United States
Hong KongKeeping CPT on track
A licensed representative needs at least 10 CPT hours per calendar year, five on topics directly relevant to their regulated activities and two on ethics or compliance. A responsible officer needs 12.
Ten hours a year is not a burden. Missing them is a compliance failure, which is a different category of problem.
The arithmetic
| Who | Hours a calendar year |
|---|---|
| Licensed representative | At least 10 |
| Responsible officer or executive officer | At least 12, the extra two on regulatory compliance |
The number does not change with how many regulated activities you hold. Ten is ten whether you are licensed for one type or four.
Not all hours are interchangeable
- At least five hours on topics directly relevant to the regulated activities you are licensed for at the time
- Two hours on ethics within the first 12 months after first becoming licensed
- Thereafter, at least two hours a year on ethics or compliance
- Sponsor work or Codes on Takeovers work: at least 2.5 hours a year on that work, countable towards the five
A firm-wide session that is interesting but unrelated to your activity types counts towards the 10 and not towards the five. People arrive at December with the total met and the specific requirement short, which is the harder one to fix in three weeks.
It is a calendar year, not a rolling year
The clock resets on 1 January regardless of when you were licensed. Hours do not carry forward from a generous year into a thin one.
Who keeps the record
The firm is primarily responsible for planning and implementing the training programme, and records are kept for a minimum of three years and produced on request.
That does not make it the firm's problem alone. Keep your own record, because it is your licence.
A workable habit
Book the specific five in the first half of the year, when relevant sessions are easy to find, and let the general hours accumulate. Reversing that order is how December goes wrong.
Common questions
How many CPT hours do I need?
At least 10 per calendar year as a licensed representative, or 12 as a responsible officer.
Do more regulated activities mean more hours?
No. The minimum is the same regardless of how many types you hold.
What must the hours cover?
At least five on topics directly relevant to your regulated activities, and two a year on ethics or compliance.
Is it a rolling year?
No, a calendar year. Hours do not carry forward.
Who keeps the records?
The firm is primarily responsible and keeps them for at least three years, but keep your own too.