CPD requirements by profession
RICS CPD requirements for surveyors
Last reviewed 15 October 2026
RICS sets a clear annual minimum, splits it between structured and unstructured learning, and layers a three-yearly obligation on specific topics on top. The topic requirement is newer than the hours requirement and is the part most members have not yet built into their planning.
The short answer: a minimum of 20 hours of CPD each calendar year (January to December), of which at least 10 hours must be structured. Separately, every three years you must complete at least 1 hour of structured CPD on each of: RICS global professional and ethical standards; sustainability; and AI, data and technology. Record your CPD before the end of the calendar year.
Structured and unstructured — not formal and informal
RICS uses its own terminology, and it is worth matching it when you record.
| Type | What it means | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Structured | A structured approach where learning outcomes can be easily identified — webinars, seminars, conferences, taught courses | 10 hours/year |
| Unstructured | Self-managed learning — private study, podcasts, reading | the balance |
| Total | 20 hours/year |
The practical test for structured CPD is whether the learning outcomes can be identified easily. A course that publishes what it intends to teach clears that bar on its face. One that doesn't leaves you arguing the point.
The three mandatory topics
Over any three-year period, at least one hour of structured CPD must be completed on each of:
- RICS global professional and ethical standards
- Sustainability
- AI, data and technology
These hours count toward your annual total — they are not additional — but they must be structured, and they must actually be on those topics. A general course that mentions sustainability in passing is unlikely to satisfy a requirement that names it specifically.
The calendar year, and the deadline
The RICS CPD year is the calendar year: January to December. You should record your CPD before the end of the calendar year. There is no grace period built into the recording expectation, so December is a poor time to discover you are six hours short.
Planning it so it doesn't bite
Twenty hours a year is not demanding in itself. What trips members up is the composition: the structured minimum, and the three-yearly topics that cannot be met with unstructured learning. A sensible approach is to fix the structured element early in the year, including any mandatory topic due in the current three-year window, and let unstructured learning accumulate naturally on top.
Where CPD accreditation fits — and where it doesn't
This is the part most training providers get wrong, so it is worth being blunt about it.
RICS does not approve, endorse or pre-authorise external CPD providers. Neither we nor any other CPD accreditation body can make a course “RICS-approved”. Any provider telling you otherwise is overstating what they hold, and members who repeat that claim in a record are the ones exposed if it is questioned.
What independent accreditation actually does is narrower and more useful: it gives members evidence that the learning was assessed against a published standard, with stated outcomes, a justified hour claim, and a certificate anyone can check. When your record is reviewed, that evidence is what turns “I did a course” into something defensible.
An AssuredCPD-accredited course carries stated learning outcomes, a CPD-hour figure assessed as proportionate rather than self-declared, and a unique verification code. We are explicit in our own rules about what providers may and may not claim — see what you can and can't claim once a course is CPD accredited.
What to look for in a course
Whatever body you report to, the same four questions separate learning that will stand up from learning that won't:
- Are the learning outcomes written down? You cannot reflect on what a course changed if it never said what it intended to teach.
- Is the hour claim justified, or just asserted? An inflated figure is the single most common reason a course fails our assessment, and it is the figure you will be putting your name to.
- Was anything actually assessed? A completion certificate for watching a video is not evidence of learning.
- Can the certificate be checked by someone else? A PDF proves nothing on its own. A reference a third party can verify does.
Common questions
How many CPD hours do RICS members need?
A minimum of 20 hours of CPD each calendar year, of which at least 10 hours must be structured CPD. The CPD year runs January to December and you should record your CPD before the end of the calendar year.
What is the difference between structured and unstructured CPD for RICS?
Structured CPD follows a structured approach where learning outcomes can be easily identified, such as webinars, seminars, conferences and taught courses. Unstructured CPD is self-managed learning such as private study and podcasts. At least 10 of the 20 annual hours must be structured.
What are the RICS mandatory CPD topics?
Every three years, RICS members must complete at least one hour of structured CPD on each of three areas: RICS global professional and ethical standards; sustainability; and AI, data and technology. These hours count toward the annual total rather than being additional.
When is the RICS CPD deadline?
The RICS CPD year is the calendar year, January to December, and CPD should be recorded before the end of the calendar year.
Does RICS approve CPD providers?
No. RICS does not approve, endorse or pre-authorise external CPD providers or courses. Members are responsible for selecting relevant activity and recording it correctly.
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AssuredCPD is an independent CPD accreditation body. We are not a government or regulatory body and do not award regulated qualifications. AssuredCPD accreditation is not endorsement, approval or recognition by any professional body named on this page, and we have no affiliation with them. Requirements are summarised from each body’s own published guidance and were checked on 15 October 2026; those bodies change their rules from time to time, so always confirm against the official source linked above before relying on it.