S1 Discretionary Places: separate application, successful notification and allocation

Step 1: confirm that the school participates in SSPA

The EDB 2025/2027 circular confirms that an eligible applicant may apply to no more than two participating secondary schools during the formal application period, without district restriction. That rule does not establish whether any particular DSS school participates; the current-cycle handbook or official list is still required.

A profile's finance category, prior admission wording or an earlier-cycle handbook is not the 2025/2027 participation list. If a school is outside the current participating list, the application route, documents and consequences of accepting a place may be different.

How the two preference orders work

Each DP application has a unique number representing its preference order. A family applying to one school should use Preference 1. Sending both forms to the same school does not increase the chance; the second application is not processed. Once submitted, an application cannot be retrieved, cancelled or reordered.

Schools build successful and reserve lists under their published criteria; EDB then matches those lists against the student's preference order. If both applications succeed and the student has not accepted an NDSS place, allocation follows the original order and assigns the higher preference.

How to verify school criteria, interviews and documents

Participating schools may set admission criteria according to their philosophy and tradition, but must publish the criteria, weightings and number of DP places before the application period. Interviews may be arranged, but written tests in any form are not allowed. Parents should read the school's current-cycle official notice rather than substituting a market band label for its criteria.

• Verify the school identity, participation status, official criteria and weightings.
• Prepare only the report cards, awards or supplementary forms explicitly requested, and retain the submitted version.
• Use either electronic or paper submission for the same preference, not both.
• After submission, verify status and acknowledgement; do not treat a draft, upload screen or payment page as proof of submission.

Successful-applicant notification is not the full allocation result

Participating schools notify parents whose children are included in their successful DP lists under the annual arrangements. The notification does not cover reserve or unsuccessful applicants and is not the full allocation result; parents generally do not reply to a participating school to accept it. DP and CA results are formally released together on the annual result date.

A student who secures a DP is not allocated another place through CA. Students who did not apply for DP or did not obtain a DP continue to the annual Central Allocation choice process.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools may a student apply to for DP?

No more than two participating secondary schools, without district restriction. NDSS applications are a separate route.

Does sending both applications to one school improve the chance?

No. EDB processes Preference 1 and does not process the second application to the same school.

May a school hold a written test?

No. Participating schools may interview applicants but may not conduct written tests in any form.

Is a successful notification the formal allocation result?

No. It confirms inclusion in a successful list; formal DP and CA results are released together on the annual result date.