The Hong Kong DSE results can not only be used to apply for universities in Hong Kong but also for universities in many countries including Singapore, Japan, the UK, the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Malaysia.

As of January 1, 2021, over 370 universities worldwide recognize DSE exam results. These universities include renowned institutions such as the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, Harvard University, Yale University, New York University, the University of Sydney, the University of Toronto, McGill University, the National University of Singapore, the University of Sydney, the University of Melbourne, and Waseda University.

The Hong Kong DSE results are also recognized by institutions in mainland China, with 129 universities offering admission without examination (including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and many others classified as "Double First Class", "985", and "211").