What is CPD?

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. It’s the process of learning and developing your knowledge and skills whilst you work. This shows colleagues, clients and the regulator that you are committed to upholding your competence.

At the CISI we offer you a wealth of opportunities to develop your expertise through online resources, events and publications, and document your progress.

The benefits of CPD

Completing CPD is a display of commitment to individuals’ roles and their wider profession. Members are therefore awarded a certificate on completion of each CPD year. This certificate, alongside their personal CPD record, is tangible evidence of a dedication to ongoing professionalism.

Completion of full CPD years also provides members with many opportunities. Alongside the correct qualification, it allows members to apply for a Statement of Professional Standing – necessary for all practising retail investment advisers regulated by the FCA, and, alongside other criteria, enables members to apply for an individual charter.

Guidance

Policies & documentation

Coronavius

The CISI has recognised even though we offer a wide range of CPD opportunities online, there are exceptional circumstances where members may not be able to meet the members CPD requirements due to the current COVID-19 situation.

Therefore, in exceptional circumstances, those members on the 35 hours CPD scheme, are able to request to defer up to a maximum of 10 CPD hours to the next CPD year. The hours of deferment will be calculated based on the proportion of the CPD year passed and CPD hours completed. The request for CPD deferment is applicable for all CPD years ending prior to April 2021. Please note that all requests must be supported by your firm.

There is no deferment of CPD hours available to members on the 10 hours CPD Scheme

The following circumstances can count as ‘exceptional’:

When members during the current pandemic:

• are needed to carry out extra duties to manage risks, and/or to provide support, to consumers and businesses during the current situation
• have caring responsibilities, such as having to care for a partner, child, parent, grandparent or sibling
• have difficulties accessing CPD material, for example, due to technical difficulties or unavailable material, and
• Where it is not realistic to expect the individual to fulfil CPD requirements.

Please note the concessions offered for statutory leave are still applicable as per section 9 of the CPD policy.

To apply please complete this application form and email to the CPD Team at cpdscheme@cisi.org. All requests must be supported by a firm. For those members currently not at a firm, these applications will be reviewed on an individual basis.

Similar concessions are offered to SPS holders and members affected by the Insurance Distribution Directive. Information on this can be found on the RDR CPD guidance. Please note this concession is not offered to members affected by the new Defined Benefit Pensions requirement to be implemented from the 1st October 2020.

Recording non-CISI CPD

Activities of other professional bodies or training providers may still be admissible, but all CPD logged has to be professionally relevant to the member. Members may need to demonstrate the professional relevance of an entry on their CPD log should this be requested by the CISI.

The Institute reserves the right to decline CPD activity that does not meet its requirements. Please email cpdscheme@cisi.org with any questions regarding the relevance of certain activities.

 Certificate of Attendance for 3rd Party CPD (editable PDF)
 Certificate of Attendance for CISI Mentoring Scheme (editable PDF)

How you can gain CPD

The CISI’s CPD scheme is designed to reflect professional requirements. All activities are categorised into two types of learning, referred to as structured and unstructured. The CISI recommends members complete 35 hours of CPD per year, of which a minimum of 21 must be structured and a maximum of 14 may be unstructured.