Thousands of children across England are due to discover whether they have been given a place at their preferred secondary school.
Councils will send letters to more than half a million families to inform them whether their applications have been successful.
Last year, almost one in six 10 and 11-year-olds missed out on their top choice of school.
Of the 546,744 youngsters allocated places at secondary schools for last September nearly 92,000 failed to get their preferred option.
Results for applications in 149 local authorities, released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, showed 83.2% were offered a place at their preferred school for September, an increase of 1.1% on the previous year.
The refusal rate was 16.8%.
A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families was unable to disclose the proportion of pupils who would secure first-choice schools for this September but said figures would be released in about a week's time.
Schools Minister Diana Johnson said: "The vast majority of parents get a place at their preferred school, most at their first preference.
"All admission policies must be fair, clear and objective.
"The tiny number of appeals heard compared to the overall number of admissions shows the system is working for the vast majority."
