The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers

Note: The following rules and regulations on examinations and exemptions are applicable to candidates of Certified Financial Management Planner examinations. These examinations are conducted under the authority of the Examination Committee of The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers

A. General Examination Regulations

An examination is governed by the Regulations in force at the time of the examination and not by the Regulations in force at the time that a member was initially registered.
On all matters concerning the interpretation of the Regulations, the decision of the Examination Committee shall be final.
Entry to Examinations
- The examination is open to current members of The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers (HKIB) whose subscriptions are up to date.
- Members who want to enroll for the CFMPTM Examination (CE) must have met the minimum academic qualification of F.5 standard. Qualifications other than above will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
- Entry Qualification Assessment
  Entry Qualification Assessment is a procedure to assess the eligibility of members entering the CE. Details of the procedure and fees involved are contained in the “Program Enrollment and Examination Entry Form” obtainable from the Institute.
- Program Enrollment and Examination Entry Forms are available from the Institute all year through. Members may submit their application for examination any time during the year. However, the closing dates for receiving entry forms still apply.
  (see Timetable).
- Methods of Payment: please see the instructions on the entry forms for methods of payment. Post-dated cheques are not accepted.
- Late entries: Wherever possible, late entries will be accepted, a late entry fee of HK$200 is charged in addition to each subject entered.
- All fees cannot be transferred from one examination diet to a later one, nor can it be transferred from one subject to another. All fees are also NOT refundable.
- A member is liable for the full examination fees of subjects entered.
- Under NO circumstances will change of subject entry or withdrawal from examination entry be accepted once the entry form is submitted.
- Attendance Notice: An attendance notice confirming the examination date(s) and time(s) of the examination, subject(s) entered, the address of the examination centre, and the seats allocated (if applicable) to each candidate will be sent to candidates two weeks before the examinations are conducted.
Medium of Examinations
- The examination questions are set in English language.
- The written financial plan must be submitted in English.
- The Oral Examinations are conducted in either English or Cantonese.
Conduct of the Examinations
- Examination supervisors: The examinations will be conducted by responsible persons appointed by the Institute.
- Attendance Notice: Candidates must take their Attendance Notice to each examination session, along with a form of personal identifier that bears their current photograph (e.g.HKID card, Passport, etc).
- Start of the examination: All examinations will begin at 6:30 p.m. (except otherwise stated). Latecomers may be admitted during the first 30 minutes at the discretion of the supervisor, but not thereafter.
- Personal belongings:nbsp; All bags, books and other personal belongings must be placed in a location as advised by the examination supervisor before the examination begins.
- Pocket calculators and other aids: Pocket calculators that meet the criteria of the Hong Kong Examinations Authority may be used in certain examinations as indicated in the syllabus so long as they are silent in operation and non-programmable. Candidates should write the model number/name in the box provided on the front of the answer book. The examination supervisor has the right to replace any calculator. No other aids, such as books, dictionaries, computers (e.g. notebook/Palm computer), papers, mathematical tables or slide-rules are permitted in the examination.
- Question papers: The packets of question papers will be opened in the presence of the candidates at the start of the examination. Candidates are not allowed to take the question papers away after the examination.
- Misconduct: After the question papers have been handed out, candidates must not communicate or attempt to communicate with each other or other party outside the examination room using any electronic device until they have left the examination room. Any candidate who attempts to copy from another candidate’s script or any other source will be automatically disqualified.
- Early departure: Candidates may not leave the examination room during the first 45 minutes nor during the last 15 minutes of examination. If candidates do leave before the end of the examination, they must notify the invigilator and do so as quietly as possibl
- End of examination: Candidates must stop writing when instructed to do so by the supervisor.
- Answer Sheets: Candidates must not detach any part of their answer sheet, or remove their answer sheet, whether wholly or partly, from the examination room. No draft paper will be provided during the examination.
- Anti-social behaviour: Smoking, eating and drinking are not allowed in the examination room. Mobile phones and pagers must be switched off.
If any candidate infringes any of the above regulations for the conduct of the examinations, he/she will be reported to the Examination Committee of the Institute and will be liable to disciplinary actions, including disqualification.
Results and grading
- Grading: only pass or fail grades are awarded. The passing mark is 70%.
- Issue of results: Candidates are notified of their results by post, within two months after the examination. Results will not be revealed by telephone, fax or other electronic means.
- Withholding of results. Results will be withheld from candidates who owe money to the Institute or whose membership subscriptions (where applicable) or examination entry fees are not fully paid.
- The decision of the examiner is reviewed and confirmed by the Moderating and Examination Committees before the results are published. The results are final, no appeal against the decision will be accepted. No correspondence or discussion with candidates about their results can be entered into.
- Once a subject has been passed, or exempted from, no further attainment by the candidates will be recorded.
- Pass list: A pass list showing the names of those who have been awarded the Diploma in Financial Planning or Professional Diploma in Financial Planning and Management is published in the Institute’s official journal and Annual Report.

B. Exemption Regulations

Subject exemption applications for the CFMPTM Examinations are open to current members who are taking the CFMPTM Examinations or have registered an acceptable entry qualificatio
- Exemption applications are assessed by the Qualification Validation Committee, as far as possible results will be given in writing approximately within two months of receipt of application and submitting documents (except for special case where further assessment is needed, separate notifications will be given). The decision of the Committee is final. No appeal procedure is available.
- Exemption claims should be made on the exemption form together with the following documents/items, failing to do so will delay the assessment:
  
  i. appropriate fees (application fee and exemption fees);
  
  ii. certified true copies of transcript and certificate; (Certification services are provided by the Institute, one may use the services provided by District Offices.)
  
  iii. course outlines, question papers of relevant courses and samples of assignment/course work marked by the college.
- Documents submitted will not be returned regardless of the result of the application.
- Subject exemption claims will be considered only if over 70% of the Institute’s syllabus is covered, unless otherwise specified.
- Telephone enquiries or enquiries by correspondence regarding the eligibility of a particular qualification will not be entertained. All enquiries must be submitted by way of exemption applications.
- Unless otherwise specified, exemption claims based on partially attained qualification cannot be accepted.
- Exemption claims granted to student members will only be registered in the Institute’s record upon the student members’ graduation.
- A member who has attempted but failed in a subject may subsequently claim exemption from that subject if s/he obtains a new/further qualification recognized for exemption purposes.
- An exemption confirmation letter will be issued to members whose exemption applications are granted.
- A member who has been exempted from a subject, but subsequently attempted that subject by examination, will have his/her the exemption status overridden.
- Exemption from individual subjects of the CFMPTM Examinations may be granted to holders of qualifications approved by the Institute.
- A maximum of 4 subjects exemption is allowed in the CFMPTM Examination unless otherwise specified.
- The final subject “Financial Planning and Management” is not open for exemption claims.
- Members who have claimed full exemption from Stage 1 will not be awarded a Diploma in Financial Planning.
- Members who have claimed exemption using Comparable Qualifications will not be awarded any Diploma or Professional Diploma.

C. Award of Qualifications

Diploma in Financial Planning
- Members who have successfully completed Stage One, whether by way of examination or exemption, will be awarded a Diploma in Financial Planning.
- Members who have successfully completed Stage TWO, whether by way of examination or exemption, will be awarded a Professional Diploma in Financial Planning and Management, provided that at least three subjects should be by examination.
- When the following criteria are fulfilled, members are awarded a CFMPTM Scroll, and entitled to use the designation CFMPTM (Certified Financial Management Planner) if they have:
  
  i. maintained up-to-date HKIB membership; and
  ii. at least 2 years’ banking or relevant working experience.

D. Membership Registration

Membership application form should be returned with the required supporting documentation and the appropriate fees.
Individual Members
- An initial registration fee is payable upon registration.
- Membership subscription:
  
  10.2.1 one year’s membership subscription: If joining the Institute in the months of January to June; membership is valid immediately until December of the same year. Members who join the Institute in the months of November and December will enjoy extra months of membership service, their membership will be valid from the date of joining to December of the next year.
  
  10.2.2 Half year’s membership subscription: If joining the Institute in the months of July to October; membership is valid from the date of joining until December of the same year.
- Members will renew their membership registration annually in January. Debit notes will be issued prior to the renewal deadline.
- Members who do not pay the continuing membership subscription on or before 31 March of each year will be treated as default members. However, they may reinstate their membership upon re-registration with appropriate payments. Details for membership reinstatement and payment are set out in Section E of this Regulation: Membership Reinstatement.
- Once the application is processed, the membership subscription and registration fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. .
- Registration for membership does not constitute entry to the examination nor does it bind the member to enter for the examination.
- The name of the member to be entered on the Institute’s records is that on the membership application form. This name, and the order and spelling in which it is presented, will be used subsequently on all transcripts, pass lists, diplomas, and certificates except where a member has notified the Institute of any change. Such notification must be accompanied by a certified copy of documentary confirmation, e.g. Hong Kong Identity Card, birth certificate, statutory declaration, etc. .

E. Membership Reinstatement (effective 1st January 2002)

Members who have not paid the subscription fees when fall due will be treated as default members, and are not entitled to use any designations: “Cert. HKIB”, “AHKIB” or “CFMPTM”, and may not claim themselves as members of the Institute.
With effect from 1 January 2002, default members who reinstate their membership with the Institute are required to pay the current year’s subscription plus the registration fee, and to pay back the subscription fees for the lapsing year(s) [maximum 5 years], at the prevailing rate, at the time of reinstatement. Once the membership is reinstated, the member’s examination record, if any, will be reactivated.
Members who have withdrawn their membership for 5 years or above (from the year of their suspension), their application for reinstatement (and also for the reactivation of their examination record) will be subject to the discretion of the Institute. Members will need to give valid reasons for their long suspension for consideration by the Institute.
This regulation also applies to default Associate members (“AHKIB”) seeking reinstatement of their membership. Default Associate members may have an option to reinstate for life membership but the first registration fee still applies.