When a primary school is oversubscribed during P1 registration, MOE uses the Home-School Distance (HSD) category to determine who gets priority. In 2025, 59 out of 81 Phase 2C ballots happened at the within-1km tier alone.
What is Home-School Distance (HSD)?
Home-School Distance (HSD) is MOE's official term for the distance-based priority system used in P1 registration. When a school has more applicants than available places, children are admitted based on their HSD category — how far the address used for registration is from the school.
MOE groups applicants into three distance categories, with Singapore Citizens (SC) given priority over Permanent Residents (PR) within each tier. The full priority order is:
SC living within 1km of the school
Highest priority — admitted first
SC living between 1km and 2km of the school
Considered after all within-1km SC are placed
SC living outside 2km of the school
Lowest SC priority — admitted only if places remain
PR living within 1km of the school
PR living between 1km and 2km of the school
PR living outside 2km of the school
When does HSD apply? Distance-based priority applies from Phase 2B onwards (Phase 2B, 2C, and 2C Supplementary). Phase 1 (siblings) and Phase 2A (alumni/staff/church/clan connections) do not use HSD as a tiebreaker.
2025 reality check: In Phase 2C, 59 schools were oversubscribed among SC children living within 1km. At Princess Elizabeth Primary, the ratio was 4.71x — nearly 5 families competed for every place even within 1km. Being in the highest HSD category gives priority, but doesn't guarantee a spot.
The Address Used for Registration
Your HSD category is based on the address used for registration. According to MOE, this address shall continue to be the registering parent's NRIC address.
Key Points About the Registered Address
- It is the registering parent's NRIC addressNot the child's birth certificate address or any other document — the address on the registering parent's NRIC is what determines your HSD category
- Must be a residential propertyHDB flat, condo, or landed property where the family actually lives
- Rental address can be usedIf the registering parent's NRIC address is at a rented property, that address is used
- Commercial or office addresses are not acceptedThe address must be a legitimate residential property
- Grandparents' address — only if it is on the parent's NRICYou can only use a grandparent's address if the registering parent's NRIC is registered to that address and the child genuinely resides there
How to Check Your HSD Category
You can manually check your HSD category using OneMap School Query by the Singapore Land Authority. However, Google Maps, Apple Maps, or other mapping tools use different algorithms and should not be relied on for P1 registration distances.
SGSchoolKaki
sgschoolkaki.com/p1-registration
- - Powered by OneMap HSD data
- - Proprietary automation technology
- - Instant HSD results for all 179 schools
- - Shows within 1km, 1-2km, outside 2km
- - Historical vacancy & balloting data
- - Free — no manual lookup needed
OneMap (Manual)
www.onemap.gov.sg/school
- - Singapore Land Authority (SLA) data
- - Official school distance query tool
- - Shows HSD categories
- - Manual address lookup required
Don't Rely On
Google Maps, Apple Maps, etc.
- - Different distance algorithms
- - May show driving or walking distance
- - Results can differ from OneMap
- - Not the official reference for P1
Why the difference matters: Google Maps might show you're 0.95km from a school (within 1km!), but the official HSD calculation might place you at 1.05km (between 1km and 2km). The few metres of difference could change your HSD category and whether your child gets priority or not.
Check Your HSD Category Instantly with SGSchoolKaki
Our proprietary P1 Registration tool uses OneMap's Home-School Distance data — the same HSD categories used in the official P1 registration process. No manual address lookups required.
- Enter your postal code and instantly see all nearby schools by HSD category
- View past balloting data so you know your chances before you register
- Covers all 179 primary schools in Singapore
Alternative: Check Manually on OneMap
If you prefer to check manually, you can use OneMap's School Query tool directly:
Go to OneMap School Query
Visit www.onemap.gov.sg/school — the Singapore Land Authority's school distance tool.
Enter the address used for registration
Type the registering parent's NRIC address in the search box. Select the exact address from the dropdown.
View schools by HSD category
OneMap displays all primary schools sorted by distance, grouped into within 1km, between 1km and 2km, and outside 2km.
Record your HSD category
Note which category applies for each school you're considering. This determines your priority if balloting is needed.
The 30-Month Residency Requirement
MOE states that a child who gains priority admission through their HSD category must reside at the address used for registration for at least 30 months from the start of the P1 Registration Exercise.
When Does the 30-Month Period Start?
The start date depends on your property type:
- New property (e.g., BTO, new condo)From the time your family moves into the new property
- Resale propertyFrom the start of your child's P1 school term
Consequence of Non-Compliance
If the 30-month residency requirement is not met, MOE states: "MOE will transfer the child to any school in its sole discretion and parents will have no say in the choice of such school."
What This Means in Practice
- Genuine moves are fineIf you move to a new home and genuinely stay there for at least 30 months, this rule won't affect you
- Plan ahead if you're movingThe 30-month period starts from the P1 Registration Exercise (typically July). For a child starting P1 in Jan 2028, the exercise is in July 2027, meaning you should commit to residing at the address through at least January 2030.
- Temporary relocations are riskyRenting near a school just for registration, then moving back to your old address is exactly what this rule is designed to prevent
BTO not ready yet? If your new flat has not been completed and you have not moved in, you cannot use that address for P1 registration. You must use the registering parent's current NRIC address.
Real Data: How HSD Affected 2025 Balloting
Here's how the 81 Phase 2C balloting instances broke down by HSD category in 2025:
| HSD Category | Schools | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| SC within 1km | 59 | So popular that even nearby SC families couldn't all get in |
| SC between 1-2km | 8 | Within-1km SC were placed; ballot among 1-2km SC |
| PR within 1km | 6 | All SC placed; ballot among nearby PRs |
| SC outside 2km | 3 | Schools like RGPS with nationwide demand |
| PR between 1-2km | 1 | All SC + nearby PRs placed; ballot among further PRs |
The data tells a clear story: for the vast majority of popular schools, the ballot happens at the within-1km SC category. If you're not within 1km of a popular school, your chances of getting in through Phase 2C are slim — the school will likely fill up before reaching your HSD category.
Want the full picture? See our complete analysis of oversubscribed schools in 2025 with applicant-to-vacancy ratios for the top 20 most competitive schools.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Home-School Distance (HSD)?
Home-School Distance (HSD) is MOE's official term for the distance-based priority system used in P1 registration. It groups applicants into three categories — within 1km, between 1km and 2km, and outside 2km — to determine priority when a school is oversubscribed.
What if I'm right on the 1km or 2km boundary?
Even a few metres can make the difference between HSD categories. If OneMap shows 0.99km, you're within 1km. If it shows 1.01km, you're in the 1-2km tier. There is no rounding — the distance calculation is definitive.
Whose address is used — the child's or the parent's?
MOE uses the registering parent's NRIC address as the address for P1 registration. This is different from the child's birth certificate address. The registering parent's NRIC address determines the HSD category.
Can I use my grandparents' address?
Only if the registering parent's NRIC is registered to the grandparents' address and the child genuinely resides there. The 30-month residency requirement also applies — the child must continue living at that address.
What happens if I move after registration?
If the child does not reside at the registered address for at least 30 months from the start of the P1 Registration Exercise, MOE will transfer the child to any school at MOE's sole discretion, and parents will have no say in the choice of school.
Does HSD apply to all P1 registration phases?
No. HSD priority applies from Phase 2B onwards (Phase 2B, 2C, and 2C Supplementary). Phase 1 (siblings) and Phase 2A (alumni, staff, church, or clan connections) do not use distance as a tiebreaker.
My BTO is not ready yet. Which address do I use?
You must use the registering parent's current NRIC address, not a future address. If your new flat is not yet completed and you haven't moved in, you cannot use that address for P1 registration.
Does MOE use Google Maps to measure distance?
MOE does not specify the exact tool used for distance calculation. However, OneMap (www.onemap.gov.sg/school) by the Singapore Land Authority provides a dedicated school distance query tool that shows the three HSD categories. Google Maps and other mapping tools may show different distances.
Tools to Help You Plan
P1 Distance Checker
Check which schools are within 1km and 2km of your home using OneMap data.
2025 Balloting Analysis
See which schools were most oversubscribed with full applicant-to-vacancy ratios.
Primary School Directory
Browse all 179 primary schools with CCAs, programmes, and location.
Full 2025 P1 Data
Interactive table of all 179 schools with balloting results by phase.
Sources: Home-School Distance (HSD) categories based on MOE P1 Registration — Distance. Balloting data from MOE P1 Registration Results 2025. Distance tool: OneMap School Query by Singapore Land Authority.