- Publicly verifiable DSE 5** cases
- What does DSE 5** actually stand for?
- Why not publish unaudited success rates?
- How should student progress be measured?
- Definitions of success for students at different levels
- Factors affecting maths performance
- How Math Insight supports progress
- Parents' Checklist for Testimonials
- Bringing the wrong paper to make an appointment for trial lesson
1. Publicly verifiable DSE Mathematics 5** cases
The following information comes from Math Insight's existing public website content. The page only retains subjects, grades, schools and further education information currently supported by consistent public records; it does not include unverified school scores, pre-tuition predicted grades or semester-by-semester progress.
Ian Chiu | DSE Mathematics Core and M1 both won 5**
- secondary school
- Diocesan Boys' School
- open trial
- HKDSE
- MathematicsCore
- 5**
- Extended Modules
- M1Calculus and Statistics:5**
- Direction of further studies
- Actuarial Science, University of Hong Kong
- Data range
- Math Insight website publishes graduate information
"Terry Sir's teaching method is so clear, and every concept is explained in detail. I started tuition at Math Insight from Form 4, and finally got 5** in DSE maths Core, and I continued to study Actuarial Science at HKU."
Accuracy Note: Public information also lists Ian Chiu’s maths Core and M1 scores as 5**. The quote itself only directly mentions maths Core, so this page will not rewrite the quote as "He personally stated that both Core and M1 are 5**". Personal information only uses the content that has been published on the website.
What can this case illustrate?
- The student has studied DSE Mathematics Core and M1 and obtained 5** in both subjects.
- Students find clear explanations of concepts helpful to their learning.
- Students start taking courses in Form 4 and then progress to Actuarial Science at the University of Hong Kong.
This case proves nothing
- It cannot be proven that all students taking the same course will achieve 5**.
- Tuition alone cannot be proven to be the sole cause of grades.
- Math Insight's overall 5** rate or average improvement level cannot be extrapolated.
- It cannot be used to predict another student with a different starting point, subject combination and level of commitment.
2. What does DSE Mathematics 5** mean?
For HKDSE Category A subjects, Level 5 is the highest basic level. Among Level 5 candidates, those with the best performance will be awarded 5**, then those with better performance will be awarded 5*.
| mark | General interpretation | should not be misunderstood as |
|---|---|---|
| 5** | Top performing candidates within Level 5 | Permanently fixed volume score |
| 5* | The best performing candidate immediately following 5** within Level 5 | Exact same percentile for all years |
| 5 | Meets Level 5 competency standards but does not receive 5* or 5** | |
| 4 to 1 | Different competency levels reported by level reference standards | Can be directly converted using another school’s on-campus scores |
| Not rated | Performance below level 1 will not be reported on the certificate. | Exactly the same as absence or disqualification |
There is no permanent 5** score line
DSE uses level-referenced score reporting. The estimated scores circulated on the Internet can be used as a rough reference when writing papers, but they should not become the fixed boundaries announced by the HKEAA before the exam.
Core, M1 and M2 must be listed separately
If "DSE Mathematics 5**" does not specify a subject, it may refer to:
- Obtained 5** in Mathematics Core.
- M1Calculus and Statistics achieved 5**.
- M2Algebra and Calculus achieved 5**.
- Core and an extension unit both achieved 5**.
The three are subject parts that are assessed and reported separately. Score testimonials should not confuse M1 or M2 results with Core results.
3. Why not publish the unaudited success rate?
A seemingly precise percentage without a defined sample can be more misleading than no number at all. Therefore, this page does not retain figures in the original manuscript such as "22% 5** rate in 2025", "95% obtaining Level 4 or above" or "average improvement of 2.1 levels" that are not supported by underlying records.
Effective performance statistics must at least be explained
- Statistics belongs to which exam year
- Total number of students and actual number of candidates
- Does it only count students who are currently enrolled, or does it include students who have dropped out, suspended and absent students?
- The minimum length of study for students to be included in the statistics
- Is Core, M1, M2 or the combined result calculated?
- Whether to use cumulative ratio for 5* or above
- Does Level 4 or above include 5, 5* and 5**?
- Does the information come from grade notices, student declarations or tutor estimates?
- When the same student takes two subjects, will the results be calculated as one person or two subjects?
- Do you have the student’s consent to disclose personal information?
"Success rate" can be calculated in many ways. For example, counting only students who have completed a two-year course and are willing to report their grades will usually result in a higher proportion than counting all students who have enrolled. Percentages without denominators, inclusion criteria, and years should not be used to compare tuition centers.
The format that should be used for future publication of statistics
| field | What should be disclosed |
|---|---|
| Exam year | For example 2026 HKDSE |
| sample | The actual number of students taking the exam who meet the inclusion criteria |
| inclusion criteria | For example, study continuously for no less than a specified number of months before taking the exam. |
| rate of return | Students whose official scores have been collected as a percentage of eligible students |
| suject | Core, M1 and M2 are listed separately |
| result | The number and proportion of each level, not only the highest level is shown |
| Verification method | Whether to check the official score notification and obtain public consent |
4. How to measure student progress
Public examination grade is an important result, but it is not the only result. Especially in Form 1 to Form 5, students’ error patterns, degree of independence and time-limited performance should be observed at the same time.
Public examination or on-campus results
Observe long-term trends, but consider differences in paper difficulty, scope and scoring.
Repeat error rate
Whether similar concepts, procedures, review questions, or calculation errors reoccur later.
independent completion rate
How many questions can students complete without answers, examples, or instructor prompts.
time limit completion rate
The proportion of questions completed within the official time limit, and whether the accuracy rate dropped sharply after the time limit.
Avoid losing points
Points will be lost for signs, wrong numbers, missing units, premature rounding and missing steps.
conceptual expression ability
Can students explain in their own words the reasons for choosing the formula and each step.
On-campus scores cannot be directly converted into DSE grades.
Exam papers from different schools vary in scope, depth, number of questions, scoring, candidate groups and ranking purposes. A student scoring 70 points in the school examination cannot be directly calculated as DSE Level 4, 5 or 5* without a common test paper and scoring scale.
| More reliable | Less reliable |
|---|---|
| Long-term trends in exam papers of similar range and difficulty for the same students | Directly compare the 70 points of different schools |
| Pretest and posttest using the same diagnostic paper | Deep questions in the pre-test and shallow questions in the post-test |
| Record the accuracy rate and required tips at the same time | After reading the answers, it becomes easy to master them |
| Retest after a while | Only test the types of questions just finished in class |
| Record error types and time-limited performance | Only the total score is written, no wrong question information is retained |
See the method for classifying loss points.Common missing points and miscalculated numbers in DSE Mathematics; See you for limited time training DSE maths Time Allocation.
5. Definition of success for students at different levels
Not every student has 5** as their current goal. Effective courses should set the next verifiable stage for students based on their starting point, rather than using the same slogan for everyone.
| Student situation | First stage successful | Follow-up direction |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term failure or close to Level 1 or 2 | Complete basic routine questions and reduce blank questions and calculation errors | Rebuilding the foundations of mathematics And steadily strive for higher levels |
| About Level 2 to 3 | The accuracy rate of basic questions and intermediate questions is stable, reducing similar errors. | Added application questions and time-limited training |
| About Level 4 | Improve the ability to convert question types and make up for weak topics | Aim for Level 5 and above performance |
| About Level 5 | Pressing down can avoid losing points and improve speed and judgment in Paper 2. | Aiming for 5* or 5** but not guaranteed |
| M1/M2 students | The topic concept is complete, the steps are standardized, and the cross-topic issues can be handled | Add the whole paper, time management and problem solving choices |
| IB/IAL students | Improve concepts, tools and writing according to examination board guidelines | Training for AA/AI, unit or IA requirements |
Moving from Level 2 to Level 4 and moving from Level 5 to Level 5** are two different tasks. The former usually deals with basic gaps, regular questions and blank questions; the latter focuses more on accuracy, variation questions, step points, speed and high risk of losing points.
6. Factors affecting mathematics performance
Student outcomes are often determined by a combination of factors. tuition can provide teaching, diagnosis, practice and feedback, but it cannot replace students' attendance, sleep, in-school study and examination execution.
| factor | observable evidence | Actionable |
|---|---|---|
| starting point of knowledge | Prerequisite tests and past wrong papers | Back up the earliest breakpoint along the dependency chain |
| class attendance | Absence and tardiness records | Fixed class periods and early arrangement of make-up classes |
| independent practice | Homework completion rate and answer dependence | Control the number of questions and require retakes without prompts |
| Bug correction | Whether similar mistakes are repeated | Create a wrong question book and delay retesting |
| time management | Complete paper completion rate and question time | Split timing, easy first then difficult and stop loss rules |
| physical and mental state | Sleep, anxiety, exam day status | Establish a stable routine and simulate the formal examination process |
| Formal test paper | Assessment scope, difficulty and question type combination | It cannot be controlled, it can only increase capability coverage and adaptability. |
7. How Math Insight supports student progress
1. Diagnose the error first, not just correct the answer
The instructor divides the lost points into four categories: concepts, procedures, question review, and calculations, and then decides whether to return to concepts, establish a writing process, improve question reading, or add calculations.
2. Two instructors handle explanations and exercises
The ratio of teachers to students in regular small classes is no more than 1:7, with about 12 to 14 people in each class. Two instructors teach at the same time: one lectures on concepts and examples, and the other inspects the students' writing one by one during the practice period.
3. Configure three levels of exercises according to level
- Base layer: Examine concepts, formulas, and basic procedures.
- Reinforcement layer: Mixed conditions, question type changes and cross-step application.
- Advance level: In-depth questions in school, advanced questions in public examinations and time pressure.
4. Retest the wrong questions
Just doing it after listening to the answer does not mean you have mastered it. Students need to complete it again without answers, with changes in numbers or situations, and after a period of time has elapsed.
5. Select courses by stage
- Foundational gaps span multiple grade levels: Think first Mathematics supplement or One-on-one tuition.
- You can follow the school-based progress: Join junior secondary maths class or DSE Mathematics Class.
- Studying M1 or M2: Reference M1/M2 comparison and corresponding courses.
- Transportation or time constraints: comparison online maths tuition.
Teaching methods can increase chances of advancement but cannot guarantee public examination results. No tutor, course or tuition centre has control over a student's complete input, official test papers, or test day status.
8. Parents’ checklist for checking scores
When comparing different tuition centers, don't just look at the students with the highest scores. The following information can be checked item by item:
- Whether the student is truly named or has a legitimate privacy reason to use anonymity
- Whether students or parents have consented to the disclosure of information
- Whether the result is an internal test, a predicted grade, a mock test, or a formal open test
- Is maths Core, M1, M2, IB AA or IB AI clearly listed?
- Is the year of the open trial listed?
- Is the title of the further education course accurate and not just "prestigious university"?
- Whether the quotation maintains the original meaning and does not change the instructor's introduction into the student's own words
- Whether the same assessment scale is used before and after progress
- Whether statistics disclose the denominator, inclusion criteria and rate of return
- Is it clearly stated that individual results do not constitute a guarantee of performance?
Five common ways to mislead
| expression | question | How should it be rewritten |
|---|---|---|
| "Most students achieved 5 or above" | No number of students, year and subjects | List the number of people, denominator, exam year and required courses/M1/M2 |
| "Upgraded from Level 4 to 5*" | Level 4 may just be the instructor’s prediction | Specify whether the pre-test is an on-campus test, a mock test or a formal DSE |
| "5** famous teachers cultivate 5** students" | Treat correlation as causation | Separate presentation of tutor qualifications and student results |
| "The average in Hong Kong is only a certain percentage" | It is possible to mix the caliber of all and day school candidates | Link to the HKEAA original form and list the candidate groups |
| "Successfully admitted to Medicine/Actuarial Science" | Implying that a single subject or tuition directly leads to admission | Only list the destination for further education, do not declare cause and effect |
9. Bringing the wrong paper to make an appointment for trial lesson
Learning about another student's 5** story is not as important as identifying your current pattern of losing points. It is recommended to bring the most recent complete test paper when taking the trial lesson, rather than just providing the total score.
Preparing for the assessment
- Most recent internal exam, quiz or practice test
- The school’s latest and next exam range
- The student’s current grade and taking maths Core, M1, M2 or international courses
- The 2 to 3 most common difficulties
- Available class times and short-term goals
Answers you should get after the trial lesson
- The main points lost are concepts, procedures, question review, and calculations.
- Where is the earliest knowledge breakpoint.
- Suitable for regular small classes, supplementary classes, one-to-one or online mode.
- What topics should be addressed in the first phase.
- Which metrics to use and when to reassess.
Contact Details
- address: Room A, 9/F, Landmark City, 761 Nathan Road, Prince Edward, Kowloon.
- MTR: It takes about 1 to 2 minutes to walk from Exit C1 of Prince Edward Station.
- WhatsApp/Phone:9651 3910.
- e-mail:terrybgwan@gmail.com.
- trial lesson: The first class of regular classes is half price, and the first month's tuition is deducted for daily classes.
Frequently Asked Questions about Score Witnessing
Does Math Insight have any DSE Maths 5** students?
have. Public information on the website shows that Ian Chiu obtained 5** in both DSE Mathematics Core and M1, and then entered Actuarial Science at the University of Hong Kong.
Is there a fixed cutoff for DSE Mathematics 5**?
There is no official score line that is permanently fixed before the exam. 5** is the grade awarded to the best performing candidate within Level 5.
Why is the overall 5** rate not listed on this page?
There are currently insufficient underlying records to support the proportions in the original manuscript. The year, denominator, inclusion criteria, subjects and verification methods must be disclosed before publishing the success rate.
Does the student testimonial mean that I will achieve the same results?
Doesn't mean. Each student's starting point, gaps, investment, subjects taken and performance in formal examinations are different, and individual stories cannot be used to predict personal performance.
What is the approximate DSE grade of 70 points in school?
Cannot be converted directly. Different schools have different difficulty levels and scoring of test papers, and should be comprehensively evaluated through common diagnostic papers, public test questions and ability indicators.
How do you know if tuition is effective?
In addition to scores, the re-commission rate of wrong questions, completion rate without prompts, completion rate within a time limit, avoidable loss of points and conceptual expression ability should be observed.
Can I bring test papers to make an appointment for assessment?
Can. Bringing complete error papers can help the instructor analyze specific error patterns and has more diagnostic value than providing only the total score.