Cantonese Language Proficiency Certification We Offer

CRAT dateStatus
21 Mar 2026Completed
18 Jul 2026Completed
14 Nov 2026Open, closes 7 Nov
Feb 2027Date TBC
May 2027Date TBC
Aug 2027Date TBC
Nov 2027Date TBC
COPE dateStatus
12 Sep 2026Closed
19 Sep 2026Closed
3 Oct 2026Open, closes 19 Sep

Latest News

Registration Open for the 3rd 2026 Cantonese Read Aloud Test

The 3rd Cantonese Read Aloud Test (CRAT) of 2026 will be held on 14 November 2026 (Saturday), online via Zoom only, with no on-site sitting. The test fee is HK$500. Registration closes on 7 November. Please visit the registration page to sign up. Please read the FAQ on the test introduction page carefully before signing up.

The Part C passage bank has been updated for this session; see Appendices 3 and 4 on the test introduction page.

Registration opens for the Cantonese Oral Proficiency Examination (COPE)

We are delighted to announce that registration for the long-awaited Cantonese Oral Proficiency Examination (COPE) is now open. Three time slots are available, each exam lasts about 30 minutes, and the exam is held on Zoom only. Your exact exam time will be emailed within the week before the exam. Headcount is limited to 60 people. The fee is HK$1200 — please register on the COPE registration page.

Group registration is also available at HK$800 per candidate. Please email [email protected] to apply; the group rate applies once your application is approved.

HKCALA does not offer any COPE preparation courses, nor does it endorse any COPE preparation courses offered by others.

2026 inaugural Cantonese Oral Proficiency Examination (COPE) poster: available exam dates 12 Sep, 19 Sep and 3 Oct; exam fee HKD $1200; online exam; quota of 60 candidates.COPE group / organisation registration poster: groups of 3 people or above pay a discounted price of $800 per candidate.

The Joint Conference of the 1st Conference on Cantonese Applied Linguistics (CALA-1) and the 9th Forum on Cantonese Linguistics (FoCaL9) Concludes Successfully

The Joint Conference of the 1st Conference on Cantonese Applied Linguistics (CALA-1) and the 9th Forum on Cantonese Linguistics (FoCaL9), jointly organised by the Cantonese Applied Linguistics Association (CALA) and the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong (LSHK), and co-organised by the Division of Languages and Communication, College of Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (LC, CPCE, PolyU), was successfully held on 4 July 2026 (Saturday) at the PolyU West Kowloon Campus.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all keynote speakers, presenters, session chairs, volunteers, and participants for making this event such a great success. A total of 142 participants, both onsite and online, joined us for a full day of presentations and discussions conducted entirely in Cantonese, demonstrating the vitality and potential of Cantonese as a language for academic communication.

One comment we heard repeatedly after the conference was: "We'll miss this atmosphere." It perfectly captured the enthusiasm for scholarly exchange in Cantonese and the strong sense of community shared by participants.

Thank you once again for your support. We look forward to welcoming you again at future events as we continue to advance research in Cantonese theoretical linguistics and Cantonese applied linguistics together.

摘要合集 Abstract bookPDF ↓

CALA x FoCaL-9 Conference Program Released and Registration Open

We are pleased to announce that the official schedule for the upcoming conference has been released. The program features a comprehensive lineup of paper presentations and panel discussions, fully showcasing the latest research achievements in Cantonese linguistics.

Registration is officially open. We cordially invite both online and offline participants to register and join us in exploring the field of Cantonese linguistics!

Please click the link below to complete your registration:

🔗 https://forms.gle/dGip3JGLbFtFweiF6

Conference ProgramPDF ↓

Registration Open for the 1st Cantonese Applied Linguistics Conference and 9th Forum on Cantonese Linguistics

The 1st Cantonese Applied Linguistics Conference and 9th Forum on Cantonese Linguistics (CALA-1 x FoCaL-9) will be held on July 4, 2026 (Saturday), from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University West Kowloon Campus. The fee is HK$200. Please register via https://forms.gle/dGip3JGLbFtFweiF6.

The 2nd 2026 Cantonese Read Aloud Test will be held on July 18

The 2nd Cantonese Read Aloud Test (CRAT) of 2026 will be held on 18 July 2026 (Saturday). We offer both Hong Kong on-site and Zoom online testing options. Please visit the registration page to sign up. We have added FAQ section in the test introduction page. Please read carefully before signing up.

We have supported Apple Pay and Google Pay for this test. After checking the consent to personal data collection statement at the bottom of the registration form, you can select Alipay as your payment method.

Registration Closed for the 1st 2026 Cantonese Read Aloud Test

Registration for the 1st 2026 Cantonese Read Aloud Test is now closed. Test information will be emailed to candidates two days prior to the test date. We will open the registration for the 2nd CRAT of 2026 no later than this June, please check this site for the latest update.

Cantonese Read Aloud Test Now Supports WeChat Pay

We have now added WeChat Pay as a payment option. On the registration page, after checking the consent to personal data collection statement at the bottom, you can select WeChat Pay as your payment method.

Registration Open for the 1st 2026 Cantonese Read Aloud Test, with Alipay Now Available

Registration for the 1st 2026 Cantonese Read Aloud Test is now open. Please visit the registration page to sign up. The registration deadline is March 14, 2026.

Alipay has been added for this test. After checking the consent to personal data collection statement at the bottom of the registration form, you can select Alipay as your payment method.

2026 Cantonese Read Aloud Test (CRAT) Schedule

Three sessions of the Cantonese Read Aloud Test will be held in 2026, with the scheduled dates as follows:

  • 1st Test: March 2026
  • 2nd Test: July 2026
  • 3rd Test: November 2026

Specific dates and test formats are to be determined; please stay tuned for updates on this website.