As of 30 June 2023, membership stood at 47,519, up from 46,947 last year, including 5,865 fellow members. The distribution of male and female members remained roughly the same, with female members growing slightly at 51 percent.

QP students

As of 30 June 2023, there were a total of 11,571 students registered with the Institute. Of the Qualification Programme (QP) students, 2,746 are from the Mainland, of which 637 are members of the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants and 2,109 are Mainland degree holders. In terms of demographics, women account for 59 percent, or 6,883 of the overall studentship, and men account for 41 percent, or 4,688. This year, the Institute recorded over 21,800 enrolments for QP modules and Capstone.

The introductory and Professional module workshops were successfully transformed and conducted in an online format, adapting to the changing circumstances. The Capstone workshops, considering its distinctive design and requirements of the development and assessment processes, continued being conducted in face-to-face format. The Institute organized a QP Workshop Facilitators Training Programme which saw active participation from more than 30 workshop facilitators participated. The Institute will continue to recruit and train new workshop facilitators to ensure the seamless delivery of QP workshops.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Institute had put in place a contingency plan for conducting the examinations of the QP for the December 2022 Session. Examinations were conducted in multiple venues with precautionary measures in place to protect the health and safety of candidates and staff. For the June 2023 Session, the Professional Level and Capstone Examinations returned to the AsiaWorld-Expo in the midst of the easing of COVID restrictions.

To support QP students in their exam preparations, the Institute conducted online seminars addressing common challenges and enhancing their examination techniques. Current hot topics for the Professional Modules with relevant latest market knowledge were also provided to facilitate students’ preparation.

The Capstone, consisting of three full-day workshops and a written final examination, received positive feedback from both employers and QP students for its emphasis on developing essential workplace skills. Additional learning tools were provided to the QP students to prepare them for the first Capstone session, which focused on the integration of technical knowledge, enabling skills and work experiences.

In the December 2022 Session and June 2023 Session, 795 and 554 students graduated from the programme respectively, bringing the cumulative number of graduates to 27,195, since the launch of the QP in 1999. As of 30 June 2023, there are 69 active accredited programmes offered by local, Mainland and overseas tertiary institutions, including 63 accountancy programmes and six business-related programmes.

THE INSTITUTE IN NUMBERS

(As of June 2023)

Launch of the revised practical experience framework

The practical experience component of the QP is an important aspect that ensures students have the real world experience needed to be effective CPAs. As of 30 June 2023, over 1,420 employers and 1,280 supervisors have registered as Authorized Employers (AE) or Authorized Supervisors (AS) with the Institute to train prospective CPAs.

This year, the Institute visited 50 AEs and ASs, taking the total to 540 since the launch of the AE/AS Enhancement Programme in 2008 to provide direct support to the AE and the AS.

A revised practical experience framework with a bespoke online system was launched on 21 December 2022 with the objective of enhancing the flexibility of the practical experience requirements, strengthening the quality assurance of the AE and AS system, and promoting communication through online system. To ensure a successful and smooth launch of the revised framework, the Institute provided a variety of supporting material to AEs, ASs and QP students, including support manuals, learning videos, online system user guides and transitional arrangements.

LENGTH OF HKICPA MEMBERSHIP

(As of June 2023)

Renewal of reciprocal membership agreements with Global Accounting Alliance member bodies

The Institute has a number of reciprocal or mutual recognition agreements with member bodies of the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA) and other accounting bodies. QP-qualified Institute members are eligible for membership of the other bodies without further examination. Members of other bodies are eligible for full or partial exemption from the QP for admission to the Institute. These agreements are based upon mutual reviews of the examinations and qualification processes between the Institute and the overseas bodies.

A GAA peer review exercise was finalized within the reporting period for the purpose of renewing the Reciprocal Membership Agreements with other leading accounting bodies. QP was benchmarked against the GAA Competency Framework to ensure its continued relevance in producing qualified professional accountants who can meet present and future market demands. The renewal of agreements with other GAA member bodies is expected to be concluded in 2023.

MEMBERS TAKING UP LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

Source: Among respondents to member census as of June 2023, 28,573 reported being professional accountants in business (PAIBs) and 9,144 reported being professional accountants in practice (PAIPs)