Conversion Examination
The PCLL Conversion Examination applies to all students seeking admission to study the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws ("PCLL") in Hong Kong from September 2008 onwards.
To be eligible for admission to the PCLL in Hong Kong from September 2008 onwards, all students will have to demonstrate competence in 9 Core Subjects. These are:
- Contract
- Tort
- Constitutional Law
- Criminal Law
- Land Law
- Equity
- Evidence
- Business Associations
- Commercial Law
Graduates who hold a Bachelor of Laws degree from a university, other than one of the three universities offering such degrees in Hong Kong, or other recognised law qualification, acceptable to the PCLL providers may be able to demonstrate competence in these 9 Core Subjects when such have been completed as follows:
- as part of their non-Hong Kong common law qualification; and / or
- as a visiting “internal” student in one of the three universities awarding LLB and / or JD degrees in Hong Kong and passing the requisite examination; and / or
- by passing the relevant subject in the Hong Kong Conversion Examination for PCLL Admission; and / or
- as part of the Advanced Diploma for Legal Executives (Graduate Level) (HKU SPACE).
Top-up Subjects
Students who have not passed all of the following three subjects at a university LLB / LLB double degrees / JD course / Advanced Diploma for Legal Executives (Graduate Level) (HKU SPACE) in Hong Kong must also demonstrate competence in the following three Top-up Subjects:
Hong Kong Constitutional Law
Hong Kong Legal System
Hong Kong Land Law
Such students can demonstrate competence in the three Top-up Subjects in any one of the following ways:
- as a visiting “internal” student in one of the three universities awarding LLB or JD degrees in Hong Kong and passing the requisite examination; and / or
- as part of the Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law taught and awarded in Hong Kong; and /or
- by passing the relevant subject in the Hong Kong Conversion Examination for PCLL Admission; and /or
- as part of the Advanced Diploma for Legal Executives (Graduate Level) (HKU SPACE).
Transitional Arrangements
Students who, on or before 1 September 2006, have successfully completed courses in Business Associations and / or Evidence which are currently recognized for admission to the PCLL will be exempted from the above requirements in respect of these two Core Subjects.
Procedural Subjects
Starting from the academic year of 2021/2022, it would be the plan of HKU, CUHK and CityUHK to move the two procedural subjects, namely Civil Procedure and Criminal Procedure, back to PCLL programme and they would no longer be prerequisites for entry to the PCLL. Conversion examinations for Civil and Criminal Procedures would therefore not be held starting from 2021.
The Hong Kong Conversion Examinations for PCLL Admission
Students who do not meet the above eligibility requirement for PCLL admission are not required to attend any conversion courses. There will not be any mandatory Conversion Courses. Students may prepare for the Hong Kong Conversion Examinations for PCLL Admission through self-study or attend courses to prepare themselves for the Conversion Examinations. The attendance at such courses is in itself insufficient to demonstrate competence in the Core Subjects or Top-up Subjects.
Conversion Examinations will be offered twice a year in the following subjects:
| Core Subjects: | Commercial Law |
| Evidence | |
| Business Associations |
| Top-up Subjects: | Hong Kong Constitutional Law |
| Hong Kong Legal System | |
| Hong Kong Land Law |
All other Core Subjects must be completed as part of a student’s main law qualification.
The PCLL Conversion Examination is administered by the PCLL Conversion Examination and Administration Limited. Further information concerning the examination can be found here.