Boy, 11, scores highly in Hong Kong’s university entrance exam but eyes perfection next year
- Nathan Chang was one of the youngest ever candidates for the Diploma of Secondary Education
- Primary school pupil admits he was ‘a bit upset’ not to secure a higher grade in the maths exam
Eleven-year-old Nathan Chang Lok-hang ranked among the top 15 per cent of students sitting maths in Hong Kong’s university entrance exams this year, despite being one of the youngest candidates in the qualification’s history.
But the Primary Six pupil said achieving the third-highest grade in the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam in May left him “a bit upset” and he was already planning a retake next year so he could improve his score.
“I was a bit disappointed when I received the results, as I did not get the highest possible grade in the exam,” Chang, who studies at Farm Road Government Primary School in To Kwa Wan, told the Post on Friday.
A perfect score on the DSE exam requires achieving level 5**, the highest of seven grades. Chang reached level 5 in the maths exam, which is typically taken by 18-year-olds.
But his father Chang Chun-man said he was satisfied with his son’s mark – those attaining level 5 or above are in the top 15 per cent of the 45,000 candidates taking the subject.
“Our guess is that he might have missed out explaining some of the steps in his calculations, which saw some of his marks deducted,” he said.