Failed an HKSI exam? Retake rules, fees and how to prepare

If you fail an HKSI Licensing Examination paper, you can enrol again. A retake is a new enrolment: you pick a new session and pay the full fee again. We checked HKSI's examination policies, FAQ and handbook in November 2026 and found no waiting period and no limit on attempts. That does not prove there is none, so check the latest HKSI policies before you plan.

How soon can you resit?

HKSI's policy page, its FAQ and the June 2024 examination handbook do not set a waiting period or a maximum number of attempts. Papers 1, 7 and 8 run monthly at the Hong Kong Examination Centre. After you enrol, you must schedule your computer-based exam within 90 days of the enrolment date, and seats are first come, first served. In practice, how soon you can resit depends on when you re-enrol and which sessions are free. If in doubt, ask HKSI.

What a retake costs

Every sitting is paid for separately. HKSI's FAQ says you cannot enrol for the same paper more than once in one transaction: you complete the payment, then enrol again. Current fees (HKSI Licensing Examination page, checked November 2026):

HKSI Institute Student Members get 50% off LE papers. For the enrolment steps, see HKSI registration and fees.

Your result and the Performance Analysis

Results are PASS, FAIL or ABSENT. You see your grade on screen as soon as the session ends. Your Notification of Results and a Performance Analysis can then be downloaded from the HKSI Online Portal or app for one year. After that, or if you lose them, you can apply for a Statement of Results through the portal within seven years of the exam, for a fee.

If you think the result is wrong, you can ask for a recheck in writing within 21 working days of release. There is an administration fee, the reply normally comes within 7 working days, and the fee is refunded if the original result turns out to be wrong.

Key point: download your Performance Analysis before you start revising again. It shows where you lost marks.

Absence, rescheduling and refunds

• Rescheduling: free, to another session within 90 days of enrolment, for the same paper and mode, up to six full days before your session.
• Withdrawal: also up to six full days before; you get the fee back minus a HK$500 administration fee.
• Absence: you are graded ABSENT, a missed exam cannot be rescheduled, and the fee is neither refunded nor transferred. Not scheduling a session before the deadline also counts as absent.

If you are not ready, reschedule before the deadline rather than stay away.

Does failing affect your licence application?

The SFC's competence requirement is about passing the relevant papers. Under the SFC's Guidelines on Competence, you are expected to pass the relevant papers no more than three years before applying. HKSI says the results themselves do not expire, though regulators can set their own time limits.

If you have not yet passed Paper 1, the SFC may approve a licence on condition that you pass it within six months of approval. Failing to do so can make the approval invalid, and this grace period is usually granted only once per paper. It is discretionary, and the licence application itself is made jointly by you and your employer; see how to apply for an SFC licence.

Separately, HKSI's own certificates (not the SFC licence) require a set combination of papers within three years of the first pass.

How to prepare for the resit

1. Start from the Performance Analysis. List the weak topics and fix them first.
2. Know the pass line. The pass mark is 70%: 42 out of 60 for Papers 1 and 7, 28 out of 40 for Paper 8.
3. Practise at exam pace. Papers 1 and 7 give 90 minutes for 60 questions and Paper 8 gives 60 minutes for 40, about 1.5 minutes a question.
4. Check the syllabus version. HKSI has updated the study guides for Papers 7 and 8 for exams from 9 December 2026.
5. Use the eStudy Guide. HKSI gives a free English and Chinese eStudy Guide on enrolment, available until your exam date.
6. On the day, bring an original physical government photo ID with your English name, such as an HKID card or passport; digital IDs are not accepted. Latecomers are not admitted after 30 minutes from the start of admission.

Failing is common. HKSI's figures for October 2025 to September 2026 put the average Paper 1 pass rate at about 50% and Papers 7 and 8 at about 65%–67%; see which paper is hardest. ExamDuck's bilingual questions and timed mocks can help you find weak topics before the resit. Then fit the work into a study plan.