With about 55,000 Hong Kong candidates receiving their Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam results on Wednesday, some will have performed less well than they expected or did not meet the minimum university entry requirements.
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So what can students left disappointed by their results do? The Post has sought advice from teachers and a mental health expert.
1. What options do students with fewer than 20 points have?
DSE subjects are graded from level 1 to 5**, the highest mark. The grades translate to points – with 5** worth seven and 5* six – for the three core subjects of Chinese, English and maths and up to three electives. A fourth core subject, citizenship and social development, is assessed with a “pass” or “fail” grade.
According to Ng Po-shing, a student guidance consultant of the Hok Yau Club, those scoring 16 to 19 marks in the best five subjects will have a slimmer chance of getting into university compared with last year, when 20 points gave a stronger chance to receive an offer.
He said those with lower marks should take a more conservative approach in selecting their choices in Jupas, a centralised application system for full-time undergraduate courses, as more students had met the general university entrance requirements.
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Ansley Lee, an English teacher and student counsellor at Kiangsu-Chekiang College, suggested that students pick a course that truly fitted their personal strengths, what they enjoyed, and their long-term career aspirations rather than just thinking about the university’s “brand”.