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Frequently Asked Questions



Education

If I have completed three modules of the registered education program, could I enroll for Module 6?

Are there any pre-requisite requirements for enrolling into the registered education programs?

If I am a degree holder and have completed 4 modules of the IFPHK Registered CFPCM Education Program, can I apply for some of the papers in the upcoming CFPCM examination?

If I am a resident in Macau and am interested in pursuing the CFPCM certification, is there any approved education provider offering the IFPHK Registered CFPCM Education Program in Macau?

If I am a degree holder and have successfully applied for the Transcript Review for exemption for Module 3 on Investment of the IFPHK Registered CFPCM Education Program, do I still need to sit for the examination on this subject?

If I completed the IFPHK Registered CFPCM Education Program in 2004 but failed the CFPCM Certification Examination in December 2004, can I use the 2004 pass result to apply for the coming CFPCM Certification Examinations?

Is there any time limit between the completion date of the Education Program and the examination date?

If I took courses through an education provider in Canada that is recognized by FPSC (Financial Planners Standards Council), could I sit for the examination papers in Hong Kong?

Is there any time limit for passing CFPCM Certification Examination and applying CFPCM Certification?



Examination

If I am very interested in the CFPCM certification examination, can I take the examination by self-study?

If I am NOT a degree holder and I DO NOT have 5 passes in HKCEE, can I still apply for the CFPCM certification examination?

When will the CFPCM Certification Examination be run and when is the corresponding application deadline?

If I did not submit the CFPCM certification examination application form by the deadline specified, is there any policy for late application?

If I am not a member of IFPHK, can I still enroll in the CFPCM certification examination?

Could you please recommend some books or learning materials for preparing the CFPCM certification examination?

If I have enrolled in the upcoming CFPCM Certification Examination and now want to withdraw due to some reasons, what is the procedure?

When will the examination results be made available?


Experience

If I used to work in a well known bank in Hong Kong for 2 years and now I am working for an organization related to investments for 1 year, will that be counted as qualified work experience?

Would my work experience in Canada count as qualified work experience when I apply for the CFPCM certification in Hong Kong?


Certification

If I have got the CFPCM certification in the U.K., can I use it in Hong Kong?

If I passed the CFPCM Certification Examination and have already submitted the CFPCM Certification application form to IFPHK, can I print the CFPCM mark on my name card now?


Certification Renewal

If I have left the financial planning field in August this year and do not plan to renew my certification for next year, can I renew my certification in the future when I decide to shift back into financial planning?

 
 
Education
 
If I have completed three modules of the registered education program, could I enroll for Module 6?

No, Module 6 (Advanced Financial Planning) is the capstone module for the education program and should be taken the last. Students should also have successfully completed all or at least 4 other modules before they enroll for Module 6.
 
 
 
Are there any pre-requisite requirements for enrolling into the registered education programs?

No. However, the approved education providers may have their respective admission requirements for enrolling into the programs. Please refer to the respective promotional leaflets. To determine whether your knowledge level meets the requirements, IFPHK has developed a set of self-tests and a recommended scope of pre-requisite knowledge for individual assessment. Click here for details.
 
 
 
If I am a degree holder and have completed 4 modules of the IFPHK Registered CFPCM Certification Education Program, can I apply for some of the papers in the upcoming CFPCM Certification Examination?

As a degree holder, you are eligible to enroll for one or more of the CFP examination papers provided you fulfill the pre-requisite education requirement of individual paper. E.g., you need to complete Module 1, 2 & 5 before you are eligible to apply for Paper 1.
 
 
 
If I am a resident in Macau and am interested in pursuing the CFPCM certification, is there any approved education provider offering the IFPHK Registered CFPCM Certification Education Program in Macau?

No. IFPHK Registered CFPCM Certification Education Program is not available in Macau at the moment. You can alternatively contact our approved education providers in Hong Kong as some of them may offer intensive courses during weekends which may fit your time schedule.

 
 
 
If I am a degree holder and have successfully applied for the Transcript Review for exemption for Module 3 on Investment of the IFPHK Registered CFPCM Certification Education Program, do I still need to sit for the examination on this subject?

Exemption of Module 3 through Transcript Review means you only need to complete the other 5 modules (i.e. Module 1,2,4 and 5) in order to fulfill the Education Requirement. Once fulfilled, you can proceed to meet the Examination Requirement. Under our current practice, NO candidate can get exemption for any paper in the CFPCM Certification Examination.
 
 
 

If I completed the IFPHK Registered CFPCM Certification Education Program in 2004 but failed the CFPCM Certification Examination in December 2004, can I use the 2004 pass result to apply for the coming CFPCM Certification Examinations?

Yes, you can use the pass result of the IFPHK Registered CFPCM Certification Education Program in 2004 to re-take the CFPCM Certification Examination.

 
 
 
Is there any time limit between the completion date of the Education Program and the examination date?

Under our current practice, there is no time limit between the completion date of the Education Program and the CFPCM Certification Examination date.

 
 
 
If I took courses through an education provider in Canada that is recognized by FBSC (Financial Planning Standards Council), could I sit for the examination papers in Hong Kong?

If you are going to enroll for the CFPCM Certification Examination in Hong Kong, you are required to fulfill the education requirement in Hong Kong by completing the IFPHK Registered CFPCM Certification Education Program at approved education providers in Hong Kong.

 
Is there any time limit for passing CFPCM Certification Examination and applying CFPCMCertification?

You must pass ALL four papers of CFPCM Certification Examination within a 5-year period. Once you have passed ALL four papers, you must apply for CFPCM Certification or Associate (Graduate) Membership within the specified time frame of 6 months whichever deems appropriate, otherwise ALL your PASS results of CFPCM Certification Examination will be expired.

Please click HERE for details.

 
 
Examination
 
If I am very interested in the CFPCM Certification Examination, can I take the examination by self-study?

Self-study is not recognized. Unless you possess professional qualifications recognized by IFPHK as a Challenge Status candidate or you are an overseas CFPCM certificant , you are required to complete the IFPHK Registered CFPCM Certification Education Program offered by approved education providers in Hong Kong.

 
 
 
If I am NOT a degree holder and I DO NOT have 5 passes in HKCEE, can I still apply for the CFPCM Certification Examination?

Yes, once you have successfully completed all the 6 modules of the IFPHK Registered CFPCM Certification Education Program, you will have met the pre-requisite education requirements for all the 4 Papers, and will also be considered that you have fulfilled the requirement for 5 passes in HKCEE.

 
 
 
When will the CFPCM Certification Examination be run and when is the corresponding application deadline?

The CFPCM Certification Examination will be conducted in June and December of each year. The application deadline for each examination is approximately 12 weeks prior to the examination date. The exact deadline will be provided in the examination application form.

 
 
 
If I did not submit the CFPCM Certification Examination application form by the deadline specified, is there any policy for late application?

Complete application with all required documents and appropriate fees must be received by the IFPHK office on or before the deadline specified on the application form. Incomplete applications or late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.

 
 
 
If I am not a member of IFPHK, can I still enroll in the CFPCM Certification Examination?

If you have already fulfilled the education requirements specified by IFPHK, you can proceed to apply for the examination papers. Eligibility for the examination is not affected by the IFPHK membership.

 
 
 
Could you please recommend some books or learning materials for preparing the CFPCM Certification Examination?

You can find the recommended booklist in English and Chinese in the CFPCM Certification Examination Handbook.

 
 
 
If I have enrolled in the upcoming CFPCM Certification Examination and now want to withdraw due to some reasons, what is the procedure?

If you want to withdraw your application for the coming CFPCM Certification Examination, you can send us a written request with your full name, HKID/passport no., name of exam paper selected and your signature. Upon receipt of your written request, we will stop processing your examination application and you will NOT receive any examination documents afterwards. Please be reminded that no refund of any examination fee will be made for withdrawals.

 
 
 
When will the examination results be made available?

Examination results are normally available within TWO MONTHS after the examination. The result notification letter will be sent to candidates by mail. Candidates can also check the results on IFPHK website upon the posting of examination result announcement.

 
Experience
 
If I used to work in a well known bank in Hong Kong for 2 years and now I am working for an organization related to investments for 1 year, will that be counted as qualified work experience?

Whether your work experience will be counted as qualified work experience or not depends highly on the job nature rather than the organization you serve or served. Qualified work experience must fit within one or more of the six steps of the personal financial planning process specified here.

 
 
 
Would my work experience in Canada count as qualified work experience when I apply for the CFPCM certification in Hong Kong?

To ensure the public in Hong Kong can receive objective and appropriate financial planning advice, we require our CFPCM certificants to have at least one year local experience. That means apart from the one year required qualified work experience in Hong Kong, you can count use the years of work experience in Canada to fulfill your qualified work experience requirement.

 
 
Certification
 
If I have got the CFPCM certification in the U.K., can I use it in Hong Kong?

There is international reciprocity about the CFP marks in countries/regions outside the U.S. A CFP certificant may use the marks in other countries/regions other than the one he/she obtains the certification as long as he/she indicates the origin of his/her certification. In this case, the certificant needs to indicate “CFP(UK)” on his/her business cards or other applicable materials when distributing them outside the U.K.

 
 
 
If I passed the CFPCM Certification Examination and have already submitted the CFPCM Certification application form to IFPHK, can I print the CFPCM certification mark on my name card now?

No. You have to wait until your application is processed and approved. By the time your application is approved, you will receive a formal approval letter to inform you to collect your certificate and a CFPCM Certificant Manual which guides you to use the CFPCM ertification marks.

 
 
Certification Renewal
 
If I have left the financial planning field in August this year and do not plan to renew my certification for next year, can I renew my certification in the future when I decide to shift back into financial planning?

If your renewal application for next year is not received by IFPHK by the deadline specified, you will be considered as not having satisfied the renewal requirements and the certification will automatically be suspended. Currently, a maximum lapse of one year of the certification is allowed, i.e. till the renewal application deadline for the 2nd year, before the CFPCM certification is relinquished. If the certification is let to be lapsed for more than one year, a notice will be sent to you that your certification has been relinquished. You will need to submit a new certification application should you want to reinstate your certification in the future.

 
 
 
 



CFPCM , CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERCMand are certification marks owned outside the U.S. by Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd.(FPSB).
The Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong Limited (IFPHK), is the marks licensing authority for the CFP marks in Hong Kong and Macau, through agreement with FPSB.
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