Insights
Plain writing on a murky market.
CPD accreditation is full of jargon and vague claims. Our Insights are the opposite: clear, useful, and honest about how the industry actually works.
CPD accreditation for freelance and independent trainers
Yes, sole traders and independent trainers can apply. What to prepare, what it costs, and how to describe the accreditation honestly.
CPD vs a qualification: what is the difference?
CPD is ongoing learning, a qualification is a formally assessed award at a defined level. What accreditation adds, what it doesn't, and how to avoid overclaiming.
AssuredCPD vs VeriCPD: an honest comparison
Both publish prices — and VeriCPD is cheaper for two to five courses. Where each of us has the honest advantage, from their own pages.
How long does CPD accreditation take?
Five UK bodies' published turnaround times side by side — and why the figures aren't measuring the same thing.
CPD accredited, certified, approved or regulated: what's the difference?
Only one of these words has a legal meaning. How to tell what a course has actually been through before you buy it.
How to design a CPD assessment that passes accreditation
Attendance isn't evidence of learning. How to match your assessment to your outcomes and set a pass condition that holds up.
What to include in a CPD accreditation application
The six items every application needs, how to prepare each one, and the extras that stop an application stalling.
Can webinars, conferences and events be CPD accredited?
Yes — but attendance isn't enough. How webinars and events are accredited, and how CPD hours follow what learners actually complete.
Is CPD accreditation worth it? An honest cost–benefit
What it costs, what it gets you — and four situations where it isn't worth paying for, from a body willing to say so.
What a CPD certificate should show (and how to check one)
The details a credible CPD certificate should carry, the wording to avoid, and a four-step check for any certificate.
How to write learning outcomes that pass CPD accreditation
Vague outcomes are a common cause of a Partially met score. The verb test, the coverage test, and a five-minute pre-submission audit.
AssuredCPD vs CPD Standards Board (now CPD Review Board): an honest comparison
They publish prices too — and are cheaper for single-course providers. Where each of us has the honest advantage as you scale.
How to market your CPD accreditation (without overclaiming)
Six places to actually use your accreditation — proposals, LinkedIn, email signatures, procurement documents — and how to do it inside the CAP Code.
AssuredCPD vs The CPD Group: an honest comparison
What we found when we checked their site against ours in August 2026 — pricing transparency, turnaround, and what we couldn't verify.
CPD hours explained: how they're calculated and justified
Inflated hour claims are the most common reason a course only partially clears assessment. What a CPD hour actually is, and how to justify yours.
AssuredCPD vs CPD Standards Office: an honest comparison
Updated October 2026: quoted-on-a-call pricing, a 30-day standard turnaround with a paid 14-day Fast Track, unlimited certificates and a two-year minimum term.
Should your CPD accreditor also sell courses?
If the body that accredits your training also sells training, it's grading a competitor's homework. The four questions that check for it.
How much does CPD accreditation cost in the UK?
Our prices in full, plus the four costs that hide in someone else’s quote — per-certificate fees, contract length, renewal, and application fees.
How to display a CPD accreditation badge correctly
Where to put it, how big to make it, what to write beside it, and what to take down the day accreditation ends.
Can in-house training be CPD accredited?
Yes — how internal and bespoke training is assessed, domain by domain, the five traps that catch it out, and the limits of accreditation.
Single course or annual membership: which costs less?
The break-even worked through on published prices — year one, renewals, per-course cost and a three-year view. It comes out at three courses.
What is CPD? A plain-English guide
What CPD means, why it exists, what counts, who has to do it, and what "CPD accredited" actually adds — for professionals.
CPD accreditation for online and e-learning courses
Can online courses be CPD accredited? Yes — same standard. The three things that trip them up: justifying hours, assessment vs completion, accessibility.
Does CPD accreditation expire?
How long accreditation lasts, what renewal costs, what happens if you don't renew — and whether certificates already issued to learners expire.
Is CPD accreditation recognised internationally?
Why there's no global CPD regulator, what "recognised" really means across borders, and what you can honestly claim selling training abroad.
How to record your CPD and build a portfolio that holds up
What a good CPD record contains, the reflection auditors look for, how long to keep records by body, and the mistakes that sink a portfolio.
How to check if a CPD certificate is genuine
Scan the code, learn what verification does and doesn't confirm, and spot the signs a certificate may not be real.
How to choose a CPD accreditation body
A neutral checklist: the six criteria that matter, the questions to ask before signing, and the warning signs to heed.
What you can (and can't) claim once your course is CPD accredited
Yes, you can write "Accredited by AssuredCPD" — within limits. The CAP Code rules that apply, and the scope mistake most providers make.
How to get a course CPD accredited in the UK
A clear, step-by-step guide: what you need, how the assessment works, how long it takes, and what it costs.
Six reasons a course fails accreditation — and how to avoid them
Most rejections come down to a handful of fixable issues. Here are the six most common, and how to clear the bar first time.
What "CPD accredited" really means (and what it doesn't)
The phrase is everywhere and means almost nothing on its own. Here's how to tell a meaningful mark from a rubber stamp.
Why we put our prices on the website
Most accreditation bodies hide pricing behind a "qualifying call." We think that's a tell. Here's our reasoning.
How we assess a course in five days
A look inside the six-domain framework and the workflow that lets a named assessor turn a decision around in a working week.
We publish plain-spoken insights on CPD accreditation and the training industry. New articles are added regularly.