Definition

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is defined by RICS as any learning activity that maintains or improves a member's professional knowledge, skills and competence. A qualifying CPD activity must: be relevant to the member's current or prospective professional practice; involve genuine learning and reflection (not passive information consumption); and be recordable with sufficient detail to demonstrate what was learnt and how it was applied. RICS distinguishes between formal CPD (structured learning with defined outputs, such as courses, conferences and webinars) and informal CPD (unstructured but purposeful learning, such as reading technical publications, mentoring or internal knowledge-sharing).

Why this matters for Ethics, Rules of Conduct and Professionalism

  • CPD compliance is an explicit professional obligation under the RICS Rules of Conduct — failing to complete the minimum hours is a reportable breach.
  • At Level 3 the assessor will scrutinise your CPD record and ask you to discuss individual activities in depth; superficial entries will be obvious.
  • RICS conducts periodic compliance audits; members selected must provide evidence of their CPD log within a specified timeframe.

Key principles

Formal versus informal CPD

RICS requires a minimum of 20 hours per year for qualified members, of which at least ten hours must be formal CPD. Formal activities include RICS-accredited courses, structured webinars, conferences with defined learning outcomes and external training programmes. Informal activities include reading the RICS Journal, peer discussions, site visits undertaken specifically for learning, and writing technical articles.

Relevance and planning

A CPD plan should be grounded in an honest self-assessment of gaps relative to current or future practice. Simply attending whatever courses appear in an inbox is not a plan. A well-structured CPD log identifies specific learning objectives at the start of the year, maps planned activities to those objectives, and records actual outcomes against planned outcomes.

Recording and reflection

Each CPD entry should record: the date and duration; the type of activity (formal or informal); the learning objective; a brief description of the activity; and a reflection on what was learnt and how it has been or will be applied in practice. The reflection is the element most frequently missing. Without it the record evidences attendance but not learning; assessors will focus on it at interview.

RICS monitoring and audit

RICS monitors CPD compliance through random audit and annual self-declaration. Members selected must submit their CPD records electronically. Failure to maintain adequate records or meet the minimum hours may result in a referral to RICS Regulation as a breach of the Rules of Conduct.

Relevant RICS guidance and legislation

  • RICS Rules of Conduct (effective 2 February 2022) — Rule 2 (Competence) requires members to maintain their professional competence through CPD.
  • RICS professional standard on CPD — sets out the minimum hours, the formal/informal split, and recording requirements for members at different stages.
  • RICS APC pathway guides — specify CPD requirements for candidates in training, including any specialism-specific learning requirements.

Ethics and Rules of Conduct angle

CPD sits primarily under Rule 2, which requires members and firms to maintain professional competence and ensure that services are provided by competent individuals. However, it also connects to Rule 3 (Service): a member who allows their skills to stagnate risks providing poor-quality advice that harms clients. The duty is not to accumulate hours but to remain genuinely competent; a candidate who can describe a specific CPD activity and articulate how it improved their practice will satisfy assessors.

APC-style Q&As

Q (Level 1)What is the minimum CPD requirement for a qualified RICS member each year?

A minimum of 20 hours per year, of which at least ten hours must be formal, structured CPD. All activities must be relevant to the member's professional practice and recorded with a reflective commentary.

Q (Level 1)What is the difference between formal and informal CPD under RICS requirements?

Formal CPD is structured learning with defined outcomes, such as accredited courses, conferences and webinars. Informal CPD is purposeful but unstructured, such as reading technical journals, peer mentoring or attending industry events. RICS requires at least half of annual CPD hours to be formal activities.

Q (Level 2)How do you plan your CPD to ensure it addresses genuine competency gaps rather than simply accumulating hours?

(example) At the start of each year I review my counsellor's feedback and any areas of practice where I felt uncertain during the previous year. I then set three or four specific learning objectives and identify activities that address them. For example, after advising on a lease renewal for the first time I planned a formal course on the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 procedure. I record the outcome of each activity and note how it changed my approach in practice, which ensures my CPD log demonstrates genuine learning rather than attendance.

Q (Level 2)What happens if RICS selects you for a CPD compliance audit?

RICS will notify you and request that you submit your CPD records electronically within the specified timeframe, typically via the member portal. The records must demonstrate the required hours, the formal/informal split, and include reflective commentary for each activity. Failure to provide adequate records, or to meet the minimum requirements, may result in a referral to RICS Regulation as a potential breach of Rule 2 and the Rules of Conduct.

Q (Level 3)A junior colleague tells you they find it difficult to complete 20 hours of CPD each year because their workload is heavy and the firm offers no training budget. How do you respond as their counsellor?

(example) I would help them identify informal CPD within their working day: reading RICS guidance notes, reflecting on novel project issues, and attending knowledge-sharing sessions all count if properly recorded. I would raise the training budget issue with management as a regulatory compliance risk, since RICS expects firms to support members in meeting CPD obligations under Rule 2. Where the workload is creating a genuine risk to competence, I would escalate that as a firm-level responsibility under Rule 5.