It has been revealed that ten students attained perfect scores in the DSE exams this year. Photo: HandoutIt has been revealed that 10 students have achieved perfect scores in Hong Kong’s university entrance exams, up from last year’s record low of four, with roughly 94 per cent passing the new citizenship and social development core subject introduced to emphasise patriotism after the 2019 social unrest.
A day before the individual results were announced, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority also said on Tuesday that 18,314 of the day-school candidates – or 45 per cent – had attained the general entrance requirements set by eight public universities, compared with 17,450 last year.
“The HKDSE 2024 was successfully conducted,” said Wei Xiangdong, secretary general of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. “For candidates who are anxiously waiting for the DSE results, I hope they understand that while HKDSE results are undoubtedly important, candidates should not only focus on the grades.
“Candidates with different abilities can choose their own paths based on their results, interests and aspirations.”
Figures in previous years indicated about 12,000 of the 15,000 university places would go to Diploma of Secondary Education candidates applying via Jupas, a centralised system for those hoping to pursue full-time undergraduate programmes. The remaining 3,000 were offered to those with non-Jupas qualifications, such as the International Baccalaureate (IB).
DSE 2024: What to do if your results aren’t what you expected and alternative education paths
The top-performing pupils were among 49,000 candidates who sat for the exam.
Eight male students and two females scored a perfect 5** on the exam’s seven-level grading scale across six subjects this year with an “attained” result in the new core subject, introduced in 2021 for Form Four pupils.
Of those, seven males and one female also earned a 5** for the extended mathematics module elective.
The core subject of liberal studies was replaced by citizenship and social development in 2021, following accusations that the curriculum was radicalising youngsters. The new syllabus focuses on national security, identity, lawfulness and patriotism.
Candidates receive either of two grades – “attained” or “unattained” – for the course.
According to the examination authorities, 94.1 per cent of the candidates received the “attained” grade in the subject, a level that is higher than the 89.6 per cent getting Level 2 or above in the now-scrapped liberal studies last year.
A total of 43,160 students sat the liberal studies exam last year, with 89.6 per cent attaining Level 2 or above, the minimum requirement for admission at public universities, compared with 89 per cent in 2022.
A total of 18,392 – or 37.5 per cent – DSE candidates achieved the minimum mark, also known as the “332A+22” requirement.
The requirement means scoring at least Level 3 in both Chinese- and English-language subjects, and Level 2 in maths, “attained” in citizenship and social development, and Level 2 in two electives, according to examination authorities.