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Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is not just a box to tick; it’s an ongoing commitment to enhancing your skills and knowledge. One of the key components of CPD is earning CPD credits, also known as CPD points. Lately, to ensure that teachers continually improve their skills and stay current with educational developments, the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) has established Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements. Teachers are typically required to complete a specific number of CPD hours or points over a set period, often a school year. For example, a primary school teacher might be expected to gather 30 CPD hours annually, while a secondary school teacher might need to earn 40 CPD hours. Similar to this, professional bodies, trainers, employers and clients are now more vigilant in focusing on the CPD credits alongside the expertise. This article will explain what CPD credits or points are, why they matter, and how they can benefit your career.
Understanding CPD Credits, Points, and Hours
‘What are CPD points, units, or credits?’ and ‘How do CPD points relate to CPD hours?’ are probably two of the most frequently asked questions. And the simplest answer would be that CPD credits, units, hours, and points are all the same thing.
Regardless of how they are named differently, CPD credits, or CPD points, are basically a measurement unit used to quantify the learning and development activities you undertake as part of your professional growth. These activities can encompass a wide range of experiences, including workshops, courses, seminars, conferences, webinars, and self-directed learning. CPD credits provide a structured way to track and demonstrate your commitment to ongoing learning.
Why do CPD Credits matter?
CPD credits are significant for the progression of your career. They make it easier for you to keep up with the most recent developments in your field, which is especially important in professions that are subject to rapid innovation, for instance, teaching, training, construction, healthcare, marketing, social work, IT etc. When you acquire a good number of credits, required by your industry, it demonstrates to everyone that you take your work seriously and strive to be the very best at what you do. To maintain your licence or qualification, some organisations even require that you receive continuing professional development credits. In addition, participating in CPD activities can help you become even better at your job, which in turn can open up additional doors for you in your professional life.
How to earn CPD Credits?
Earning CPD points or credits involves various activities, and the specific requirements may vary depending on your profession and location. You can earn CPD credits through the following most common activities:
- By attending Workshops and Conferences. Participating in relevant industry events can earn you a good amount of CPD credits. These events often provide valuable networking opportunities as well.
- Enrolling in Online courses. Accredited online courses or webinars are a convenient way to earn CPD credits, especially if you have a busy schedule.
- Indulging in Self-Directed learning. Reading books, research papers, or articles related to your field and documenting your learning can also count towards CPD credits.
- Being mentored by a senior professional or attending mentorship programs can contribute to your CPD credits.
How to calculate CPD Credits?
The amount of time invested in an activity is the primary factor that determines the number of continuing professional development (CPD) credits or points that you have gathered from an activity. Let’s say a classroom course is five hours long and you have successfully completed it, you will be awarded five CPD credits or five CPD points.
CPD Points/CPD Credits = Total number of active learning hours in a CPD activity
It is important to know that these credit hours are dependent entirely on the amount of time spent actively learning. Even if the lengths of the courses varied, they might nevertheless provide the same number of CPD credits. For instance, one class might last for two days and consist of six hours of classroom instruction each day, while another class might be spread out over a period of 12 weeks and involve learning for just one hour per week. Due to the fact that learners participated in learning activities for a combined total of 12 hours across both scenarios, the courses will each be awarded a value of 12 CPD credits.
Most professional bodies commonly use CPD Hours as their Continuing Professional Development measuring unit, and the terms CPD points or credits are typically used, where 1 CPD point normally equals 1 CPD hour.
However, for self-paced courses and online sessions, it gets a bit complicated. But generally, the following elements are considered when establishing CPD points for online training sessions or courses:
- What is the estimated time required to understand the course material?
- What is the amount of time spent on watching videos or listening to podcasts?
- What are the number of hours spent on completing quizzes designed to assess your comprehension?
This perfectly leads to the very next question:
How do I find the CPD Credits for a course?
The process for determining how many CPD points or credits a course provides may differ based on your expertise, your career, and the organisation or certifying body in charge of CPD requirements. Most certified courses will be assigned a certain number of CPD points. You can begin by reviewing the course specifics offered by the training provider to see how many points a course offers. These points are usually made clear on their website or in course materials. If you can’t find this information online, you should contact the course provider directly for clarification. If you attend in-person training, the CPD points are normally calculated depending on the amount of active learning time you spend during the event, which will be communicated to you ahead of time. Remember not to assume the number of points because it may vary due to break times and post-training responsibilities.
How to Record your CPD Credits?
A CPD Journal is the way to keep a complete record of all the CPD points or credits acquired over a year, including all the important details of the CPD activities performed. It is also commonly known as a CPD Portfolio or a CPD Record. In most professional organisations, the CPD Journals of members are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that members are in compliance with yearly CPD credits or CPD points requirements. To ensure you receive proper recognition for your CPD efforts, it’s extremely important to keep a meticulous record of all your CPD activities. Here’s how to do it effectively:
- Establish explicit CPD goals and objectives to drive your professional development activities. Investing time into making a good CPD Plan at this stage goes a long way.
- Make sure that you write everything down. Keep a complete record of every CPD activity you participate in. Include all the details, such as dates of the CPD activity, topics, total time of active learning, a description or objective, methods, tools, or resources and any certificates or proof of completion.
- Always stay organised on your CPD journey. Track your progress using digital tools or spreadsheets to ensure you complete any CPD criteria established by your professional organisation.
- Review and reflect on your CPD activities on a regular basis to assess their relevance and how they contribute to your professional growth.
- It is also helpful to have a mentor or a senior professional in your industry help you sort your CPD record and provide further specific and expert recommendations to improve your learning.
Having an attractive CPD record can help with scoring good jobs and making quick career progressions. Being a structured and consistent approach to keeping records of your CPD credits, a CPD portfolio is a constant reflection and a good way of motivating yourself to accomplish the desired goals.
Final Thoughts
It is important to realise that the CPD credits or CPD points are more than just a plain, systematic requirement; they are a valuable tool for your professional growth. And by actively seeking out opportunities to learn and earn CPD credits, you are not only staying up-to-date in your field but also demonstrating that you are dedicated to excellence to employers, clients, and licencing bodies. So, make your CPD journey a meaningful part of your career.
