Same idea, three namesCPD, CPE and CPT.
Different professions adopted different names for continuing learning. The mechanics — required hours, accepted activities, evidence and renewal — work the same way.
The general term, used by most professional bodies. In Hong Kong it applies across banking, insurance, accounting and the professions.
The same idea under the name common in accounting and finance. The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, for example, sets CPD requirements for its members.
The continuing training the Securities and Futures Commission requires of licensed individuals in Hong Kong. The concept matches CPD; the name and the rules come from the SFC.
What countsStructured and informal CPD.
Professional bodies typically split accepted CPD into two kinds, and cap how much informal learning counts toward the total.
Learning with a defined format, a provider and a record: instructor-led courses, workshops, seminars, conferences and recognized e-learning. Most bodies require a minimum share of CPD to be structured.
- Instructor-led courses
- Workshops and seminars
- Conferences
- Recognized e-learning
Self-directed learning that still develops professional competence: reading, research, relevant work-based learning and professional discussion. Bodies commonly accept it up to a capped share of the total.
- Self-directed study and reading
- Work-based learning
- Professional discussion
- Research
How CPD is measuredHours, points, units and credits.
A CPD hour is the time spent in active learning. Bodies that count points or credits almost always define them in terms of hours first.
The unit most bodies actually measure: time spent in active learning. One CPD hour is one hour of active learning, not one hour of attendance.
Different bodies' names for recorded CPD. Some convert hours into points — for example, one point per hour of structured learning.
Whatever the body requires as proof: completion records, certificates, attendance logs. Without evidence, completed learning usually does not count.
In practiceHow organizations keep CPD records.
The hard part of CPD is rarely the learning itself. It is knowing, for every person, which rules apply, what they have completed and what is still missing.
Certificates arrive by email, records live in folders. Someone reconstructs the picture only when an audit is announced.
One sheet per team, updated by hand. Different rules per professional body make the formulas fragile, and evidence still lives somewhere else.
Teams then migrate to shared sheets, but find new failure points…
An LMS with a CPD engine credits hours as learning is completed, flags shortfalls per rule and produces the record an auditor asks for.
- Automatically credits completed coursesInstant
- Flags missing hours before deadlineAutomated
- Certificate attached directly to transcriptAudit-Locked
Who needs itCPD applies to more roles than you might think.
Anyone whose registration, licence or role certification depends on keeping their learning current is effectively doing CPD.
Accountants, surveyors, financial planners and other professionals complete CPD to keep their membership or registration in good standing.
In Hong Kong, licensed individuals under the SFC, banking staff under HKMA supervisory expectations, and licensed insurance intermediaries under the Insurance Authority all follow CPD-style schemes.
Many organizations apply the same principle internally: mandatory annual training, certifications with expiry dates, and competency requirements per role.
A detailed guide to CPD requirements by Hong Kong regulator and profession is in preparation.
FAQCPD questions, answered
What does CPD stand for?
CPD stands for continuing professional development: the structured learning professionals complete to maintain and develop the skills their role or registration requires.
What counts as a CPD activity?
Structured CPD includes instructor-led courses, workshops, seminars and recognized e-learning. Informal CPD includes self-directed study, reading and relevant work-based learning. Each professional body sets what it accepts.
How many CPD hours do I need?
Requirements differ by professional body, role and grade, commonly between 10 and 40 hours a year. Check your own body's rules: in Hong Kong, banks, licensed individuals, accountants and insurance intermediaries each follow their regulator's scheme.
What is a CPD point, unit or credit?
Points, units and credits are different names for recorded CPD. Most bodies measure a CPD hour, the time spent in active learning, and some convert hours into points.
What is the difference between CPD, CPE and CPT?
They describe the same idea for different professions: CPD is the general term, CPE is common in accounting and finance, and CPT is the continuous training the SFC requires of licensed individuals in Hong Kong.
What happens if someone does not complete CPD?
Consequences depend on the body concerned: a member may be refused registration renewal, and an organization can face regulatory or legal risk if staff continue to practise while non-compliant.
How do organizations track CPD?
Many still rely on spreadsheets and paper records. An LMS with a CPD engine, such as UpLearn with the Cyberwisdom CPD Engine, credits hours automatically as learning is completed and produces audit-ready records.
Need to prove CPD compliance, not just explain it?
The Cyberwisdom CPD Engine sets requirements per professional body, credits hours from every kind of learning and produces audit-ready records.
Tell us your compliance requirements.
We will show how UpLearn and the Cyberwisdom CPD Engine would track, report and prove them for your organization.
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