The Joint University Programmes Admissions System (Chinese:大學聯合招生辦法), or commonly known as JUPAS (聯招), designed by Dr Gregory Chan Hin Fai, is a unified system for applying for full-time undergraduate programmes in Hong Kong. In 2017 admission, all government funded degrees and sub-degrees provided by University Grants Committee (UGC) member institutions, and most of other full-time degrees provided by institutions in Hong Kong are under the application system in JUPAS.
Prior to the introduction of JUPAS in 1990, the admission process of tertiary education institutes were independent of each other, and two separate entrance examinations, the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) which was designed for a three years tertiary education curriculum (mainly used by University of Hong Kong), and Hong Kong Higher Level Examination (HKHLE), which was designed for a four years tertiary education curriculum (mainly used by Chinese University of Hong Kong) were provided for students. To reduce the students' pressure of dealing with two examinations and admission processes, the University Grants Committee set up the JUPAS to unite the admission processes of five of the institutions (City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic Institute, Hong Kong Baptist University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and The University of Hong Kong). The UGC also selected the HKALE as the benchmark examination rather than HKHLE. The HKHLE came to its end in 1992, two years after the introduction of JUPAS.
As being an alternative of students who want to pursue their undergraduate education with a lesser result due to the high competitiveness of JUPAS (see below). All government-funded sub-degree programmes provided by JUPAS member institutes and managed under JUPAS since academic year 2000. In academic year 2006, Open University of Hong Kong, which provided self-financed degrees, also participated in the scheme. The Hong Kong Shue Yan University was also being offered to participate JUPAS, but they did not do so to maintain independency of admissions.
As part of educational reform in Hong Kong, the HKALE came to its end in 2012 (though it accepted retakers in 2013), replaced by the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE). However, the UGC decided to keep JUPAS as their member institutions' admission procedure. In academic year 2011, they will start accepting applications for student who taking part in HKDSE.
Benchmark examinations
Since JUPAS itself is a system, not an admission examination nor process, JUPAS can collect academic results from student for the references of admissions-related personals in member institutions. Theoretically, all recognised international academic examinations involving in the world are considered in admission into JUPAS, but the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE), and/or the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE, launching in academic year 2011) is a must for every student. No applicant can participate in JUPAS without a valid HKALE or HKDSE result obtained in the same or previous years in which the applicant apply for JUPAS. The aforementioned examination results are considered the most important factor of admission in all programmes in almost all situations (other than the now-defunct Early Admissions Scheme).
Even without being mentioned, before the introduction of HKDSE, the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) was almost a must for every student since almost every student taking part in the HKALE took part in the HKCEE. HKCEE results were usually considered as an important factor in admissions, and usually were a requirement of admission in most cases. Apart from the above examinations, the two International English benchmark examinations, the TOEFL and the IELTS, play important roles in some situations (including being a minimum admission requirement), through most of the cases it is considered unessential.
Participating institutes and courses
In 2016/17 academic year, the following programmes are offered under JUPAS:
All government-funded full-time degrees/full-time degrees and sub-degree programmes (indicated with asterisk(*)) offered by University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded institutes:
JUPAS applicants do not need to and are not allowed to apply for any undergraduate programmes directly to the member institutions on their own as long as the programme is available by JUPAS. In such cases, JUPAS applications will always have the first priority and will void all other direct applications automatically. However, this restriction does not apply if programmes itself is not available in JUPAS.
Applications of programmes provided by institutes with no association to JUPAS (e.g. Hong Kong Shue Yan University or community colleges associated with UGC-funded institutes) are independent of the JUPAS system. Applicants of those programmes are required to apply directly to the institutes in question.
Non-Form 6 students who are not currently studying degrees provided by JUPAS, including students studying JUPAS' non-degree programmes, may apply for JUPAS as long as they met the HKDSE requirement or will participate HKDSE in same academic year to meet the requirement. Students studying in secondary schools approved by EMB[clarification needed] can only apply for the above programmes through JUPAS.
Application process
Applicants applying through JUPAS can select up to 25 choices of any programme offered by the 9 local institutes via the online portal, provided that they satisfied the prerequisites. The application form is sub-divided into different bandings, namely band A, B, C, D & E. Putting choices in different bands will affect the scoring of the applicants in the JUPAS process, therefore putting a programme higher in their priority list will increase the chance of getting into a programme in most cases. Theoretically, the actual choice order, other than bandings, are not available to the admission related-person before the release of the admission results are released.
In 2011, the number of programme choices will be reduced from 25 to 20 for the students sitting for the HKDSE. However, students may replace up to 5 of their choices after their HKDSE results are released.
Selection process
Each and every programme offered under JUPAS will make a "Merit order list" for all its applicants based on their academic performances, interview performances and extracurricular activities. The "Merit order list" and the applicants rank list are then entered into a match-making process. The process uses eliminations so that all applicants will only get into a programme that they preferred most in their application form and which they qualify.
Note that most of the programmes only look into the applicants' academic performance when they create their "Merit order list". In most of the cases both the results of the HKALE and HKCEE are taken into account. Although performance in the HKALE is still the most important admission factor, some particular universities do count 40% or 50% or CE results in calculating student's academic performance rather than the usual 0–20%. Because of the cancellation of fine grades in both the HKCEE and HKALE, the HKCEE becomes a very important factor in deciding whether a student is admitted or not when he/she is close to the cutoff line since it is more difficult to compare student's performance with only 5 (passing) rank per subject.
In addition, some of the programmes weigh particular subjects more than others. For example, many commercial subjects double counts or even triple counts the results of HKALE Use of English and HKCEE English in calculating admission scores.
The first round admission results are traditionally released on the Wednesday before the week that the HKCEE results are announced and the whole admission process proceeds until late August, which may be only one week before some member institutions commence their first semester in their academic year.
Difficulty
Because of the high degree of difficulty of the HKALE and the fixed quota of places in universities in recent years, JUPAS was considered one of the most competitive university application schemes in the world, which media and scholars claim to be only second to the National Higher Education Entrance Examination of China. A significant large number (more than 30% since 2011) of applicants achieving the minimum Degree Programme requirement[clarification needed] would end up not being offered by any Degree-level programmes, or even not receiving an offer, through JUPAS.
The admission rate have a drastic drop in 2012's admission, as because under 334 Scheme, most of the secondary school student can enter the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (thus eligible to apply JUPAS) make the number of admissions increase drastically. (Not every students can apply for HKALE due to HKCEE requirements for non-mature candidates.)
In comparison, between the estimated entrance rate of JUPAS and direct entries from sub-degree programmes, JUPAS has a significantly higher entrance rate. Since JUPAS is open to students not already in full-time programmes under JUPAS, this has prompted some students studying for sub-degrees to retake certain subjects to improve their chances of getting into government-funded degree programmes.
The table below shows the school candidates achieving minimum Degree Programme requirement compared with JUPAS Degree Programme intakes. The actual percentage differs slightly due to non-school HKALE/HKDSE candidates being admitted, candidates not entering their programme of Main Round Offer due to result of HKALE appeal (which made them receive a better offer), or candidates giving up their offer.
Intakes from HKALE and HKCEE (2003–2012)
Intake Year
School Candidates Achieved minimum entrance requirement
JUPAS Degree Intake from Main Round Offer
Deduced percentage for eligible students received offer
2012
18,212
12,289
67.5%
2011
18,347
12,417
67.7%
2010
17,261
12,244
72.1%
2009
17,130
12,038
70.2%
2008
16,992
11,979
70.5%
2007
16,520
11,525
69.8%
2006
15,581
11,294
72.5%
2005
15,557
11,469
73.7%
2004
16,308
11,748
72.0%
2003
16,222
12,273
75.6%
Note:
Requirement and offer in above table stands for degree-level programme (including OUHK self-financed programme since 2006 intake)/requirement due to the difference of admission requirement in degree/sub-degree programmes.
The list does not include Early Admission Scheme intakes and Sub-degree Offers.
Apart from the main selection scheme, JUPAS also offers a few sub-systems and schemes for candidates who may not do well academically, but have proved qualities/needs in other areas.
Sub-system for applicants with a disability
Applicants with the following disabilities may apply through this scheme:
The goal of this sub-system is to allow applicants to find out as early as possible the special assistance and facilities institutions could provide to them on their admission. Applicants may receive separate offers through this sub-system.
Sub-system for school principal's nominations
Each principal of a local secondary school may nominate up to three students from his/her own school. Those students must have outstanding achievements in non-academic areas such as sports, music, social services, other cultural activities, or have demonstrated leadership abilities. The goal of this scheme is to encourage students to go beyond academics during their secondary studies.
Self recommendation scheme
This scheme is for applicants with outstanding achievements in extracurricular activities. Applicants who apply for this scheme in addition to the main scheme will be able to provide a portfolio of extracurricular activities to the institutes they applies to, so the institutes may also consider the applicants' achievements in other areas, in addition to their academic achievements. The goal for this scheme is to encourage students to participate in more extracurricular activities during their secondary studies.
Institutions are ordered by the allocation of JUPAS codes for UGS-funded and self-financing programmes, and by alphabetical order for SSSDP programmes.
$ – Funded by UGC, @ – Funded by the public, * – Provides programmes under JUPAS, ^ – Provides programmes under Electronic Advance Application System for Post-secondary Programmes (E-APP), 1 – Provides programmes under Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP), # – Provides programmes under Non-means-tested Subsidy Scheme for Self-financing Undergraduate Studies (NMTSS)
The General Certificate of Education (GCE) is a subject-specific family of academic qualifications used in awarding bodies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Crown dependencies and a few Commonwealth countries. For some time, the Scottish education system has been different from those in the other countries of the United Kingdom.
Education in Hong Kong used to be largely modelled on that of the United Kingdom, particularly the English system. Since 2012, the overhaul of secondary school diploma has introduced changes to the number of school years as well as the two-tier general examinations. The DSE has replaced the old HKCEE and the A-levels. Education policy in Hong Kong is overseen by the Education Bureau and the Social Welfare Department.
The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination was a standardised examination between 1974 and 2011 after most local students' five-year secondary education, conducted by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), awarding the Hong Kong Certificate of Education secondary school leaving qualification. The examination has been discontinued in 2012 and its roles are now replaced by the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education as part of educational reforms in Hong Kong. It was considered as the equivalent of the GCSE in the United Kingdom.
The Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination, or more commonly known as the A-level, conducted by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), was taken by senior students at the end of their matriculation in Hong Kong between 1979 and 2012. It was originally the entrance examination in University of Hong Kong until the introduction of the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) in 1992, which made it the major university entrance examination until academic year 2011/2012.
The Early Admissions Scheme (EAS) was a subsystem of the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) developed by the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong. The scheme had been adopted between the academic year of 2002/03 to 2010/11. It enabled students who skipped the HKALE to enter the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong or the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Candidates who received 6 or more "A"s, attained level 4 or above in English Language and Chinese Language, or obtained "C" or above in French or Putonghua in the HKCEE, were eligible to take part in the scheme, which might grant them admission to the aforementioned institutions without requiring them to sit for the HKALE.
University admission or college admission is the process through which students enter tertiary education at universities and colleges. Systems vary widely from country to country, and sometimes from institution to institution.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Laws is an intensive one-year, full-time professional legal qualification programme in Hong Kong. It allows graduates to proceed to legal training in order to qualify to practice as either a barrister or a solicitor in Hong Kong. The "LL." of the abbreviation for the certificate is from the genitive plural legum. The programme is similar to the Legal Practice Course or the Bar Professional Training Course in England and Wales, or the Certificate in Legal Practice (Malaysia) in Malaysia which focuses heavily on practical and procedural issues in legal practice, unlike a first degree in law.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), previously known as the Hong Kong Examinations Authority (HKEA) before 2002, is a statutory body of the Hong Kong Government responsible for the administration of public examinations and related assessments. The authority is Hong Kong's only public examination board.
Higher education in Hong Kong means any education higher than secondary education, including professional, technical, and academic. It is the highest level of education in Hong Kong, regulated under the Hong Kong Law.
Academic work in Hong Kong is graded as follows:
The A-level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational authorities of British Crown dependencies to students completing secondary or pre-university education. They were introduced in England and Wales in 1951 to replace the Higher School Certificate. The A-level permits students to have potential access to a chosen university they applied to with UCAS points. They could be accepted into it should they meet the requirements of the university.
The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) is an examination organised by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). The HKDSE examination is Hong Kong's university entrance examination, administered at the completion of a three-year senior secondary education, allowing students to gain admissions to undergraduate courses at local universities through JUPAS. Since the implementation of the New Senior Secondary academic structure in 2012, HKDSE replaced the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination.
Carmel Pak U Secondary School is a Protestant fundamentalist co-educational secondary school in Tai Po, Hong Kong established in 1979. The current principal is Wong Wai-keung.
The 3-3-4 Scheme is the academic structure for senior secondary education and higher education in Hong Kong, referring to the structure of three years of junior secondary school, three years of senior secondary school, and four years of university education.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) has moved from norm-referenced to standards-referenced assessment, including the incorporation of a substantial school-based summative oral assessment component(SBA) into the compulsory English language subject in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE), a high-stakes examination for all Form 4–5 students.
Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) (Chinese: 香港中文大學醫學院) was established in 1981 and consists of five schools which offer an array of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the field of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health. The Hong Kong's Prince of Wales Hospital is the faculty's teaching facility and base of research. The medium of instruction of all programs is English while Chinese is also retained for the teaching of Chinese Medicine.
Shun Tak Fraternal Association Leung Kau Kui College is a government-funded secondary school, located in On Ting Estate, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong. The school was founded in 1981. The school is a member of the Shun Tak Fraternal Association group of schools. In 2008, STFA Leung Kau Kui College became the sister school of the Leung Kau Kui Vocational High School and First Middle School of Shunde, both located in Foshan, Guangdong Province, China. The school has 60 teachers, each class has a class teacher and an assistant teacher. All students are divided into four School Houses, namely: Man, Heng, Chung, and Shun House. The School Houses compete in Athletic Competitions, and other interhouse competitions.
Self-Financing Higher Education in Hong Kong refers to educational programmes at the sub-degree level and above provided by local self-financing entities. Since the government announced the target of enabling 60% of secondary school graduates to receive higher education, the self-financing post-secondary education sector has experienced significant expansion with the aim of accommodating the emerging needs of the society.
Caritas Charles Vath College, abbreviated as CCVC, is a secondary school located at Tung Chung, Lantau Island, Hong Kong operated under the Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) of the Education Bureau. It is a secondary school sponsored by the Caritas Hong Kong established in 2003, with the current principal Mr. Wong Wai.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
