Private DSE candidates’ marks will not affect Hong Kong pupil scores: exam body

The performance of private candidates sitting Hong Kong’s university entrance exams will not affect the chances of pupils achieving top scores, authorities have said, after the Post found significant improvements in non-school takers’ grades over the past two years.

The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority’s remarks on Tuesday were accompanied by comprehensive data on top achievers in three core subjects of the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) for the last two years.

The statistics confirmed a Post report on private candidates scoring markedly better amid a surge of mainland Chinese students taking the exams in the past two years.

According to the authority, the DSE uses a standards-referenced reporting system, meaning grades are awarded based on demonstrated ability rather than performance relative to peers.

The authority reiterated that this “standards-referencing” approach differed from a curve-based “norm-referencing” system that compared an individual’s results with peers.

“The grade a candidate receives is determined based on their performance and ability compared with the preset level,” it said.