HKDSE - Introduction to JUPAS and application procedure

Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) is a unified system for the the HKDSE candidates to apply for the full-time undergraduate programmes provided by the main tertiary institutions in Hong Kong.

Joined institutions and programmes

There are over 10 institutions joined JUPAS. The programmes available for application through JUPAS include the following categories:

  1. University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded full-time bachelor’s degree programmes
    Institutions: City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Lingnan University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Education University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The University of Hong Kong
    (Those are generally referred as the “Eight Tertiary Institutions” by mass media)
  2. UGC-funded full-time associate degree programmes (academic year 2021/22 or before)
    Institutions: City University of Hong Kong
  3. UGC-funded full-time higher diploma programmes
    Institutions: The Education University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (academic year 2021/22 or before)
  4. Self-financing full-time bachelor’s degree programmes
    Institutions: The Hong Kong Metropolitan University
  5. Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions / Sectors (SSSDP) bachelor’s degree programmes
    Institutions: Saint Francis University, Hong Kong Chu Hai College, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Technological & Higher Edu. Institute of HK, VTC, Tung Wah College, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, UOW College Hong Kong
    SSSDP from 2015/16 to 2017/18 in 3 academic years subsidised around 1,000 places per cohort. From the academic year 2018/19, this plan has been regularised with an increase in number of subsidised places to around 3,000 per cohort. To know more, please visit: here…

Application procedure

To apply for the JUPAS programmes starting from {{year}}, you need to submit application on the JUPAS website during the period from {{appBegin}} to {{appEnd}}. An applicant may choose maximum 20 programmes. The 20 choices are ordered in 5 bands, Bands A to E. The first 3 choices are included in Band A, choices 4 to 6 in Band B and so on as shown in the table below:

By the allocation mechanism of JUPAS, each applicant will receive either one offer, or no offer at all. Before, the announcement of the Main Round offer results, the institutions will only be informed the Band in which the programme is put, but not the actual order in the list. According to the statistics of JUPAS, most of the offers came from the Band A choices. Therefore, the first 3 choices and their orders are the most critical. In order to maximize the chance of receiving an offer, the applicants need to appropriately select and order the programme choices by estimating their HKDSE results in different application stages and referencing the admission scores, competition ratios, etc. of their favourite programmes.

Start of JUPAS application

Short after commencement of S.6, applicants may create and activate accounts in the JUPAS website and start the procedure of JUPAS application from {{appBegin}} onwards. Before the deadline at {{appEnd}}, the applicants need to pay application fees and submit the programme choices (maximum 20) with their order. Because the HKDSE has not been started at that period, the applicants need to estimate their HKDSE results and to take into account the admission scores and competition ratios of the programmes in the past years. And then estimate the chances of getting offers of their favourite programmes. This helps them to choose the appropriate programmes and to determine the appropriate order of the programme choices that will be the most benefit to them.

Updating of programme choices (first round)

The first round of programme choices updating will be started at {{upd1Begin}} after the deadline for submission of applications, until {{upd1End}}. Applicants may add, delete, replace or re-order their programme choices as long as the total number of programme choices does not exceed 20. Amendment fees are required for each submission of updating. During this time of period, the HKDSE has been coming to the end or has been finished. Although the exam results has not been released, the applicants should have idea about their performances in the exam and hence more accurate the estimation on their chances of getting offers. Applicants may change their programme choices and/or orders to improve the odds.

Submission of other documents

Before deadline for the first round updating, there are few deadlines for submission of other documents. The documents are useful for the institutions as references to consider the applications.

{{oeaDl}}: submission of "Other Experiences and Achievements in Competitions / Activities (OEA)". The applicants may list maximum 10 items of the activities and awards in the OEA, and optionally add an article of word limit at 500 in either Chinese or English to describe interests or activities that have affected their personal growth and life goals.

{{srrDl}}: submission of "School Reference Report". School Reference Reports are completed and submitted by school principal, or by teachers who are authorised by the school principal. Non-school applicants may download the "Reference Report" forms from the JUPAS accounts and invite referees aged 18 or above to complete the forms.

{{slpDl}}: submission of "Student Learning Profile (SLP)". The SLPs provide information on the applicants’ whole person development encompassing their personal qualities and competencies. The SLPs include systematic expression of the activities and reflection in the "Other Learning Experiences" during the senior secondary curriculum. They should be submitted in PDF format with file size not more than 3MB.

{{spnDl}}: submission of "School Principal’s Nominations (SPN)". If the applicants have made outstanding achievements in sports, music, social services, other cultural activities, leadership abilities or other non-academic activities, they are eligible to be considered for nominations under SPN by their school principals or the principals of their previous schools. The nomination under SPN will be considered by the institutions concerned for their Band A programme choices only at the deadline of the first round programme updating. If after release of the HKDSE results, the nominated applicants have moved other programme choices to Band A, the relevant institutions may not consider the nominations. This plan is to support the outstanding students. Each secondary school is allocated a quota in pro-rata of the number of students in the school. The institutions may consider to give conditional offers before release of HKDSE results, or to give higher scores to the nominated applicants. If the nominated applicants have moved the programmes away from Band A after release of HKDSE results, they would lose the conditional offers or the higher scores.

24-hour updating after release of HKDSE results

After release of HKDSE results on {{result}}, the applicants may modify their programme choices during their allotted time-slot of 24 hours within the period from {{upd2Begin}} to {{upd2End}}. The applicants may check from their JUPAS accounts for the allocated time-slots from {{checkTimeSlot}} onwards. It is the last opportunity to modify the programme choices. The modifications are free of charge but can be done only ONCE in the following options:

  1. Replacement up to 5 programme choices,
  2. Addition of at most 5 programme choices as long as the total number of programme choices does not exceed 20,
  3. Deletion of selected programme choices with at least one choice remaining in the list
  4. Changing the preference order of the programme choices.
At this stage, the applicants have already known their actual HKDSE results. Moreover, the institutions and mass media have announced the competition ratios after the first round updating of programme choices. The applicants should have the maximum amount of information for making final decisions on the programme choices. If the applicants think that the HKDSE results are not reasonable, they may apply to the HKEAA for Rechecking and Remarking (RR) of HKDSE results. If the HKDSE results are upgraded after RR, the applicants may request to JUPAS for reconsideration of their applications for offers.

Announcement of Main Round offer results

JUPAS will announce the main round offer results at {{mainRound}}. Each applicant will receive either ONE offer or no offer at all. The applicants who accept the offers must pay acceptance fees before {{acceptMainRound}}. The paid fees are not refundable. No matter the applicants accept or decline the offers, they will not be reconsidered for admission to any other programmes in the same academic year. The applicants with pending RR results and also Main Round offers are highly recommended to firstly accept the offers. Otherwise, if in case the results are not upgraded after RR or no better offers after result upgrade, there are high possibilities of losing all chances of receiving offers. The applicants without offers in the Main Round will automatically enter a Clearing Round for vacancies if any.

Release of the results of RR of HKDSE results

The RR results will be announced by the HKAEE short after announcement of Main Round offers on {{rrResult}}. The applicants with upgraded HKDSE results after RR are eligible to request for reconsideration of their applications based on RR results, regardless of whether they have received or have accepted their Main Round offers. They will also be given one more free-of-charge modification of their programme choices. The options of modifications are the same as the "24-hour updating". There are two scenarios of requesting for reconsideration of applications:

  1. Applicants who are not satisfied with their Main Round offers may request for "reconsideration of applications for ’better’ offers". The institutions will only reconsider the programmes placed above the programmes they have been offered in the Main Round. The applicants may change the position of the Main Round offer in order to set the programmes that will be reconsidered. The programmes of the Main Round offers are not allowed to be deleted. If the applicants eventually are given better offers, the original Main Round offers will be withdrawn. Therefore, the applicants should make sure the programmes placed above the Main Round offers must be your more favourite programmes.
  2. The applicants who have not received any offer in the Main Round may request for "reconsideration of applications for offers".
The offer results for reconsideration of applications based on RR results will be announced at {{rrOfferResult}}. The applicants with new offers must accept the offer and pay acceptance fees by {{rrAcceptOffer}}. The applicants do NOT need to pay the acceptance fees again if they have paid acceptance fees for the Main Round offers. JUPAS will transfer the related amount to their "better" offers.

Announcement of Clearing Round offer results

Only the applicants who do not receive Main Round offers will enter the Clearing Round. Applicants may log on their JUPAS accounts to check the Clearing Round results that will be announced at {{clearResult}}. Applicants who are given Clearing Round offers need to pay acceptance fees before {{acceptClear}}.

Direct Recruitment

Applicants without offers in the Main and Clearing Rounds will be further considered by the Institutions for any programmes provided that vacancies are still available. The institutions will continue to make offers directly to these applicants if they are found to be suitable for such programmes.


The dates of deadlines and announcements above may be changed every year. Please visit the website of JUPAS for the exact dates.