Applicants must hold a high school diploma or above, and passing English scores can exempt them from IELTS. The application period for associate degrees is relatively short, generally only about 20 days to prepare application materials.

For mainland high school graduates, the admission requirements for associate degrees in Hong Kong are: the college entrance examination scores must meet the undergraduate admission score line; the foreign language exam must be in English, and a medium to high score must be achieved.

Generally, colleges require that the English scores of college entrance examination candidates reach at least around 100 points (with a full score of 150), and the threshold for general schools has now risen to 110 points.

IELTS and TOEFL scores are also recognized, and some institutions may have entrance level tests. Moreover, students need to pass an interview conducted primarily in English. Therefore, it is particularly important for high school graduates applying for associate degrees to have a solid foundation in English.