The first core subject of the 2024 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) written test, the Chinese and liberal arts, will start on the 11th. This year, DSE has set up examination centers for the first time in mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area, including Longhua Xinyi School at Hong Kong Peiqiao College in Shenzhen and Hong Kong Macau Children's School at Jinan University in Guangzhou. There are approximately 110 Hong Kong candidates taking the test. The written test for this year's diploma exam will start on April 9th, and the exam schedule will be divided into four weeks. The core subject exams for four subjects will be held from April 11th to 16th, with a total of about 50000 candidates taking part. The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority previously stated that the test papers transported to the mainland are escorted by security personnel and monitored by closed-circuit television throughout the process. They will be stored in a safe before the start of the exam to ensure their safety and safety. Exam staff have many years of experience to ensure fairness, safety, and confidentiality in exams. At the Longhua Xinyi School of Hong Kong Peiqiao Academy in Shenzhen, there is a sign posted outside the door that reads "Hong Kong Secondary School Diploma Test Field". The campus of Guangzhou Jinan University Hong Kong Macau Children's School is also filled with a tense and orderly atmosphere, with more than 50 middle school sixth (equivalent to high school seniors) students taking the exam. About 9 of them have become boarding students on campus, and some day students take the school bus to arrive at the exam venue. Some parents of Hong Kong students expressed that although their children are not candidates for this year's DSE exam, they are very surprised to see the school become an exam venue. She said that if the exam venue is not in mainland China, as a parent, one must accompany their child to Hong Kong. The exam takes more than ten days, and the energy and cost involved are also very high. The establishment of mainland examination centers by DSE has provided great convenience for many children of northbound Hong Kong people. With the continuous integration of education in the Greater Bay Area, more and more Hong Kong funded institutions are also heading north to build an education hub in the Greater Bay Area. A Hong Kong funded educational institution in Panyu, Guangzhou, stated that Hong Kong has limited territory and is unable to accommodate large international schools, while the mainland has vast space and can provide more comprehensive and diverse educational facilities. Hong Kong media commented that the establishment of mainland examination rooms by DSE is a significant progress in educational exchange and integration in the Greater Bay Area. On the one hand, with the deep integration of the economy and society in the Greater Bay Area, more and more Hong Kong people are choosing to work and live in the mainland. DSE has set up examination rooms in the mainland, which can allow Hong Kong children to take exams at home and solve practical difficulties in the process of further education. On the other hand, Hong Kong education has the advantages of internationalization and diversification. The DSE exam is the only international exam in the world that can answer questions in Chinese, and its results are recognized by higher education institutions in mainland China, Hong Kong, and overseas. Establishing examination venues in mainland China can also enhance the recognition of DSE, which is conducive to Hong Kong's development as an international education hub, attracting more students from mainland and surrounding areas to study and develop in Hong Kong, thereby consolidating Hong Kong's overall education and talent advantages. To serve Hong Kong children living in the mainland, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) announced on September 25, 2023 that starting from the 2024 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination, the two schools for mainland Hong Kong children will be accepted as "diploma examination schools". It is understood that schools outside Hong Kong applying to participate in the diploma examination must provide certification from relevant authorities recognized by the Examination and Evaluation Bureau or the Education Bureau for the establishment of diploma examination courses. (Lai Xin She)