Apply Online To CDNIS | CDNIS Student Applications Online

Canadian International School of Hong Kong seeks to admit students who will benefit from our balanced and well-rounded education and who will flourish in our inquiry-based conceptual programme in the Lower School and a rigorous university-preparatory programme in the Upper School.

Before applying to CDNIS, potential families are encouraged to familiarize themselves with our Admissions Policy and Procedures detailed below, joining a school tour, or by watching our Nursery or EY1-Grade 2 Webinars.

Parents interested in our Early Years 1 (EY1) and Early Years 2 (EY2) programmes should familiarize themselves with our bilingual programme by reviewing our FAQs prior to submitting their child's online application.

We welcome prospective families to visit our campus, view the facilities, meet our staff and see our school in action by joining a school tour. Tours take place each Tuesday when school is in session. If you are unable to join a scheduled tour or have further questions, please contact our Admissions Department.

Application

SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

1. Apply online

Potential parents should click "New Application" to begin the application process. Please allow 45 minutes to one hour to complete the application process. You may save your data and return to your child(ren)'s application(s) at a later stage, if necessary. Existing CDNIS parents and parents who have already created an account in our Admissions Portal should apply via the "Admissions Portal" using your existing Veracross Login.

New Application

Admissions Portal

2. Required documents

Please have the following documents/information ready for the online application:

Scanned copy of birth certificate
Scanned copy of passport
Scanned copy of a valid Hong Kong visa (if applicable)
Scanned copy of Hong Kong Identity Card (if applicable)
One passport size photograph (2 x 3 inches or 150 pixels X 225 pixels in JPG format)
Scanned copy of school report(s) for the previous and current school years.
(Early Years 1/Early Years 2 candidates can submit this when it becomes available)
- Please scan multiple pages of school report(s) into a single PDF file, or compress multiple reports into a single zip file for upload. - If reports are not issued in English, please also provide a translated copy in English.
Scanned copy of transcript (for Grade 10 and above applications)
Credit Card information for application fee payment

Please note that your child’s application will not be processed if the required information and/or required documents are incomplete.

3. Student Reference Form

4. Application and assessment fees

5. Confirm receipt of application

6. Parental Agreement

Parental Agreement

Upon successful submission of the application, it is confirmed that Parent(s)/Legal Guardian understand and agree to the following:

Students may not enroll in CDNIS unless one parent or legal guardian is a full-time resident in Hong Kong. This applicant will be living with at least one parent or legal guardian while enrolled in CDNIS.
Parent(s)/Legal Guardian give CDNIS permission to obtain records from the applicant’s current and previous schools.
Parent(s)/Legal Guardian are providing true and accurate information for this application. CDNIS reserves the right to restrict entry into, or withdrawal of a place from, the school.
CDNIS reserves the right to revoke an offer of admission if it is found that any relevant reports have been withheld.
Parent(s)/Legal Guardian understand data collected will be used for processing the admission application only. Take a moment to learn more by reading our Privacy Policy.
Application/Processing Fee is non-refundable, non-transferable and valid for the applied academic year only. Collection of the application/processing fee constitutes no assurance that a school place or an admissions assessment will be offered.
In accordance with regulations of the Hong Kong Education Bureau and Hong Kong Immigration Department, all students joining CDNIS must hold a valid Hong Kong ID card and/or a valid passport with authorized residency status to be eligible for a place at CDNIS. A visitor visa does not entitle the holder to attend any school in Hong Kong.
It is the responsibility of the parent(s)/legal guardian to make appropriate visa arrangement for the student(s) prior to start of school.

ADMISSIONS ASSESSMENTS

Admissions Assessments and Interviews for Academic Year 2024/2025

Applicants who successfully submit their application, required documents and meet the academic requirements will be scheduled for an admissions assessment. The types of assessment, on-site, online or hybrid interview, will depend on the grade level applied for. Early Years to Grade 2 assessments are usually conducted in November/December, while assessments for students applying to join Grade 3 or above are generally held in March/April.

School Tours

Age Requirements

Grade level	age
Nursery	2-years old
Early Years 1 (Early Childhood, PYP)	3-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Early Years 2 (Early Childhood, PYP)	4-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Preparatory (PYP)	5-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Grade 1 (PYP)	6-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Grade 2 (PYP)	7-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Grade 3 (PYP)	8-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Grade 4 (PYP)	9-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Grade 5 (PYP)	10-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Grade 6 (MYP)	11-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Grade 7 (MYP)	12-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Grade 8 (MYP)	13-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Grade 9 (MYP)	14-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Grade 10 (MYP)	15-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Grade 11 (OSSD & IB Diploma)	16-years old by August 31 of year of entry
Grade 12 (OSSD & IB Diploma)	17-years old by August 31 of year of entry

Placement for Early Years 1, Early Years 2 and Preparatory will be based on the entry age date. Placement in all other grades will also be based primarily on the entry age date, although exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of Director of Admissions and related respective Principals based on the level of educational attainment.

Selection Criteria

Applicants who successfully submit their application, required documents and meet the academic requirements will be scheduled for an admissions assessment. A member of the Admissions Team will contact the applicant’s parent(s)/legal guardian to arrange a date and time for the assessment. Please note that admissions assessments are only administered at CDNIS by admissions/academic staff.

Early Years 1 to Grade 2 Admissions Assessments
Admissions assessments for Early Years 1, Early Years 2, Preparatory, Grade 1 and Grade 2 are scheduled to commence in November/December of the preceding school year. Applications received after the October 2 deadline will not be accepted or considered.

Grade 3 to Grade 12 Admissions Assessments
Admissions assessments for Grade 3 to Grade 12 are scheduled to commence in March/April of the preceding school year. Applications received after the January 31 deadline may not be considered.

Admissions assessments are only administered at CDNIS by admissions/academic staff.

Early Years & Preparatory
Grades 1-12

Early Years & Preparatory

Due to an overwhelming number of applications received, priority for scheduling appointments will be based on the following criteria. Those who fulfill one or more of the following will receive an assessment interview as long as all available documentation is submitted on or before the application deadline:

Applicants who are nominees under the Capital Debenture Programme
Siblings of students enrolled at CDNIS
Applicants who hold Canadian citizenship/Canadian passport (please provide a copy of citizenship certificate or passport with application)
Children of alumni and staff
Applicants who passed the admissions assessment and were placed on the waiting list of the preceding school year

Grades 1-12

Assessment Format

After an application is received, the applicant may be invited to the school for an admission assessment. A member of the Admissions Team will contact the applicant’s parent(s)/legal guardian to arrange a date and time for the assessment.

Admissions assessments for Early Years 1, Early Years 2, Preparatory, Grade 1 and Grade 2 will begin in December for applicants who applied on or before October 2 of the preceding school year. Applications received after the October 2 deadline will not be considered.

Admissions assessments for Grade 3 to Grade 12 will begin in March/April for applicants who applied on or before January 31 of the entering school year. Applications received after the January 31 deadline may not be considered.

Admissions assessments are only administered at CDNIS by admissions/academic staff.

Early Years 1

Early Years 2

Preparatory

Grades 1-2

Grades 3-12

On-site Assessments

Duration 1 to 1.5 hours
Group activities
Interview and literacy test to write a short piece about a prescribed topic
Review of previous and current school year reports, current school year "graded" writing sample and math classwork, school reference (Student Reference Form) and official transcript (for grades 10 and above)
Current school year standardized test result to be provided (optional)

Off-site Assessments*
(*a Zoom interview will be held if an on-site assessment cannot be scheduled for applicants coming from overseas):

Duration 15 to 30 minutes
Review of previous and currrent school year reports, current school year "graded" writing sample and math classwork, school reference (Student Reference Form) and official transcript (for grades 10 and above)
Current school year standardized test result to be provided (optional)

Screening Process

The screening takes place in two stages. Applicants who do not meet the requirements of the first stage will not undergo the second stage of the process.

Stage 1
Stage 2

Stage 1

The following criteria are considered, the weighting of which varies, depending on the applicant’s age/entering grade:

Admissions assessment/interview results
Previous and current school results
Student Reference Form

Applicants will then be ranked as follows:

Excellent: exceeds the school’s expectations for the grade level to which the application is made
Good: meets expectations
Marginal: approaching expectations; only admitted in extenuating circumstances
Not suitable: does not meet school expectations for the grade level to which the application is made

Stage 2

Applicants ranked under Categories 1 (Excellent) and 2 (Good) will proceed to Stage 2 of the screening process. Priorities are weighted according to the following the second stage of the admissions process. Applications are weighted according to the following criteria:

Debenture Holder/Potential Debenture Holder
Sibling(s) attends CDNIS
Applicant holds Canadian citizenship/Canadian Passport

The Director of Admissions, Deputy Head of Admissions and related respective Principals of each of the Lower and Upper Schools make admissions decisions for their respective schools.

Acceptance Procedures

Once a student has been accepted, subject to space availability, placement will be offered by written notification to his/her parents or legal guardian. If the grade level applied for is full, the accepted student will be placed in the waiting pool. The waiting pool terminates at the end of each school year and re-application for the subsequent school year is required.

Upon receipt of a letter of acceptance, placement will be confirmed upon receipt of the reservation deposit and completion of the online enrollment. The reservation deposit received will be credited against the first term tuition fee and capital levy.

For students accepted for immediate entry, full payment of the tuition fee on a prorated basis is required prior to the student enrolling.

Kindly refer to our Tuition & Fees page for further information.