Professional Examinations and Recognition

The Institute of Professional Education And Knowledge (PEAK) is one of Hong Kong’s leading administrative bodies for professional examinations. It offers examination services across various fields, including finance, insurance, real estate, maritime and security, to elevate industry standards.

The Pro-Act Training and Development Centres conduct trade tests on a range of industries for in-service practitioners to obtain recognised qualifications. The Trade Test Registry provides trade tests in the fields of automobile, electrical and mechanical services, and advanced manufacturing sectors.

Vocational Assessment is a territory-wide competency assessment platform. Through this platform, in-service practitioners and trainees who have attained a unified competency level can obtain a recognised qualification. The assessment helps industries standardise required skill levels while making it easier for employers to identify the right talents.

Building on tripartite collaborations, VTC has developed the “One Examination, Multiple Certification” system. Through a standardised examination, candidates can obtain professional certifications recognised in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao, enhancing their competitiveness and employability in the market.

The Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi (PSC) is the most widely recognised certification for Putonghua proficiency and is a mandatory requirement for practitioners in certain industries. The VTC Putonghua Training and Test Centre has partnered with the State Language Commission (SLC) to regularly administer the National Putonghua Proficiency Test in Hong Kong. Successful candidates will receive a graded certificate.

The Qualifications Framework (QF), introduced in 2008, is a system set up by the Government to rationalise and recognise academic, vocational and professional, and continuing education qualifications. The QF consists of seven levels covering qualifications that range from foundation certificates to doctorates. The Qualifications Register (QR) is a centralised online database which contains all qualifications that have been quality assured under the QF.

VTC has gained the Programme Area Accreditation status from the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications. Many VTC programmes have been posted to the Qualifications Register (QR), such as Higher Diploma (Qualifications at QF Level 4) and Diploma (Qualifications at QF Level 3). The curriculum structure and content of VTC programmes are designed with reference to the Specifications of Competency Standards, providing students with a clear and flexible progression pathway to attaining higher qualifications.

In support of the QF, VTC has helped formulate the Specifications of Competency Standards for a variety of industries. It has also been appointed as an assessment agency for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) mechanism.

Learn more: