Podcast CPD for UK Accountants: How LumiQ Works

UK accountants can use podcast-based learning towards their continuing professional development (CPD), including verifiable CPD when the activity is relevant to their professional responsibilities and supported by appropriate evidence. Specifically, ICAEW's guidance lists podcasts as verifiable "if the listening can be evidenced", and ACCA names podcasts among its examples of verifiable online learning. 

LumiQ makes professional development convenient and engaging. With more than 1,200 professionally produced episodes, chapter-based quizzes, automatic CPD tracking and certificates of completion, LumiQ helps accountants maintain their skills and professional competence through flexible, audio-first learning.

Read on to learn how podcasts can become a valuable component of your professional development.

How Do You Earn CPD Through a LumiQ Podcast?

1. Choose an Episode

Explore LumiQ's library through Discover, Learning Paths, Categories or Technical Search. Each episode page shows the subject, learning objectives, chapter lengths and the CPD hours available.

LumiQ offers more than 1,200 episodes covering financial reporting, audit and assurance, taxation, ethics, fraud, finance, artificial intelligence, technology, internal audit, leadership and professional development. Three to five new episodes are released every week.

2. Listen Through the Web or Mobile App

Listen through LumiQ's web platform or mobile app for iOS or Android, with adjustable playback speed.

The audio-first format lets you fit professional development into commuting, travelling, walking, exercising or other parts of your day that would not suit a scheduled webinar. Mobile users can download episodes in advance and listen without Wi-Fi or mobile data.

3. Complete the Chapter Quizzes

Each LumiQ episode is divided into chapters, each with quiz questions that reinforce the main concepts and check your understanding.

Listening is required, not optional. A chapter's quiz unlocks once you have listened to that chapter; answer its questions correctly and the CPD hours assigned to the chapter are credited to your account. For CPD users LumiQ records the listening before the assessment counts, so the hours on your certificate are backed by recorded listening, not by a quiz alone.

CPD is therefore earned progressively, chapter by chapter, and you can return to an episode later to finish the remaining chapters.

4. Track Your CPD Progress

LumiQ records the CPD hours you earn as you progress through an episode and flags any outstanding chapter quizzes. You can see what you have completed and pick up where you left off.

5. Download Your Certificate from the Tracker

Once you have completed a chapters and the quiz in an episode, LumiQ automatically generates a certificate of completion.

Your certificate is stored in the LumiQ Tracker, where you can download it for your CPD record.

The Tracker also allows you to organise your CPD history, add external learning activities, upload supporting certificates and export your records.

What Makes a Podcast Eligible for Verifiable CPD?

Listening to a podcast can contribute to professional development, but no public podcast automatically qualifies as verifiable CPD; each professional body sets its own tests for relevance, evidence and reporting.

ICAEW's verifiable CPD guidance lists "listening to podcasts" as "only verifiable if the listening can be evidenced", and otherwise non-verifiable CPD "if it is relevant to the learning needs of your role". ACCA's member guidance lists "online learning: webinars, online courses, podcasts" among its examples of verifiable CPD activities, subject to its three tests of relevance, application and evidence.

LumiQ supports documented learning through:

• Defined learning objectives
• Structured, chapter-based content
• Quiz questions that reinforce key concepts
• Automatic tracking of earned CPD hours
• Certificates of completion
• Transcripts and additional learning resources where available

Together these produce what ICAEW's evidence test asks for: a record that is objective, corroborated by an independent source and retained in a format you can add to your CPD record, with your name and the time taken on it.

Does LumiQ Count as Verifiable CPD for ICAEW Members?

Yes, where the episode is relevant to your role and you retain the certificate. ICAEW's CPD Regulations set a minimum number of hours by category, a proportion of which must be verifiable. Category 1 is 40 hours with 30 verifiable in practice (15 outside practice); Category 2 is 30 hours with 20 verifiable (10 outside practice); Category 3, the default, is 20 hours with 10 verifiable (5 outside practice). The CPD year runs from 1 November to 31 October.

ICAEW names "listening to podcasts" among the activities that count as CPD, and its guidance says podcast listening is "only verifiable if the listening can be evidenced". ICAEW's own Beyond Finance and Tax Track podcasts offer members free CPD, about 30 minutes per episode, verified through the AddCPD tool on icaew.com. A LumiQ certificate does the same job for a LumiQ episode by recording your name, the episode and the hours.

ICAEW expects verifiable evidence to be "objective, corroborated and retained", and it asks you to show in your CPD record how each activity is relevant to your role and learning needs. You still make that relevance judgement, record the activity against your CPD category and keep the evidence for at least three years after the CPD year ends.

Does LumiQ Count as Verifiable CPD for ACCA Members?

Yes, where you can answer ACCA's three questions. Under ACCA's unit route, members complete 40 relevant units of CPD each year, at least 21 of them verifiable and up to 19 non-verifiable, and one unit equals one hour of development. Other routes apply to part-time or semi-retired members, staff of ACCA Approved Employers and members following another IFAC body's CPD programme.

ACCA lists "online learning: webinars, online courses, podcasts" among its examples of verifiable CPD activities. The same guidance gives "listening to relevant podcasts" as an example of non-verifiable CPD, so the format does not decide the classification; the evidence and your record do.

To count an episode as verifiable, ACCA asks: "Relevance: Was the learning relevant to your career? Application: Can you explain how it was applied to your role? Evidence: Can you provide verifiable evidence that you undertook it?" The LumiQ certificate answers the third question. The first two are yours to record alongside it.

Can LumiQ Support CPD for ICAS, CIMA and Other Professional Bodies?

Yes. ICAS and CIMA both run output-based CPD, so the question is relevance and record-keeping rather than a verifiable-hours quota.

ICAS asks members to undertake CPD that is "relevant, verifiable and measurable", sets no specific amount of time and asks members to "focus on the outcome of your CPD activities". From 1 January 2026 all non-retired members must also complete at least one hour of ethics-related CPD each year. ICAS announced a partnership with LumiQ in September 2025 and lists LumiQ podcasts among its ethics CPD resources.

CIMA "doesn't prescribe hours or units". Members keep a record of their CPD throughout their career, "online learning" is on CIMA's list of qualifying activities, and a random sample of members is asked to show their record each year.

Record each LumiQ episode in your own body's format: for ICAS, a brief reflection on the learning outcome; for CIMA, an entry in your CPD record with the certificate attached.

How Are Podcast CPD Hours Calculated?

UK professional bodies count CPD in hours of relevant learning (ICAEW) or in units, where one unit is one hour of development (ACCA). Neither applies a conversion formula to audio, so the figure you record is the time the structured learning took.

LumiQ displays the CPD hours available for each episode, typically one to two hours per episode and three to nine for multi-episode Learning Paths, and credits hours as each chapter and its quiz are completed. You can therefore earn CPD progressively rather than finishing an entire episode in one sitting.

Record the hours shown on your certificate; that is the figure your evidence supports.

Can I Earn CPD While Listening Offline?

Yes. LumiQ's mobile apps let you download episodes while connected to the internet and listen later without Wi-Fi or mobile data.

Offline listening can be useful during:

• Daily commutes
• Train journeys and flights
• Business travel
• Walks and workouts
• Time spent away from a reliable internet connection

Your learning remains connected to your LumiQ account, with earned CPD tracked through the platform.

Can Podcast CPD Satisfy an Ethics Requirement?

Yes, if the episode's learning objectives address professional ethics and the format meets your body's rules.

LumiQ offers learning on integrity, objectivity, conflicts of interest, professional judgement, governance, ethical decision-making and other ethics-related subjects.

ICAEW's CPD Regulations require at least one hour of ethics training each CPD year, which "must be independently verifiable" and counts within your verifiable hours. ICAS requires at least one hour of ethics-related CPD a year for all non-retired members from 1 January 2026.

Before recording an episode towards an ethics requirement, check its learning objectives: an episode on leadership or governance does not qualify as ethics CPD simply because it touches on responsible professional behaviour.

What Information Appears on a LumiQ CPD Certificate?

A LumiQ certificate of completion documents the professional learning activity and includes information such as:

• Participant name
• Course title
• Completion date
• CPD hours earned
• Relevant course information

The certificate is the evidence half of a CPD entry. ICAEW also asks you to record why the activity was relevant and what you learned, and ACCA asks how you applied it. The name and hours on the certificate matter: ICAEW's guidance says it will not accept documents that do not include your name, or certificates "with no time allocation", without a further piece of independent evidence.

LumiQ certificates are stored in the Tracker, where they can be accessed and downloaded when required, and you keep access to previously earned certificates after a paid subscription ends.

What Is the LumiQ Tracker?

The LumiQ Tracker is a central place to organise your professional development records.

As you complete LumiQ learning activities, your earned CPD and certificates are recorded automatically.

You can also:

• Add external CPD activities
• Upload supporting certificates
• Filter your learning history
• Export CPD records
• Access previously earned certificates after a paid subscription ends

The Tracker supports your record-keeping; it does not decide whether an activity satisfies a professional body's requirements, and it does not complete your annual CPD declaration for you.

Why Choose Podcast CPD?

Podcast CPD makes professional development easier to fit into a busy working week. Rather than requiring every learning activity to take place in front of a screen, LumiQ lets accountants learn through professionally produced conversations, practical case studies and expert perspectives.

Episodes feature CFOs, audit partners, finance executives, regulators, authors and other experienced practitioners discussing real business challenges and developments shaping the profession. Recent UK guests include Philip Munn, Indirect Tax Partner at RSM UK; Aaron Harris, Chief Technology Officer at Sage; and Pav Gill, the Wirecard whistleblower.

LumiQ is audio-first, not audio-only. Episodes include transcripts, and selected courses offer visual aids, downloadable workbooks or other supporting materials.

Podcast CPD can be particularly useful if you:

• Prefer listening to watching
• Want engaging, flexible, on-demand learning
• Need mobile or offline access
• Learn well through conversations and real-world examples
• Want to spread professional development throughout the year
• Value structured learning with documented completion

Podcast learning can complement webinars, technical courses, conferences, employer-led training and other forms of professional development.

Frequently Asked Questions About Podcast CPD in the UK

Can UK accountants earn verifiable CPD by listening to podcasts?

Yes. ICAEW lists podcast listening as verifiable "if the listening can be evidenced", and ACCA lists podcasts among its examples of verifiable online learning. The podcast must be relevant to your role, and you need evidence of completion and time taken, such as a certificate in your name.

Does LumiQ count as verifiable CPD for ICAEW members?

Yes. LumiQ episodes count as verifiable CPD for ICAEW members where the episode is relevant to your role and you keep the certificate. ICAEW's test is evidence that is objective, corroborated and retained; a LumiQ certificate records your name, the episode and the hours.

Does LumiQ count as verifiable CPD for ACCA members?

Yes. LumiQ episodes count as verifiable CPD for ACCA members where you can answer ACCA's three questions on relevance, application and evidence. ACCA names podcasts among its examples of verifiable online learning; the LumiQ certificate covers the evidence question, and you record relevance and application yourself.

Can ICAS and CIMA members use LumiQ?

Yes. LumiQ fits ICAS's output-based model, which asks for relevant, verifiable and measurable CPD with no set hours; ICAS has partnered with LumiQ since 2025. CIMA does not prescribe hours or units and counts online learning, so LumiQ episodes go into your CIMA CPD record.

Do I need to complete the entire episode to earn CPD?

No. LumiQ credits CPD chapter by chapter: listen to a chapter, pass its quiz and the hours for that chapter are recorded. Completing every chapter makes the episode's certificate of completion available in your Tracker.

Are the chapter quizzes required?

Yes. LumiQ requires CPD users to listen to the chapter and then answer its quiz questions correctly before the hours are credited; the quiz unlocks after the listening.

Can I return to an episode later?

Yes. You can resume your learning, complete outstanding chapters and quizzes, and continue earning CPD.

Can I listen without an internet connection?

Yes. Download episodes through the LumiQ mobile app for offline listening.

Is LumiQ audio-only?

No. LumiQ is audio-first, with transcripts and selected supporting resources, including visual aids and downloadable workbooks.

How many CPD hours is each episode worth?

LumiQ episodes are typically worth one to two CPD hours, with three to nine for multi-episode Learning Paths. The hours are shown on each episode page and credited as chapters and quizzes are completed.

Where can I find my CPD certificates?

Your certificates are stored in the LumiQ Tracker, where you can download them and review your learning history.

Can I use LumiQ for more than one professional qualification?

Yes. LumiQ episodes count towards more than one qualification when the episode independently meets each body's rules. Keep one certificate as evidence and record the activity separately in each body's format, for example as an ICAEW member who also holds an IIA credential.

Try Podcast CPD for Free

New LumiQ users can explore the full episode library for 14 days and earn up to three free CPD hours. No card details are required. After the trial, individual plans are Lite at £299 a year for 10 CPD hours and Pro at £499 a year for unlimited CPD, both billed annually.

Choose an episode, experience audio-first learning, complete the chapter quizzes and see how LumiQ tracks your CPD.

Start Your Free Trial

UK CPD Disclaimer

LumiQ provides structured professional learning and completion documentation that may support verifiable CPD for UK accounting and finance professionals. LumiQ does not claim to be approved or accredited by any UK professional body.

Professional bodies, including ICAEW, ACCA, ICAS and CIMA, establish their own CPD requirements. Members remain responsible for assessing relevance, retaining appropriate evidence, recording their learning and completing any required declarations.

This article is for general educational purposes and does not constitute legal, regulatory or individualised compliance advice.

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