Despite class suspensions and cancellation of the International Baccalaureate (IB) written exams due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Hong Kong students achieved a 97.9 per cent pass rate with an average IB score of 36.31. The average score outperformed other candidates around the world by 6.41 points according to the IB office. Among 2,324 HK candidates from 33 schools, 641 of them attained 40 – 45 points, including 23 top scorers from the English Schools Foundation (ESF), the largest international school group in HK, Diocesan Boys’ School, Victoria Shanghai Academy and the German Swiss International School. Although the total number of top scorers this year was 11 fewer than last year, Hong Kong continues to be one of the main sources of IB top scorers globally with around 16% of top scorers coming from Hong Kong both this year and in 2019.

Comments by Karen Hsu, Education Services Manager for Hong Kong
Local media reports indicate that most of the best performing IB students from Hong Kong regard the UK as the first choice of study destination. Following IB results, the results of the HKDSE exam will be published in two weeks’ time (22 July). 

Sources:

• Number of Hong Kong students with perfect scores in International Baccalaureate drops by nearly a third after grading system change amid pandemic, South Morning China Post
• IB 2020: 12 top scorers revealed at Hong Kong’s ESF schools, GSIS sees one perfect score, Young Post, South China Morning Post