Every year thousands of students spend money on tutorial lessons hoping to get top exam results. Many believe the so-called 'kings of tutors' can teach them useful exam techniques and provide them with precious tips. The top tutors have celebrity status and make millions of dollars a year.
However, top performers in this year's Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) said tutorials did not play a role in their achievements.
Desmond Chu Long-lam, 16, a science student from Queen's College who scored 10As, said expensive tutorials are not a worthwhile investment for good exam results. He said he had a tutor when he was in Form One but later decided to study on his own.
'They were just teaching what I was taught at school,' he said.
Eric Fong Ho-man, 17, a science student from St Stephen's College, Stanley, who also scored 10As, did not have a private tutor either. But he said he 'tutored' his classmates.
Eric set up an HKCEE study group with seven of his classmates. He volunteered to make up mock exams so they could practise together and create a positive study environment.
