Exam success for Canadian International School Hong Kong

• Three students achieved the 'perfect score' of 45 points for the IB Diploma Programme

• The average diploma score was 39 points, with almost half of students achieving 40 points or more

• Students have received tertiary study offers from universities across the world

CDNIS head of school Dr Tim Kaiser with students Austin Shen and Hilary Li

It’s that time of year again, with school students across the northern hemisphere bracing themselves for the big exam reveal. The question on everyone’s minds is surely, has all the hard work paid off?

For students at Canadian International School of Hong Kong, three students are standing tall having received the ‘perfect’ IB Diploma Programme score of 45, the maximum result possible. Eleven further students scored a practically perfect 44 points, while 14 more scored an impressive 43 points. 

The school is proud to announce that the average diploma score was a commendable 39 points, with 48% of the year group achieving 40 points or more. The three ‘perfect scorers’ include Hilary Li, Austin Shen and Wendy Wang. 

The secrets to exam success

Li, who studied at CDNIS for 14 years, will go on to study Dentistry at the University of Hong Kong. “The IB helped me develop strong time management skills, balancing assignments and tests due in the same week with extracurriculars like sports and my food Instagram account taught me how to organise my time and make the most of it,” she said.

Shen is planning to study Medicine at the University of Hong Kong and puts his success down to having a clear goal to work towards, which helped him stay motivated and consistent. “But it was really the love and support from everyone around me that gave me the confidence to overcome moments of self-doubt,” he said.

Wang received the bilingual IB Diploma and will pursue the HKU-PKU Dual Degree Programme in Law. She said mental resilience and active communication with teachers were the keys to her success. “Most of my subjects were essay heavy, which trained me to sift through dense reading and organise coherent, evidence-based arguments, a skill I know will be invaluable as I take on the reading ahead in law.”

Moving on

“Our students have demonstrated a strong sense of purpose, commitment and balance throughout their IB journey,” said head of school Dr Tim Kaiser. “These results reflect not only academic success but the character and fortitude they have developed along the way. We are proud of their achievements and confident in the positive impact they will have beyond CDNIS.”

Canadian International School students with both the IB Diploma and the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The 2026 cohort of graduates received more than 1,000 university offers from institutions in 12 countries and territories, including 38 medical and dental school offers and 70 law score offers.

Study offers have been received from institutions like University of Hong Kong, Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, McGill University, University College London, The University of Sydney, University of California, Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania and University of Toronto.

Canadian International School of Hong Kong, 36 Nam Long Shan Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong; cdnis.edu.hk.