FAQs on CPD

I) CPD Requirements

Q1. What is the CPD cycle for registered salespersons, existing KEOs/ practising directors/partners, and new entrants?

A1. Each CPD cycle spans one year, from 1 Oct in the current year to 30 Sep of the following year.

New salespersons are exempted from the CPD requirement for the first CPD cycle but will need to comply with the CPD requirement for the next and subsequent CPD cycles. For example, if a salesperson was first registered with CEA on 1 Dec 2020, he will be exempted from the 1 Oct 2020 to 30 September 2021 CPD cycle. He will be required to fulfil the CPD requirements from 1 Oct 2021 onwards.

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Q2. What are the CPD requirements that I need to fulfil to renew my license or registration?

A2. As part of the requirements for the renewal of salesperson registration, every KEO, practising director/partner and salesperson shall participate in CPD courses to earn a minimum of six credits for each CPD cycle, of which four of these credits must be from courses related to Professional Competencies and two credits must be from courses related to Generic Competencies.

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Q3. How would salespersons know what categories the CPD courses related to Professional Competencies fall under?

A3. The classification of P1, P2 or P3 is prefixed to the CPD course numbers shown in the titles for Professional Competencies e.g. P101S0330 – P1 – Estate Agents Act and Regulations.

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Q4.  I understand the CPD requirement is to undertake a minimum of six CPD credits in each CPD cycle. If I have clocked six CPD credits by attending only CPD courses related to Professional Competencies, do I still need to fulfil the CPD requirements for Generic Competencies?

A4. KEOs, practising directors/partners and salespersons are required to fulfil a total of six credits under the CPD framework, of which four of these credits must be from courses related to professional competencies and two credits must be from courses related to generic competencies.

You will be required to attend CPD courses under Generic Competencies to fulfil the CPD requirement. Credits under Generic Competencies cannot be substituted by credits obtained under Professional Competencies or vice versa. This is to ensure that salespersons also focus on developing their competencies in other essential areas not directly related to their professional knowledge, such as digital fluency and communication..

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Q5. How do I update my attendance and credits for CPD courses?

A5. For CPD courses under Professional Competencies, the course providers will update your attendance in the My CPD Portal. For Generic Competencies, please seek your KEO’s approval to ensure that the course is in line with CEA’s requirements before attending the course. Upon your KEO’s approval, you may attend the course and submit your attendance through My CPD Portal or submit a copy of the course certificate/email of attendance to your estate agent. Your KEO and his authorised users will update your attendance in the Portal.

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Q6. How do I check my CPD fulfilment and the Professional Competency CPD courses that are available? 

A6. For the list of upcoming Professional Competency CPD courses, please visit the CPD Course Directory. You may check your CPD fulfilment via the My CPD Portal.

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Q7. Why are my CPD records not updated in the My CPD Portal?

A7. For Professional Competency CPD courses, please check with the course provider and your estate agent whether they have updated your attendance in the My CPD Portal.

For Generic Competency CPD courses, please seek your KEO’s approval to ensure that the course is in line with CEA’s requirements before attending the course. Upon your KEO’s approval, you may attend the course and submit your attendance through the My CPD Portal or submit a copy of the course certificate/email of attendance to your estate agent. Your KEO and his authorised users will approve and update your attendance in the Portal.

If this has been done, but your records are still not reflected in the Portal, you may send the following details to [email protected] for our verification:

• CPD course name/title (in full)

• Course provider

• Date/s the course was taken

• Scanned copy of the course certificate

CEA will verify the details provided and may check with you for clarifications, before updating your CPD records in the Portal accordingly. The updating may take one to two weeks upon submission of complete information.

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II) Calculation of CPD Credits

Q8. How are the CPD credits computed? 

A8. For all Professional Competency courses, the course provider must seek CEA’s prior approval before conducting the courses. CEA will accord CPD credits for courses under the Professional Competencies based on the nature and content of the course. As a guide, one CPD credit will be awarded for each contact hour of formal classroom learning or each hour of e-learning. There is a cap of two CPD credits for each CPD course undertaken per day, regardless of the number of hours per session.

For Generic Competency CPD courses, no prior approval from CEA is required. KEOs can assess and determine the number of CPD credits. As a guide, allocation of credits must follow the same guidelines as that of Professional Competency CPD courses as follows:

• One CPD credit will be awarded for each contact hour of formal learning.

• There is a cap of two credits for each CPD course undertaken per day if the number of contact hours of the CPD course exceeds two hours.

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Q9.  I attended a three-day workshop related to Generic Competencies, how many CPD credits are awarded?

A9. A maximum of two CPD credits per day for a full day Generic Competency course may be awarded. For illustration purpose, a three-day Generic Competency course can be awarded six Generic Competency CPD credits. The actual CPD credits awarded may differ depending on the contents and duration of the course.

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Q10. How many CPD credits can a CPD trainer of Professional and Generic Competencies get?

A10.  CEA awards one CPD credit per Professional Competency course for CPD trainers. This is to recognise their contributions towards raising the professionalism and competency across the real estate agency industry.

For trainers conducting Generic Competency courses, if the courses comply and are in line with CEA’s requirements set out in the guidelines, KEOs may also award the trainer based on the same principles for professional competencies as prescribed in CEA’s CPD Guidelines.

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Q11. Can I fulfil my CPD requirements by taking all e-learning courses?

A11. There is no restriction on the maximum number of e-learning courses that a salesperson can take in a CPD cycle. However, we encourage salespersons to attend a balanced mix of training courses on different subject matters and learning modes for diversified learning. Excess CPD credits clocked in each cycle are not allowed to be carried forward to the next cycle.

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III) Type of CPD Courses

Q12. How do I check the CPD courses that are available?

A12. You may refer to the list of recognised CPD courses on the My CPD Portal. 

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Q13. Who can decide on what is a Generic Competency course?

A13. KEOs can assess and decide on the relevance of Generic Competency courses taken by their salespersons and ensure that their CPD credits for Generic Competencies comply with CEA’s requirements as set out in the CPD Guidelines in CEA’s website. 

Estate agents should maintain close supervision on Generic Competency courses taken by their salespersons and shall be satisfied that the courses meet CEA’s requirements if they wish to recognise the Generic Competency courses. 

Generic Competency courses include those offered by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and Estate Agents’ in-house training courses that are in line with SkillsFuture Singapore’s list of Critical Core Skills (CCSs). CEA recognises that estate agents do provide in-house training for their salespersons. In-house courses that are in line with SSG’s list of CCSs can be recognised. KEOs and salespersons may refer to SSG’s website for a suggested list of SkillsFuture courses.

Salespersons are to seek their KEOs’ approvals for the accord of CPD credits for courses under Generic Competencies.

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Q14. There is an upcoming Generic Competency course that I would like to attend but I am unable to contact my KEO to seek his support for the course. Can I attend the course first and seek approval from my KEO after attending the course?

A14. Please seek your KEO’s approval to ensure that the course is in line with CEA’s requirements before attending the course.

KEOs have the responsibility to ensure that their salespersons comply with the regulatory requirements of the CPD scheme. KEOs also need to assess the relevance of courses undertaken by their salespersons and make sure that the courses undertaken are in line with CEA’s requirements.

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Q15.  We have a company retreat/”boot camp” held local/overseas, can it be counted as CPD? I have a foreign visitor from my parent company overseas and he gave a talk on the property market trend overseas. Can this be counted as a CPD course?

A15. Depending on the content, the activity can be considered as a CPD course if it is classified as a course with a Professional or Generic Competency subject. Prior approval from CEA must be sought for Professional Competency courses. For Generic Competency courses, KEOs can assess the relevance of the courses based on CEA’s Guidelines. Depending on the content, it may be considered as a CPD course if it is in line with CEA’s requirements set out in the Generic Skills and Competencies.

Generic Competency courses include those offered by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and Estate Agents’ in-house training courses that are in line with SkillsFuture Singapore’s list of Critical Core Skills (CCSs). CEA recognises that estate agents do provide in-house training for their salespersons. In-house courses that are in line with SSG’s list of CCSs can be recognised. KEOs and salespersons may refer to SSG’s website for a suggested list of SkillsFuture courses.

Salespersons are to seek their KEOs’ approvals for the accord of CPD credits for courses under Generic Competencies.

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Q16.  If I am not sure if a course can be counted as a Generic Competency course, can I send the details to CEA to check?

A16. Salespersons should check with their KEOs who will assess the relevance of courses undertaken by their salespersons and ensure that their CPD credits for Generic Competencies are in line with CEA’s requirements.

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Q17. Can salespersons enrol in the same CPD course for different CPD cycles?

A17. We encourage salespersons to attend a balanced mix of training courses on different subject matters for diversified learning. Unless there are significant policy changes during the same CPD cycle, repeated attendance records of salespersons who attend professional competency CPD courses under the same topic by the same trainer/provider more than once within the same CPD cycle will not be counted towards the CPD requirements.

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Q18. Are there any courses that salespersons or KEOs have to take on a regular basis?

A18. The CPD framework ensures that KEOs, practising directors or partners, and salespersons possess the necessary professional knowledge in estate agency work and continuously upgrade themselves by keeping abreast of the changes in government policies and procedures.

From 1 Oct 2019 onwards (i.e. the 2019/2020 CPD cycle), KEOs, practising directors or partners, and salespersons must fulfil a total of six credits under the new CPD framework – four credits under Professional Competencies and two under Generic Competencies.

CEA may introduce mandatory courses in future as and when there are suitable ones for the industry practitioners.

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Q19. I’m a CPD course provider. What records must I keep?

A19. CPD course providers must keep proper and accurate records of CPD course dates and venues, course materials and a list of the course trainers and their qualifications. These documents shall be submitted for CEA’s verification when requested. KEOs are required to keep a proper internal system of record keeping for salespersons’ CPD courses and hours. Salespersons must also keep a record of their Certificate of Attendance issued by Course Providers; or Letter of Confirmation of Attendance given by Course Providers. Course Providers are required to keep records on salespersons’ attendance, name of CPD courses attended and CPD credits for at least three years. They must submit these documents for CEA’s verification upon request. For more details, please refer to the CPD Guidelines for CPD Course Providers.

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Q20. How can I become a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) trainer?

A20. A CPD course provider who conducts a Professional Competency course, has to fulfil these trainer requirements:

• Have at least five years of instructional experience in conducting similar activities or have at least five years of working experience as practitioners in the real estate agency industry within the last ten years;

• Attain full WSQ Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) or WSQ Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance (ACLP).

Apart from these requirements, a CPD course provider is required to meet other criteria and guidelines, and to seek approval from CEA for the Professional CPD course, including trainers and the accord of CPD credits. 

You may wish to contact the CPD course providers found in our website for their consideration as a trainer for an appropriate course, should you meet the above requirements.

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Q21.  Who are the current Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course providers and how can I apply to be one?

A21.  The criteria and guidelines to be a CPD course provider for Professional Competency courses can be found on our website.

Currently, CPD course providers of Professional Competency courses include:

• Government agencies

• Local tertiary institutions

• National Continuing Education & Training (CET) Centres

• Real estate and related industry associations

• CEA Approved Course Providers (ACPs)

• Estate agents

Course providers who wish to conduct Generic Competency courses are not required to seek CEA’s approval.

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IV) Licensing / Registration-related CPD Matters

Q22. How do I check my CPD fulfilment?

A22. Salespersons can check their CPD fulfilment status via CEA’s My CPD Portal.

Q23.  How do I update my CPD fulfilment before applying to rejoin the industry?

A23.  For Professional Competency courses that former KEOs, practising directors/partners and salespersons have completed, they should check if the course providers have updated their CPD records in CEA’s My CPD Portal.

For Generic Competency courses, a former salesperson has to do the following:

1. Obtain approval for Generic Competency course and credits from the KEO of the estate agent he is joining;

2. Submit the KEO’s approval and the certificates of the Generic Competency courses as part of the supporting documents in the salesperson application forms; and

3. Once the application for registration to be a salesperson has been approved by CEA, the salesperson is required to submit their Generic Competency courses to their estate agent via My CPD Portal for his KEO’s approval.

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Q24.  For salespersons who switch estate agents, will their CPD records in CEA’s system be transferred to the new company?

A24.  The salesperson’s CPD record in CEA’s system will be transferred to the new estate agent that the salesperson switches to.

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Q25. Salespersons must achieve a minimum of 6 CPD credits each year but if they fulfilled more credits in one year, can they carry the excess credits to the next CPD cycle?

A25.  Salespersons are not allowed to carry forward excess CPD credits to the following year i.e. the next CPD cycle. The objective of CPD is to ensure that salespersons equip themselves with professional knowledge that is current and relevant.

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V) New CPD Framework

Q26. Previously, if I had attended Core
CPD courses and fulfilled at least six credit hours, I would not need to
attend other non-core CPD courses. Why is CEA requiring me to attend Generic
competencies’ courses now to fulfil my CPD requirements?

A26. We envision that the salesperson of the future to be an individual who is professional and who possesses the qualities of a trusted adviser. We also recognise the importance of Generic Competencies in the workplace of the future. The current CPD framework places aims to allow salespersons to also focus on developing their competencies in other areas besides professional knowledge. Some examples include service delivery and digital fluency.

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Q27. I note that two credits have to be from courses related to Generic Competencies, and these credits are granted by KEOs. Can some of my estate agent’s in-house courses fall under this category, and must they be aligned with SkillsFuture Singapore’s (SSG) list of Critical Core Skills?

A27. CEA recognises that Estate Agents do provide in-houses training for their salespersons. Under the new CPD framework, KEOs can recognise in-house courses that are in line with SkillsFuture Singapore’s list of Critical Core Skills (CCSs) for the accord of CPD credits.

 KEOs have the responsibility to ensure that their salespersons comply with the regulatory requirements of the CPD scheme and KEOs need to assess the relevance of courses undertaken by their salespersons and make sure the courses undertaken are in line with CEA’s requirements set out.

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Q28.  I am a trainer specialising in courses related to Generic Competencies (digital fluency, communications and developing people etc.), how can I become a trainer to conduct Generic Competency courses for the estate agency industry?

A28. For Generic Competency courses, Key Executive Officers (KEOs) will accord the CPD credits for courses under the Generic Competencies. They are responsible for assessing and deciding on the relevance of generic competency courses undertaken by their salespersons and ensuring that their generic competency credits comply with CEA’s requirements under the new CPD framework.

Q29. What are the CPD requirements for a salesperson whose registration has lapsed but wishes to apply for registration after a certain period?

A29. For KEOs, practising directors/partners and salespersons whose registrations have lapsed (i.e. no longer registered with CEA through an estate agent), he or she must fulfil the following requirements before applying for registration through a licensed estate agent:

KEOs/practising directors/partners and salespersons whose:

CPD / Examination requirements

Registration lapsed for up to 2 years

 Required to fulfil:

• The same number of CPD credits as if the salesperson did not leave the industry; and

• The credits for the current year CPD cycle if the registration application is submitted on and after 1 Jan.

CPD requirements to fulfil before applying for registration = A + B

A = Outstanding CPD requirements from the past CPD cycles*

B = CPD requirements for current year CPD cycle (for registration application submitted on and after 1 Jan)

Registration lapsed for more than 2 years

Required to pass the RES/REA examination, where applicable.

* Former salespersons are required to fulfil all outstanding CPD credits for past and current CPD cycles (minimum of 6 credits per cycle), before applying for registration.

Please refer to the CPD Guidelines for Estate Agents and Salespersons for more details.

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