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The Education Bureau (EDB) will launch the enhanced Electronic Advance Application System for Post-secondary Programmes (E-APP) on December 3 to assist Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination candidates in making advance applications for locally accredited post-secondary programmes not covered by the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS).
Using this one-stop Internet-based service, candidates will only need to complete and submit one application via E-APP to apply for multiple programmes. Institutions will process E-APP applications and may give eligible candidates conditional offers before the announcement of HKDSE Examination results. A total of 31 non-JUPAS post-secondary institutions will participate in this new round of E-APP.
An EDB spokesman today (November 29) said, "The enhanced E-APP not only enables the students to apply for programmes, but also allows schools to view the application status of their students and facilitates the provision of guidance by school career masters. E-APP will update the current application status of the applicants, such as whether they have been granted interviews and conditional offers, enabling the applicants and the schools to monitor such progress.
"A programme search function is also provided where students can search for programme information by area of study. In addition, requests for change of programme choices can be submitted to institutions through E-APP. The change will be effected upon confirmation by the relevant institution."
The spokesman added, "With these new functions, students can plan their study pathways in accordance with their interests, abilities and career aspirations."
The EDB will also update the current Information Portal for Accredited Post-secondary Programmes (iPASS) to assist students in programme selection and application. The iPASS (www.ipass.gov.hk) will provide details of some 460 full-time locally accredited non-JUPAS higher diploma, associate degree and degree programmes for the 2013/14 academic year, including tuition fees, entry requirements, accreditation and recognition by relevant professional bodies, and institutions' estimated number of places in 2013/14. The EDB will also upload a summary of the application and admission arrangements of institutions for the 2013/14 academic year onto the iPASS later.
In addition, the iPASS will provide information on full-time University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded degree programmes offering senior year places and locally accredited self-financing top-up degree programmes, to enable graduates and students of sub-degree programmes to plan their further study.
In order to allow ample time for students to map out their study pathways, the first phase for E-APP application is from December 3 to May 19, 2013, while the second phase is from May 27 to June 30, 2013. In general, institutions will first process applications submitted in the first phase. To assist students in their academic pursuit, institutions will continue the current admission arrangements. Students who have been accepted can settle the enrolment deposit for that programme by noon of the fourth working day after the release of the HKDSE Examination results, and applicants who later accept an offer for a full-time UGC-funded undergraduate programme will be eligible for a refund of the enrolment deposit.
Apart from the above, the EDB has been working closely with post-secondary institutions to further assist students in planning their articulation pathways. The vast majority of non-JUPAS post-secondary institutions have agreed to adopt a common scoring system for the HKDSE candidates whereby a score will be assigned to each level of performance. In this connection, for the Level of "Unclassified", the score will be "0"; for Level "1", the score will be "1"; for Level "5", the score will be "5"; for Level "5*", the score will be "6"; and for Level "5**", the score will be "7". Details are as follows:
Common Scoring System
HKDSE Levels Scores
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5** 7
5* 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
Unclassified 0
Further information on E-APP is available at www.eapp.gov.hk.
Ends/Thursday, November 29, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:06
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