The Hong Kong DSE will release the results on July 17 this year. Candidates who have achieved the university admission threshold will need to prepare for the JUPAS selection next!

　　Referring to the results of previous years, basically you can get into university with a total of 20 points in 5 subjects!

　　The question is!

　　What options do you have if you get 20 points or less?

　　Is there still a chance to enter the university? !

　　Don't worry, even with low scores, you still have a chance to enter the eight universities in Hong Kong. KOI editor has sorted it out for you!

　　Calculation method of DSE scores in Hong Kong

　　DSE scores are generally converted directly according to grades, that is,

　　"1"=1 point

　　"2"=2 points

　　"3"=3 points

　　"4"=4 points

　　"5"=5 points

　　"5*"=6 points

　　"5**"=7 points

　　However, when admitting students through the Joint University Entrance Examination (JUPAS), each university has a different scoring method. For example, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Science and Technology, the Polytechnic University will regard "5**" as 8.5 points, while City University, Baptist University, Education University, etc. will only consider "5**" as 8.5 points. This may be the key factor in determining whether a candidate can be admitted, so be sure to pay attention!

　　Calculation method of DSE scores for 9 universities in JUPAS admissions in 2024

　　Source: websites of various institutions. In addition, the actual weighting of the above calculation method may vary depending on the subject or course requirements.

　　The scoring method will also be affected by the following aspects:

　　●Changes in subject requirements

　　Starting from 2024, as the General Studies subject has been changed to the Citizenship and Social Development subject, the DSE admission requirements for the Hong Kong Joint Admissions have also changed.

　　For example:

　　1. There are 16 majors in the University of Hong Kong that require the study of the sixth subject, and the best 6 subject scores are calculated

　　2. Some majors only need to calculate the best 5 subject scores

　　3. For some majors, such as the School of Business, if students choose to study the sixth subject, they may get extra points

　　●Extra points and special subject weights

　　Some universities provide extra points to encourage students to take more subjects. For example, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology will provide extra points for the sixth subject, up to 5%.

　　●Minimum admission requirements

　　Different universities have different minimum admission requirements for DSE, but usually include four core subjects and two Category A elective subjects. For example, the minimum admission requirement of the University of Hong Kong is "332A33", which means: 1. Chinese and English must reach Level 3 level 2. Mathematics must reach Level 2 level 3. Citizenship and Social Development must reach "attained" level 4. Category A elective subjects and Mathematics Extended Part Unit 1 or Unit 2 must reach Level 3 level 5. Category C Other Language subjects must reach Level E level These changes show the different ways in which Hong Kong universities handle DSE results in the admission process and the importance they attach to subject selection. Candidates should carefully consider these factors when preparing for the DSE exam and applying to universities. In addition, the scoring methods for Category B Applied Learning and Category C Other Language subjects are different in different institutions, and candidates who have chosen these courses should also pay more attention.

　　DSE 20-point courses at a glance

　　The lower quartile refers to the lowest 25% of freshmen’s admission scores. The following table shows the lower quartile as the best five JUPAS subjects with 20 points or below. Due to different calculation methods for each institution, the calculation method in the table below is as follows:

　　▶All subjects do not take into account the specific weighting of individual subjects or institutions, for example, "5**" = 8.5 points, Chinese and English multiplied by 2;

　　▶CityU, Baptist University and PolyU are examples of the best five subjects for the lower quartile results; PolyU’s reference score is the lowest admission score of the best five subjects for flexible admission (calculated according to the specific weighting of the institution);

　　▶EdU courses are the average admission score.

　　According to last year's admission data, except for HKU and HKUST, the lower quartile of courses in other institutions is 20 points in 5 subjects, including CUHK's Mechanical and Automation Engineering, Energy and Environmental Engineering, CityU's Bachelor of Business Administration, HKBU's Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television, PolyU's Bachelor of Arts in Design, and EdUHK's 7-subject Bachelor of Education courses.

　　Some information about DSE:

　　●How many points does it take to pass the DSE?

　　The DSE grading system does not have the concept of "pass" or "fail". Different levels represent different levels of ability performance, and the Level 2 level reflects more basic abilities.

　　●What is the minimum score for DSE admission?

　　The minimum admission requirement for DSE is "332A",

　　that is:

　　1. Chinese and English subjects must reach Level 3

　　2. Mathematics must reach Level 2

　　3. Received "Meeting" score in Civic and Social Development

　　4. Elective subject scores depend on the admission criteria of each institution

　　Admission criteria can be found on the official websites of each school, JUPAS official website, admissions lectures and campus visits, social media and forums, and by consulting KOI further education consultants.

　　●What is the full score of DSE?

　　The total score of each DSE subject is "5**", which is 7 points, and candidates can apply for up to 8 subjects. If all of them get 5**, the total score will be 56 points.

　　●How long is the validity period of DSE results?

　　DSE results are valid for life.

　　However, if you need to take a combined subject to apply for university, the results of two consecutive years will be used as the basis.

　　Learn more