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Securities and Futures Commission

HKSI LE Paper 15 study map for sponsor principals

How HKSI LE Paper 15 fits sponsor principal additional competence requirements, Type 6 supervision, IPO sponsor work, and evidence planning.

Exam focus

Additional competence paper for Type 6 individuals wishing to engage in sponsor work as principals.

Who this helps

  • - Sponsor principal candidates
  • - Type 6 responsible officers
  • - IPO sponsor teams
  • - Capital markets compliance officers

Why this matters

  • - HKSI identifies Paper 15 as an additional paper for principals engaging in sponsor work.
  • - Sponsor principal work is narrower and higher-scrutiny than ordinary Type 6 corporate finance advice.
  • - The paper should be tied to sponsor due diligence experience, supervision, transaction accountability, and firm controls.

Study map

Sponsor principal lens

  • - Study sponsor responsibilities around listing applicant due diligence, disclosure, internal assessment, supervision, and transaction governance.
  • - Connect exam preparation to how the sponsor team records decisions, escalates issues, and reviews workstreams.

Evidence pack

  • - Keep Paper 15 evidence with Type 6 responsible officer or principal status, deal list, role description, reporting line, and capacity evidence.
  • - Separate sponsor principal evidence from sponsor representative and takeovers paper evidence.

Licensing tie-in

  • - Paper 15 supports the additional sponsor principal paper analysis; it is not a standalone Type 6 licence.
  • - The firm and candidate still need Type 6 licensing context, adequate sponsor systems, supervision, and transaction experience evidence.
  • - Sponsor principal readiness should be reviewed with deal experience and internal control materials before submission.

Booking and sponsorship

  • - Use HKSI's official LE overview to verify Paper 15 syllabus, frequency, fee, and scheduling details.
  • - Use SFC competence materials before assuming sponsor principal eligibility from a paper pass alone.
  • - Keep result evidence with sponsor-role appointment and due-diligence control documents.

Verify before studying

  • - Whether the candidate will act as a sponsor principal rather than only a Type 6 representative or ordinary adviser.
  • - Whether Paper 5, Paper 11, Paper 16, or Paper 17 is also relevant.
  • - Whether the firm has sponsor work systems, staffing, transaction review controls, and escalation records.

Common mistakes

  • - Treating ordinary Type 6 corporate finance experience as enough for sponsor principal readiness.
  • - Ignoring Paper 16 or Paper 17 for adjacent sponsor representative or takeovers work.
  • - Separating exam planning from due-diligence and transaction-supervision evidence.

Disclaimer

Information on LicenseCompare is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, regulatory, financial, tax, investment, or professional advice. Licensing requirements depend on facts and change over time. Always consult official regulator materials and qualified professional advisers.