Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is more than a buzzword—it’s a career-long commitment to growth. Whether you’re a teacher, nurse, accountant, project manager, lawyer, engineer, or digital professional, CPD ensures your skills stay sharp, your qualifications stay valid, and your career stays future-ready.
At CPDCourses.com, we deliver accredited CPD training online, recognised worldwide and fully backed by the CPD Standards Office. That means every certificate you earn here counts towards your professional requirements, boosts your CV, and demonstrates credibility to employers and regulators.
This guide covers everything you need to know about CPD:
By the end, you’ll have a clear roadmap to managing your CPD requirements and maximising your professional potential.
Explore our complete range of CPD resources
CPD (Continuing Professional Development) is the structured process of maintaining and improving knowledge, skills, and behaviours throughout your career. Unlike one-time qualifications, CPD is about lifelong learning—adapting to industry changes, staying compliant, and continuously improving your performance.
CPD is the ongoing process of planned learning that helps professionals keep their skills current, meet industry standards, and advance their careers.
Examples of CPD activities include:
Every profession — from healthcare and teaching to finance, engineering, and law — relies on CPD to ensure practitioners remain competent, compliant, and confident. For many regulated industries, CPD is not optional. It’s mandatory for licence renewal or membership of governing bodies.
Investing in CPD is a win-win: employees gain skills and recognition, while employers benefit from higher standards and loyalty.
CPD isn’t one-size-fits-all. It covers three main types of learning, each valuable in different ways.
This is formal, participation-based study such as:
Example: Completing a 20-hour CPD diploma in Project Management.
This is more observational and less interactive:
Example: Logging 2 CPD hours after attending an online regulatory update.
This is unstructured, self-initiated learning:
Example: 3 hours reading the latest ISO standards, recorded with reflection.
Best practice: Aim for 50% or more in structured CPD, balancing reflective and informal methods to support different learning styles.
Most professional bodies measure CPD in hours or points. A common conversion is:
1 hour of active learning = 1 CPD point.
| Profession / Body | Typical Expectation* | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ACCA / ICAEW (Accounting) | 20–40 hrs/year | Must include ethics & technical updates |
| NMC (Nursing) | 35 hrs every 3 yrs | With written reflections |
| CIPD (HR) | Ongoing (portfolio evidence) | Hours flexible |
| RICS (Surveyors) | 20–30 hrs/year | Structured CPD preferred |
| GPhC (Pharmacy) | Reflective entries | Peer discussion required |
| Teachers (UK) | Employer-led | Safeguarding compulsory |
*Always check your professional body for specific requirements.
At CPDCourses.com, every course clearly states its CPD hours and points, so you know exactly what credit you’re earning.
CPD accreditation means an independent body has evaluated a course or activity to confirm it meets strict standards for:
When you choose an accredited CPD course, you’re guaranteed that your time is counted, measurable, and recognised.
At CPDCourses.com, every training programme is accredited by the CPD Standards Office (CPDSO), a global leader in CPD quality assurance.
This ensures:
Read more: CPD Standards Office Accreditation
Online learning has revolutionised CPD. With CPDCourses.com you can:
Recording CPD correctly is essential for compliance and career tracking. Here’s the recommended process:
Free Download: CPD Log Template & Reflection Prompts
Every industry has unique CPD needs. Explore our tailored hubs:
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1. What does CPD stand for?
CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development — the structured, ongoing process of learning that helps professionals improve skills, stay compliant, and progress in their careers.
2. What is CPD (Continuing Professional Development)?
CPD is the commitment to lifelong learning. It includes accredited courses, self-study, and reflective activities that ensure professionals remain competent and confident in their roles.
3. What counts as CPD?
CPD can include accredited courses, workshops, webinars, conferences, professional exams, reflective logs, research, mentoring, podcasts, and more — as long as it’s relevant and recorded.
4. How many CPD hours or points do I need?
Most professionals are required to complete 20–40 hours per year (1 hour = 1 CPD point). The exact number depends on your industry’s regulator — for example, nurses need 35 hours every 3 years for NMC revalidation.
5. What are CPD points?
CPD points are the measure of learning hours. Typically, 1 hour = 1 point. Short courses may provide 5–10 points, while diplomas can earn 100+ points.
6. What is CPD accreditation?
CPD accreditation is independent quality assurance, confirming a course or provider meets strict standards for relevance, structure, and learning outcomes. All CPDCourses.com programmes are accredited by the CPD Standards Office for global recognition.
7. What is CPD certification?
Certification is your personal proof of completion. A CPD certificate includes the course title, hours/points earned, and accreditation details, making it valid evidence for portfolios, CVs, and employer compliance.
8. Are CPD certificates recognised by employers and professional bodies?
Yes — provided they’re accredited. CPDCourses.com certificates are fully accredited by the CPD Standards Office and accepted worldwide by employers, regulators, and membership bodies.
9. Can I complete CPD online?
Absolutely. Online CPD is flexible, affordable, and widely recognised. With CPDCourses.com, you can learn anytime on mobile, tablet, or desktop, earn CPD hours, and download e-certificates instantly (with an optional hard copy delivered).
10. How do I record and evidence my CPD?
Maintain a CPD portfolio by logging:
11. Which types of CPD are recognised?
Most professional bodies accept a blend of:
12. Can CPD help with promotions or career change?
Yes. Accredited CPD boosts your CV, demonstrates initiative, and fills skills gaps. Many professionals use CPD to gain promotions, move into leadership, or transition into new careers altogether.
Choose accredited training with confidence. At CPDCourses.com:
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