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CPD Scheme - Guidelines (Last updated: August 2009)

  1. Introduction


    2. 1.1
    The Continuing Professional Development ( CPD ) Scheme was launched in May 2005, on a voluntary basis. Under the CPD Scheme, practitioners (including estate agents and salespersons) are encouraged to earn a certain number of CPD points every year in the spirit of life-long learning.
       
    1.2
    The EAA reviews the Scheme from time to time, with a view to determining whether the Scheme should be made mandatory , and, if so, how and when this should be implemented .
       
    1.3 The Estate Agents Authority (EAA) provides certain learning activities for practitioners, including, for example, seminars, e-quizzes and workshops . Activities may also be offered by approved providers, including training institutions, trade associations, estate agencies, etc.

  2. Aims


    3. 2.1
    To further the competence of practitioners and keep their professional knowledge up to date in order to enhance the trade’s continuing contribution to Hong Kong’s economic development.
    2.2
    To strengthen public confidence and consumer protection through building a culture of professionalism and encouraging adherence to ‘best practice’ among practitioners.
    2.3
    To assist practitioners in their quest for continuous learning, personal satisfaction and career development.

  3. CPD Points


    4. 3.1
    All CPD activities are assigned CPD points based on the nature of the activity and the input required from the learner. Generally, one CPD point will be awarded for each hour of formal classroom learning. For activities requiring significant interaction between the trainer and the learner, a higher number of points per hour may be awarded than is shown on the published list. Self-paced activities, such as web-based distance learning, may earn a lower number of points per hour.

  4. Core and Non-core Subjects


    5. 4.1
    Generally speaking, areas related to estate agency law and practice, compliance or supervisory issues are core subjects. Those conducive to raising the general standard of practitioners are non-core subjects.
       
    4.2 The following is a broad classification:
       
    Core (C) Subjects Non-core (N) Subjects
    (C1) Law relating to estate agency work
    (C2) Compliance matters
    (C3) Practice-related knowledge and issues
    (C4) Professional ethics
    (C5) Management and supervisory skills
    (C6) Language skills for estate agency work
    (N1) Marketing skills and techniques
    (N2) Business management
    (N3) Financial services
    (N4) Property management
    (N5) Property valuation
    (N6) Estate agency practice in other jurisdictions
    (N7) Information technology
    (N8) Macro socio-economic issues


  5. Learning Modes


    6. 5.1

    CPD points can be earned through various modes of learning. To foster balanced development and to facilitate interaction between trainers and fellow learners, practitioners are encouraged to diversify the learning activities they undertake. Certain modes may therefore be capped in terms of the number of CPD points that can be earned over a 12-month CPD period. The main learning modes are as follows:

       
    Activity mode Details CPD points Core /Non-core Points Cap

    Seminar / Lecture

    Conventional classroom seminar/ lecture.

    1 per
    contact hour

    Case
    by case

    Nil

    EAA E-quiz

    A case study on a topical issue conducted online by the EAA. Advance registration required. (Annex A)

    1
    per e-quiz

    Core

    4

    Web-based Distance Learning

    Self-paced Internet learning packages.

    1 per 3 contact hours

    Case
    by case

    6

    Course leading to an Award or Multi-session training activities

    A structured series of classroom sessions (e.g. Skills Upgrading Scheme courses) that may culminate in the award of a certificate, diploma or other academic qualification.   

    1 per 2 contact hours

    Case
    by case

    Nil

    Teaching approved CPD course/ Conducting approved CPD activity

    EAA clearance required.

    2
    per session

    Case
    by case

    6

    Pro bono Work

    Activities conducive to raising the standard or status of the profession such as:

    • EAA committee work
    • Attendance at public education/ promotion programmes.

    EAA clearance required. 

    2 per session

    Case
    by case

    6

    Publication

    The published work should be solely that of the author and serve to advance professional knowledge. 
    EAA clearance required.

    2
    per publication

    Case
    by case

    6

    5.2

    While Skills Upgrading Scheme courses (Annex B) for the estate agency trade are automatically recognised under the CPD Scheme, all other courses leading to an award (e.g. Continuing Education Fund courses approved by the HKSAR Government http://www.sfaa.gov.hk/cef/) need prior written approval from the EAA for CPD points to be earned.
       
    5.3 For the Certificate of Attainment award (see Section 9 below), the following limitations apply in calculating CPD points:

    1. To encourage practitioners to diversify their mode of learning, certain modes may be capped. For example, the cap for the EAA e-quiz is four CPD points per 12-month CPD period. Therefore, even if a participant completes more than four e-quizzes (one CPD point each) during a 12-month CPD period, only four CPD points can be earned. For the capped value of different modes of learning, please refer to the table in section 5.1 above.

    2. An activity repeated within a CPD Period will not count the second time.

    3. Where “EAA clearance required” is specified for a particular activity mode, no CPD points can be earned without written approval from the EAA.

    4. In calculating the CPD attainment target for each CPD period, the points earned in compliance with disciplinary sanctions will be excluded first.


    5.4 Since life-long learning is a worthy goal in itself, licensees are encouraged to undertake CPD activities beyond the minimum stipulated.


  6. Endorsement of CPD Activities


    7. 6.1

    All activities need the endorsement of the EAA’s Professional Development Committee in order to be recognised under the CPD Scheme. The activities listed below, where provided by the institutions specified, already have the standing endorsement of the Committee:

    1. All activities by EAA;

    2. Seminars and multi-session training activities by educational institutions authorised to conduct specified training courses and which have two years’ experience conducting CPD activities for other professions as set out in Annex C and other recognised self-accrediting institutions as set out in  Annex D;

    3. Seminars by activity providers (other than (b)) who have over five years’ experience conducting CPD activities for other professions;

    4. All activities (except seminars and multi-session training activities in (b) and (c)) approved by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) – see  Annex E(1) for assessment details for seminars and multi-session training activities and  Annex E(2) for e-learning or other web-based activities;

    5. Skills Upgrading Scheme courses for the estate agency trade by the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the HKSAR Government (see Annex B);

    6. Any other activity the Professional Development Committee considers worth incorporating into the CPD Scheme from time to time;

    7. Professional ethics seminars by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC); and

    8. Protection of personal data seminars by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong.
    6.2

     Recognised CPD activities will be posted on the EAA website. The details provided include:

      1. Title of learning activity 
      2. CPD point(s)
      3. Learning mode
      4. Whether core or non-core subjects
      5. Fee

    A fax version of the same information will be available via the EAA Professional Development Hotline.
    6.3

    Notwithstanding the standing endorsement of Professional Development Committee mentioned in Section 6.1, all activity providers must observe the requirements set out under the HKCAAVQ’s Assessment Procedures in Annex E. For activities that do not require the HKCAAVQ’s assessment, the provider may make the necessary adjustments to these requirements but must submit an application to the Professional Development Committee at least four weeks before an activity begins for endorsement (Application Form see Annex F). The EAA will then assign activity codes to the endorsed activities and update the EAA website accordingly.
       
    6.4
    If the EAA considers that an activity (and/or activity provider) is not meeting the requirements of the CPD Scheme, the Authority reserves the right to withdraw the relevant endorsement by giving reasonable notice to the activity provider concerned.
       
    6.5 The EAA will reimburse $2,500 of the assessment fee (or the actual assessment fee, whichever is lower) to the activity provider for each successfully approved CPD activity. The subsidy applies to the first 100 CPD activities successfully approved by the HKCAAVQ since the start of the CPD Scheme. Each activity provider is eligible to be reimbursed for a maximum of 10 CPD activities (Application Form see Annex G).


  7. CPD Period and CPD Attainment Target


    8. 7.1
    Although the CPD Scheme is being implemented on a voluntary basis initially, the CPD Period has been defined to facilitate implementation of a mandatory scheme in the long term.
       
    7.2
    Effective from 1 October 2009, the CPD Period for all licensees will be standardised to end on a fixed date (Fixed CPD Period).  Each Fixed CPD Period shall be a 12-month period commencing on 1 October each year and ending on 30 September the following year, irrespective of the length and expiry dates of the licences.  The first Fixed CPD Period will commence on 1 October 2009 and end on 30 September 2010. The CPD attainment target for a Fixed CPD Period is 12 CPD points, with at least six points from core subjects. If a licensee does not hold a valid licence throughout the whole 12-month Fixed CPD Period (e.g. new licensee or licensee who renews his licence sometime after its expiry), his CPD attainment target for that Fixed CPD Period will be adjusted on a pro-rata basis (see Annex H ).
       
    7.3
    During the transition to the Fixed CPD Period, the CPD Period for all licensees will end on 30 September 2009 and the required CPD points for the award of the Certificate of Attainment will be calculated on a pro-rata basis (see Tables 1and 2).
       
    7.4
    The objective of the CPD Scheme is to keep practitioners abreast of the latest developments, so CPD points may not be carried over from one CPD Period to another.
       
    7.5
    For an activity straddling two CPD periods, CPD points will only be earned on the day of completion, not before.


  8. Record-Keeping


    9. 8.1
    CPD-related matters will be posted on the EAA website for ease of access and greater accuracy. Hyperlinks will be available on the website for accessing related sites.
       
    8.2
    Practitioners should visit the EAA website regularly to keep informed of the latest developments. Practitioners may obtain the information from the EAA Resource Centre or via the fax-on-demand service provided by the Professional Development Hotline.
       
    8.3
    As CPD points can be earned in a variety of ways and from different activity providers (the EAA being only one of them), the responsibility lies with practitioners to keep accurate records of all CPD activities undertaken: e.g. original certificate of attendance. It is recommended that all CPD records be retained for at least three years.
       
    8.4
    After successful completion, all EAA-recognised CPD activities will be acknowledged by a certificate of attendance shown in  Annex E(1)or certificate of completion shown in Annex E(2) (or a similar document from activity providers not requiring assessment from the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications). Practitioners should keep the original certificate themselves. Receipt of payment cannot by itself be proof of completion of an activity, as absence, lateness or other factors may render the activity invalid for CPD purposes.


  9. Certificate of Attainment, CPD Attainment Symbol and CPD Mark for Estate Agencies

    9.1
    To encourage learning and help estate agency management encourage greater participation in the CPD Scheme, the EAA grants a number of awards.
       
    (a) Certificate of Attainment and CPD Attainment Symbol
       
    9.2
    Practitioners who have acquired the CPD attainment target for a CPD Period may submit a Voluntary Declaration of CPD Attainment (Annex I) to the EAA at the end of the CPD Period concerned.  Subject to the EAA’s endorsement of points earned, the practitioners will be presented with a Certificate of Attainment and a CPD Attainment Symbol in recognition of their self-enrichment efforts and support for the CPD Scheme.
       
    9.3
    The CPD Attainment Symbol will be printed on the estate agent card issued by EAA upon licence renewal. Awardees will also be entitled to print the CPD Attainment Symbol on their business cards. The general conditions on the use of the CPD Attainment Symbol are in Annex J. (To download the CPD Attainment Symbol, please click here).
       
    (b) CPD Mark for Estate Agencies
       
    9.4
    As at the 1st day of October of each year, agency shops with 50% or more of their licensed employees (amongst them must be the branch manager*) having attained the CPD points target for their previous CPD period ( 50% criterion ), will be presented with the CPD Mark for Estate Agencies ( CPD Mark ). 

    *The manager appointed for the purpose of s. 38 of the Estate Agents Ordinance.
       
    9.5
    The CPD Mark will be valid for one year, from 1 January to 31 December of the following year ( the validity year ). The agency shops issued with the CPD Mark may, during the validity year, display the CPD Mark decal at their respective business addresses and print the CPD Mark on their pamphlets, brochures and documents, as well as on the business cards of their employees.
       
    9.6
    Agency shops fulfilling the 50% criterion may apply for the CPD Mark award through the submission of a Voluntary Declaration Form for CPD Mark for Estate Agencies (Annex K) to the EAA between 1 October and 1 November each year. For details of the CPD Mark for Estate Agencies Award Scheme, please refer to the “Rules and Conditions for CPD Mark for Estate Agencies Award Scheme”(see Annex L). The general conditions on the display or other use of CPD Mark decal and CPD Mark are in Annex M ( To download the CPD Mark, please click here) .
       
    9.7
    For CPD Mark applications in 2011 and thereafter, the criterion for the award of the CPD Mark will be raised from 50% to 80% of licensed employees (including the branch manager) attaining the CPD points target in their previous CPD period.  That means, at least 80% of licensed employees (including the branch manager) must have attained the CPD attainment target in the CPD Period of 1 October 2010 to 30 September 2011 before the shop can qualify for the 2011 CPD Mark.
       
    9.8
    The EAA may carry out random inspection of practitioners’ records to ascertain the accuracy of the information given in the declaration (including the Voluntary Declaration of CPD Attainment and the Voluntary Declaration Form for CPD Mark for Estate Agencies).   False declarations may result in disciplinary action.
       
    9.9
    To encourage wider participation in the CPD Scheme, the EAA provides various kinds of incentives or subsidies to both practitioners and activity providers from time to time, for example, the CPD training subsidy, reimbursement of assessment fee and venue rental subsidy, etc.
     


  10. Attendance Requirements


    11. 10.1
    While the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications has specified the procedure to be followed by participants in activities assessed by the Council (Annex E), other institutions/activity providers may have different house rules. Practitioners must comply with all applicable rules, which may include producing proof of identity for registering attendance, or stipulations about absence from the venue beyond an allowed time limit. Breaches may result in a reduction in the number of CPD points earned or disqualification from the activity concerned.
       
    10.2
    Other misbehaviour, such as talking on a mobile phone during class, may also lead to disqualification. Plagiarism may result in disqualification and disciplinary sanctions.
     


  11. CPD Information and Enquiries


    12. 11.1
    These Guidelines are posted on the EAA website (http://www.eaa.org.hk/) and updated regularly.  Please refer to them from time to time for supplements and updates, as well as for the latest CPD activities.
       
    11.2
    CPD activities may be time-sensitive, as some may be adopted at short notice, or the information may be so lengthy that it can only be cost-effectively provided via electronic means.  Practitioners are advised to take the initiative to visit the EAA website or call upon the Professional Development Hotline regularly for the latest CPD news.
       
    11.3 For questions on the CPD Scheme, please contact the EAA through the Hotline (2111 2777) or by e-mail(eaatraining@eaa.org.hk) .

List of Annexes:
  1. E-quiz – Purpose and Terms
  2. Skills Upgrading Scheme
  3. Endorsed Training Institutions
  4. Recognised Self-accrediting Institutions
  5. Assessment of CPD Learning Activities

    E(1) – Assessment Procedure for Seminars and Multi-session Training Activities

    E(2) – Assessment Procedure for E-learning/ Web-based Activities

  6. Application Form – Endorsement of a CPD Activity
  7. Application Form – Reimbursement of Assessment Fee for CPD Activity approved by the HKCAAVQ
  8. Pro-rata CPD Attainment Targets in a Fixed CPD Period
  9. Voluntary Declaration of CPD Attainment
  10. General Conditions on Use of the CPD Attainment Symbol
  11. Voluntary Declaration Form for CPD Mark for Estate Agencies
  12. Rules and Conditions for CPD Mark for Estate Agencies Award Scheme
  13. Explanatory Notes on display or use of the CPD Mark decal and CPD Mark


List of Tables:

Table 1 - Illustrations of CPD Period and CPD Attainment Target – 12-month Licence
Table 2 - Illustrations of CPD Period and CPD Attainment Target – 24-month Licence