Why are there no QFA / APA hours awarded for this event?
Answer:
If no QFA or APA CPD hours have been awarded for an event, despite it being accredited, it is likely due to one or more of the following reasons:
The Content Was Not Relevant to the MCC Categories
To qualify for QFA or APA CPD hours, the event content must be directly relevant to the knowledge and competencies outlined in the Central Bank of Ireland’s Minimum Competency Code (MCC). These include areas such as:
- Life Assurance
- Pensions
- Savings & Investments
- Housing Loans
- Consumer Credit
If the content focused on broader business topics (e.g. soft skills, leadership, general compliance, IT, or diversity), it would not meet the MCC relevance criteria and therefore cannot be awarded QFA or APA hours.
The Event Was Accredited Under a Different Category
The event may have been accredited for CPD hours in a non-MCC category, such as:
- Ethics (E)
- Pension Trustee Practitioner (PTP)
- Credit Union (CU)
These are not counted towards QFA or APA MCC category requirements, even though the event is CPD accredited.
The Event Was Missing Required Testing or Structure
For online events, CPD hours will only be awarded if:
- The module includes testing or assessment
- The course is properly structured and interactive
Without this, it does not qualify for QFA/APA hours even if it appears educational.
Incorrect or Incomplete Accreditation Process
It’s possible that:
- The event provider did not apply for accreditation under QFA/APA categories, or
- The accreditation form did not specify the appropriate product categories
As a result, QFA or APA hours were not approved by LIA.
What You Can Do:
- Contact the event organiser to check which categories were submitted and approved.
- If you believe the content aligns with QFA/APA competencies, you may request the provider to resubmit the event for updated category accreditation.
- You can also email LIA at 📧 cpd@lia.ie to query the accreditation outcome directly.