New Qualifying Programme

With effect from 1 January 2020, the New Qualifying Programme (NQP) will replace the current International Qualifying Scheme (IQS). The first examination diet of the NQP will be held in June 2020.  The NQP will comprise seven modules, of which six are compulsory and the seventh is chosen from two electives:
 
           Hong Kong Company Law
           Corporate Governance
           Corporate Secretaryship and Compliance
           Interpreting Financial and Accounting Information
           Strategic Management
           Risk Management
           Boardroom Dynamics or Hong Kong Taxation (electives)

The Institute will announce details of the syllabus, reading lists, study packs and pilot papers for all the subjects in the NQP to all students in the near future.

Students who successfully complete the NQP will be admitted as Graduates of the ICSA and HKICS and upon eligibility to be elected as Associate, will be awarded the dual designation of Chartered Secretary and Chartered Governance Professional.

All students under the current IQS will be transferred to NQP with effect from 1 January 2020. They will also be awarded the dual designation of Chartered Secretary and Chartered Governance Professional when they are elected as Associate, after completing either the IQS or NQP or combination of both and becoming Graduates of the ICSA and HKICS.

Transition arrangement
The last examination under the current IQS will be the December 2019 examination. Students who have not completed their IQS examinations following the release of the IQS December 2019 examination results will be transferred to the NQP.

 The transition arrangement from the existing IQS to the NQP are as follows:

The Institute will communicate with all existing students who will be transferred to the NQP on the outstanding subject(s) they will be required to complete under the new programme in January 2020.

Admission Requirements
Similar to IQS, only recognised degree and/or professional holders will be eligible to apply for registration as new students under the NQP. Exemptions may be granted to relevant degree and/or professional qualification holders as appropriate. Further details of the Exemptions Policy under the NQP will be made available to all students in due course.

Examinations
From 1 January 2020, examinations will be held in the first week of June and the last week of November of each year. The first examination for the NQP will be held in June 2020.

Existing students have two IQS examination diets (May 2019 and December 2019) to complete their outstanding papers under the IQS.

To find out more about these changes, please refer to the FAQs set out below. If you have any queries, please contact the Education and Examinations Section at: 2881 6177 or email at: student@hkics.org.hk.

FAQs

Why the Institute has to substitute the IQS by the New Qualifying Programme (NQP)？What are the benefits of adopting NQP in comparing with the IQS examinations?

Answer:
In view of the increased business focus on governance and compliance and increasingly regulated and risk-conscious business environment, the Chartered Secretary profession has evolved to take up more responsibilities in governance roles.   Thus, ICSA and HKICS have concluded to appeal to a wider audience both worldwide and in Hong Kong/China and launched a New Qualifying Programme for the dual qualification of Chartered Secretary and Chartered Governance Professional.  

The New Qualifying Programme (NQP) comprises seven subjects with two electives.  Students will continue to take the core subjects of Corporate Governance, Corporate Secretaryship and Corporate Law as offered in the current IQS curriculum. The NQP syllabus streamlines accounting and finance subjects and strengthens content in risk management, compliance, strategy management and advance governance.  

Members of ICSA and HKICS will enjoy a broader career path in compliance, risk and governance arena to take up roles as diverse as company secretary, risk manager, compliance officer, director and governance consultant, meeting the demand for well-trained, good governance professionals in listed companies, public sectors and non-profit organisations.

If I have not completed all the IQS examinations following the release of the IQS December 2019 examination results, do I need to sit for the examinations of all subjects under NQP again?

Answer:
If students have not yet completed the IQS examinations by the December 2019 diet, they are not required to sit for the examination of all subjects under NQP.   Students are only required to complete the outstanding subject(s) transferred from IQS to NQP from January 2020 onwards.  Please refer to the transition arrangement from the existing IQS to the NQP for information.

I already have four subjects exempted including, Strategic and Operation Management, Hong Kong Financial Accounting, Hong Kong Taxation and Corporate Financial Management.  What should I do to complete the NQP in 2020?

Answer:
To complete the NQP in 2020 or thereafter you only have to complete the remaining three subjects Hong Kong Company Law, Corporate Governance and Corporate Secretaryship and Compliance.  Please refer to the transition arrangement from the existing IQS to the NQP for information.

I have passed two subjects including Strategic and Operation Management and Hong Kong Financial Accounting.  I don’t think I can complete the IQS by December 2019, what should I do?

Answer:
For those IQS subjects that you have already passed or been exempted, you are not required to take any corresponding subjects under the NQP students with any outstanding IQS subject(s) will need to take the corresponding subject(s) transferred to the NQP from 2020 onwards. Please refer to transition arrangement from the existing IQS to the NQP for information.

I have passed six subjects in IQS and have two subjects outstanding – Hong Kong Corporate Law and Hong Kong Taxation.  What should I do?

Answer:
You can continue to take these two subjects under IQS examinations until December 2019 diet. Students with any outstanding IQS subject(s) will need to take the corresponding subject(s) under the NQP from 2020 onwards.  Under NQP examinations, you will be required to take Hong Kong Company Law only.  Please refer to the transition arrangement from the existing IQS to the NQP for information.

I have passed five subjects in IQS and have three subjects outstanding – Hong Kong Financial Accounting, Hong Kong Taxation and Corporate Administration.  What should I do?

Answer:
You can continue to take these three subjects under IQS examinations until December 2019 diet. Students with any outstanding IQS subject(s) will need to take the corresponding subject(s) under the NQP from 2020 onwards.  Under the NQP examinations, Hong Kong Taxation and Boardroom Dynamics are elective subjects.   Please refer to the transition arrangement from the existing IQS to the NQP for information.

I have three subjects outstanding – Hong Kong Financial Accounting, Hong Kong Taxation and Corporate Financial Management.  I am not planning to take any examinations in 2019.  What examinations I have to take in NQP in 2020?

Answer:
Under NQP examinations, Hong Kong Taxation and Boardroom Dynamics are elective subjects.   As you have passed Corporate Administration, you are not required to sit for Hong Kong Taxation in NQP examinations.  Please refer to the transition arrangement from the existing IQS to the NQP for information for the other subjects you must take in 2020 and onwards.

Is Corporate Administration a replicate for the Boardroom Dynamics exam?

Answer:
No, Boardroom Dynamics is an entirely new module. It will provide an advanced knowledge and understanding of the skills needed to support boardroom performance. Boardroom dynamics explores the behavioural, cultural and psychological aspects of boardroom practice that are requireed to be an effective modern company secretary or governance professional.

Will there be any difference in the level of difficulties between the IQS and the NQP examinations?

Answer:
Both the IQS and the NQP examinations are set to benchmark against the Master’s level examination. 

Are there any sample questions and answers papers for students’ reference?

Answer:
The Institute will announce the details of NQP study materials and pilot papers later in 2019.

Will the changes in syllabus affect the collaborative master programmes?

Answer:
Not in the short term. The universities will need to update their programmes within a set timeframe to map against the NQP and collaboration requirements.

Do students of the collaborative master programmes who graduate in 2020 have to sit for additional examinations in the NQP in order to become a member of the Institute? 

Answer:
Collaborative master programmes graduates in 2020 do not have to sit for additional examinations in the NQP.  They need to follow the policies and procedures to apply for full exemption under the IQS, i.e. eight subjects in order to become Graduate of the Institute. After that, they can apply for election as Associate of the Institute.

What if a student from collaborative master programme   failed and cannot complete the programme within the stipulated time, say within 24 months?  What will happen?

Answer:
If a student from collaborative master programme cannot complete the programme within the stipulated time, say within 24 months, his/her application for exemption will be subject to review and he/she may have to sit for some subjects of the qualifying examinations (i.e. NQP from January 2020 onwards).  All applications for exemption are reviewed by the Institute on an individual basis.

(Update December 2018)