appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Kelly Fung

Kristen Cheung

William Yiu

Several top scorers in Hong Kong’s university entrance examinations overcame personal adversity to achieve their exceptional grades, with an almost entirely blind student vowing to become a legal advocate for the vulnerable and four others driven to study medicine by the trauma of childhood illnesses and witnessing friends suffer.
Form Six students across the city received their results for the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams on Wednesday. Of the 24 top scorers, 20 planned to study medicine.
Nine hoped to attend the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and three have applied to the University of Hong Kong (HKU), while the remaining eight are still undecided.
Of the remaining four top achievers, two plan to pursue HKU’s double-degree programme in business and law. Another has chosen the university’s double-degree in government and laws, while the fourth will head to Oxford University to study computer science.
Five elite schools produced more than one top scorer, with St Paul’s Co-educational College leading the pack with a record-breaking five.

Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College in Tseung Kwan O, HKBU Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School in Sha Tin and Shatin Tsung Tsin Secondary School all produced their first top scorers.
One outstanding candidate this year was top scorer Aiden Cheng Tsz-in, who has just 10 per cent of his vision left.
Speaking at Wah Yan College, Hong Kong, Cheng said he could not read the writing on a wall across the room, even with thick glasses.
Born with a congenital eye condition, the 17-year-old struggles to read words at a distance without tools or walking up close.
His sight is steadily deteriorating and he faces the possibility of complete blindness.
Despite the challenges he faced while studying, Cheng achieved the top grade of Level 5** across six subjects, including geography, economics and history.


Four prestigious British universities have extended admission offers to Cheng, but he plans to stay in Hong Kong to pursue a double degree in government and laws at HKU.
“I hope to specifically help vulnerable witnesses or those who lack legal aid, helping them secure fairer treatment in court and increasing their accessibility … ensuring they can access the services they deserve,” he said.
Asked if the city was friendly to the visually impaired, Cheng said Hongkongers were “actually quite inclusive”.
“For example, the difficulties I face in my daily life are relatively minor. I don’t think there are any major barriers. Maybe not every single place has accessible features installed, but I believe society is making an effort to take on that responsibility,” he said.
Cheng’s father shared that it took a long time for him and his wife to come to terms with their son’s diagnosis, and he was grateful that his son had received help from the Ebenezer School & Home for the Visually Impaired.
“Sometimes, I’d look at him and feel it was so tough on him. There were times when certain tools didn’t work or couldn’t help him, and it was deeply frustrating. But I truly admire how incredibly persistent he has been,” he said.
“We never placed any demands on him. We just accompanied him every step of the way, hoping to encourage others on a similar journey: some things really are possible.”
For his DSE exams, Cheng used an iPad to view a PDF of the papers but wrote his responses by hand.
“I wish all DSE students the best of luck in their [future] … exams. I hope you can all bring out the best in your schools and become the students you aspire to be,” he said.
When asked what good habits other students should adopt to excel at the exams, Cheng advised keeping a dedicated notebook for teacher feedback and vocabulary.
“First of all, when it comes to writing essays in Chinese and English, I highly recommend making your own notes,” he said.
“You can write down the feedback teachers have given on your previous essays or keep track of useful vocabulary. Recording these in a notebook can greatly enrich your learning process, allowing you to review past mistakes and build on them.”
He also stressed the importance of mental well-being, encouraging students to take breaks and spend time outdoors.
“Preparing for the DSE can be extremely exhausting. To relieve stress, I recommend going for a walk outside to clear your head after studying. Try not to keep yourself cooped up indoors all the time,” he said.
Shatin Tsung Tsin Secondary School was celebrating its first top scorer after Eric Cheng Yat-lik achieved Level 5** in six subjects and Level 5* in the extended mathematics module.

The exam grades most subjects on a seven-level scale from 1 to 5**.
“It’s beyond my expectations and much higher than my predicted grades,” the 18-year-old said. “I want to thank my teachers and parents for trusting me and not putting me under pressure.”
The student said he hoped to study medicine at a local university, although he had yet to decide which one.
He explained that his decision to enter the medical field was deeply personal. He was often ill as a child and had frequent appointments at clinics and hospitals.
But the kindness of medical staff eased his anxieties, inspiring his dream to serve the public in the same capacity in the future, he said.
“The doctors’ dedication inspired me. I hope to serve others through medicine,” he added.
Luann Ma Tuen-hang, one of three “super top scorers” at St Paul’s Co-educational College, also planned to study medicine.

Luann said she spent about nine days in an intensive care unit shortly after she was born. After learning about the experience from her family, Luann reflected on the role of doctors.
“A doctor can do so much more than just save a baby’s life – they can also help bring hope and warmth to the family members. That is pretty much why I want to pursue this profession myself,” she said.
Top scorer Chong Yi-lam said he also intended to pursue medicine at CUHK, recalling his own experiences in and out of hospitals as a child because of congenital heart disease.
“Although it was eventually cured by surgery, going through that entire process is what inspired me the most to become a doctor,” he said.
“I want to give back to society, which I believe is incredibly important in today’s world. Studying medicine will help me become the person I want to be, allowing me to draw from my own experiences to contribute to public health in Hong Kong.”
Wong Yik-ka, another “super top scorer” from the college, planned to study medicine at CUHK after witnessing his loved ones being diagnosed with cancer.
The student said he quickly learned that a doctor’s duty was “holistic” – requiring care for the physical, mental and emotional aspects of patients.
“In addition to treating a patient’s physical health, we must also care for their mental health and their soul. Many patients are deeply unhappy when they receive their diagnosis, and I believe it is vital to comfort them so that their distress does not delay their treatment,” he said.
Top scorer Ian Choi Shin-hang said he planned to enrol in HKU’s Distinguished MedScholar, an elite track for top-achieving medical students, and become a psychiatrist.
“I want to become a doctor because, growing up, I saw many of my friends struggle with mental health issues and I didn’t know how to support them,” he said.
But becoming a doctor was not about “making money”, he added.
“I am willing to work hard and endure the struggle for this job,” he said. “The working hours as a doctor are incredibly long. If the goal is truly just to make money, it would be better to go into finance and banking.”
The student shared that he has never attended tutorial classes, even in senior secondary school.
“Academically, my parents could only guide me up to primary school at most. By the time I reached secondary school, I had to seek out almost all of my own resources and direction. However, they taught me something incredibly important: perseverance and taking ownership of my own path,” he said.
“I am actually very grateful to myself for this journey … I spent a massive amount of time researching the nuances of medicine and figuring out the best DSE study strategies that suited me,” he said.
“Most of my study materials were sourced by myself online or passed down from older peers. I really have to thank them.”
Aside from St Paul’s Co-educational College, other elite schools that produced more than one top scorer were Queen’s College, Diocesan Girls’ School, La Salle College and Pui Ching Middle School.
Other top scorers came from King’s College, St Paul’s College, Ying Wa Girls’ School, Wah Yan College, Hong Kong, St Mary’s Canossian College, Heep Yunn School and Po Leung Kuk Tang Yuk Tien College.


Australia just changed its visa rules. So what about its bespoke Hong Kong pathway?

How Asia-Pacific property markets are drawing fresh capital despite US rate uncertainty

How Hong Kong is remapping the future of higher education

Universities must rise to the Northern Metropolis challenge

Education in Hong Kong

Nearly blind student among Hong Kong’s top DSE scorers who plan careers giving back

DSE top scorer Aiden Cheng at Wah Yan College, Hong Kong. Born with a congenital eye condition, the 17-year-old struggles to read words at a distance without tools or walking up close. Photo: Karma Lo

(From left) Ian Choi, Chong Yi-lam, Wong Yik-ka, Luann Ma and Chan Hoi-yin pose at St Paul’s Co-educational College. Photo: Karma Lo

Top scorer Eric Cheng from Shatin Tsung Tsin Secondary School. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Top scorer Luann Ma (right) of St Paul’s Co-educational College hugs a classmate. Photo: Karma Lo

Record 24 students ace DSE, but weaker language scores shrink admission pool

A record 24 students from 15 schools have scored perfect marks in Hong Kong’s university entrance exams. Photo: Handout

Most DSE subjects are graded on a seven-level scale from Level 1 to Level 5**. Photo: Handout

‘I want to be a caring doctor’: most DSE stars set sights on medicine – as it happened

DSE top scorer Aiden Cheng of Wah Yan College. Photo: Karma Lo

News

Hong Kong

Education

Students inspired to pursue life in law or medicine, including Aiden Cheng, who has just 10 per cent of his vision left


Students inspired to pursue life in law or medicine, including Aiden Cheng, who has just 10 per cent of his vision left.


HKDSE - Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education

Sha Tin

Tsung Tsin Middle School

St Paul’s Co-educational College

Nearly blind student among Hong Kong’s top DSE scorers who plan careers giving back

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Students inspired to pursue life in law or medicine, including Aiden Cheng, who has just 10 per cent of his vision left

Students inspired to pursue life in law or medicine, including Aiden Cheng, who has just 10 per cent of his vision left