CPD explained
CPD vs a qualification: what is the difference?
Published 27 October 2026 · 7 min read
Short answer: a qualification is a formally assessed award at a defined level, such as a degree, an NVQ or a diploma. CPD is the learning you do after qualifying to keep your knowledge and skills current. CPD accreditation is an independent quality check on a single piece of that learning. It does not turn a course into a qualification, give it a regulated level, or earn academic credit.
Providers and learners confuse these two things constantly, and the confusion costs people: a learner buys a “CPD accredited” course believing it will satisfy an employer’s requirement for a qualification, or a provider markets an accredited short course in language that implies it is one. This guide sets out what each term actually means, where they overlap, and how to avoid overclaiming in either direction.
What each term means
| Qualification | CPD | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Demonstrates you have reached a defined standard | Keeps your knowledge and skills current once you are working |
| Typical examples | GCSE, A level, NVQ, diploma, degree, professional exam | Short courses, webinars, workshops, conferences, structured reading |
| Who sets the standard | An awarding organisation or university, within a regulated framework | You, your employer or your professional body, depending on your profession |
| Level | Sits at a defined level in a national framework | No level |
| Measured in | Credits, grades, guided learning hours | Hours or activities, plus reflection |
| Pass or fail | Yes, against set criteria | Not necessarily: many CPD courses check learning but do not issue a grade |
| Regulated | Often, by a body such as Ofqual in England | Not as learning. Some regulators and professional bodies require you to do CPD, but do not regulate the courses |
The practical consequence is simple. A qualification answers “what have you been formally assessed to be able to do?” CPD answers “are you keeping up?” An employer who needs the first will not accept the second as a substitute.
What CPD accreditation adds, and what it doesn’t
Because CPD has no national standard of its own, a course can call itself CPD with nothing behind the label. Independent accreditation is the check that something is behind it. At AssuredCPD, each course is assessed against a published six-domain Standards Framework covering matters such as learning outcomes, content, assessment and how the CPD hours were arrived at. A course that passes carries a mark and a certificate that can be verified independently.
What it does not do is just as important, and the boundary is stated in plain terms on our own site: AssuredCPD is an independent accreditation body, not a government or regulatory body, and we do not award regulated qualifications. Specifically, an accredited course:
- is not a regulated qualification and has no qualification level;
- does not carry academic credit that can be transferred to a degree;
- is not approval, endorsement or recognition by a regulator or professional body; and
- does not by itself satisfy a legal requirement for specific training.
The longer treatment of the vocabulary is in our guide to the difference between accredited, certified, approved and regulated, and of what the label means in what “CPD accredited” actually means.
Where they genuinely overlap
Qualifications and CPD are not opposites. The two meet in three places.
- Professional bodies treat qualifying as the start. Many bodies require members to hold a qualification and then keep up CPD to retain their status. The qualification gets you in; CPD keeps you there. Our profession-by-profession guides set out what each body asks for.
- Some qualifications include CPD-style learning. Short units inside a larger programme can look like CPD, but they count towards the qualification. Counting the same hours twice is a common mistake.
- Some courses can be both. A provider can offer a regulated qualification and, separately, short CPD-accredited courses. These are different products, and each should be described as what it is.
How to tell which one you are being offered
A few checks take two minutes and remove most of the ambiguity.
- Look for a level. A regulated qualification states its level and its awarding organisation. In England, regulated qualifications are listed on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications, so you can look one up rather than take the provider’s word for it. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators and registers.
- Look at what is promised. “Gain a qualification in…” and “earn 3 CPD hours in…” are different promises. If a short course promises the first, ask which awarding organisation stands behind it.
- Read the certificate. A CPD certificate should state the provider, the date, the hours and the learning outcomes. It should not read like a degree-level award.
- Check the hours language. CPD is measured in hours of learning. Qualifications use credits, guided learning hours or level. See our guide to how CPD hours are worked out.
If you are a provider: say what you have
The risk sits mostly on the provider side, because a short course looks more valuable the closer it sounds to a qualification. Language to avoid in your marketing, because it overstates what accreditation is:
- “Accredited qualification”, “accredited diploma” or “accredited award” for a CPD-accredited course.
- “Regulated” or “nationally recognised” unless that is demonstrably true of the course itself.
- “Approved by” a professional body or regulator that has not in fact approved it.
The accurate claim is short: “This course is CPD accredited by AssuredCPD”, with the reference so anyone can verify it. Our guide to what you can and can’t claim once a course is CPD accredited covers wording in more detail.
If you are a learner: which do you need?
Ask what the requirement actually says. If an employer, a regulator or a contract asks for a qualification, CPD will not meet it, however well accredited. If it asks for CPD or “continuing professional development”, an accredited course is a strong way to evidence it, subject to your body’s own rules about what counts. If it asks for a specific course (for example a named first-aid certificate), read the requirement closely, because the specified route may be a regulated qualification.
Common questions
Is CPD a qualification?
No. A qualification is a formally assessed award at a defined level. CPD is the ongoing learning you do after qualifying to keep your knowledge and skills current, and it has no level or academic credit.
Is a CPD accredited course a regulated qualification?
No. CPD accreditation is an independent quality check on a course. It does not make a course a regulated qualification, give it a qualification level, or make it approved by a regulator.
Can CPD count towards a qualification?
Only if the learning is part of a qualification programme, in which case it counts towards the award. Independent CPD accreditation does not carry academic credit that transfers to a degree.
How can I check whether a course is a regulated qualification?
Look for a stated level and the awarding organisation, then check the relevant register. In England, regulated qualifications are listed on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators.
Does an employer accept CPD in place of a qualification?
Only if the employer says so. If a role or contract requires a qualification, a CPD-accredited course will not normally satisfy it, however good the course is. Always check the wording of the requirement.
Can a provider offer both qualifications and CPD-accredited courses?
Yes. They are different products and should be described separately. Describing a CPD-accredited short course as a qualification, diploma or award overstates what accreditation is.