The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) examination results were released today (July 16). Wei Xiangdong, Secretary General of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), stated that this year produced 16 "top scorers" - the highest number in DSE history, which consisted of 11 male and 5 female students from 14 different schools.
Among them, one male student achieved 5** in all 7 subjects, met the requirements in Citizenship and Social Development, and also obtained 5** in the Mathematics Extended Part. This marks only the second time in history that a student has achieved the highest possible grades across 8 subjects, including the extended mathematics module, earning the title of "ultimate top scorer".
Furthermore, a total of 17,662 candidates this year met the "332A33" minimum university entrance requirement. With approximately 13,000 government-funded undergraduate places available through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS), this translates to about 1.35 candidates competing for each place.
The HKEAA emphasized that the examination difficulty level remains consistent each year, and the number of top scorers depends solely on candidates' performance in that particular year. They estimate that the increase in top scorers this year may be related to the optimization of core subjects, which has given students more time to focus on elective subjects and the Mathematics Extended Part.
This year's DSE had approximately 55,000 candidates, an increase of about 10% compared to last year. Nearly 54,000 candidates sat for the examinations, including 45,000 school candidates and over 8,800 private candidates. In terms of candidate performance, 17,662 met the basic university entrance requirements, accounting for 32.8% of all candidates - an increase of 1,388 from last year. Additionally, 33,728 candidates achieved Level 2 or above in five subjects, including Chinese and English, meeting the basic requirements for sub-degree programs locally - an increase of 1,847 from last year.
Ultimate star student appears
Regarding top performers, Wei shared that this year produced 16 "top scorers". One male student achieved 5** in 7 subjects, met requirements in Citizenship, and also obtained 5** in the Mathematics Extended Module. According to HKEAA's DSE examination rules, candidates can register for a maximum of 8 subjects (4 core subjects plus 4 electives), meaning this student has achieved the highest possible results under the current DSE system, becoming the "ultimate top scorer".
The remaining 15 top scorers all achieved 5** in 6 subjects and met requirements in Citizenship, with 10 of them also obtaining 5** in the Mathematics Extended Module to become "super top scorers". Wei added that all top scorers this year came from local schools, with none from the four mainland schools for Hong Kong students that participated as "participating schools". There were also 33 second-tier top scorers who achieved 5** in 5 subjects.
Students' resilience
The record number of top scorers this year, including the first "ultimate top scorer" since 2018, demonstrates resilience despite pandemic impacts. Ricardo Mak, HKEAA's Director of Public Examinations, emphasized that exam papers maintain consistent difficulty each year: "There are no sudden increases or decreases in difficulty - it remains fixed annually, so performance depends entirely on how candidates perform."
Wei noted that this year's candidates also experienced pandemic-related learning disruptions: "We can see the resilience of the students and how schools have restored teaching after the pandemic. The examination results show they have done very well."
Choy Siu-kwan, HKEAA's Head of Assessment Development, pointed out that the increase in top scorers may be partly attributed to the optimization of senior secondary core subjects, which has freed up more time for students to study other subjects, leading to more instances of 5** results.
This year also saw two older candidates - aged 71 and 66 respectively (one private candidate and one school candidate), as well as the youngest candidate being just 10 years old, who took the Mathematics Compulsory Part and Extended Module M2.
Mak noted yesterday that 53.6% of all candidates achieved Level 3 or above in English (down 1.1 percentage points from last year), while 63.9% achieved Level 3 or above in Chinese (a slight decrease of 0.1 percentage points).
Make a wise choice
With more candidates meeting university entrance requirements, education expert Ng estimated that candidates scoring 20 points or above in their best 5 subjects have a good chance of admission to the eight government-funded universities. For those scoring between 17-19 points, he recommended making multiple preparation plans to accommodate different scenarios.
Ng pointed out that JUPAS applications increased by 10% this year, with over 1,300 more candidates meeting the university entrance threshold, suggesting intensified competition for the "Big Eight" universities. However, candidates with 20+ points should secure places, while those with 17-19 points are in a more borderline situation.
He advised utilizing JUPAS' re-prioritization mechanism to list safer third choices where their scores meet last year's admission medians, while also considering self-financed degree programs, sub-degree programs, applied education diplomas, other diploma/certificate courses, overseas studies, and vocational training programs to find suitable pathways based on their results.
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalist: Keung Kar-hin; English Editor: Darius)
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