CPD explained
CPD points vs CPD hours: what is the difference?
Published 29 October 2026 · 7 min read
Short answer: there is no single, official definition of a “CPD point” in the UK. Many providers use one point to mean one hour of learning, but that is a convention, not a rule, and some professional bodies use units, credits or no time measure at all. What matters is the measure your professional body uses. AssuredCPD accredits courses in CPD hours, assessed against the real learning time, because hours mean the same thing to everyone.
“Worth 6 CPD points.” “Earn 3 CPD credits.” “Counts for 2 hours of CPD.” Learners see all three on course pages, often for similar courses, and reasonably assume they are interchangeable. Sometimes they are. Often nobody has said. This guide explains where the different measures come from, how the main UK bodies count CPD, and how to read a provider’s claim so it doesn’t mislead you.
Why there are different measures
CPD has no national standard of its own. Each professional body and regulator sets its own requirement, and each chooses how to measure it. Some count time. Some count activities, records or outcomes. Some once counted points and have since moved away from them. Training providers then label their courses in whatever unit they think their audience uses, and the result is a market where the same word can mean different things.
How some UK bodies actually count CPD
| Body | Unit of measure | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| ACCA | Units | One unit equals one hour of development; 40 units a year |
| CIOB | Hours (formerly points) | Previously a minimum of 10 points a year; now 25 hours per subscription year |
| CII | Hours | 35 hours in 12 months, 21 structured; each activity at least 30 minutes, counting actual time only |
| RIBA | Hours | 35 hours a year, 20 on core topics |
| ARB | None | No minimum hours; recorded activities with reflection |
| HCPC | None | No hours; CPD judged against standards |
| SRA | None | No hours; an annual declaration of competence |
Two lessons fall out of that table. First, where a body does use a non-hour unit, it usually ties it back to time, as ACCA does. Second, a growing number of bodies do not count time at all. For their members, a course’s “points” figure is at most a rough indicator of size, and the reflection is what counts. Our profession-by-profession guides set out the rule for each body.
“One point equals one hour”: a convention, not a rule
Many providers use one CPD point to mean one hour of learning. It is a sensible convention, and where you see it stated, you can rely on it for that provider. The problem is when a course quotes points without saying what a point is. A course labelled “10 CPD points” might be ten hours of learning, or it might be calculated some other way entirely, and nothing on the page tells you which. If the course page doesn’t tell you, ask.
How AssuredCPD counts CPD
We accredit in hours. Under domain D5 of our Standards Framework, the hours a provider claims must be proportionate and evidenced by the depth and length of the learning, supported by a short, honest justification. Inflated hour claims are the most common reason a course is scored Partially met. In practice, an honest figure:
- counts learning time, not the length of the day: breaks, lunch and registration are out;
- reflects what a typical learner actually spends, including set reading or exercises that form part of the course;
- is rounded sensibly, rather than up to the next convenient number; and
- matches the content: a 20-slide module with a short quiz is not a half-day course.
Those principles line up closely with how hours-based professional bodies ask their members to record CPD. The CII, for example, tells members to record the time they actually spent and to exclude breaks. A course whose stated hours were worked out the same way gives the learner a figure they can record with confidence. Our guide to CPD hours explained goes into the calculation in more detail.
If you are a learner
- Know your own body’s unit. If it counts hours, record hours. If it counts nothing, record the activity and the reflection.
- Record actual time. If a course said three hours and took you two, most hours-based bodies expect you to record two.
- Treat unexplained points with caution. If the certificate says “points” and your body counts hours, you need to know the conversion.
- Keep the evidence. A certificate that states the hours, the learning outcomes and a checkable reference makes an audit easy. See what a CPD certificate should show.
If you are a provider
State your course in hours, and say how you got there. If you also use points for an existing audience, define them on the course page (“1 CPD point = 1 hour of learning”) so nobody has to guess. Never round up to make a course look bigger: it is the claim most likely to fail assessment, and the one your learners carry into their own CPD records.
Common questions
Is one CPD point the same as one hour?
Often, but not always. Many providers use one point to mean one hour of learning, but there is no single official UK definition. Check what the provider says a point is, and what unit your own professional body uses.
What is the difference between CPD points and CPD hours?
Hours measure learning time directly. Points are a unit defined by whoever issues them; they are frequently defined as one hour, but unless the issuer says so you cannot be sure. Hours are the more transparent measure.
Does AssuredCPD award CPD points?
No. AssuredCPD accredits courses in CPD hours. Each claimed figure must be proportionate to the depth and length of the learning and supported by a short justification, assessed under domain D5 of the Standards Framework.
How are CPD hours calculated?
Count the time a typical learner spends actually learning, including set reading or exercises that are part of the course, and exclude breaks, lunch and registration. The figure should be justified by the content, not rounded up.
Do all professional bodies require a number of CPD hours?
No. Some, such as the CII and RIBA, set hours. Others, such as the HCPC, the SRA and ARB, set no hours at all and judge CPD on what you did and what you learned.
What should I record if my certificate shows points but my body counts hours?
Record the actual time you spent learning. If you are unsure how the points were calculated, ask the provider, and keep the certificate with your record.