Who may apply
For September 2027 Primary One Admission, the child must have been born on or before 31 December 2021 (at least 5 years 8 months old when school starts in September 2027), be a Hong Kong resident, not be attending a primary school, and never have been allocated a Primary One place. Children born on or after 1 January 2022 are under age.
2027 timetable
Dates below are from the Education Bureau announcement of 28 August 2026.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| From mid-September 2026 | Create a Primary One Admission e-Platform (ePOA) account with iAM Smart+ |
| 1–25 September 2026 | Collect paper application documents via kindergartens, Home Affairs Department offices or the Education Bureau |
| 17–25 September 2026 | Submit the Discretionary Places application on the e-platform (deadline 25 September, 11:59 p.m.) |
| 21–25 September 2026 | Submit paper applications directly to the school applied to |
| Application limit | Apply to one government or aided primary school only, in any school net; duplicate applications are void |
| 23 November 2026 | Discretionary Places results announced |
| 25–26 November 2026 | Successful children register |
| Mid-January 2027 | Children without a Discretionary Places offer receive the Central Allocation choice notice |
| Central Allocation only | Submit the application on or before 22 January 2027 |
| 18–24 January / 23–24 January 2027 | Central Allocation choices: 18–24 January on the e-platform; 23–24 January in person at a Central Allocation centre |
| 2–3 June 2027 | Central Allocation results (post, e-platform or SMS) |
| 10–11 June 2027 | Successful children register |
How Central Allocation works
Primary One Central Allocation uses the parents’ choices plus a computer-assigned random number — there are no points and no banding at this stage. About half of the places are Discretionary Places (30% sibling-or-staff must-admit, and at least 20% by the points system) and about half are central. For the points, see thePOA points calculator. Direct Subsidy Scheme and private primary schools sit outside POA and keep their own timetables.