Latest news with #HongKongExaminationsandAssessmentAuthority
HKFP
16-07-2025
- Science
- HKFP
‘Record-breaking year' for Hong Kong's university entrance exam, as student earns rare ‘ultimate top scorer' title
The city's assessment authorities have praised a 'record-breaking year' for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) examination, as students received their university entrance exam results on Wednesday. The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) said a total of 16 students earned the title of 'top scorers,' meaning they attained 5** – the highest grade – for at least six subjects in the HKDSE, including the three core subjects of English, Chinese, and mathematics. The top student was Henry Wang of Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club College in Sai Wan Ho. He received 5** in eight subjects, making him an 'ultimate top scorer.' He took physics, chemistry, biology, and extended maths as his electives, as well as economics, which he self-studied, according to local media. It marks only the second time that there has been an 'ultimate top scholar' since the DSE exams began in 2012, replacing the old assessment, the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination. The first time was in 2018. There were 10 'super scorers,' meaning they secured 5** in seven subjects, including an extended maths elective. The remaining five received 5** in six subjects. Wei Xiangdong, secretary-general of the HKEAA, said at a press conference on Tuesday that the results made this year a 'record-breaking year.' 'In terms of the number of top scorers, this year, I think, is [a] record-breaking year, the highest [in] the history of DSE examinations,' Wei said. He added, however, that the results were not directly comparable to previous DSE years due to a change in the syllabus that began in 2024. Last year, the core subject Liberal Studies was replaced by Citizenship and Social Development. While the former was a graded subject, the latter is a pass-or-fail subject. This means that students needed to secure a 5** in Liberal Studies to be top scorers, while now, they only need to pass the new subject. Aspiring doctors According to local media outlets, Wang came to Hong Kong from mainland China when he was three years old. He said he has wanted to be a doctor since he was in Form Four. He told reporters he did not attend tutorial classes while studying, relying only on his teachers' and friends' guidance. Wang also said he wished to stay in Hong Kong to study and was not considering going abroad or to the mainland. Among the 14 schools with top scorers, one school – St. Paul's Co-educational College in Mid-Levels – produced three super scorers. Two of them, Norris Kung and Calvin Wong, said they hope to go to Cambridge University in the UK. Kung aims to study economics, while Wong wants to pursue climate science, according to local media. The third student, Adrian Jung, said he wants to study medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Across the harbour, Wang Yuen-ting of Sheung Shui's Hong Kong Taoist Association Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School emerged as a top scorer. A cross-border student who lives in Lo Wu in Shenzhen, Wang Yuen-ting said her parents had enrolled her in schools in Hong Kong since kindergarten because they favoured the city's education system. An aspiring doctor, she also said she wants to study medicine at CUHK. 'The meaning of life lies in impacting the lives of others. If I become a doctor, I can serve people in society and in turn give meaning to my own life,' she said, according to HK01. University entrance requirements Around 42,700 school candidates took part in the DSEs this year, with over 38 per cent meeting the common entrance requirements for local undergraduate university programmes, according to the HKEAA's data. The requirements are set as attaining at least level 3 in Chinese and English, level 2 in mathematics, and a pass in Citizenship and Social Development. This was the second year that Citizenship and Social Development was assessed. The subject gradually replaced Liberal Studies starting in 2021, after then chief executive Carrie Lam and some pro-Beijing politicians accused the subject of fuelling the pro-democracy protests and unrest in 2019. A total of 93.2 per cent of students received a pass in Citizenship and Social Development this year, down 0.9 per cent from the year before. The pass rate for the new subject was comparable to that of Liberal Studies, the HKEAA's Wei said, adding that the average pass rate for the old subject -meaning a grade of 2 or above – was around 92 per cent.
RTHK
15-07-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
Record-breaking 16 top scorers in DSE exams
Record-breaking 16 top scorers in DSE exams Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority says about 18,200 students reach the minimum university admission requirement of "332A22". Photo: RTHK A record 16 students have achieved the perfect score in this year's Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams. A day ahead of the release of exam results, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) said on Tuesday that on top of getting 5** across six subjects and achieved "attained" in the citizenship and social development (CS) subject, one of them achieved the top score in two additional subjects. The 16 were among around 18,200, or 42.5 percent of the 42,800 secondary school candidates who reached the minimum university admission requirement of "332A22". This means that they obtained at least levels 3 in Chinese and English languages, a level 2 or above in the mathematics compulsory part and levels 2 or above in two electives. CS has replaced liberal studies since last year. "In terms of the number of top scorers, I think it's the record-breaking year, the highest over the history of the DSE examination," Wei Xiangdong, secretary general of the HKEAA, told a press briefing. "However, I have to remind you that because of the change of subjects from liberal studies to CS, so maybe it's not directly comparable before 2024 and after 2024." The top scorers – 11 boys and five girls – came from 14 schools across Hong Kong. Choy Siu-kwan, HKEAA's head of assessment development, said the record-breaking figure of top achievers might be due to the replacement with CS, which had enabled students to take on additional subjects. Separately, the authority said two elderly candidates, aged 66 and 71, took the exams, while the youngest was only 10 years old. It also said that six candidates were found to have cheated. All but one of them have had all their results disqualified.
South China Morning Post
31-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
DSE 2025: Study China's role in technology for citizenship and social development exam
This year marks the second Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) examination for the revamped liberal studies subject, now called citizenship and social development. To help students prepare, secondary school teacher and exam marker for the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, Liu Tin-yan, shared key insights on important topics to study, common mistakes students make and effective study strategies. Key topics to focus on Liu noted that last year's topics are unlikely to be repeated, so students should focus on popular but previously untested areas. For Hong Kong-related topics, the exam typically covers the Basic Law, the constitution, 'one country, two systems', and issues related to autonomy. Liu stressed the importance of revising the rule of law section, which is relatively new. 'This part is crucial – if students don't review it, they could lose marks on multiple-choice questions or struggle to understand the materials,' she warned. On the other hand, topics like Greater Bay Area integration and identity recognition were on the exam last year, making them less likely to appear again. For China-related topics, Liu suggested focusing on the country's achievements since the reform and opening-up period, as these topics were under-represented on the last exam. She also recommended reviewing China's poverty alleviation efforts and its growing global status in technology. DSE 2025: Time management crucial on the mathematics exam, top tutor says 'Hot topics like chip development and cloud computing might also appear,' she added. Another area worth paying attention to is cultural conservation, which has yet to be tested. Liu said diplomacy is a complex topic that students may find intimidating if they encounter it on the exam. 'Much of it involves foreign relations and China's global development. Given the evolving international landscape, exam questions may appear straightforward, but students without a solid grasp of great power diplomacy could struggle,' she explained. 'I still don't think it will be a major focus this year, but since it makes up about one-third of [the curriculum on China], students shouldn't skip it entirely.' Common mistakes and how to avoid them Last year's pass rate was 94.1 per cent. As an exam marker, Liu has noticed some students fail simply because they don't finish the paper. 'Out of three questions, students often write extensively for the first two but only manage a few sentences for the last one, which results in very low scores,' she said. If there's no time for a full explanation, match keywords from the source to the question to form a basic response. 'Even if it's just an educated guess, they could still earn some marks,' Liu explained. 'For example, if a question is based on a specific source or set of numbers, first identify and reference the correct source. Even without a full explanation, this approach can still secure some marks.' Liu emphasised that for data-based questions, students must cite specific numbers instead of summarising trends in general terms: 'If a question asks about a trend, don't just describe it – use numerical data as evidence,' she said. Make sure to cite specific numbers for data-based questions. Photo: Shutterstock She also warned against copying directly from the source: 'Instead, students should follow up source references with a brief explanation in their own words. Even if the analysis isn't deep, making an attempt to explain ensures a stable passing grade.' A clear structure is also key. Many students mix different sources together, making it hard for examiners to identify supporting evidence. 'Even if their points are correct, a lack of structure can cost them marks,' Liu warned. To improve clarity, students should dedicate one paragraph per source. 'If Source A supports the argument, write one paragraph explaining why. If Source B also supports it, write a separate paragraph. This approach makes it easier for examiners to locate key points,' she said. DSE 2025: Why details are important on the English listening exam Question types to prepare for Certain question types appear frequently on the exam and are relatively easy to prepare for, Liu noted. One such type is role-based questions, which ask about different roles, such as leaders, educators, promoters and policymakers. 'Since many questions ask about the role of the government, this is a general and predictable question type. Students should prepare by learning common roles and how to reference relevant sources,' she said. Another common question type involves suggesting solutions. These are usually straightforward, but students often lose marks by copying from the source without adding their own interpretation. As a result, even for a six-mark question, they might earn only one or two marks, leading to lower-than-expected scores. A third commonly tested format is source-based justification, where students must support or refute a statement using evidence from sources. This type of question is usually worth six to eight marks and appears in at least two questions. DSE 2025: Hong Kong tutor's tips for the English reading and writing exams Revision tips Liu recommended that students create structured summary tables rather than relying solely on their textbooks. 'The textbook already provides key revision points for each section, so students can use those as a foundation while identifying which topics are more likely to be tested and reviewing their common mistakes,' she said. 'This method makes studying more manageable and less stressful.' For students who struggle with studying and tend to copy answers from sources, Liu suggested creating a 'skills table'. By referring to past exam questions and school-provided examples, students can categorise different question types and learn how to approach them. Study smarter for the exam by creating a 'skills table'. Photo: Shutterstock 'There are about 20 main question types, so students should check if they understand each one,' she said. 'If they struggle with certain question types – like drawing conclusions from data or identifying challenges – they will find it very difficult to answer correctly in the exam.' By reviewing past answers, students can gain insight into their mistakes and improve their approach. Even if they feel frustrated, Liu believes this is an effective way to study. Liu offered one final reminder: 'Don't leave questions blank – write something, structure your answers well, and always attempt to explain.'
South China Morning Post
26-02-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Give Hong Kong's students the space to showcase their spoken English
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Advertisement As a former English language teacher in Hong Kong, I have observed a number of issues with the implementation of English language school-based assessment (SBA). First, there appear to be misconceptions about the SBA's time limit. While students' individual SBA presentations are expected to last three to five minutes, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) indicates that the suggested duration only serves as a guide. A strict time limit creates unnecessary stress for students. It seems that some English teachers, apart from imposing unnecessary time limits, administer the assessment in contrived settings that are too formal. Some secondary schools have all students in the same year level taking the assessment on the same day or on two consecutive days, often with the same tasks designed by the panel convenor. Such exam-like arrangements, ostensibly made to uphold fairness, violate SBA's intention of providing 'a richer picture of what learners can do (with oral language) than the external examination'. Advertisement Moreover, there are concerns about how much guidance teachers should give as students prepare for the assessment. As the HKEAA noted, the assessment should not be treated as 'a separate one-off activity that can be timetabled or prepared for as if it were a separate element of the curriculum'. Simply put, English teachers should provide students with sufficient scaffolding before the assessment so they know how to prepare. Last but surely not least, should students be allowed to request to take multiple assessments?
