of the following means --
(i) through on-line application system on the Civil Service Bureau homepage at www.csb.gov.hk;
(ii) by post to CSB at Room 722, 7/F., West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong (the postmark date on the envelope will be regarded as the date of submission of application). To avoid unsuccessful delivery of mail items, please ensure that the address on the envelope is clear and correct and sufficient postage has been paid. Mail items bearing insufficient postage will not be delivered to this Bureau and will be returned to the sender or disposed of by the Hongkong Post, where appropriate. An applicant will bear any consequences arising from not paying sufficient postage.
Application Forms [CSB 606 (Rev. 9/2023) and CSB 606A (Rev. 9/2023)] can be at https://www.csb.gov.hk/english/admin/grade/ao/files/CSB606_and_606A_Rev_9_2023.pdf. They are also available at any Home Affairs Enquiry Centres of the Home Affairs Department, any Job Centres of the Employment Services Division of the Labour Department, and the Information Counter on 1/F., Trade and Industry Tower, 3 Concorde Road, Kowloon City, Hong Kong.
Applications not made in the prescribed application forms [CSB 606 (Rev. 9/2023) and CSB 606A (Rev. 9/2023)] or submitted by fax or e-mail will NOT be accepted.
Deadline for Application:
6 October 2023 (Friday) at 5:00 p.m. Hong Kong Time. Late or incomplete applications will NOT be accepted. Towards the deadline for application, the on-line system would likely be heavily loaded with large volume of applications, and it may render applicants unable to complete their on-line applications in time. Applicants should therefore submit their applications as early as possible.
GENERAL NOTES:
(a) Candidates must be permanent residents of the HKSAR at the time of appointment.
(b) As an Equal Opportunities Employer, the Government is committed to eliminating discrimination in employment. The vacancy advertised is open to all applicants meeting the basic entry requirement irrespective of their disability, sex, marital status, pregnancy, age, family status, sexual orientation and race.
(c) Civil service vacancies are posts on the civil service establishment. Candidates selected for these vacancies will be appointed on civil service terms of appointment and conditions of service and will become civil servants on appointment.
(d) The entry pay, terms of appointment and conditions of service to be offered are subject to the provisions prevailing at the time the offer of appointment is made.
(e) The information on the monthly salary and maximum pay point is for reference only and may be subject to changes.
(f) Fringe benefits include paid leave, medical and dental benefits, and where appropriate, assistance in housing.
(g) Where a large number of candidates meet the specified entry requirements, the recruiting departments may devise shortlisting criteria to select the better qualified candidates for further processing. In these circumstances, only shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend selection interview.
(h) It is the Government's policy to place people with a disability in appropriate jobs wherever possible. If a disabled candidate meets the entry requirements (including passing the JRE to be held tentatively on 2 December 2023), he/she will be invited to attend the selection interview without being subject to further shortlisting. Applicants who have declared disabilities found suitable for appointment may be given an appropriate degree of preference over other applicants whose suitability for appointment is considered comparable to that of the former. The Government's policy and other related measures on employment of persons with disabilities are set out in the booklet “Employ People Based on Their Abilities – Application for Government Jobs by Persons with Disabilities” which is available for reference on the Civil Service Bureau's website at www.csb.gov.hk under “Administration of the Civil Service – Appointments”.
(i) Holders of academic qualifications other than those obtained from Hong Kong institutions/Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority may also apply but their qualifications will be subject to assessments on equivalence with the required entry qualifications. Current final year / penultimate year undergraduate students should state in their applications the qualifications they would attain on completion of the final examination. At this stage of application, all applicants are not required to attach any originals/copies of diplomas/certificates, transcripts and other qualification documents issued by the academic institutions.
(j) Civil service vacancies information contained in this column is also available on GovHK on the internet at www.gov.hk.
(When dollars are quoted in this homepage, they are Hong Kong dollars. About HK$7.8 = US$1.)
2. Application for taking Common Recruitment Examination and Basic Law Test (Degree/Professional Grades) to be held outside Hong Kong
Tentative Examination Date: 2 December 2023
For the convenience of Hong Kong people studying or residing outside Hong Kong, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will hold the coming Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) and Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST) (Degree / Professional Grades) in eight cities outside Hong Kong, i.e. Beijing, Shanghai, London, San Francisco, New York, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney. Applicants may choose to take any of the CRE papers and / or the BLNST paper in the coming examinations. They will be notified by email of the examination details by late November 2023.
Common Recruitment Examination:
The CRE consists of three 45-minute papers, namely Use of English, Use of Chinese and Aptitude Test, in multiple-choice format. Applicants may choose to take any of the papers.
The CRE is held independently of the recruitment process for any civil service post. Persons who wish to apply for civil service posts at degree or professional level should first obtain the requisite CRE results unless otherwise specified in the relevant recruitment advertisements. Applicants for the CRE are advised to ascertain the requirements of the civil service post(s) in which they are interested and other examination results accepted as equivalent to CRE results before deciding on which paper(s) they should attempt. Applicants for civil service posts must be permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the time of appointment unless specified otherwise.
Basic Law and National Security Law Test:
For all civil service recruitment exercises advertised on or after 1 July 2022, all candidates must pass the BLNST in order to be considered for appointment. Persons who have taken any Basic Law Test in the past must take the BLNST and attain a pass result. The BLNST is a 30-minute bilingual paper (in both English and Chinese) comprising multiple-choice questions. The pass result is acceptable for the purpose of applying for all civil service jobs.
Eligibility:
Holders of degree, or a qualification meeting the entry requirement on professional qualifications for civil service degree or professional posts, or university students who will have attained a degree in the academic years of 2023-24 or 2024-25.
Application Procedure:
1. On-line: Submit an application before 5:00 p.m. on 6 October 2023 (Hong Kong time) through the on-line application system on the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) webpage at www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html; or
2. By post: To the Civil Service Examinations Unit (CSEU) at Room 2511, 25th Floor, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (date of postmark on or before 6 October 2023). Application form (CSB31 (8/2023)) can be downloaded from the CSB webpage or obtained from any Home Affairs Enquiry Centre of the Home Affairs Department or Job Centre of the Labour Department.
Enquiries:
Telephone of CSEU : (852) 2537 6429
Email: csbcseu@csb.gov.hk
Please visit the CSB webpage at www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html for details.