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Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

Mutual Recognition Agreement between the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA/ the Institute) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) (New MRA) (1 July 2020 – 30 June 2025)

Last updated: April 2021

HKICPA members applying for ACCA membership

Q1.	What are the criteria for the HKICPA members to become ACCA members under the new MRA?

HKICPA members in good standing, who wish to apply for ACCA membership under the new MRA, must have completed the HKICPA’s qualification programme (QP) in full in Hong Kong. To be eligible for ACCA membership, they should have at least three years of practical experience in accountancy gained under an authorized employer or supervisor complying with the HKICPA’s practical experience framework (PEF) and meet other standard membership application requirements of ACCA, e.g. be fit and proper and not subject to any adverse disciplinary findings or pending complaint or investigation. In other words, a HKICPA member who qualified through the QP is exempted from the examination and practical experience requirements for ACCA membership.

Q2.	I am a QP student. Do I need to register as an ACCA student in order to take advantage of the new MRA?

No, you are not required to register as an ACCA student. After you have completed the QP in Hong Kong, met the PEF experience requirement, and acquired HKICPA membership, you are eligible to apply for ACCA membership under the New MRA.

Q3.	I registered as a QP student by virtue of the agreement on the mutual examination paper exemptions for mainland and Hong Kong accountants and have been granted exemptions on two/three modules. Can I apply for ACCA membership under the new MRA?

No, the new MRA is not applicable to you. It is applicable only to HKICPA members who have completed the full QP in Hong Kong.

Q4.	I was admitted to the HKICPA upon completion of the HKSA/ACCA joint examination scheme (JES) and have not enrolled in the QP. Can I apply for ACCA membership under the new MRA?

No, you are not covered by the new MRA. Under the JES, both HKICPA and ACCA deem completion of the joint scheme examination as having satisfied the professional examination requirement of each body for membership admission. After satisfying ACCA’s experience and other standard membership application requirements of ACCA, e.g. be fit and proper and not subject to any adverse disciplinary findings or pending complaint or investigation, you may apply for registration as an ACCA member.

ACCA members applying for HKICPA membership

Q5.	What are the criteria for ACCA members to become HKICPA members under the new MRA?

ACCA members who wish to apply for HKICPA membership under the new MRA need to meet the following criteria and submit his/her membership application to HKICPA on or before 30 June 2025:

1. hold an accounting or non-accounting degree accredited or recognised by HKICPA;

2. pass the ACCA professional examination, including the following two compulsory papers, in Hong Kong or the United Kingdom:

	ACCA Qualification offered before September 2018	ACCA Qualification effective from September 2018
i	P7 – Advanced Audit and Assurance or equivalent paper in previous syllabus	AAA – Advanced Audit and Assurance
ii	P6 (HKG) – Advanced Taxation (Hong Kong) or equivalent paper in previous syllabus	ATX (HKG) – Advanced Taxation (Hong Kong)

3. pass the Capstone of the new QP or Final Examination (FE)¹in previous syllabus of the QP;

4. gain at least three years of relevant accounting experience under an authorized employer or supervisor registered with the HKICPA and complying with the Institute’s practical experience framework;

5. be an ACCA member in good standing and registered as an ACCA student in Hong Kong or the United Kingdom on or after 16 August 2004; and

6. meet other HKICPA standard membership application requirements, e.g. be fit and proper and not subject to any adverse disciplinary findings or pending complaints or investigations.

No aptitude test is required

¹ For applicants who have passed the FE, they are also required to complete and pass the workshops of any one of modules A - D in previous syllabus of the QP. Applicants who have passed the capstone (which includes workshops) of the new QP do not need to meet this workshop requirement.

Degree recognition

Q6.	What is “an accounting or non-accounting degree accredited or recognised by HKICPA”?

Accounting degree means a university degree in accountancy accredited or recognised by HKICPA for registration as a Qualification Programme (QP) student for enrolment to the professional level of the new QP. For a non-accounting degree, it refers to a university degree (other than an accounting degree) accredited or recognised by HKICPA for degree holders who are eligible to register as a QP student for the associate level of the new QP.

ACCA Papers

Q7.	I have been exempted by ACCA from sitting some of the papers of the ACCA professional examination. Have I met the requirement of having passed the ACCA professional examination under the new MRA?

Applicant who has been exempted by ACCA from sitting the Corporate and Business Law and/or any of the two compulsory papers of the ACCA professional examination will be assessed by HKICPA on a case-by-case basis, which may levy an overseas assessment fee, to determine if HKICPA’s full competency requirements have been satisfied. Any competency inadequacy identified by HKICPA may be bridged by the applicant passing the relevant papers of the ACCA professional examination or the Institute’s Qualification Programme.

Q8.	When and how should I apply for assessment of my degree and the exemption(s) I have obtained from the ACCA professional examination?

You should complete and return a preliminary assessment form to the HKICPA for processing. After the preliminary assessment, if you are eligible to apply for HKICPA membership under the new MRA, you will be asked to register as a student of the Qualification Programme (QP) to take the Capstone. You should then apply for assessment of your degree and paper exemption(s) of the ACCA professional examination at the time you submit your QP student registration application to HKICPA. You are required to submit certified true copies of your degree certificate, transcript and the ACCA professional examination result report for assessment, with an assessment fee to be charged.

Q9.	I have completed the ACCA professional examination already, but it does not include all of the compulsory papers required by the new MRA. Do I qualify for HKICPA membership under the new MRA?

No, in order to qualify to apply for HKICPA membership under the new MRA, you should either:

(a) sit and pass the required paper(s) of the ACCA professional examination in Hong Kong or the United Kingdom; or

(b) complete and pass the corresponding QP Module(s) as follows:-

	ACCA Qualification offered before September 2018	ACCA Qualification effective from September 2018	HKICPA corresponding QP Module(s) or equivalent Module in previous syllabus
i	P7 – Advanced Audit and Assurance or equivalent paper in previous syllabus	AAA – Advanced Audit and Assurance	Module 13, Business Assurance – workshop and examination or equivalent Module in previous syllabus of HKICPA QP
ii	P6 (HKG) – Advanced Taxation (Hong Kong) or equivalent paper in previous syllabus	ATX (HKG) – Advanced Taxation (Hong Kong)	Module 14, Taxation – workshop only or equivalent Module in previous syllabus of HKICPA QP

QP modules and Capstone

Q10.	I am an ACCA member and a QP student who have already passed one QP module. Can the module result be transferred for satisfying one of the new MRA requirements?

Yes, your module result can be used for satisfying the workshop requirement and/or the compulsory ACCA paper requirement, if applicable.

Q11.	Can I apply for QP student registration before completion of the ACCA professional examinations?

No, you must be a ACCA member or affiliate and have obtained an accounting or non-accounting degree accredited or recognised by HKICPA before you are eligible to apply for QP student registration.

Q12.	I have attended some workshops offered by ACCA. Have I fulfilled the workshop requirement for the Capstone?

No, you must complete and pass the Capstone, which includes workshops, of the new QP.

Q13.	Do I need to register as a HKICPA student before I enrol in the Capstone?

Yes, you must register as a HKICPA student and hence, shall be subject to the standard enrolment procedures applicable to QP students. You will also be obliged to pay module and the Capstone enrolment fees, and the initial and annual student subscription fees charged by HKICPA.

Q14.	I am an ACCA Affiliate. Can I sit the Capstone?

Yes, you can sit the Capstone provided that 24 months have passed from the date:
(a) when you have been granted an accounting or non-accounting degree; and
(b) when you commenced practical experience training under an authorized employer or supervisor registered with HKICPA
whichever is the later.

Practical experience

Q15.	What is "three years of relevant accounting experience" required for registration as a HKICPA member?

You must have gained at least three years of relevant accounting experience under an Institute-authorized employer or supervisor complying with the requirements of Institute’s Revised Practical Experience Framework. Please click here for details of the practical experience time and competence requirements for membership admission.

Q16.	Will my experience acquired before my registration as an ACCA student, and not under the HKICPA authorized employer/supervisor, be counted for membership admission under the new MRA?

Your practical experience acquired on and after 1 July 2005, irrespective of the date of your registration as an ACCA student, must be obtained under HKICPA authorized employer or supervisor (AE/AS). Accounting experience acquired under non-AE/AS before 1 July 2005 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Q17.	My current employer is an ACCA accredited employer but is not an HKICPA authorized employer or supervisor (AE/ AS). Will such experience be counted for HKICPA membership admission?

No, your employer or supervisor must register as an AE/AS before your working experience can be counted for HKICPA membership admission purpose. Details of the AE/AS registration requirements can be found at https://www.hkicpa.org.hk/en/Become-a-Hong-Kong-CPA/New-QP/Revised-Practical-Experience-Framework/Overview-for-Authorized-Employers-and-Authorized-Supervisors/Overview-for-AEAS---Application-requirements-and-authorization-process

ACCA Students and members

Q18.	I registered as a full ACCA member on 1 August 2004. What agreement is applicable to me?

You may apply for HKICPA membership under the transitional arrangements of the former mutual recognition agreement which expired on 30 June 2005 (old MRA), if you registered as a ACCA student before 16 August 2004 and passed the ACCA professional examination before the specified deadline below:

Academic qualification as on 15 August 2004	Deadline for completion of ACCA examination
Accounting graduates	30 June 2007
Non-accounting graduates	30 June 2008
Non-degree holders	30 June 2009

In addition to the above, you must:

(1) have gained all the 3 to 5 years of practical experience (as required on the basis of your latest academic qualification) under HKICPA-authorized employers or supervisors;

(2) be an ACCA member in good standing when applying; and

(3) be a fit and proper person to be registered as a certified public accountant with HKICPA.

Q19.	If I registered as a ACCA student before 16 August 2004 but failed to pass the ACCA professional examination by the specified deadline, what should I do?

The new MRA will apply to you and you must fulfill all requirements under the new MRA which have not been imposed under the transitional arrangements of the old MRA (e.g., ACCA students registered in Hong Kong or the United Kingdom, recognised degree requirements, assessment fee for ACCA paper exemptions, compulsory ACCA papers, registration as a HKICPA student and pass the Capstone of the QP, and practical experience requirements, etc.). You are required to submit a preliminary assessment to HKICPA for consideration.

Mainland China

Q20.	I am a full ACCA member qualified by passing some of the examinations held in Mainland China and some in Hong Kong. Can I apply for HKICPA membership through the new MRA?

No, under the new MRA, you must have passed the ACCA professional examination in Hong Kong or the United Kingdom and not in any other place.

Q21.	Am I (ACCA member) eligible for any exemption from the PRC CPA Uniform Examination under the mutual examination paper exemptions (MEPE) agreement for mainland and Hong Kong accountants after admission to HKICPA through the new MRA?

No, only members who were admitted to HKICPA on or before 29 July 2008 can enjoy exemption from four out of seven papers of the PRC CPA Uniform Examination. HKICPA members admitted on or after 30 July 2008 need to have qualified through completion of the QP in full in order to enjoy the exemption under the MEPE.

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