The most commonly asked questions about CPD, CPD accreditation, and working with The CPD Group — the UK's first and only accreditation body certified by The CPD Register.
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This page answers the most commonly asked questions about CPD, CPD accreditation, and working with The CPD Group. The CPD Group is the first and currently only CPD accreditation body certified by The CPD Register, and has been named the Most Trusted CPD Accreditation Service by the UK Business Excellence Awards. For questions not covered here, contact the team.
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Section 1
CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. It refers to the ongoing process of learning, developing skills, and maintaining professional knowledge throughout a working career, beyond any initial training or qualifications.
CPD covers structured activities such as accredited training courses, webinars, events, podcasts, and e-learning — as well as unstructured activities such as reading industry publications, peer discussions, and on-the-job learning. Most professional bodies require a proportion of structured, accredited CPD each year.
Requirements vary by profession. Common examples include:
For professions without mandated requirements, most advisors recommend a minimum of 20 to 30 hours annually.
CPD credits (also called CPD hours or CPD points) measure the amount of professional development completed. As a general rule, one CPD credit equals one hour of structured learning. A one-day course typically earns 7 CPD credits. When you complete an activity accredited by The CPD Group, your certificate states the exact number of credits earned.
Section 2
CPD accreditation is the independent assessment of a learning activity by a qualified body — such as The CPD Group — to confirm it meets recognised professional development standards. Accreditation provides independent quality assurance for providers and verifiable evidence of learning for delegates.
CPD accreditation is an independent quality mark for professional learning activities. It is not a regulated qualification. Regulated qualifications (degrees, NVQs, A-Levels) are overseen by Ofqual and sit on the Regulated Qualifications Framework. CPD and qualifications serve different purposes — qualifications establish initial competence; CPD maintains and develops it throughout a career. Read the full explainer.
Blanket accreditation is when an accreditation body approves a provider without assessing individual activities. The CPD Group does not offer blanket accreditation — every single activity submitted is assessed individually by our specialist team, regardless of volume. Read more about blanket accreditation.
Enter the accreditation number from any CPD Group certificate or logo into our verification tool at thecpdregister.com. This confirms whether the activity is genuinely accredited, its status, and expiry date. If a CPD logo does not have a verifiable number, treat it with caution.
Speak directly with our specialist accreditation team. We respond personally to every enquiry — whether you're a learner, professional, or training provider.
Section 3
Register free at thecpd.group/training-provider. Provider approval involves an initial assessment of your organisation to confirm it is ready to deliver CPD-accredited learning. Once approved you receive a provider logo, certificate, and CPD Register listing.
The CPD Group aims to begin reviewing submissions within 2 to 3 weeks. Courses with clear learning objectives and complete documentation tend to move through assessment most quickly. Contact the team early if you are working to a launch deadline.
Becoming a CPD Provider is completely free. Accreditation fees apply at activity level and vary by format and volume. Contact the team for a tailored quote.
The CPD Group is the first and only UK accreditation body certified by The CPD Register — meaning our accreditation processes have been independently verified, not just self-declared. We assess every activity individually, accredit the widest range of formats in the sector, and have been named the Most Trusted CPD Accreditation Service by the UK Business Excellence Awards.
A unique activity-specific logo, a verifiable accreditation number on The CPD Register, the ability to issue CPD certificates to delegates, and a listing in our searchable provider directory. Accreditation is renewed annually.
The accreditation team responds individually to every enquiry — whether you're a learner verifying a certificate or a provider scoping a submission.