Last-Minute ICAEW CPD: Complete Your Hours Before 31 October

The ICAEW CPD year ends on 31 October. If you still have hours to complete, start by checking three things: your CPD category, your remaining verifiable hours, and whether you have completed the annual ethics requirement. Once you know the gaps, you can focus on relevant learning that is available immediately and does not require booking a live course or waiting for a scheduled session. ICAEW’s standard CPD year runs from 1 November to 31 October, although ICAEW can take an employer’s different CPD year into account in its monitoring.

This guide is designed to help ICAEW members make a practical plan before the deadline, serving as your guide to CPD during this critical period. It explains how to check your requirements, prioritise the right learning, avoid common last-minute mistakes, and keep the evidence you may need if your CPD record is reviewed.

Important: This content is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, regulatory, or individualised compliance advice and does not replace official guidance issued by ICAEW. Your CPD requirements may vary depending on your role, CPD category, employer arrangements, and whether a partial-year or exemption provision applies.

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Last-Minute ICAEW CPD Checklist

31st of October  is approaching, work through this checklist before starting another course:

• Verify your inclusion within the scope of the ICAEW CPD Regulations.
• Identify the specific CPD category that was applicable to your position when the CPD year began.
• Assess your finalized hours against the mandated total and verifiable minimum thresholds.
• Ensure you have fulfilled the minimum requirement of one hour dedicated to ethics training.
• Include only educational CPD activities directly aligned with your role and individual learning objectives.
• Guarantee that any activities designated as verifiable are substantiated by objective documentation.
• Select educational programs that you can realistically initiate and conclude prior to the established deadline.
• Log your completed items and archive the corresponding validation records concurrently.
• Avoid assuming that mere registration receipts or reservation confirmations suffice as valid proof of completion.

ICAEW requires in-scope members to identify the correct category, reflect on their development needs, complete the applicable minimum number of CPD hours, undertake ethics training, and retain evidence of relevant and verifiable CPD.

Confirm How Many ICAEW CPD Hours You Need

Category 3 is the default when your work does not fall within Category 1 or Category 2.  However, you should not select Category 3 automatically without checking your role. Certain services, regulated responsibilities like being a key audit partner, senior positions, and public-interest work can place you in a higher category. If you hold multiple roles with different requirements, you generally need to meet the higher requirement.

Regulatory basis: The key individual obligations appear in Regulations 8 and 9 of the ICAEW CPD Regulations 2023. Partial-year and role-change provisions appear in regulations 10 to 13, individual non-compliance is addressed in Regulations 14 to 17, and firm responsibilities are set out in Regulation 18.

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Calculate Your Actual CPD Gap

Avoid relying solely on the total number shown on a learning platform. Your status is comprised of three distinct areas:

• Total hours gap: The variance between your specific category minimum and all relevant CPD completed during the current CPD year.
• Verifiable hours gap: The difference between your category's verifiable minimum and any relevant activities that are supported by appropriate evidence.
• Ethics gap: The annual requirement to complete a minimum of one hour dedicated to professional ethics development.

An ethics activity may also contribute toward your total and verifiable requirements when it is relevant and properly evidenced. You do not necessarily need one activity for the ethics requirement and entirely separate activities for the rest of your hours.

Check the Verifiable Hours, Not Just the Total

A common last-minute mistake is reaching the total-hour target but still falling short on verifiable CPD hours.

For an activity to count as verifiable, ICAEW says the evidence of completion must be:

• Objective
• Corroborated by an independent source
• Retained in a format that can be included in your CPD record

A completion certificate, assessment result, attendance confirmation, employer learning record, or provider email may support verifiability. You must also be able to explain how the activity was relevant to your role and helped meet an identified learning need.

A course does not become verifiable simply because it has a title, fee, or booking confirmation. The evidence needs to support actual participation or completion.

Do Not Forget the Annual Ethics Hour

Every in-scope ICAEW member must complete at least one hour of ethics-focused professional development during each CPD year. This applies regardless of industry, role, level of seniority, or CPD category.

You can meet the requirement through:

• ICAEW’s Ethics CPD Course
• Alternative ethics training that satisfies learning outcomes aligned with the ICAEW Code of Ethics

If you are short on both ethics and verifiable hours, a relevant, evidenced ethics activity may help address both gaps. However, do not assume that any course containing the words ethics, fraud, governance, or compliance automatically satisfies the requirement. Consider the primary learning objectives and whether the activity genuinely develops ethical understanding or decision-making.

Choose Learning You Can Start Immediately

Relying on scheduled courses introduces unwarranted risk when time is short. A live webinar may serve as a viable option, but only under the following conditions:

• The session is available prior to 31 October.
• You are able to attend the entire mandatory segment.
• You can successfully complete all participation checks.
• The evidence of completion is provided without delay.

Timing dependencies are eliminated through on-demand learning. You can start immediately once you recognize a suitable activity, bypassing the need to wait for a specific event date, available seat, or registration approval. Suitable learning options for last-minute CPD include:

• Interactive e-learning modules
• Self-paced, structured online courses
• Recorded webinars accompanied by valid proof of attendance
• Relevant podcasts that issue verifiable certificates of completion
• Technical readings that produce verifiable supporting documentation
• Documented research in the workplace that yields clear, actionable insights

ICAEW does not limit CPD to formal courses or technical accounting content. An activity can count when it is relevant to your role and helps meet your learning needs. Communication, leadership, change management, and other non-technical development can also qualify.

Instant-Start CPD with LumiQ

LumiQ offers expert-led, structured audio learning modules that you can begin instantly, completely eliminating the need to wait for instructor availability, verify schedules, or reserve live sessions.

With this platform, you can:

• Select an episode tailored specifically to your professional responsibilities.
• Stream educational content completely on demand.
• Save files locally for convenient offline listening.
• Finish both the organized episode and its corresponding chapter quizzes.
• Obtain an official learning record alongside a certificate of completion.

The audio format allows you to use time that may not support a screen-based course, such as a commute, walk, workout, or routine journey.

A LumiQ activity may fit within ICAEW’s verifiable CPD framework where it is relevant to your role, addresses an identified learning need, and can be appropriately evidenced. Members remain responsible for deciding how each activity fits their CPD category and whether it meets a specialist or ethics requirement. ICAEW remains the final authority on compliance.

Build a Realistic Plan Based on the Hours Remaining

Your plan should reflect both the number and type of hours you still need.

For shortfalls of 1 to 3 hours

Address your specific requirement directly:

• Prioritise a suitable ethics module, such as the ICAEW ethics CPD course, if you have not met your annual ethics requirement.
• Opt for structured courses providing clear verification records if your verifiable hours are insufficient.
• Pick the training most applicable to your professional responsibilities if only your overall hours are lacking.

Visualizing and managing a minor deficit is straightforward, provided you verify the specific evidence and category criteria beforehand.

For shortfalls of 4 to 10 hours

Formulate a concise learning strategy instead of enrolling in random, unconnected programmes.
A sample curriculum could include:

• A single ethics module
• A technical briefing relevant to your position
• A broader professional skills course
• A specialized activity focused on your immediate duties

This structured methodology results in a cohesive CPD profile, simplifying the justification for each choice.

For shortfalls exceeding 10 hours

Maintain a realistic perspective on your schedule. Allocate the outstanding hours evenly over the days leading up to the 31 October deadline, keeping in mind your mandatory verifiable thresholds.

As an example, a 12-hour deficit spread across six days requires finishing an average of two hours daily. Ensure you account for extra time required for testing, documenting your progress, or modules that run longer than anticipated.

Resist the urge to complete unrelated courses simply because they are easily accessible. The ICAEW guidelines emphasize relevant professional growth rather than just logging time.

A Five-Step Last-Minute CPD Plan

Step 1: Check your category

Use ICAEW’s category guidance, CPD FAQs, the firms' guide to CPD, or the CPD self-assessment tool. Make sure you are working from the requirement that applied at the start of the CPD year. If your role changed during the year, you generally continue to meet the category that applied at the beginning, but you should consider whether the change created additional learning needs.

Step 2: Review everything already completed

Include relevant activities completed since 1 November, even if you have not yet added them to your record. ICAEW’s online CPD record and AddCPD tool allow members to add activities after completion and to add information or evidence to previous records where needed.

Look beyond formal courses. Relevant webinars, podcasts, technical reading, documented research, workplace learning, mentoring, and project work may count when they satisfy ICAEW’s relevance and evidence tests.

Step 3: Identify the exact gaps

Write down:

• Total hours remaining
• Verifiable hours remaining
• Whether ethics is complete
• Any specialist learning your role still requires

This prevents you from completing six general hours when the real gap is six verifiable hours or one ethics hour.

Step 4: Choose activities that can be completed in time

Prioritise:

• On-demand access
• No booking or scheduled attendance
• Clearly stated duration
• Relevant learning outcomes
• Immediate or prompt evidence of completion
• Manageable assessments

Avoid committing all your remaining time to one long activity unless you are confident you can complete it before the deadline.

Step 5: Record each activity immediately

To ensure accurate records, log the following details for every activity:

• Provider name and course title
• Date of completion
• Duration or time spent
• Verifiability status
• Motivation for selection
• Key learning points gained
• Relevance to your specific role
• Corroborating or supporting evidence

ICAEW’s digital record prompts members to record why they selected an activity, what they learned, and how long they spent on it. Recording this information immediately is much easier than recreating it later.

Common Last-Minute Mistakes to Avoid

Selecting the wrong category

Category 3 may be the default, but it is not automatically right for every member. Check the work you actually perform.

Counting every activity as verifiable

Relevance and evidence are separate tests. An activity can be relevant but not verifiable if there is no objective, independently corroborated evidence.

Forgetting ethics

The ethics requirement applies every CPD year. Completing it in a previous year does not satisfy the current year.

Confusing booking with completion

Registering or paying for a course does not establish that you completed the learning.

Choosing irrelevant content to fill hours

A course may provide a certificate and still fail the relevance test if it has no meaningful connection to your role or development needs.

Leaving evidence scattered

Download certificates and save supporting records as soon as activities are completed.

Assuming records must be submitted annually

You do not need to submit your CPD record to ICAEW every year. You confirm compliance through the annual renewal process and provide your record only if selected for monitoring.

How to Record Your CPD Before the Deadline

ICAEW gives every member access to a digital CPD record, but you are not required to use that specific system. An employer platform, spreadsheet, or another organised record may also be suitable.

Your record should show:

• Roles and responsibilities you held
• Category that applies
• Identified development needs
• Activities completed and time spent
• Evidence for verifiable activities
• tImpact of the learning
• Matters to carry forward into the next CPD year

If you use ICAEW’s digital record, you can upload several file types as evidence, including PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, images, and email files.

How Long Should You Keep ICAEW CPD Evidence?

Evidence of relevant and verifiable CPD must be retained for at least three years from the end of the applicable CPD year.

If ICAEW’s Quality Assurance Department asks to review your CPD, you must be able to provide the evidence promptly, together with a written summary of your reflection on your development needs.

What if Your Employer Uses a Different CPD Year?

ICAEW’s standard CPD year ends on 31 October, but some employers use a different CPD year, such as one aligned with their financial year.

ICAEW says it will take the firm’s CPD year into account during monitoring. The annual declaration reflects this by asking members to confirm that they have remained compliant through 31 October and will complete the required CPD by the end of the employer’s CPD year.

Do not assume this exception applies simply because your internal training calendar is different. Check your employer’s formal CPD policy and arrangement to see how it aligns with ICAEW’s declaration wording.

What if You Cannot Complete Your ICAEW CPD by 31 October?

Do not backdate activities or claim hours that were not completed. Review whether a legitimate partial-year, absence, or exemption provision applies. 

ICAEW has specific rules for members who first become subject to the regulations part way through a year and for significant expected or unexpected absences. Part-time employment alone does not reduce the category minimum.

If you believe you will not comply and the position is unclear, contact ICAEW directly rather than relying on assumptions about a grace period.

If ICAEW later identifies a shortfall during monitoring, the member may be required to complete remedial CPD in addition to the normal requirement for the current year and inform their firm or employer. Failure to respond to a requested undertaking, repeated non-compliance, or failure to complete remediation can lead to further regulatory or disciplinary action.

What Happens During ICAEW CPD Monitoring?

ICAEW selects a random sample of members each year. Selected members are contacted and asked about their work and CPD records. The records are then reviewed by ICAEW’s Quality Assurance Department.

During the monitoring process, a reviewer evaluates several key aspects of your CPD compliance:

• Accuracy of the chosen CPD category
• Completion of the minimum overall hours
• Fulfillment of the verifiable hour requirements
• Satisfaction of the annual ethics training component
• Relevance of the completed learning activities
• Retention of adequate supporting evidence

You do not need to send ICAEW your CPD records unless requested.

Frequently Asked Questions About Last-Minute ICAEW CPD

When is the ICAEW CPD deadline?

The standard ICAEW CPD year runs from 1 November through 31 October. Some employers operate a different CPD year, which ICAEW may take into account in its monitoring and annual declaration process.

How many ICAEW CPD hours do I need?

Depending on your role and category, you need between 20 and 40 total hours. The minimum verifiable requirement ranges from 5 to 30 hours.

Can I start an ICAEW CPD course immediately?

Yes. On-demand courses, e-learning, and structured audio learning can usually be started without waiting for a live event. The activity must still be relevant, completed before the applicable deadline, and appropriately evidenced if claimed as verifiable.

Do I need to book a live webinar?

No. ICAEW does not require CPD to be completed through live or scheduled learning. Relevant on-demand courses, podcasts, technical resources, and other learning formats can count.

Can podcasts count toward ICAEW CPD?

Yes. Podcasts can count when they are relevant to your role and address a learning need. To claim the activity as verifiable, you also need suitable evidence of completion or engagement. ICAEW itself provides podcasts that can contribute toward CPD.

Can LumiQ count toward ICAEW CPD?

A LumiQ activity may count where it is relevant to your role, meets an identified development need, and can be appropriately evidenced. LumiQ provides completion records and certificates, but members remain responsible for deciding how an activity fits their individual requirements.

Is the ICAEW ethics module mandatory?

No. Members may complete ICAEW’s course or alternative ethics training that satisfies learning outcomes aligned with the ICAEW Code of Ethics.

Does the ethics hour count toward my total?

A relevant and evidenced ethics activity can contribute toward the total and verifiable hours required for your category.

Do I need to submit my CPD record by 31 October?

No. You need to complete the applicable CPD for the CPD year and confirm compliance during renewal. You submit your detailed record only if ICAEW selects you for monitoring.

How long must I keep my evidence?

Keep evidence of relevant and verifiable CPD for at least three years after the end of the applicable CPD year.

Complete Your ICAEW CPD Without Waiting for a Scheduled Course

When the deadline is close, the most useful learning option is often the one you can start now, complete on your own schedule, and document clearly.

LumiQ gives accounting and finance professionals immediate access to structured audio learning without live-session booking or fixed start times. Choose learning that is relevant to your role, complete the programme and assessment, save the certificate, and record what you learned.

The goal is not simply to fill hours. It is to finish the CPD you genuinely need, with evidence you can stand behind.

ICAEW CPD Compliance

ICAEW is the final authority on ICAEW CPD compliance and the interpretation of your CPD obligations. Members should rely on the ICAEW CPD Regulations 2023, category guidance, recording guidance, and current ICAEW resources when making decisions about their obligations.

Sources

Primary sources used for this page include:

• ICAEW Continuing Professional Development Regulations 2023
• ICAEW CPD Categories
• ICAEW Answers to Frequently Asked Questions on CPD
• ICAEW What Counts as CPD and What Is Verifiable?
• ICAEW Recording CPD
• ICAEW Ethics CPD guidance

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Reviewed by Danielle Marion, Regulatory Compliance Manager at LumiQ. Danielle has more than 20 years of experience in regulatory compliance and professional education governance, including leadership roles at Deloitte LLP.