Chinese students participating in the Gaokao exam. (Photo by Getty Images)
[People News] A scandal has erupted in Macau’s higher education sector involving mainland Chinese students forging results from the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams to gain admission to universities. In response, the University of Macau, one of the city’s leading institutions, announced it will suspend accepting applications from mainland Chinese students without Gaokao (China's national college entrance exam) scores starting from the 2025 academic year. This incident not only highlights regulatory loopholes in the DSE system but also exposes the lengths to which some Chinese students will go to study abroad.
According to a report by Voice of America, after allegations surfaced that mainland Chinese students used falsified DSE scores to apply to Macau universities, the University of Macau issued an "Important Notice" on its official website. The notice states that due to policy adjustments, applications for undergraduate admissions from mainland Chinese students who do not take the Gaokao will be suspended starting next academic year.
Four Mainland Chinese Students Arrested for Forged DSE Scores
In October this year, another Macau institution, Macau University of Science and Technology, uncovered that 24 mainland Chinese students had allegedly used fake DSE results to apply for admission. These students had their enrollment revoked, and four were arrested. Police investigations revealed that the four arrested students were involved with a criminal group led by mainland Chinese individuals. The group had organized and facilitated the forging of DSE exam scores and related documents to bypass the universities’ credential verification systems and deceive school authorities into granting admission.
Macau police reported that, on the university registration day in August, the criminal group coordinated with the students near the university. They explained the registration process and distributed falsified DSE transcripts and fake secondary school diplomas. Of the 24 students involved, 20 returned to mainland China before the university filed a police report.
Former Manager of Assessment Development at the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), Yeung Wing-yu, who now resides in the UK, told Voice of America that this case likely represents just the "tip of the iceberg."
Yeung explained: "The DSE is gaining popularity in mainland China. Some people view it as an attractive option to spend some money to buy a qualification that can be used to apply to overseas universities. There is an information gap between Hong Kong and second- or third-tier cities, or even rural towns, in mainland China. They don't understand the actual process, so they turn to agents for help."
The HKEAA later stated that several methods are in place to verify DSE results. These include issuing printed certificates and notifications using watermarked paper with embedded fibers and microprint anti-counterfeiting features.
Lack of Electronic Verification Mechanism for DSE Certificates
Former Chinese language tutor and current founder of the Australia-based organization "Hong Kong Linguist," Chan Lok-hang, told Voice of America that the lack of an electronic certificate verification mechanism for the DSE is the main reason why criminals can exploit the system.
Chan explained: "DSE lacks an official electronic certificate. Mainland Chinese students typically submit scanned copies to universities, which are easily forged using basic digital photo-editing software to alter the name on the certificate. The threshold for forgery is extremely low. Normally, such certificates should include credentials uploaded to the issuing authority's official website, leaving no room for falsification since the information is secured online and cannot be modified. This reflects how outdated the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) is in understanding the importance of anti-forgery measures."
The DSE, launched by the HKEAA in 2012, is a public examination. In addition to Hong Kong's local high school students, mainland Chinese students can also take the DSE as "private candidates." According to HKEAA statistics, about 1,400 mainland Chinese students have registered for the 2024 Diploma of Secondary Education exam.
Educational institutions in mainland China that offer DSE preparatory classes explain that students often choose the DSE over the Gaokao because DSE scores allow direct admission to universities in Hong Kong or abroad. Additionally, with only around 50,000 candidates sitting the DSE annually, competition is far less intense compared to the millions of students competing in the Gaokao.
Mr. Han, a Beijing student, told Voice of America: "In my opinion, any Chinese family with sufficient financial means would not let their children take the Gaokao. If a student is poor and comes from a small town, they need to score 600 or 700 points just to get into a good school. The competition is extremely fierce. From what I know, wealthy Chinese families won’t let their children sit for the Gaokao. They’ll opt for the DSE, send them to Hong Kong or Macau, or directly to the U.S. or Canada. It depends on how wealthy the family is."
Chan Lok-hang agreed, stating that the Gaokao may not be advantageous for students planning to study abroad.
"There are frequent reports of Gaokao-related fraud—not just fake certificates but also leaked exam questions and politically manipulated scandals. Gaokao scores are not highly recognized internationally."
In recent years, the rapid development of higher education in Macau has been closely tied to mainland Chinese students. According to Macau's Education Statistics Overview 2004, the number of students in Macau's universities has increased by over 12% annually over the past five years, with local students comprising less than 30% of total enrollment. Among undergraduates, over 95% of non-local students are from mainland China.
In 2021, Hong Kong’s Education Bureau replaced the Liberal Studies component of the DSE with the "Citizenship and Social Development" subject, sparking widespread criticism. This year marked the first DSE examination without the Liberal Studies subject.
Former HKEAA executive Yeung Wing-yu noted that the DSE is equivalent to the UK’s A-Level exams in terms of university entry requirements. Despite having shorter study hours and less rigorous English writing requirements, the original Liberal Studies and Independent Enquiry Study components of the DSE compensated for these shortcomings. With the removal of these components and the shift to "Citizenship and Social Development," Yeung believes the DSE has become more attractive to mainland Chinese students.
Yeung commented: "The significance of Liberal Studies was that it was a core part of the DSE, teaching students critical thinking and social awareness. However, this encouraged independent thought, which the regime did not like. Eventually, the subject was abolished and replaced with a so-called ‘brainwashing’ curriculum in Citizenship and Social Development. This includes heavy doses of national education and national security elements. For mainland students, this makes the DSE both easier to complete and politically safer. After taking the DSE, students can apply to universities in Hong Kong or abroad. It remains a highly valuable qualification for them."
Introduction of DSE Test Centers in Mainland China
Previously, mainland Chinese students had to travel to Hong Kong to take the DSE. This year, for the first time, the HKEAA set up DSE test centers at Shenzhen Hong Kong Pui Kiu College Longhua Xinyi School and Guangzhou Jinan University Hong Kong and Macau Children’s School. Around 110 students with Hong Kong or Macau residency took the exams as school candidates at these mainland centers.
Yeung recalled that before the pandemic, DSE exams were known for their rigorous standards. Each test center in Hong Kong was overseen by invigilators from different schools, and candidates were also from various schools to ensure impartiality. However, the system changed when pandemic-related reasons were cited to justify allowing students to take exams at their home schools.
Yeung Wing-yu said: "Since the DSE is a public examination in Hong Kong, candidates were previously ‘shuffled’ between different test centers, and they would not return to their original schools for the exam. Invigilators were also teachers unfamiliar to the students. In the past, confidentiality measures were well-executed. However, since the Hong Kong authorities decided to establish test centers in mainland China, they have implemented the practice of ‘home-school’ examinations for core subjects starting in 2021. The justification or excuse given was to accommodate pandemic-related needs. In essence, they used the pandemic as a pretext to achieve dual goals: the DSE in mainland China now fully mirrors the Hong Kong model. Since Hong Kong itself uses home-school exams, applying the same system in the mainland does not violate regulations."
Chan Lok-hang, founder of "Hong Kong Linguist," also raised concerns about the arrangements made by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) for conducting the DSE in mainland China.
Chan said: "The HKEAA conducts the DSE exams in mainland China by transporting the test papers from Hong Kong to the mainland without sending personnel to oversee the exams. After the exams are completed in the certified test centers, the papers are transported back to Hong Kong. During the transportation process, there is a possibility that local school staff might handle the test papers. Could someone gain prior access to the test papers, leak the questions to candidates, or even alter the completed test papers? The HKEAA relies on mainland education authorities to certify that the test centers meet the conditions for administering the DSE."
Amid increasing restrictions on Chinese students in the U.S. and Europe for various reasons, Chan Lok-hang expressed concern that the Macau diploma scandal could further worsen the situation for Chinese students abroad.
"For now, it appears that fraud orchestrated by intermediaries is on a significant scale. These scandals could harm mainland students’ reputations. While foreign governments might not openly reject DSE credentials, when it comes to visa or school applications, institutions might prefer students from Japan, South Korea, or other countries with more credible examination systems. They may avoid applicants from a system that cannot even provide electronic certificates."
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