New point-scoring admission system at UK universities removes edge enjoyed by Hong Kong diploma exam students
From September 2017, top grades in DSE, A-level and International Baccalaureate exams will all earn same number of tariff points in application process
A new point-scoring admission system in UK universities may remove the advantage now enjoyed by students who take Hong Kong’s Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) examination.
Under the old system, those who got 5** – the highest score – in DSE would earn 145 tariff points, while those who got the highest A* in A-level exams would only get 140 points, and those who achieved the highest score 7 in the International Baccalaureate exams would get 130 points.
The same differences applied to other lower levels in the three qualifications.
But in the new system, students achieving the highest levels in the three qualifications will all get 56 tariff points. DSE levels 3 to 5** remain comparable to A-level’s E to A* under the new system.
The Examinations and Assessment Authority in Hong Kong said the new tariff system by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service of the United Kingdom, which would take effect from September next year, should not be compared with the former system and said students’ applications would not be affected.
Dr Tong Chong-sze, secretary general of the authority, said: “The most important thing is that DSE’s different levels continue to be comparable to those of A-level. Our six-year qualification gets similar scores as the UK’s seven-year qualification. This is very encouraging for Hong Kong’s education.”