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South China Morning Post
07-04-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
DSE 2025: Mathematics exam ‘quite hard and time-consuming', say students, tutor
Did you walk away from the maths portion of the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam thinking it felt especially tough this year? You're not alone; Paper 2 of the exam was 'quite hard and time-consuming', said maths tutor Dick Hui from King's Glory Education, who also took the assessment. A total of 51,467 students sat for this year's maths exam on Monday. The results are scheduled to be released on July 16. Time-consuming questions Hui said this year's exam was harder than last year's and contained a lot of 'hidden information', including right angles and a 'strong sense' to figure out answers by drawing things out. He added that coordinate geometry played an important role, while '3D Trigonometry unexpectedly disappears after Paper 1, [though it was] one of the hardest problems in past papers.' According to Hui, some of the most difficult questions on the exam included Questions 18 and 19 on Paper 1, as they were 'quite time-consuming and required a thorough understanding of the centres of triangles'. Former DSE top scorer publishes book of tips for tackling the Chinese paper The tutor believed that the most challenging problems on Paper 2 were Question 23, which was about trigonometry and similar triangles; Question 24, about polar coordinates, a topic that Hui said would be cut in next year's exam; and Question 26, about the equation of a straight line. Hui posted all the answers to Paper 2 on social media after the exam ended. The answers to the hardest questions were: Question 23: C Question 24: C Question 26: B Hui said good time management skills were necessary for this exam, as candidates likely had to 'draw and fine-tune figures for every question to find out hidden relationships.' 'I believe many students did not have enough time to complete all the questions, as some required trickier methods to do faster,' he said. This year's exam contained a lot of 'hidden information', one maths tutor said. Photo: Shutterstock Tough slog for students DSE candidates also found the exam to be quite tricky this year. Wilson Tang, a student at SKH St Mary's Church Mok Hing Yiu College, said that both papers were 'very hard' and felt it may have been the most difficult DSE maths exam ever. 'My classmates also expressed a disappointed feeling after the exam,' Wilson said. The 17-year-old added that he thought the cut-offs this year would be 'pretty low' due to the test's difficulty and that he didn't prepare adequately for the tough questions. Shahzad Ahmed, 18, agreed that Paper 1 and Paper 2 'were harder than expected'. 'Paper 2's difficulty went up in my opinion,' said Ahmed, who attends Kiangsu-Chekiang College. 'The reason for Paper 1 being harder than expected is because, in Part B, the difficulty jumps up suddenly from Question 17 onwards. For Paper 2, a lot of the questions that could save time in the previous years had changed this year,' he explained. Should DSE candidates be able to choose their core subjects for the exams? Ahmed and Wilson said they both struggled with time management throughout the exam. Wong Fut Nam College student Evan Ho's strategy was to complete the easy and medium-difficulty questions first instead of spending a lot of time on the harder questions. While the 18-year-old student said he did his best, he was not sure he would 'safely' achieve the result he was aiming for. 'The 2025 maths DSE was more challenging than I expected, especially Paper 2's multiple choice,' he said, adding that it may have felt extra challenging because of the relative ease of last year's paper. 'Up to now, the maths exam is the most challenging subject I have confronted.'
South China Morning Post
27-03-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
DSE 2025: Time management crucial on the mathematics exam, top tutor says
Tackling Hong Kong's Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) mathematics exam can feel like a race against the clock, but don't let the pressure overwhelm you. We spoke to Dick Hui, a top tutor from King's Glory Education, who shared tips that will help you sharpen your approach towards the exam. Whether you are aiming for a top grade or just hoping to secure a solid pass, these strategies will guide you through the challenge with ease. Paper 1 Since this is the first time the revised curriculum is being tested, this year's exam may be 'relatively harder', according to Hui. But he also pointed out some advantages. 'Some topics will be shortened, and some topics or subtopics might be cut entirely. It's mostly cuts, which is actually beneficial for students,' the tutor explained. For those aiming for a higher grade, Hui advised completing the first nine questions in Section A1 within 20 minutes. Time management is crucial, as later questions take longer – some more than 20 minutes each. He emphasised focusing on the final two questions, which are likely to be 3D trigonometry or coordinate geometry problems. Coordinate geometry questions lack diagrams, so students should draw them first, adding as much detail as possible. 'They need to determine what the data represents and identify relationships,' he said. 'Details like whether lines are vertical or horizontal may not be explicitly stated.' Why details are important on the DSE English listening exam For students targeting scores of level 3 or 4, Hui suggested skipping the most time-consuming questions in Sections A2 and B to maximise their points elsewhere. However, they should still attempt the Part A questions in these sections. 'No matter how hard a question is, Part A is designed to give points. It's usually straightforward, so even students with an average foundation should try,' he said. Hui noted that five or more questions would require explanations: 'Students must understand what the question is really asking. It's not about writing a lot – it's often about calculating certain values,' he said. 'After solving, they must include a statement comparing the data. Many forget this and lose marks.' For proof questions, he warned against reversing the logic: 'Students sometimes assume that they need to prove [the theorem], or [they] misuse theorems.' Hui added that proper notation would be key for geometry questions: 'Proper notation like 'Angle ABC' is essential – missing this costs marks,' he said. Proper notation is key on the exam's geometry questions. Photo: Shutterstock Paper 2 The tutor explained that the 45 questions in Paper 2 will cover every topic. Students might get stuck around Question 15, when they should encounter graph-related questions. 'The first dozen questions are basic computations to help everyone pass. But many students waste time on graph questions without a payoff; they struggle to finish and often get them wrong,' Hui said. To avoid this, he advised prioritising time management. 'First, answer all the questions you know. Secure those points before tackling harder ones,' he said, adding that students don't need to complete every question, just those they can handle. 'If a question seems too difficult, skip it and return later. This might happen as early as Question 16, but that doesn't mean skipping everything after – simpler ones, like probability or statistics, may appear around Questions 27 or 28,' he said. With 45 questions in 75 minutes, candidates may feel like they are under pressure and do not have enough time. Hong Kong tutor's tips for the English reading and writing exams 'Many students run out of time with a dozen questions left, which is a disaster,' Hui said. 'But if those were ones they knew they couldn't do from the start, the impact is smaller. Managing time and making smart trade-offs is key.' Hui said there have been recent changes in question styles, such as those for triangle ratio problems and linear programming variations. However, the core calculations remain the same. 'What matters isn't whether a question looks new but whether students have mastered key techniques. For example, volume and area problems often test similar triangles or ratios,' he said. 'With a solid understanding of these concepts, even new-looking questions won't be overwhelming.' How to prepare When preparing for the exam, Hui recommended prioritising high-value topics like statistics, which appears in both sections of Paper 2's multiple-choice parts as well as Paper 1. 'In Paper 1's Section B alone, it can be worth nearly 20 marks. Since statistics is manageable with proper review, it's a smart focus – especially for average students,' the tutor said. 'On the other hand, coordinate geometry [questions are] ... high-mark but significantly harder, making it another key area for preparation.' As the DSE approaches, Hui advised students to shift from learning new material to consolidating their knowledge. Should students have examinations before, not after, a holiday break? 'At this stage, redoing past papers is better than tackling tricky new question styles. Rare question types might not even appear, so it's wiser to focus on frequently tested concepts,' he said. More importantly, he stressed the importance of checking for mistakes. 'It's not about how many questions you practise but whether you actually review your errors. Do you track mistakes and ensure you won't repeat them? That's far more important than sheer volume,' Hui said. Finally, the tutor encouraged students to improve their problem-solving skills. 'When faced with a tough question, can they analyse the data and find useful hints? Training this ability is crucial for handling unexpected challenges on the exam,' he said.
