What is CPD?

It's the learning and development that you’ll do throughout your membership. Your CPD is a vital part of your ACCA membership that helps you to unlock the potential of your life-long career journey and shape the future of the profession.

CPD will provide you with the skills that you need to perform your day-to-day job, as well as enhance your employability for the future.

Our CPD policy

We’re the world’s most forward-thinking accountancy body and our global reach and relevance provides a unique opportunity to gather insights into our changing world. Because we think ahead, we’re able to create life-long learning tailored to the changing profession. And that means our members stay ahead of the competition.

Professional ethics lies at the heart of our CPD. Our approach also fully complies with the CPD standard required by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), of which ACCA is a member.

Who completes CPD?

All ACCA members should complete CPD on an annual basis. If you’re a new member then you must begin CPD from 1 January after you become a member.  You don’t have to complete CPD if you’re on our register of lifetime members.

There are four different ways to approach your CPD, called 'routes':

• Unit route
• Unit route for part-time or semi-retired
• ACCA Approved Employer route
• IFAC body route

You can find out about each one - and which you should follow - in our CPD routes section. 

What do you need to do?

Each year you should identify areas for development and do CPD that helps you meet your development needs, to ensure your skills and knowledge are up to date. Keep a record, as each year you need to demonstrate what CPD you have done. We call this your annual CPD declaration.

Visit our CPD: What you need to do section for guidance. 

CPD for practising members

There are additional CPD requirements for members who work in practice. You can find out more information about what you need to do in our CPD for practising members section.