New round of applications for Common Recruitment Examination opens tomorrow
A new round of the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) will open for application from tomorrow (March 28). Prospective applicants for civil service posts at the degree or professional level should apply through the online application system on the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) webpage.
The application details for the CRE will be uploaded to the CSB webpage (www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html) tomorrow. The application deadline is 11.59pm on April 10.
A spokesman for the CSB reminded persons planning to apply for civil service posts at the degree or professional level that they should first obtain valid CRE results. Those who plan to apply for these jobs in the near future should make use of the opportunity to take part in this round of examination, tentatively scheduled for June 6.
The pool of eligible candidates for civil service jobs requiring an undergraduate degree has been expanded to students in their third year of undergraduate studies (in a four-year curriculum). Therefore, holders of a degree or a professional qualification meeting the entry requirement of the posts, or undergraduate students graduating in the academic year of 2025/26 or 2026/27 may all apply.
The CRE consists of three papers, namely the Use of Chinese (UC), the Use of English (UE) and the Aptitude Test (AT). Applicants may choose to take any of the CRE papers in the coming examination. Results in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE) or other specified public examinations are accepted as equivalents to different levels of results for the UC and the UE. If applicants have attained the specified results in the language subjects concerned in the HKDSEE or other specified public examinations, they will not be arranged to take the UC and/or UE paper(s). Please visit the CSB webpage for the specified results and the language subjects concerned. Applicants should note that different civil service posts have different Chinese and English language proficiency requirements. No public examination results are accepted as being equivalent to the AT. For some civil service posts at the degree or professional level, a pass result in the AT paper is one of the eligibility criteria an applicant must meet for applying for the posts concerned.
Attaining a pass result in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST) is an entry requirement for all civil service jobs. Prospective candidates for civil service posts of degree or professional grades should attend the Digitalised BLNST (Degree/Professional Grades) organised by CSB at the Recruitment Centre, General Grades Office, as soon as possible. For details, please visit the webpage (www.csb.gov.hk/eng/dblnst.html).
General enquiries may be directed to the Civil Service Examinations Unit by phone at 2537 6429 or by e-mail to csbcseu@csb.gov.hk.
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong
The "Great Music 2026", presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will bring a world-renowned orchestra and musicians to Hong Kong from June to December, offering music lovers a stellar line-up of performances. Details of the programmes are as follows:
"Gewandhausorchester Leipzig" concerts
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Date and time: June 2 and 3 (Tuesday and Wednesday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $450 to $1,600
The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig of Germany, with a history spanning over 280 years, will return to Hong Kong after a seven-year hiatus. Under the baton of its music director and conductor Andris Nelsons, the first concert will feature two iconic works that received their premieres in Leipzig with the orchestra in the first half of the 19th century: Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto and Schumann's Symphony No. 1 "Spring". The second concert will present Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10. The piano concertos in both concerts will be performed with soloist Yulianna Avdeeva, first prize winner of the 16th International Chopin Piano Competition.
This visit also marks the Hong Kong debut of Nelsons, one of the most sought-after conductors of our time, who has collaborated with world-class orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Berliner Philharmoniker. His acclaimed complete recordings of Shostakovich symphonies have also garnered Grammy Awards. These two concerts, with an impressive line-up of international top-tier orchestra, conductor and pianist, promise to be an unmissable highlight of the year for music lovers.
Duo Recital by Rafa Blechacz (Piano) and Bomsori Kim (Violin)
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Date and time: June 22 (Monday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $280 to $680
Polish pianist Rafa Blechacz, winner of the 15th International Chopin Piano Competition, and Korean violinist Bomsori Kim, laureate of the 15th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, have developed a close artistic partnership in recent years. Together they have recorded an award-winning album and toured as a duo at prestigious halls worldwide. Making their reunion on stage in Hong Kong, the duo will present a programme spanning classical and early modern repertoire, featuring works by Beethoven, Paderewski, Franck and Szymanowski.
Violin Recital by Renaud Capuçon
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Date and time: October 11 (Sunday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $280 to $680
Renaud Capuçon is one of the most acclaimed violinists of our time. He has performed as a soloist and conductor with leading orchestras in various venues and served as music director of prominent festivals. The French violinist will return to Hong Kong to present a programme that is entirely dedicated to Brahms and his three sonatas for violin.
Duo Recital by Sol Gabetta (Cello) & Patricia Kopatchinskaja (Violin)
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Date and time: November 2 (Monday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $280 to $680
Grammy Award-winning violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and cellist Sol Gabetta, laureate of the Opus Klassik Award, enchant the classical music world as dazzling and vibrant soloists and as duo partners for more than 20 years with their distinctive style of performance. In this recital, they will present an assortment of short pieces across eras - from all-time classics Ravel's sonata and Kodály's duo for violin and cello, along with a few forays (by Leclair and Bach) into the Baroque period, to works by the 20th- and 21st-century composers the artists favour, including Widmann, Ligeti, Xenakis, as well as Kopatchinskaja's own composition. This Hong Kong recital debut of the duo will surely revitalise the evening with virtuosity and zest.
Piano Recital by Jan Lisiecki
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Date and time: December 6 (Sunday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $250 to $550
Transitioned from a piano prodigy to an internationally acclaimed musician, Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki works closely with the foremost conductors and orchestras of his time, and his albums have garnered numerous prestigious awards. After an eight-year absence, he will return to present a dance-themed solo recital programme for Hong Kong audiences. Featuring works by Martin, Falla, Szymanowski, Schubert, Bartók, Ginastera, Chopin, Brahms, Piazzolla and Albéniz, Lisiecki traces a musical journey that embraces traditions and geographies, from the refinement of the waltz to the blazing energy of the tango.
Tickets for the above-mentioned programmes will be available from March 30 (Monday) onwards at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. A 30 per cent early bird discount will be offered from March 30 until April 12 (Sunday) for each purchase of standard tickets of any two or more performances of "Great Music 2026" (which should include "Gewandhausorchester Leipzig" concerts). For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/groups_1946.html.
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
LCSD's "Great Music 2026" to gather international top-notch orchestra and acclaimed musicians to perform in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
