CPD accreditation FAQs

It means CPD Ireland has independently reviewed the submitted course version against the CPD Ireland Course Accreditation Standard and made a successful accreditation decision. Accreditation applies to the scope, version and delivery arrangements that were reviewed; it is not a general endorsement of every course a provider offers.

Structured professional learning can potentially include training courses, webinars, seminars, workshops, events, eLearning, virtual learning and blended programmes. Suitability depends on the learning purpose, outcomes, content, duration, delivery and evidence rather than the format alone. See what can count as CPD.

An assigned assessor reviews the evidence against the Standard and makes a recommendation. CPD Ireland Administration makes the final accreditation decision, confirms approved CPD hours and controls publication of the authoritative course record. Meet the assessor panel.

No. CPD Ireland assesses the quality and suitability of the learning as CPD. The provider remains responsible for factual accuracy, currency and applicable legal or regulatory compliance. Where specialist accuracy matters, CPD Ireland may require credible subject-matter assurance, qualifications, sources or additional specialist review.

An Actions required outcome is not an automatic rejection. CPD Ireland can release clear points for you to address, after which you update the relevant evidence and resubmit within the same review history. See the accreditation process.

Yes. If you already hold accreditation elsewhere, CPD Ireland can start by mapping your existing accreditation evidence and course pack against the CPD Ireland Standard so you can see any gaps before unnecessary rework. See how switching works.

Your annual fee maintains your CPD Ireland provider accreditation relationship and up to the number of active accredited courses included in your plan for that annual term. Assessment of new courses, reasonable resubmissions, course updates and scheduled re-reviews are included within the plan capacity.

It is the maximum number of courses that can occupy places in that accreditation portfolio at one time. An accredited course occupies one place, and a new course under formal assessment can reserve a place while its review is in progress. Resubmissions, updates and scheduled re-reviews of the same course do not create an additional place. Unused places are capacity, not credits, so they do not accumulate or roll over.

Yes. The annual fee maintains the current accreditation relationship and the eligible active courses covered by your plan. It remains the same whether you submit no new courses, update existing courses or use every available course place.

At least every two years from its most recent substantive accreditation review, and sooner where a material change warrants it. A scheduled re-review is included within the current annual plan and does not carry a separate standard re-review fee.

Changes to accredited content, learning outcomes, duration, delivery format, assessment approach or other features that could make the previous review no longer representative should be notified to CPD Ireland. A material change can require the course to be reviewed again before existing accreditation claims continue.

Current provider and course accreditation rights under the plan end when the paid term expires, and current accreditation/badge claims must stop. Legitimate learner certificates and historical records remain evidence that the course was accredited when that training was completed. Read the Badge Use Policy.

Yes, subject to agreement with CPD Ireland. Mid-term plan changes are not currently self-service, so contact us to discuss the required capacity and commercial arrangement. See current plans.

You provide the course details, learning outcomes, delivery and duration information, trainer evidence, attendance/participation approach, learner evaluation approach and access to the substantive learning content. The Provider Portal guides you through what is complete before formal submission.

Yes. Where you have a public course page, the Portal can securely retrieve it and use AI to suggest supported draft fields such as title, summary, audience, delivery, duration, outline and learning outcomes. You review the suggestions before applying them.

No. AI is used only to reduce re-entry of information. It cannot submit a course, approve accreditation or determine final CPD hours. Accreditation and approved hours remain CPD Ireland decisions.

Not where the same evidence is clearly captured in the structured Portal fields. Supporting files are optional for those items, but the assessor must still be able to review the substantive learning content through course files, suitable hosted access or both.

You can provide a secure HTTPS review link with temporary access instructions where needed. Large direct video uploads are not normally required; supporting slides, workbooks and transcript/caption files can also be supplied.

Yes. The Provider Portal includes a Trainer Library so you can maintain reusable trainer biographies, experience and qualification evidence and select the relevant trainers for multiple course submissions. Trainer suitability is still considered for the specific course.

You receive the authoritative accredited-course record together with the course-specific accreditation certificate, CPD Ireland badge pack, approved CPD hours and approved course descriptor. Public Register listing applies where appropriate, and your provider profile can show your accredited courses.

You can propose CPD hours as part of the submission, but final approved CPD hours are determined by CPD Ireland as part of the accreditation decision.

The provider verifies learner participation/completion and can issue CPD Ireland-branded Certificates of CPD Completion through the Provider Portal. CPD Ireland confirms the accredited course record and approved CPD hours and provides the verification infrastructure; it does not assess or directly certify the individual learner.

Yes, where the badge accurately relates to the accredited course and is used in accordance with the CPD Ireland Badge Use Policy. It must not imply that CPD Ireland assessed or certified the learner or that an unaccredited course is accredited. Read the Badge Use Policy.

No accreditation provider can make that promise on behalf of every third party. Professional bodies, regulators, employers and membership organisations set their own CPD acceptance rules. CPD Ireland accreditation confirms that the course met the CPD Ireland Standard and carries the approved CPD hours.

A later expiry or non-renewal does not retrospectively invalidate legitimate learner certificates or historical records showing that the course was accredited when the training was completed. Current badge use and current accreditation claims are separate and depend on the accreditation remaining active.