Please read the main Admissions page first.

About Reception Admissions

Reception is Chinese International School’s entry year programme. It is a half-day programme. Upon completion, students normally move to Year 1 (full-day programme) and beyond. There are 96 places in the Reception class.

Applicants for Reception must have reached the age of 4 years by August 31 of the year for which they seek entry.

For admission to Reception, the school seeks children who are well-rounded and have reached age-appropriate milestones cognitively, linguistically, physically, socially and emotionally. Candidates should demonstrate independence and initiative and the ability to concentrate in a formal setting.

CIS seeks to admit a balanced cohort of students. In assessing prospective students we look to have a balance in language backgrounds (English and Chinese), gender and age. We also seek to have a diverse student mix. Ultimately, to qualify, the student must appear to be a good fit for CIS (based on the observation session, pre-school reports and information provided) and his or her parents must similarly understand and appreciate the CIS mission.

Age-appropriate fluency in the child's native language is considered very important. The child's native language/dialect does not need to be one of the school's two languages (English or Mandarin). The child’s native language/dialect may be Cantonese or another language so long as the child demonstrates that he or she has reached age-appropriate milestones in its use and in other abilities, and thus demonstrates the potential to be a strong language-learner.

When to Apply

Applications will be accepted up to two years before the desired date of entry, but not earlier. The application period begins from September 1, beginning two academic years prior to entry and closing on October 1 of the academic year prior to entry.

Two-Stage Admissions Process

The admissions process for Reception is a two-stage process. Not all applicants participating in the first stage will be invited to proceed to the second stage.

Stage 1

1. Online Application

Please complete an Online Application no later than October 1 of the academic year preceding the desired year of entry. A non-refundable application fee of HK$2,000 should be paid at the time of application.

The school will review all submitted applications. Based on the information submitted by parents, students will be selected for further consideration in the second stage of the admissions process.

Note: Children who are applying with a Corporate Nomination Right, have siblings at CIS, or who have a parent who is an alumnus/a or teacher of CIS have priority in the admissions process. They, together with selected other applicants, will be invited to take part in the second stage of the admissions process.

Note: the Online Application may be completed before or after attending an Information Session, but please note that attendance at an Information Session is required. 

2A. INFORMATION SESSION

Applicant parents interested in the Reception programme must attend an Information Session to learn more about CIS. The Information Session enables parents to gain a stronger understanding of CIS’ mission and culture and is a mandatory part of the Reception admissions process.

While applicants to Reception may apply up to two years before the desired year of entry, they should attend an Information Session during the academic year immediately preceding the desired year of entry.

Information Session dates for a given academic year are typically posted in early/mid September. Sign-up is online.

Each Information Session for Reception lasts approximately one hour.

Note: Information Sessions will be conducted over Zoom this year.

2B. QUESTIONNAIRE & TOURS

After submitting an application for admissions, parents will receive an email in mid-September preceding the desired year of entry with:

• a Questionnaire (typeable PDF), which must be returned to the school in hard copy, with two photos of the student. It is important to return the questionnaire in order for the child’s application to be complete. We strongly encourage parents to complete the questionnaire after they  have attended the Information Session.
• Campus tours will not be available at this time as the campus is closed to visitors.

Stage 2

The school will review all submitted applications. Using the information parents have submitted, a subset of students will be selected for assessment.

Note: Children who are applying with a Corporate Nomination Right, have siblings at CIS, or who have a parent who is an alumnus/a or teacher of CIS have priority in the admissions process. They, together with selected other applicants, will be invited to take part in the second stage of the admissions process.

3. OBSERVATION SESSION

For applicants proceeding to the second stage, Observation Sessions will take place from December to early March in the academic year prior to the year of entry. Children are invited to campus on a Saturday to take part in a group Observation Session. They will engage in a wide range of activities typical of a pre-school environment and will also be asked questions by the assessing staff in English, Mandarin or Cantonese, depending on the child's language background.

Observation Sessions are held on Saturdays from morning to midday and last approximately one hour.

A parent or guardian must accompany the child to the school; however, please be aware that during the Observation Session, parents/guardians remain in a separate area, where they will be briefed by a senior member of the school's Primary staff.

An additional non-refundable assessment fee of HK$2,000 will be charged if an applicant is invited for an observation session.

Note: observation sessions will be conducted over Zoom if the campus is closed to visitors. Applicants will meet together with a Chinese teacher and an English teacher.

4. INDIVIDUAL PARENT MEETING

For applicants proceeding to the second stage, parents will be invited to attend a brief meeting on a different scheduled date in-person or via Zoom. This is a further opportunity for parents to ask questions and learn more about CIS.

Meetings last 20 minutes.

Notification

Initial offers for Reception will be sent out by email by the end of March once all assessments have been completed. All applications will be closed at this time.

View the main Admissions page for information about acceptances and re-applications.