On Wednesday, more than 55,000 Hong Kong students received their results for the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE), the city’s university entrance exam.
Sixteen top scorers from 14 schools achieved the perfect 5** grades in six subjects, with 10 of them becoming “super top scorers” excelling in the extended module.
Here, they share their insights and tips on how to excel in the DSE.
1. Time management and self-discipline
Norris Kung Yan-long, 18, a super top scorer from St Paul’s Co-educational College who studied physics, chemistry, economics and mathematics extended module 2 (M2), said that self-discipline, having goals and setting a target were the most important factors in achieving his grades.
“Rest is necessary, but you should also define your timetable and know when to study. There must be a goal set on how much to cover, or perhaps, which topics you are not as familiar with, and do targeted revision based on that,” Kung added.
Ian Yau Pok-yan, a top scorer from Cheung Chuk Shan College said making good use of “scattered time” was important.
“When you have a lot to do, it is important to make good use of your free time, which helps with studying and internalising knowledge you learned,” said Yau, who used to stay at school for revision after extracurricular activities.
2. Find a study method that suits you
Calvin Wong Ka-yeung, a super top scorer in the three sciences and M2 from St Paul’s Co-educational College, said he believed that everyone had their own style of studying, and that it was worth it to spend time discovering what yours was.
“You should discover your own path to face the DSE as opposed to blindly following online guides,” Wong suggests. “Making my own notes particularly helped in subjects requiring heavy memorisation.”
Sunny Wong Wang-chi, 17, a “super top scorer” from Po Leung Kuk Tang Yuk Tien College, on the other hand, recommended active recall and spaced-out repetition, as both helped in terms of memory retention.
He advised students to try different study methods for themselves, as “which method is the best depends on the student”.
DSE 2025: 11 of 16 top scorers plan to study medicine in Hong Kong
3. Passion and a positive mindset
Kung pointed to his passion and understanding of the road ahead to be a major motivator in his academics.
Fellow super top-scorer Adrian Jung Yeon-jee from St Paul’s Co-educational College said that comparing yourself with others was unproductive as it could distract you from your goals and have an emotional impact on your studying.
“Focus on comparing the current you to the past you and start thinking ‘how do I improve and achieve better than before’,” Jung said.
4. Implementation of up-and-coming technologies
At least nine out of 16 top scorers this year have said they employed AI tools to help with their preparation for the exam, although they also said they remained cautious and avoided relying too much on it.
Caron Fung Yuet-kiu, a top scorer at the True Light School of Hong Kong, said she used some AI tools for Chinese writing inspiration and even for English speaking practice.
Wang Yuen-ting, a top scorer from Hong Kong Taoist Association Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School, said she would insert multiple choice questions into ChatGPT to get the AI system to analyse each option and explain why she got the question wrong.
DSE 2025: What to do if you’re disappointed with your results
5. Keeping tabs on current affairs
Some high achievers also highlight the importance of keeping tabs on current affairs apart from sticking to their textbooks.
Wang says she watched TV newscasts during her daily commute to understand international current affairs which helped her “think outside of the box”.
