After allocation
After Central Allocation 2027/28: registration, school applications and transfers
Register the allocated place first unless the family has decided to give it up. Other-school applications have no universal Hong Kong-wide period or deadline.
Cycle status
2027/28 dates are not published
As of 15 Jul 2026, the Education Bureau has not published the formal 2027/28 dates or school-choice lists. This guide explains current official system rules; every 2026 item remains clearly labelled as a historical reference.
Search-ready summary
Quick answer
After Central Allocation, register at the allocated school within the official period to preserve the place. A family seeking another school should follow that school's own published process. After registration, obtain formal acceptance from another school before retrieving the Primary One Registration Certificate; retrieval immediately cancels the allocated place. Exact 2027/28 school-specific dates have not been published.
Key facts
- 2027/28 school dates
- Not published
- First protection
- Register the allocated place
- Transfer sequence
- Acceptance before certificate retrieval
- Reduced-place policy
- Extended through 2028/29
Preserve the allocated place after results
Unless the family has decided to decline the government or aided place, register at the allocated school within the official period. The 2026 Education Bureau notice says a parent unable to register should contact the allocated school in advance; failure to make contact by the deadline can be treated as giving up the place. The 2027/28 result and registration dates are not published, so 2026 June dates must not be copied into the new cycle.
The common Cantonese term “knock door” does not describe another Education Bureau allocation round. Whether a school accepts outside applications, which form it uses, when it meets applicants and when it releases results are school-specific official facts.
Correct sequence for moving to another school
After registering at the allocated school, first obtain formal acceptance from another school and only then retrieve the Primary One Registration Certificate from the allocated school. The Education Bureau's 2026 notice states that retrieving the certificate immediately cancels the allocated place.
Do not cancel the original place merely after submitting another form, receiving an interview invitation or hearing an informal indication. A formal offer may have its own response deadline; follow that notice and retain written evidence. P1Tracker does not receive child names, application numbers or offer documents.
What the reduced-place policy means
A 2023 Education Bureau notice described a small number of post-allocation additional admissions commonly called knock-door places and reduced the former amount by one per class: from two to one for schools with a standard class size of 25, and from three to two for schools with a standard class size of 30. The original arrangement covered 2023/24 to 2025/26.
In March 2026, the Education Bureau said the reduced-place arrangement would be extended for three more years through 2028/29. This is a policy framework, not a promise that every school offers one or two vacancies or accepts any application. Class numbers, vacancies, school decisions and individual applications still control the actual arrangement.
There is no Hong Kong-wide 2027/28 application period
As of 15 July 2026, individual schools have not published their 2027/28 post-allocation application dates. Do not substitute a media article, forum account, 2026 form or another school's deadline, and do not assume every school closes on the day after results.
A school may use an online form, in-person delivery, post, required documents, an interview or a waiting-list notice, or may not publicly accept applications. Only its official website, formal notice or direct confirmation can establish school-specific dates and requirements.
Family checklist after allocation
- Check the result through the official channel and record the allocated school and registration deadline.
- Unless the family has decided to decline it, register first to preserve the allocated place.
- Use the POA directory and clearly labelled 2026 reference for research without carrying forward old codes, places or dates.
- Open each target school's official site and separately record opening, deadline, submission method, interview, result and response deadline.
- Retrieve the registration certificate and complete transfer only after formal acceptance elsewhere.
- Reopen the official source before every action; an applicant-specific written notice takes precedence.
Common questions
Questions parents ask
Should a family register if it is unhappy with the allocation?
Unless the family has decided to decline, register within the official period to preserve the place while following individual schools' application arrangements.
Is there one Hong Kong-wide opening and deadline?
No. Each school decides whether it accepts applications, and controls its dates, form, documents and selection. 2027/28 school-specific dates are not yet published.
Can a family retrieve the registration certificate after merely applying elsewhere?
It should not retrieve the certificate merely after application or interview. Obtain formal acceptance first; certificate retrieval immediately cancels the allocated place.
Does every school necessarily have one or two additional places?
No. The official numbers describe a reduced-place policy framework and do not guarantee that an individual school has a vacancy, accepts applications or admits anyone.
Source record
Official sources
Every item below is a primary Hong Kong Government or Education Bureau source. Exact 2026 dates are labelled as historical, while cross-cycle policies retain their stated coverage. A 2027/28 release will be added as a new update rather than silently relabelling an old year.
- Education Bureau Primary One Admission SystemCurrent official entry for annual notices, forms, frequently asked questions and result arrangements.Open official source ↗
- 2026 Central Allocation results and registration arrangementsOfficial 2026 result, registration and Primary One Registration Certificate transfer sequence.Open official source ↗
- Trial reduction in post-allocation discretionary places, 2023/24 to 2025/26Official framework for reducing the small number of additional places in schools with standard classes of 25 or 30 pupils.Open official source ↗
- Education Bureau extension of the reduced-place arrangement through 2028/29Confirms a three-year policy extension; it does not mean every school accepts applications or has published dates.Open official source ↗
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Editorial boundary
P1Tracker converts Education Bureau rules into planning checklists and does not represent the Bureau or any school. It does not predict an individual result, encourage a false address, or present an old-cycle date, unofficial ranking or reported minimum score as a 2027/28 guarantee. Formal forms, personal notices and the latest Education Bureau announcement take precedence.