Unis await eight Hong Kong students who nabbed perfect scores in DSE exams

Eight Hong Kong students nabbed perfect scores in this year’s university entrance Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams, including four “super top scorers” who got 5** for eight subjects.

Becoming the “super top scorers” means that the two boys and two girls nailed the Math Extended (M1/M2) exams with an extra 5** apart from the four core subjects and three electives.

The other three boys and one girl got 5** for seven subjects, while 13 other students got 5** for six subjects.

Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) disclosed some of the details in advance in a Tuesday press conference. The full results of the DSE exams will be released tomorrow (Wed).

About 17,300 out of 41,000, or 42 percent of candidates, reached the “3-3-2-2-2” minimum admission requirement. With approximately 15,000 subsidized degrees available this year, the competition rate stands at about 1.15 for a place in a university.

The minimum requirement asks students to score at least level 3 in the Chinese and English language subjects and at least level 2 in Math (Compulsory Part), Liberal Studies, and an elective.

Among those students, 59.7 percent scored level 3 or above in the Chinese language subject and 53.2 percent in the English language subject. As for Math and Liberal Studies, 82.2 and 89.8 percent reached the minimum requirement of level 2, respectively.

The authority said a total of 26 candidates infected with Covid-19 and 18 candidates undergoing quarantine sat their exams at the quarantine center in Penny’s Bay.

Another five infected students filed for constructed results for 10 subjects after they were too sick and missed the exams.

The arrangement allows candidates to receive a final subject result up to level 5, derived from the students’ school performance, internal assessments, and mock examinations.

The authority received 170 applications for constructed results, marking a 27 percent increase compared to last year’s number. Four applications were rejected outright as the candidates failed to present valid medical certifications.

One candidate was disqualified from all of the exams after being found using a smartphone to search for online information related to the exam. Authority met that candidate for an explanation and ruled that candidate cheated on purpose in the end.
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