Hong Kong DSE pupils ‘not affected by rising number of private candidates’

The performance of local students in Hong Kong’s university entrance exams has not been affected by an influx of private candidates, authorities have said, even though the number of mainland Chinese participants has grown substantially and includes some whose eligibility has been questioned.

The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority’s defence coincides with calls from lawmakers for more stringent regulations over collaboration between local private secondary schools and mainland institutions.

Some have speculated that mainland students taking the Hong Kong exams had been drilled at tutorial schools across the border.

The Legislative Council is expected to discuss possible abuses in the operations of some private schools early next month, with the development of such institutions offering a formal curriculum on the agenda.

According to the authority, an additional 764 day school candidates – Hong Kong students – met the general entrance requirements for admission to the city’s eight public universities this year, a 0.1 percentage point increase over 2024.