School Nominations Direct Admission Scheme

Introduction

As per the recommendations of the Task Force on Review of School Curriculum (

published in September 2020), the School Nominations Direct Admission Scheme (SNDAS) was introduced in the 2022/23 academic year with the aim of recognising the talent of local secondary students that could not be fully assessed by the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination. It is a “programme-student matching exercise” in essence that provides opportunities for secondary students who have demonstrated exceptional talents and interests in specific disciplines / areas to be considered for direct admission to local universities.

The sixth cohort of SNDAS

The sixth cohort of SNDAS will be open for application by Secondary 6 students taking the 2027 HKDSE Examination and commencing their undergraduate studies in September 2027.

(a) Eligibility

Students nominated for the sixth cohort of SNDAS should meet the following criteria^Note(1):

(i)	Local students pursuing the local secondary curriculum and taking the 2027 HKDSE Examination^Note(2); and
(ii)	MUST apply for admission to universities through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) in parallel^Note(3).
Note:
(1)	Student nominees CANNOT simultaneously apply for admission to universities via the School Principal’s Nominations Scheme (SPN) under JUPAS or the respective direct admission schemes for prospective student-athletes established by the eight University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities under the UGC’s Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission Scheme.
(2)	Schools for Hong Kong children on the Chinese Mainland listed under the HKDSE Participating School List published by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority are also covered; HKDSE candidates from the related schools for Hong Kong children on the Chinese Mainland are eligible to be nominated, provided that they fulfil the criteria listed under “Eligibility” of SNDAS.
(3)	The JUPAS Office has announced the JUPAS eligibility requirements for the 2027 admission exercise and beyond. The new revisions primarily concern the residency requirements for students holding dependant visas / entry permits. For details, please refer to *the official website of the JUPAS Office*.

(b) Application Arrangement

Secondary Schools

The SNDAS nomination period will run from 7 October to 2 December 2026. Each local secondary school has a quota of two nominations for nominating students with exceptional talents and interests in specific disciplines / areas. Each student nominee can apply for admission to one designated UGC-funded undergraduate programme participating in SNDAS.

SNDAS nominations are to be submitted by secondary school principals to the participating universities direct through the specified means as set out in the specific admission requirements for each programme. School principals are also required to complete the nomination form and return to the Education Bureau for verification.

Student Nominees

SNDAS will be implemented in parallel with the JUPAS application procedure. Students nominated for SNDAS should submit their JUPAS applications and any necessary documents in accordance with the guidelines and deadlines set by the JUPAS Office.

Moreover, student nominees MUST include the chosen SNDAS-participating undergraduate programme as one of their 20 JUPAS programme choices; student nominees who failed to do so will not be considered by the participating universities for SNDAS.

Participating universities may also require student nominees to include their chosen SNDAS-participating programme as one of their JUPAS Band A programme choices. Please note the specific admission requirements for each participating programme.

Universities

The eight UGC-funded universities have designated a total of over 300 publicly-funded undergraduate programmes to participate in the sixth cohort of SNDAS. Please click herefor the specific admission requirements for each programme (updated as at 24 September 2026).

Participating universities will arrange interviews for ALL students nominated for SNDAS to assess the suitability of the nominees for specific programmes between January and early June 2027. Written / practical assessments may also be arranged where necessary.

(c) Announcement and Acceptance of Offers

Participating universities will make firm offers to successful SNDAS student nominees in June 2027, prior to the release of the 2027 HKDSE Examination results.

Successful nominees MUST decide whether to accept the offer BEFORE the release of the 2027 HKDSE Examination results. Once accepted, the firm offer will be binding and the nominees WILL NOT be considered / accepted by other programmes regardless of their HKDSE Examination results. Their JUPAS applications will also be automatically removed from the JUPAS application system. Students who have accepted the firm offers will commence study for their chosen programmes in September 2027.

For unsuccessful nominees (i.e. those who did not receive / rejected the SNDAS offer), their JUPAS applications will continue to be processed and be considered by the JUPAS-participating institutions for admission to their programmes following the release of the 2027 HKDSE Examination results.

(d) Frequently Asked Questions

Please refer to the list of FAQs.

Enquiry

General enquiries on SNDAS can be directed to EDB at 2827 1011 or sndas@edb.gov.hk.

For enquiries on admission requirements of specific SNDAS-participating programmes, please contact the relevant universities direct. Contact information is provided here.