Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department

Inspectors of Customs and Excise are mainly deployed on leading and participating in law enforcement activities relating to revenue protection and collection, anti-narcotics, anti-smuggling and intellectual property rights protection; assisting the Senior Inspectors in staff management and office administration; and supervising the work performed by members under his/her charge. They are subject to the provisions of the Customs and Excise Service Ordinance, required to wear uniform, carry firearms, work irregular hours and may be required to work in an area outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Entry Requirements

1. 1. have a Bachelor degree from a Hong Kong university, or equivalent (Note 2); and
  2. have met the language proficiency requirements of Level 1 results in the two language papers (Use of Chinese and Use of English) in the Common Recruitment Examination, or equivalent;
  OR
2. 1. have a Bachelor degree from a Hong Kong university, or an accredited Associate Degree from a Hong Kong tertiary institution, or a Higher Diploma from a Hong Kong polytechnic university / polytechnic / Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education / technical college, or a Diploma from a registered post-secondary college awarded after the date of its registration, or equivalent; and
  2. have met the language proficiency requirements of Level 2 or above in Chinese Language and English Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE) or the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) (Notes 2 and 3), or equivalent;
  OR
3. 1. have Level 3 or equivalent or above in five subjects in HKDSEE (Notes 4 & 5), or equivalent; or
  2. have Grade E or above in two subjects at Advanced Level in the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination and Level 3 / Grade C or above in three other subjects in HKCEE (Notes 3 & 5), or equivalent; and
  3. have met the language proficiency requirements of Level 2 or above in Chinese Language and English Language in HKDSEE or HKCEE (Note 3), or equivalent;
have a pass result in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (Notes 6 & 7);
be able to speak fluent Cantonese and English;
pass a physical fitness test; and
pass an eyesight test.

Notes:

Candidates must be permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the time of appointment unless specified otherwise.
Undergraduate students graduating in the years of 2024, 2025 or 2026 may also apply if they have met the language proficiency requirements of Level 2 or above in Chinese Language and English Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination or the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, or equivalent. If selected, appointment will be subject to, among others, the attainment of requisite academic qualification (i.e. bachelor's degree from a Hong Kong university, or equivalent) within the year in 2024, 2025 and 2026 respectively.
For civil service appointment purpose, Grade C and Grade E in Chinese Language and English Language (Syllabus B) in HKCEE before 2007 are accepted administratively as comparable to Level 3 and Level 2 respectively in Chinese Language and English Language in the 2007 HKCEE and henceforth.
For civil service appointment purpose, "Attained with Distinction" in Applied Learning subjects (subject to a maximum of two Applied Learning subjects), and Grade C in Other Language subjects in HKDSEE are accepted as equivalent to Level 3 in the New Senior Secondary subjects in HKDSEE. "Attained" in Applied Learning subjects (subject to a maximum of two Applied Learning subjects), and Grade E in Other Language subjects in HKDSEE are accepted as equivalent to Level 2 in the New Senior Secondary subjects in HKDSEE.
The subjects may include Chinese Language and English Language.
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 Basic Law and National Security Law Test is an entry requirement for all civil service jobs. Only those candidates who have passed the Basic Law and National Security Law Test will be considered for appointment.
For candidates who have not taken the relevant Basic Law and National Security Law Test or have not attained a pass result in the relevant Basic Law and National Security Law Test at the time of application, they may still apply for the job and arrangements will be made for them to take the relevant Basic Law and National Security Law Test during the recruitment process.

Selection Process

The selection process involves the following stages:

Group Discussion

Candidates are required to discuss topics on current affairs in a group setting in Cantonese and English. They are expected to express their views on the topics and respond to other candidates' opinions.

Candidates who pass the Group Discussion will be invited to attend the Written Examination (Part I) and (Part II) on another day.
Written Examination (Part I) and (Part II)
Written Examination (Part I)

It consists of the following three tests:
- English Language Test;
- Chinese Language Test; and
- Aptitude Test.
Each individual test comprises 30 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 30 minutes.

Candidates who possess Level 1 or above in Use of Chinese and Use of English, or equivalent (Notes 1 to 3); and a pass in "Aptitude Test" in the Common Recruitment Examination are exempted from taking the Written Examination (Part I).

Written Examination (Part II)

This part comprises two essay questions in English and Chinese. Each question should be completed in an hour.

Candidates who pass the Written Examination (Part I) and (Part II) will be invited to attend the Physical Fitness Test on another day.

Notes:
1. Level 5 or above in Chinese Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE); or Grade C or above in Chinese Language and Culture or Chinese Language and Literature in the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE), are accepted as equivalent to Level 2 in the Use of Chinese (UC) paper in Common Recruitment Examination (CRE). Level 4 in Chinese Language in HKDSEE; or Grade D in Chinese Language and Culture or Chinese Language and Literature in HKALE, are accepted as equivalent to Level 1 in the UC paper in CRE.
2. Level 5 or above in English Language in HKDSEE; or Grade C or above in Use of English in HKALE; or Grade C or above in English Language in the General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) (GCE A Level), are accepted as equivalent to Level 2 in the Use of English (UE) paper in CRE. Level 4 in English Language in HKDSEE; or Grade D in Use of English in HKALE; or Grade D in English Language in GCE A Level, are accepted as equivalent to Level 1 in the UE paper in CRE.
3. Applicants with 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 result are accepted as equivalent to Level 2 in the UE paper in CRE. The IELTS test result must be valid on any date during the application period.
Basic Law and National Security Law Test (where appropriate)

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 Basic Law and National Security Law Test (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 job and arrangements will be made for them to take the relevant BLNST during the recruitment process.

Candidates who possess a pass result in BLNST (non-degree / non-professional civil service grades at or above completion of secondary education level) will not be arranged to take any BLNST at / below an equivalent level again.

The BLNST paper is a 35-minute bilingual paper (in both English and Chinese), comprising 20 multiple-choice questions. Answering at least 10 out of 20 questions correct will be deemed to have a pass result in BLNST. The pass result of the BLNST is acceptable for the purpose of applying for all non-degree or non-professional civil service jobs.
Physical Fitness Test
Selection Interview

Salary and Appointment Terms

Salary

Disciplined Services (Officer) Pay Scale Point 8 ($48,335) to Disciplined Services (Officer) Pay Scale Point 22 ($83,840) per month.

[Note: The entry pay for the post of Inspector of Customs and Excise is the Disciplined Services (Officer) Pay Scale Point 8 ($48,335), 9 ($50,990) and 10 ($53,630) per month respectively, as commensurate with respective entry qualifications. The information on the monthly salary and maximum pay point is for reference only and may be subject to changes.]

Appointment Terms

Fringe benefits include paid leave, medical and dental benefits, and where appropriate, assistance in housing.

The 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.

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