Media

The University of Hong Kong has continued to attract many of Hong Kong’s most talented students since the introduction of the HKDSE in 2012.As a University, it values excellence in its students, and it understands the significant effort and study hours that students put into working for the HKDSE. It is therefore now introducing a new JUPAS Bonus Points System that is intended to further recognise and reward Hong Kong’s students for their academic achievements.

The University is changing the JUPAS scoring system by giving bonus points to applicants with high levels of achievement in subjects in their HKDSE. The dedication and diligence of students in achieving Level 5, 5* or 5** in the HKDSE subjects are attributes that HKU wishes to reward appropriately.

Specifically, HKU's new JUPAS admissions system will give bonus points on top of the present scores attached to each Level as follows:

• 0.5 bonus points to any Level 5 subject;
• 1 bonus point to any subject with Level 5*; and
• 1.5 bonus points to any subject with Level 5**.

These will be used in calculating a new JUPAS score for applicants to HKU.

This is, in effect, a new scoring system for JUPAS, as follows:

The new Bonus Points System does not only reward excellence in individual HKDSE subjects. The University understands that some students might not be strong in one or two subjects, or, for various reasons, they might not perform as well as they had hoped in one or two subjects, but on the other hand perform excellently by achieving Level 5, 5* or 5** in others. The new Bonus Points System will more than compensate for the lower scores if students achieve a similar number of higher scores that reflect their ability to excel in those subjects.

This year we will also provide students with more detailed information on the 2018 selection scores, including the “cut-off” (minimum) JUPAS score for each degree programme. We hope that such information would help students to make informed decisions on their programme choices.

In relation to relaxing the “3322” requirement for entry to HKU, Prof. John Spinks, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, said: “HKU has since its inauguration been attracting the best students in Hong Kong through its doors. The minimum JUPAS score necessary to get into HKU is already some way above that of any other university, so we do not intend to make any changes to the 3322+33 requirement.”

The new Bonus Points System will not apply to MBBS in 2019, since the cut-off score for that programme has already been announced, nor to the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences and the Bachelor of Pharmacy programmes since these attract applications from the same pool of students.

For media enquiries, please contact HKU Communications and Public Affairs Office: Ms Trinni Choy, Assistant Director (Media), (Tel: 2859 2606 / Email: pychoy@hku.hk) or Ms Rashida Suffiad, Senior Manager (Media), (Tel: 2857 8555 / Email: rsuffiad@hku.hk).