This page explains how SSPA internal-assessment weighting works, which scheme applies to which year group in 2026/27, and what the calculator above actually does. It outputs a weighted percentage, not a band.
What the internal assessment is, and is not
Hong Kong does not run a territory-wide paper for secondary-school allocation. Under the Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) system, each primary school submits its own internal-assessment marks for three specified terms: Primary 5 second term (first submission, 呈一), Primary 6 first term (second submission, 呈二), and Primary 6 second term (third submission, 呈三). The marks are school-internal.
The Education Bureau requires those three terms of internal marks. It does not require quizzes or coursework to count. In practice the term mark is usually exam-centred; some schools also fold quizzes or coursework into the term mark on a published ratio. Two schools can treat the same subject differently. Ask the school what it includes: that is the honest answer.
The current 999632 weights, subject by subject
The Primary 6 cohort of 2026/27 (2025/2027 cycle, Secondary 1 in September 2027) is still scored under the current scheme. The base is 38: Chinese 9, English 9, Mathematics 9, General Studies 6, Visual Arts 3, Music 2, hence 999632.
| Subject | Weight | Share of 38 |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 9 | 23.68% |
| English | 9 | 23.68% |
| Mathematics | 9 | 23.68% |
| General Studies | 6 | 15.79% |
| Visual Arts | 3 | 7.89% |
| Music | 2 | 5.26% |
A school may also include Religious Education (weight 2) and/or Putonghua (weight 1). Adding Religious Education raises the base from 38 to 40; adding both raises it to 41. Whether either subject is taught, and whether it is submitted, is a school-level choice.
A fictional student, not taken from any real school: Chinese 80, English 75, Mathematics 90, General Studies 85, Visual Arts 70, Music 65. The weighted total is each mark times its weight, then summed:
80×9 + 75×9 + 90×9 + 85×6 + 70×3 + 65×2 = 756 + 675 + 810 + 510 + 210 + 130 = 3055. The maximum is 100×38 = 3800. The percentage is 3055÷3800 = 80.39%. In “Current 999632” mode the calculator should match that result for the same marks.
The 88844222 scheme from the 2026/27 school year
The Education Bureau announced the change on 16 October 2024. It takes effect from the Primary 5 second term of 2026/27. The base stays 38: Chinese 8, English 8, Mathematics 8, Humanities 4, Science 4, Visual Arts 2, Music 2, Physical Education 2, hence 88844222. General Studies is replaced by Humanities and Science; the new weights follow those subjects. Optional Religious Education (2) and Putonghua (1) are unchanged.
| Subject | Weight | Share of 38 |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 8 | 21.05% |
| English | 8 | 21.05% |
| Mathematics | 8 | 21.05% |
| Humanities | 4 | 10.53% |
| Science | 4 | 10.53% |
| Visual Arts | 2 | 5.26% |
| Music | 2 | 5.26% |
| Physical Education | 2 | 5.26% |
Each of Chinese, English and Mathematics moves from 23.68% to 21.05%. Humanities plus Science come to 8/38 = 21.05%, above General Studies at 15.79%. Visual Arts moves from 7.89% to 5.26%. Music stays at 5.26%. PE appears for the first time, at 5.26%.
A student with a certified health condition can be exempted from PE. PE then drops out and the base falls from 38 to 36. The other subject weights stay the same.
The same fictional marks under the new weights: Humanities and Science both take the General Studies mark of 85, for comparison only; PE is entered as 65. Real marks come from the school. This recast is only to show the direction of change:
80×8 + 75×8 + 90×8 + 85×4 + 85×4 + 70×2 + 65×2 + 65×2 = 640 + 600 + 720 + 340 + 340 + 140 + 130 + 130 = 3040. 3040÷3800 = 80.00%, a little below the current 80.39%. “Compare both” mode shows the two results and the new-minus-current gap in percentage points.
If that student is exempt from PE, the weighted total becomes 3040 − 130 = 2910 and the maximum becomes 100×36 = 3600. The percentage is 2910÷3600 = 80.83%. Removing a PE mark below the rest of the profile raised the percentage. Exemption does not automatically lower the score; it depends on PE relative to the other subjects.
Two year groups, two schemes: which one is my child on?
Today is September 2026. The switch is dated from which cohort’s first submission falls under the new scheme, not from a vague “whatever year they are in now”.
| Year group in 2026/27 | Scheme | Allocation cycle | Secondary 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary 6 | 999632 | 2025/2027 | September 2027 |
| Primary 5 | 88844222 | 2026/2028 | September 2028 |
| Primary 4 and below | 88844222 | Later cycle for that cohort | From their P5 second term |
The first submission is in the Primary 5 second term. For the Primary 5 cohort of 2026/27 that term already sits after the reform takes effect, so they are the first 88844222 cohort. The Primary 6 cohort of the same year stays on 999632 for all three submissions. Use the calculator’s current/new switch for the scheme that actually applies; do not mix the two schemes in one term.
First, second, third: how the three submissions are used
At allocation the Bureau standardises each student’s first, second and third submissions, then applies the school adjustment. All three are used. The Bureau has not published a weighting between the three (for example that the third submission counts more). This site will not invent one.
The calculator only scores the set of subject marks you type. It applies the scheme you selected and returns a weighted total and percentage. It does not merge the three submissions, because there is no published Bureau formula to apply. To look at one term, enter the marks that term actually used.
Beyond the marks: standardisation and the school adjustment
A weighted percentage is only the within-school picture under the published weights. For banding, the Bureau first standardises the three submissions, then adjusts them by the average of the school’s two most recent Pre-Secondary One Hong Kong Attainment Test (Pre-S1 HKAT) samples. For the 2025/2027 cycle those samples are 2024 and 2026. The previous cycle (2024/2026) used 2018 and 2024.
School-level HKAT sample averages are not public, and standardisation depends on that year’s territory and net distributions. The Bureau states that a school cannot precisely predict an individual’s band from past cohort profiles plus internal marks or rank. This calculator does not try to copy that step.
For how bands are cut, and what the estimator on this site can and cannot do, see thebanding estimator.
Common misunderstandings
- Quizzes always count.The Bureau requires three terms of internal marks. It does not require quizzes to count. That is school policy. Ask the school.
- The new scheme makes the core subjects unimportant.Each of Chinese, English and Mathematics moves from 23.68% to 21.05%, so a single core subject pulls a little less. The three still dominate together. Humanities plus Science at 21.05% sit above General Studies at 15.79%; they do not replace the cores.
- Putonghua always counts.Putonghua (weight 1) counts only if the school opts it in. The same is true of Religious Education (weight 2). If neither is included, the base stays 38.
- A PE exemption lowers the score.Exemption drops the base from 38 to 36; other weights stay the same. Whether the percentage rises or falls depends on PE relative to the rest. In the example a PE mark of 65 sat below the profile, and exemption moved the percentage from 80.00% to 80.83%.
- The internal-assessment mark is the band.Weighted marks are standardised and school-adjusted, then split into three equal groups across the territory and the net. The calculator shows a weighted percentage, not the Bureau’s band.
Using this calculator
Enter the marks the school actually used that term (0 to 100 per subject). Do not rewrite the weights. For Primary 6 in 2026/27 choose “Current 999632”; for Primary 5 and below choose “New 88844222”. “Compare both” is for seeing the direction of change under the two schemes, not for adding them together. Tick Religious Education or Putonghua only if the school submits that subject. Tick the PE exemption only under the new scheme, and only if the child is exempt.
The result is the weighted total divided by that scheme’s maximum (38, 36, 40 or 41 times 100). It does not give a band, and it does not stand in for standardisation of the three submissions.
FAQ
What counts as an SSPA internal-assessment mark?
There is no territory-wide paper. Each primary school submits its own internal-assessment marks for three specified terms. The Bureau does not require quizzes or coursework to count; term exams are usually the core. Ask the school what it includes.
When are the three submissions?
Primary 5 second term (first submission, 呈一), Primary 6 first term (second submission, 呈二), and Primary 6 second term (third submission, 呈三). Schools send the marks on the Bureau’s timetable.
Which weighting does Primary 6 and Primary 5 use in 2026/27?
Primary 6 stays on 999632 (2025/2027 cycle, Secondary 1 in September 2027). Primary 5 is the first 88844222 cohort (2026/2028 cycle, Secondary 1 in September 2028); their first submission falls in the 2026/27 second term. Primary 4 and below also use 88844222 thereafter.
Do Putonghua and Religious Education count?
Only if the school opts them in. Religious Education carries weight 2 and Putonghua weight 1. Whether the school offers the subject, and whether it is submitted, is a school-level decision.
What if my child is exempt from Physical Education?
Exemption applies under the new scheme. With a certified health condition the base falls from 38 to 36 and PE drops out. Other weights stay the same. Whether the percentage rises or falls depends on PE relative to the rest.
Does the reform make the main subjects less important?
Each of Chinese, English and Mathematics moves from 23.68% to 21.05%, so a single core subject pulls a little less. The three still dominate together. Humanities plus Science come to 21.05%, above General Studies at 15.79%.
How are the three submissions combined? Is the result a band?
The Bureau standardises all three submissions and then applies the school adjustment. It has not published a weighting between the three. This calculator scores only the marks you type and returns a weighted percentage, not a band.
Do quizzes and homework count?
It depends on the school. Some count only the term exam; others fold quizzes or coursework into the term mark on a published ratio. Two schools can treat the same subject differently. Check with yours.
Next steps
After the weighted score comes banding. Thebanding estimatorexplains standardisation, the school adjustment, and why no website can compute an exact band. Dates are on theSSPA timeline. Discretionary Places and Central Allocation are on theSSPA processpage.