Frequently asked questions for Certification Programme for Virtual Asset Professionals (CVAP)
There is no prerequisite for entering to the CVAP.
Participants are required to complete the Core Curriculum and fulfil the completion requirement of any of the two elective modules within one year of enrolling Core Curriculum.
Individuals who are interested in the CVAP can enrol the core curriculum and elective modules via the HKSI Institute's Online Portal. Creating a free online account is required for enrolment, and the training and examination records, as well as the receipt can be easily retrieved through the account.
After created the Online Portal account, participants should enrol in Core Curriculum before enrolling any two elective modules independently, as listed on the CVAP webpage.
The CVAP follows a two-step completion process, which must be finished within one year of enrolling in the Core Curriculum:
- Step 1: Enrol and complete the Core Curriculum
- Step 2: Enrol and complete two elective modules
All training modules, including both fundamental and elective modules, are self-paced eCourses with 90-day access period after enrolment.
Each module has a duration of one hour and are eligible for CPT hours under the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and On-going Professional Training (OPT) hours under the Private Wealth Management Association (PWMA).
You may receive up to two certificates in total:
- After completed the Core Curriculum, including passing the post-training examination, you will be awarded the Virtual Asset Fundamentals Certificate, which will be available for download via the HKSI Institute Online Portal or HKSI Mobile Application on the next business day of the examination.
- If you then complete two elective modules, including their post-course assessments, you will be awarded the Certificate of Virtual Asset Professional, which will also be issued through the same portal or application on the next day following completion of your final elective module.
Please note that only digital certificates will be issued; no physical copies will be provided.
No. Individuals MUST enrol the full programme of the core curriculum, which include an eCourse with three fundamental modules and a post-training examination.
While each fundamental modules are available for individual enrolment as standalone CPT eCourses through our VA-related CPT courses page, completing these individual eCourses does NOT meet the training requirements needed to take the examination.
Completion of the 3-hour eCourse is a mandatory prerequisite for eligibility to schedule the CVAP examination. However, to be better prepared for the assessment, participants are advised to allocate additional time for review and study.
The estimated study time to prepare for the examination, including a review of the eCourse and relevant training materials, is approximately 18 hours; however, this may vary depending on the individual's professional background and prior experience.
The examination is based on its own particular syllabus and training materials, including the training deck or study notes (if provided). Reviewing the eCourse content together with these materials should be sufficient for examination preparation.
The post-training examination consists of 40 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) to be completed within 60 minutes and it is conducted in computer-based mode. The pass mark is 80%.
Yes. Except the Hong Kong Examination Centre located in the HKSI Institute, you may take the post-training examination at one of the Global Examination Centres located in over 70 countries. Please note that you must select either taking examination in Hong Kong or Global Examination Centres when enrolling in the Core Curriculum or registering for a re-examination.
Participants who wish to take the examination at any Global Examination Centre are required to pay an additional cost of HKD420.
The post-training examination of CVAP Core Curriculum is on a monthly basis. Participants who have enrolled in the core curriculum and completed the eCourse within the 90-day access period may schedule any available examination session within 90 days of completing the eCourse.
Seats are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here for the examination dates and application deadlines in the Hong Kong Examination Centre. For global examination schedules, participants should refer directly to ProScheduler when scheduling their sessions.
Participants who have not scheduled their examination session before the scheduling deadline due to any reason WILL NOT be able to take the examination. In such cases, participants will be marked as ABSENT, and all fee will neither be transferable nor refundable.
Candidates can view their grade in the examination system immediately after the respective examination session. They can also download and print the Notification of Results and Performance Analysis from the Online Portal approximately 24 hours after each examination.
Participants will be graded ABSENT if they do not attend the examination on the scheduled examination date. All fees paid are non-transferrable and non-refundable.
If participants are aware in advance that they cannot attend the examination on the scheduled date, they may reschedule to any available session within 90 days of their eCourse completion date. Rescheduling must be completed at least six days before the scheduled examination session.
Those who do not reschedule the examination session within the required deadline and fail to attend the scheduled examination may re-enrol for the post-training examination at an additional cost.
Participants who completed all fundamental modules but failed the examination of the CVAP Core Curriculum are allowed to retake within one year after the enrolment of the Core Curriculum and are NOT required to go through the eCourse again.
As the eCourse are accessible via the HKSI Institute Online Portal until 90 days after the enrolment date, participants who decided to retake the examination are encouraged to download the training materials for revision purposes.
Each elective module includes a post-course assessment in the form of multiple-choice questions, which participants must pass with a minimum score of 80% to successfully complete the module.
There is no restriction on the number of elective modules participants can enrol in for their own learning purposes. However, for competing the CVAP, participants are required to complete TWO elective modules in addition to the core curriculum.
Thus, if participants complete the core curriculum and more than two elective modules, they will receive only one Certificate of Virtual Asset Professional.
No. Participants must complete the designated CVAP elective modules to meet the programme requirements. Each elective module is delivered as an eCourse and includes a post-course assessment, which participants must pass to complete the module. The list of designated CVAP elective modules is available on the CVAP webpage.
Please note that attending other eSeminars or webinars does NOT satisfy the CVAP training requirements or form part of the designated certification pathway.
No. Completion of the same course topic delivered in different languages (e.g. completing Module 5 in both English and Putonghua) will only be counted once toward the elective module requirement and CPT hours, in accordance with SFC CPT requirements.