Part B is processed by school net, so order and choice coverage both matter

The school net normally follows the primary school location, not the home district

Hong Kong is divided into 18 secondary school nets. Unless a cross-net application is approved, the student's net is determined in principle by the location of the attending primary school, not the residential address. A net includes participating secondary schools in the district and schools in other districts that provide places to that net.

Schools and places supplied from other districts may change each year, so the 2024/2026 net list is not the 2025/2027 Part B list. Each student should use the current-cycle net list issued by the primary school or shown in eSSPA.

How Part B processes choices round by round

The computer processes the first choice of every Net Band 1 student, then the second choice of unallocated students in that band, continuing round by round. It completes Net Band 1 before repeating the procedure for Bands 2 and 3. When demand within a band exceeds a school's places, students with smaller random numbers are allocated first.

A later choice is therefore not considered at the same time as other students' first choices. The order should reflect genuine priorities while providing enough coverage to reduce the risk of remaining unallocated after every listed choice is screened.

Why EDB advises filling as many of the 30 choices as possible

Current Notes for Parents advise ordering schools by preference and filling as many of the 30 choices as possible. If no listed choice can be allocated, the student receives a place from remaining schools in the net outside the list, excluding DSS schools and schools marked as requiring an explicit choice.

• First remove schools that are clearly inapplicable because of student gender, language arrangements or important remarks.
• Order by genuine preference rather than mechanically grouping market band labels.
• Verify every school code and name to avoid confusion from similar names or cross-district places.
• Retain the complete choice record and acknowledgement before the deadline; draft status is not submission.

Cross-net and feeder rules require individual verification

Cross-net applications follow annual documents, deadlines and address-evidence requirements; an approved student is allocated in the new net. Feeder or nominated-school reserved places also have band, first-choice and place-limit conditions, and an approved cross-net move may remove eligibility for the original reserved place. Families should verify these cases with the attending primary school and exact EDB documents.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Part B net determined by home address?

In principle, no. Unless cross-net allocation is approved, the net follows the location of the attending primary school.

How many choices are available in Part B?

Up to 30 choices from the student's net; EDB advises ordering them by preference and filling as many as possible.

Does Part B use the Territory Band?

No. Part B uses the Net Band within the student's school net.

What happens if none of the listed choices can be allocated?

The student is allocated from remaining places in the net outside the listed choices, excluding DSS schools and schools marked as requiring an explicit choice.