SSPA Timeline 2025/2027 (Internal Assessment and Allocation Dates)

The 2025/2027 cycle at a glance

The table uses dates from the Education Bureau’s September 2026 briefing for the 2025/2027 cycle. It applies to students in Primary 6 during 2026/27, entering Secondary 1 in September 2027. Exam dates for the three internal-assessment submissions are set by each school; ask the primary. The current Primary 6 cohort is scored 999632 throughout. The Primary 5 cohort of 2026/27 is the first 88844222 cohort: their first submission falls in the 2026/27 second term, their allocation cycle is 2026/2028, and they enter Secondary 1 in September 2028.

Primary 5 second term to Primary 6 first term: internal assessment

The three submissions are Primary 5 second term (呈一), Primary 6 first term (呈二) and Primary 6 second term (呈三). Schools submit internal-assessment marks; there is no territory-wide paper. Students now in Primary 6 (September 2026) use 999632 for all three submissions: Chinese 9, English 9, Mathematics 9, General Studies 6, Visual Arts 3, Music 2, with optional Religious Education 2 and Putonghua 1 at the school’s choice. Ask the primary for each exam date, and keep the reports for later forms and, if invited, interviews.

A younger sibling who entered Primary 5 in September 2026 is already on 88844222 for their first submission. That is a different cycle from the table above. Weightings are on theSSPA calculator.

November to December: e-platform and forms

In mid-November 2026 parents register an eSSPA account at esspa.edb.gov.hk with iAM Smart+. Discretionary Places applications, cross-net applications and Central Allocation choices can all be done on that platform. In early December, participating secondaries publish Discretionary Places notes on their websites; primaries issue two application forms; the Bureau uploads the application handbook and the Notes for Parents. This is the window to read each school’s published criteria and weightings, and to choose at most two participating schools.

The first cross-net e-application batch runs from 3 December 2026 to 4 January 2027. Families who need to change net for a genuine reason such as moving house should prepare address proof at the same time (the accepted and rejected lists are onhow SSPA allocation works).

January: Discretionary Places applications

This cycle’s window is 4 to 18 January 2027, on the e-platform or on paper handed in person to the school. A student may apply to a maximum of two participating schools. Once submitted, the application cannot be withdrawn, cancelled or re-ordered. Parents tear off and keep the fourth copy that shows the choice order. Non-participating DSS schools keep their own dates and place no limit on the number of applications; they do not count toward the two participating-school applications.

February to March: interviews, cross-net, DSS decisions

Interviews at participating schools take place on or before the end of March 2027. Missing an interview does not cancel the application. Paper cross-net applications go through the primary by the end of February; the final e-platform batch is 25 January to 1 March 2027. Approved students join Part B in the new net.

If a family holds both a non-participating DSS offer and a Discretionary Places successful notice, the decision deadline is 8 April 2027. Keeping the DSS place needs no further action. Keeping the Discretionary Places offer means notifying that DSS school by that date and retrieving the signed undertaking and the original Primary 6 Student Record Form.

31 March: the successful-applicant notice

On 31 March 2027 participating schools notify successful (正取) parents in writing and by phone; the e-platform is available from 10:00. Reserve and unsuccessful families are not notified, and parents need not reply. No notice does not mean no Discretionary Places offer: a reserve place may still appear on 6 July, or none may. The 31 March notice is also not the final published result; Discretionary Places and Central Allocation are announced together in July.

April to May: Central Allocation choices

In early April the primary issues the Secondary One Choice of Schools form and the secondary-school list; the Notes for Parents on Central Allocation are uploaded on 8 April. The e-platform window is 8 April to 5 May 2027; paper forms go back to the primary in early May. Part A allows up to 3 choices in any net; Part B up to 30 in the student’s own net. Every family must return the form, including successful Discretionary Places families, who only tick the box, strike out the choices section and sign.

July: results, registration, Pre-S1 HKAT

Results are announced on 6 July 2027, collected at the primary or on the e-platform. Registration is on 8 and 9 July at the allocated secondary. The Pre-S1 HKAT is on 13 July at the school where the student has registered; it does not directly affect that student’s allocation. If typhoon signal 8 or above, a red or black rainstorm warning, or “extreme conditions” is in force on results or registration day, follow radio and television announcements.

Last cycle at a glance

Last cycle (2024/2026) the Discretionary Places window was 2 to 16 January 2026, the successful-applicant notice was 31 March 2026, and results were announced on 7 July 2026. The dates shift slightly each year, but the rhythm (apply in January, notice at the end of March, results in early July) is the same. This cycle’s matching dates are 4 to 18 January 2027, 31 March 2027 and 6 July 2027.

Common misunderstandings

“The current Primary 6 cohort is already on 88844222.” It is not. Primary 6 in 2026/27 stays on 999632. 88844222 starts with that year’s Primary 5 second-term first submission.

“No phone call or letter on 31 March means no Discretionary Places offer.” It does not. Reserve and unsuccessful families are not notified; a reserve place may still be allocated on 6 July.

“Once we are 正取 we can skip the Central Allocation form.” Every student must return it. Successful families only tick, strike out the choices and sign.

“The internal-assessment dates on this page are territory-wide exam days.” They are not. The three submissions map to three school terms; exam dates are set by each school.

Next steps

For how the two stages match and how banding is cut, seehow SSPA allocation works. To weight internal marks, see theSSPA calculator. For an estimate of banding (not an actual band), see thebanding estimator.

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