Surge in number of Hong Kong students attaining perfect score in International Baccalaureate exams
- A total of 130 students achieved top marks, compared with 55 last year, despite fewer local candidates this time around
- Hong Kong’s average score is also up, hitting 38.93, and higher than the global average of 32.99
A total of 130 Hong Kong students attained a perfect score in the International Baccalaureate (IB) exams this year, more than double the number last year.
In 2020, 55 pupils from the city scored a perfect 45 points, including those who received a grade improvement after appealing to the IB organisation, according to the body headquartered in the Swiss city of Geneva.
This year’s increase in perfect scores was achieved despite the number of local candidates dropping from 2,324 to 2,193. They were among more than 170,600 candidates worldwide who received their IB diploma and vocational programme results on Monday.
Globally, 1,155 candidates scored 45 points, up from last year’s 339 and 2019’s 275.
The IB, which offers students an internationally accredited qualification to enter higher education institutions, is a two-year programme for teens aged between 16 and 19. They are required to take six subjects and complete three components, including an extended essay.
Under a “dual route” offered by the IB organisation this year amid the Covid-19 pandemic, written tests only went ahead in places where they could be held safely, while assessment using internal coursework and teachers’ predicted grades applied to pupils living in areas where the tests could not take place.