Flexibility means students will not specialise at an early age
University chiefs have announced the admission requirements that will determine who can apply to university when Hong Kong switches to four-year degrees in 2012.
They said the changes would give students more choice in what they studied at secondary school.
Students must pass Chinese, English, maths and liberal studies in the new school-leaving diploma being launched that year to apply for undergraduate study.
Three universities - including the University of Science and Technology and University of Hong Kong - will require students to also choose at least two elective subjects, while four - including Chinese University - will demand at least one.
Universities have also set requirements for subject choices and extra requirements, such as maths or an additional choice, for some individual programmes.
The rules are being introduced under sweeping reforms of senior secondary schools and universities that will see the abolition of Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examinations and A-levels, and pupils leaving school at the end of Form Six instead of Form Seven.