Joint
Announcement by The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) and The Hong Kong
Statistical Society (HKSS) on the Examination in Hong Kong for the year 2002 and
onwards
ˇ@
Examination
The Society offers a suite of professional examinations in statistics:
details are given below, and further information and application forms can be downloaded
from this site. Alternatively, contact the Examination
Office at
| Address : |
Hong Kong
Statistical Society Examination Office |
|
c/o |
HKU School of
Professional and Continuing Education |
|
|
Room 313, 3/F
Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Road |
|
|
Hong Kong |
|
|
(Opening
hours
Weekdays : 9:00 am - 7:30 pm
Saturdays : 9:00 am -
1:00 pm
Sundays & Public Holidays
: Closed) |
| Telephone : |
3761 1121 |
| Fax : |
2527 0489 |
| E-mail : |
exam@hkss.org.hk |
There are three sequential levels to the Society's Examination.
- The ordinary certificate is offered in a modular form consisting
of two modules which may be taken singly or together. Each module is
examined by a 3-hour written paper. The modules are available in both
English and Chinese. Each module is separately certificated. The ordinary
certificate as a whole is awarded on successful completion of both modules;
the "shelf life" of modules leading to this certificate is unlimited.
ˇ@
- The higher certificate contains work into the first year of a
typical university course in statistics. Indeed, some of the topics in the
higher certificate might well be found in the second year of a university
course.
The higher certificate is offered in a modular form. It consists of 8 modules. Each module
is examined by a
1.5-hour paper. Candidates who are successful in six modules including
modules 1 to 4 plus 2 more modules from modules 5 to 8
(not necessarily all in the same session) will be awarded the higher
certificate. Paper for each module
will be available in both English and Chinese.
- The graduate diploma is equivalent to a good university degree in
statistics and is accepted by universities in Hong Kong as meeting the entry
requirements to Masters degree programmes.
The graduate diploma is offered in a modular form. It consists of
five modules. Candidates may enter for any number of modules, either singly
or in any combination, in any examination session. Candidates may re-sit any
module any number of times; the highest mark achieved will stand. Module
marks are "banked" without time limitation.
Each module is examined by a 3-hour written paper containing eight questions
of which candidates are asked to answer five. Candidates who are successful
in all five modules (not necessarily all in the same session) will be
awarded the graduate diploma in statistics.
Transitional arrangements are available for candidates who have successfully
completed part of the previous non-modular (or "traditional") version of the
Graduate Diploma which was offered for the last time in 2009, so that they
may transfer to the modular version in 2010 but with credit given for work
already completed. Any such candidates should contact the Society for
advice.
Candidates who successfully complete the graduate diploma are eligible to
apply for the Society's professional status of
graduate
statistician.
As from the 2011 round of examination, there are no formal entry
requirements for any of the levels of the examinations. In particular,
candidates wishing to sit in the graduate diploma examinations are no longer
required to pass modules 1 to 6 of the higher certificate, nor obtain prior
exemption from the Society. Yet, to facilitate candidates in deciding the
appropriate level of examinations to be taken, the Society will continue to
offer the services of academic assessment.
Besides, academic assessment services also continue to be available
for candidates who wish to obtain exemption of some modules of the
examination. As from the 2011 round of examination, candidates who has
exemption for some modules at a certain level and pass the other papers in
that level will be awarded only an overall Pass for that level of
examination. If candidates want to get a credit or distinction for a certain
level of examination, they much achieve this by taking the examination at
that level in full.
The examinations are held once each year, in May. They take place in an
examination centre in Hong Kong run by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment
Authority.
Please study the Guide to Examinations and Syllabus
for further details.
The statistical professional examination in Hong Kong was previously held by
the Royal Statistical Society, which has been and is still holding the
examination in UK and many other places around the world. In August 2001,
agreement was reached between the HKSS and RSS that as from the May 2002 round
of the examination, the HKSS would take over the examination which the RSS had
been holding in Hong Kong. A Joint Announcement on this was issued by the
Societies in end September 2001, details of which can be found in this website.
The HKSS examination, which has mutual recognition with the RSS examination,
is a recommendable avenue for pursuing qualifications at various levels of the
statistical profession. All the certificates issued by the HKSS to successful
examination candidates will be endorsed by the RSS and recognised by the RSS as
of a standard equivalent to certificates issued by the RSS to the same level of
professional qualification. Structured in 3 stages, the examination allows
flexibility in the pursuit of studies and examination-taking so that people can
proceed with their individual circumstances in regard to study, work and family
situations.
Candidates of the examination also include mature students seeking a further
qualification in statistics or perhaps a full career change. The examinations
might well be of interest to school teachers who find themselves being called on
to teach statistics whereas their training was in mathematics, or even in some
other subject. The higher certificate would probably be the appropriate level.
There are a number of universities and vocational institutions in Hong Kong
that offer courses leading to the HKSS qualifications. Information on this can
be found in the section on Relevant Courses on this
website.
Candidates for the examinations might also need some support in the
background mathematics, particularly for the higher certificate and graduate
diploma. Some part-time University courses are useful for this.
Only Full Members, Student Members and
Examination Associates are allowed to enter for the examinations of the
Society. To do so, it is necessary
- to have paid the subscription for the year in which it is desired to sit
examinations
- to register for the examinations that are desired to be taken
- to pay the appropriate examination fee
Full details about the examinations can be obtained from the Examination
Office at the address given above.
The syllabus is issued free of charge and there is a free document
"Guide to Examinations" (ExamGuide)
containing all the administrative details. The syllabus, ExamGuide and other
forms can be downloaded from this site. However,
candidates who wish to obtain the documents by post from the Examination Office
has to write to the Examination Office and pay for the postal costs involved.
Past papers and fully-detailed worked solutions are also available. These can
be downloaded free from the web, or purchased for a small charge (to cover
photocopying and postal costs) from the Examination Office (at the address given
above). Detailed comments by the examiners are also available from 2000 onwards:
the most recent report is available to view online, but please note that these
reports are usually not available until several months after the year's
examinations have been completed.
For a selection of books thought to be suitable for use by candidates, please
refer to the suggested
reading lists
available in the website of Royal Statistical Society.
Fees are only applicable from 1st Oct 2011 to 30th Sep 2012 for 2012
examination. Registration will commerce in October 2011.
Registration Fees
To register for the
examination, the applicant should be a Full Member / Student Member of the
Society. He/she shall pay a registration fee as follows:
|
Membership |
Registration fee
(for Oct2011- Sept2012) |
|
Full Member |
$340
per sitting |
|
Student Member |
$490
per sitting |
Non-Members may also
register for the examination by enrolling as Examination Associate. The
enrolment fee is $540, which already includes the registration fee.
Examination Fees
|
Examination level |
Paper(s) |
Examination fees
(for Oct2011 - Sept2012) |
|
Ordinary
Certificate |
Two modules
available, each of which may be taken separately in one or more sittings
Module
1 : Collection and Compilation and Data
Module 2 : Analysis and Presentation of Data
|
HK$865-
per module |
|
Higher
Certificate |
Eight
modules available, each of which may be taken
separately in one or more sittings
Module 1 :
Data collection and interpretation
Module 2 : Probability models
Module 3 : Basic statistical methods
Module 4 : Linear models
Module 5 : Further probability and inference
Module 6 : Further applications of statistics
Module 7 : Time series and index numbers
Module 8 : Survey sampling and estimation
|
HK$570-
per module |
|
Graduate Diploma |
Five modules available, each of which may be taken
separately in one or more sittings
Module 1 : Probability distributions
Module 2 : Statistical inference
Module 3 : Stochastic processes and time series
Module 4 : Modelling experimental data
Module 5 : Topics in applied statistics |
HK$965-
per module |
Please study the Guide to Examinations and Syllabus
for further details.
Examinations on the
current syllabuses will be held in May 2012. The timetable is set out below. The
necessary examination forms can be
downloaded, or obtained from the office at the Society. Please note that
the registration period for examination associates for the 2012 examinations
will commence in October 2011. Further details about taking the examination
can be found from the
Guide to Examinations.
|
Tuesday
22 May 2012 |
2:00pm -
5:00pm |
Ordinary
Certificate - Module 1 Collection and Compilation of Data |
--- |
Graduate Diploma -
Module 3 Stochastic processes and time series |
|
Wednesday
23 May 2012 |
9:30am -
12:30pm |
Ordinary
Certificate - Module 2 Analysis and Presentation of Data
|
Higher
Certificate
Module 1 - Data Collection and Interpretation
(9:30-11:00am)
Module 2 - Probability Models
(11:00-12:30pm) |
Graduate Diploma -
Module 1 Probability distributions |
|
2:00pm -
5:00pm |
--- |
Higher
Certificate
Module 5 - Further Probability and Inference
(2:00-3:30pm)
Module 7 - Time Series and Index Numbers
(3:30-5:00pm) |
Graduate Diploma -
Module 2 Statistical inference |
|
Thursday
24 May 2012 |
9:30am -
12:30pm |
--- |
Higher
Certificate
Module 3 - Basic Statistical Methods
(9:30-11:00am)
Module 4 - Linear Models
(11:00-12:30pm) |
Graduate Diploma -
Module 4 Modelling experimental data |
|
2:00pm -
5:00pm |
--- |
Higher
Certificate
Module 6 - Further Applications of Statistics (2:00-3:30pm)
Module 8 - Survey Sampling and Estimation (3:30-5:00pm) |
Graduate Diploma -
Module 5 Topics in applied statistics |
Important Dates
Whilst all the three levels of
examination will take place in May 2012, candidates who wish to take part in the
examination should have completed the registration and exemption procedures well
in advance prior to the examination. The following are the important deadlines /
dates :
- Period for enrolment/renewal of
Examination Associates : From 1st October 2011 to 31st January 2012;
- Registration for examination :
After enrolling as or renewal of membership for examination associates and
on or before 1st March 2012; and
- Application for exemptions :
Well in advance and not later than 1st February 2012.
Further information about the examination can be found in
Notes to Students.  Top
|
This page
is updated in Oct 3, 2011 |
| 
Examinations