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Admission Rules

From kindergarten to secondary, there are 8 paths, each with its own rules. Here we explain each: who takes it, what to do when, and which steps are irreversible. All figures follow EDB and official announcements, with sources cited.

Kindergarten

Entering K1 Children aged 2 years 8 months or above (N class is separate, plan about a year earlier)

First, get a "Registration Certificate" from the EDB, then apply to kindergartens yourself and attend interviews; in 1 month, take the certificate to register at one kindergarten. Registration secures the place.

Kindergarten transfer admission Families already enrolled but wanting to switch, or arriving mid-year

No unified mechanism; ask each school. EDB announces K1 vacancies from late 7 to early 1 each year.

Primary

Primary One Admission Children entering Primary 1 next year, targeting government or aided primary schools

All government and aided primary schools admit in two rounds: in the first round you pick one school to try for, in the second the EDB allocates by where you live.

DSS/private primary schools Families targeting DSS/private/international primary schools

DSS, private, and international primary schools don't follow POA; each admits independently, usually earlier than the government/aided track, so you can plan them alongside POA.

Transfer admission Families transferring schools or arriving mid-year (P1–S6)

Transfer admission has no unified mechanism. Each school decides when to release places, how many, and how to assess—so the core is 'which school has a vacancy now'.

Secondary

Promote to Secondary 1 P6 students, mainly in government/aided primary schools

From the second term of Primary 5, you take three 'internal assessments for secondary school places allocation'; results determine your allocation band. Then one round you choose, one round the EDB allocates by the secondary school net of your primary school.

DSS/private secondary schools Families targeting DSS/private secondary schools

From 9, schools admit students independently, interwoven with the timeline of the internal assessment.

Secondary Transfer Transfer Admission S1–S6 / Families New to HK

Like primary transfer admission, there's no unified mechanism, but after Form 4, subject choices are restricted, so options are much narrower.

Policy verified by 2026-08-04. Annual dates (e.g., central registration day, release day) should be written as month only,Exact dates per EDB announcement for that year.—— These dates change yearly; hard-coding a date on the page is misleading. Each rule page has official links at the bottom; check the original before making irreversible decisions.