More than 13,000 students who took the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination have applied for courses run by the Vocational Training Council.

The council - which has 17,000 places on self-subsidized degrees, and higher and foundation diplomas - had received 12,000 applications.

Another 1,500 had confirmed acceptance of conditional offers.

But a student who scored "4, 3, 2, 3" in the four core subjects - the minimum for university entrance - was not among them.

The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority said 28,418 students obtained the minimum score required for university entrance, or 1,866 more than last year.

The required minimum is "3, 3, 2, 2" for the four core subjects of Chinese, English, mathematics and liberal studies.

Hok Yau Club student guidance center vice director Ng Po-shing said competition is fiercer this year as there are more repeaters and more students achieving the minimum requirement.

"When students do not get an offer, those eligible will seek places in the VTC's self-subsidized programs, pushing up entry requirements," he said.

Reports Beatrice Siu and Ashley Wu for The Standard.