There is no big difference, the results are all equally valid.

The Securities Industry Association now conducts national unified examinations twice a year, and the scheduled examinations are arranged according to the different requirements of each province.

The 2016 exam schedule announced on the official website of the Securities Association is as follows:

The 2016 exam plan and related matters are announced as follows:

1. General business Class Qualification Examination. The examination will begin in mid-March, and the scale of the examination will expand from the examination of limited subjects in 10-15 cities, to the scheduled examination of limited subjects in 20 examination cities, and then to the unified examination in 40 cities across the country.

2. Special business qualification examination. In 2016, the “Securities Investment Consultant Competency Examination” will be added. The "Securities Investment Consultant Competency Examination" and the "Securities Analyst Competency Examination" are planned to be arranged 8 times each throughout the year; the "Sponsor Representative Competency Examination" is scheduled to be arranged 3 times.

3. The "Hong Kong Securities and Futures Practitioner Qualification Examination" is scheduled three times throughout the year; the "Certified International Investment Analyst Examination" is scheduled twice throughout the year.

4. Test for management personnel. Qualification tests for senior managers of securities companies are scheduled 11 times throughout the year; competency tests for compliance managers of securities companies are scheduled 4 times throughout the year; qualification tests for senior managers in securities rating business are scheduled 4 times throughout the year.