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Candidates interested in applying for civil service posts at degree or professional level are reminded to apply to sit for the Common Recruitment Examination Part I on or before Friday (May 17).
"The new entry requirements for civil service posts at degree and professional level is an initiative introduced by the Government to raise the language proficiency standard of new recruits," said a spokesman for the Civil Service Bureau today (May 14).
From January 2003 onwards, applicants to these posts will first have to obtain a pass in the two language papers of the Common Recruitment Examination Part I.
The spokesman said: "The new policy also has the benefits of saving the candidates' time and effort in attending similar language examinations when applying for different civil service posts. Also, by detaching language examination from the recruitment process, the latter can be fast-tracked."
"As a proactive step to maintain a biliterate and trilingual Civil Service, applicants to civil service posts with entry requirements set below degree level will also be required to attain at least Grade E in Chinese Language and English Language (Syllabus B) in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) or equivalent," the spokesman said.
"These initiatives aim to induce the community to attach greater importance to language proficiency," he added.
The existing language proficiency requirements for various civil service grades are set with reference to the academic qualifications required by the posts. In general, for civil service posts requiring an academic qualification at five passes in the HKCEE or above, candidates should obtain at least Grade E in Chinese Language and English Language (Syllabus B) in the HKCEE or equivalent.
The Common Recruitment Examination Part I will be held on June 22, 2002 (Saturday).
The examination consists of three one-hour papers in multiple-choice format - Use of Chinese, Use of English and Aptitude Test. The two language papers are applicable to civil service grades which require degree or professional qualifications for appointment and also grades which offer different entry pay points to graduate candidates vis-a-vis other non-degree holders as in the case of some disciplined services grades, e.g. Police Inspector. A total of 52 grades will also incorporate the Aptitude Test as one of the entry requirements to test candidates' reasoning abilities.
Information relating to the examination is available at the Civil Service Bureau's website. (http://www.csb.gov.hk). Application forms can be downloaded. Enquiries can be made to the Bureau's Civil Service Examinations Unit by phone (2537 6429) or e-mail (csbcseu@csb.gov.hk)
End/Tuesday, May 14, 2002
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