31 Hong Kong students achieve top IB scores despite tricky maths exam
Sole top scorer from St Paul’s Co-Educational College compares programme to ‘marathon’, as coordinator says maths grade boundaries probably adjusted
At least 31 students in Hong Kong have achieved top marks in the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, even after a global outcry from test-takers over concerns that the mathematics subject was too difficult.
More than 2,600 Hong Kong students sat the IB exams, a near 20 per cent increase over the past five years, with the results released on Sunday.
The IB exams assess students’ knowledge of several core academic subjects and play a key role in their university applications.
Kristen Lo Man-yi, 17, was the only student from St Paul’s Co-Educational College to achieve a perfect score of 45 in the programme, while eight of her classmates got 44.
Kristen, who said she “didn’t expect this [result] at all”, thanked her friends and classmates for their support throughout the two-year slog.
“I think the IB is like a marathon, and so I think a lot of work is actually continuous because we have to test two years’ worth of knowledge,” she said.
“So I think making sure that every step of the way you’re doing the right preparation, such as making notes and all that … makes the lead-up to the final stretch before exams much easier to handle.”