Stay excellent: continuing professional development with the AAT
What is continuing professional development (CPD)?
Revised AAT CPD policy since January 2008
CPD for members in practice (MIP)
Membership and licence renewal
Frequently asked questions about CPD
What is continuing professional development (CPD)?
CPD is any learning activity that's relevant to your current job or future career development, however formal or informal. It doesn't need to be expensive or time-consuming.
We measure your CPD by the outcomes and benefits you gain from learning activities, rather than the time you spend on them.
This places the emphasis on the quality of CPD that you do, rather than the quantity.
CPD allows you to maintain and develop the skills and knowledge you need to do your job. It keeps your qualification relevant and up-to-date. It helps you get what you want out of your career.
Why do CPD?
Effective CPD can help you:
- excel at your job
- increase your earning potential
- get promoted
- start your own business
- improve your company's performance
- handle new challenges
What counts as CPD?
Any learning, training or experience that helps you to do your job or develop your career counts as CPD.
It could be:
- workshops, courses or conferences
- AAT or other professional body branch meetings
- planned coaching from colleagues or specialists
- certain study for further qualifications
- audio, video, online or CD-ROM resources
- planned reading/research
- special project work
- a job secondment
- discussions with colleagues
- development of skills by ‘hands-on' experience
CPD activities must be relevant to your work
For example: if you plan to set up an accounting practice in France, learning to speak French would count as CPD. If you don't plan to work in France but are learning French because you take holidays there, it wouldn't.
AAT members typically (but not exclusively) focus on:
- accounting
- information technology
- supervision and management
- personal effectiveness and development
Ways to get started
From 2008, all full and fellow members must comply with our CPD policy unless they are fully retired and not returning to the workplace in any way (including part-time or voluntary/unpaid work).
There are four routes to complying with AAT CPD policy:
the accredited CPD employer route
the IFAC body recognition route
the AAT member in practice route
Revised CPD policy since January 2008
We revised our CPD policy in January 2008. CPD used to be measured in hours. Now it is measured by the outcomes and benefits that members derive from doing CPD.
This approach changes the emphasis from the quantity of CPD that members do, towards focusing on the quality of their CPD.
It is now mandatory for every AAT member to consider and meet their CPD needs appropriately.
Members are required to undertake appropriate CPD to ensure that they remain competent for the work that they do, and to meet their career aspirations, whether their work is of an accounting/financial nature or not.
The new policy has been introduced in two phases:
- From 1 January 2007 the policy became a mandatory requirement for AAT members in practice and fellow members who were elected after January 1998.
CPD was already a mandatory requirement for these members, so the main change was the move from measuring CPD in hours towards measuring CPD by outcomes.
- From 1 January 2008 the policy became a mandatory requirement for all other AAT full and fellow members.
Read our revised CPD Policy FAQs for more information
CPD for members in practice (MIP)
If you are a member in practice you must follow the personal CPD route unless you hold a practising licence from IFAC full member body.
You should complete the CPD cycle at least twice during each 12 month period. While assessing your CPD needs, you should specifically consider:
-
each of the areas in which you are licensed
-
your business/practice management skills
-
changes in legislation and the accountancy world.
Membership and licence renewal
With your membership renewal you will need to confirm you are complying with our CPD policy but you will not need to submit your CPD records.
If you are a member in practice you may be required to submit your records with your licence renewal.
Monitoring and regulation
We conduct regular monitoring programmes involving checking CPD records from a sample of full and fellow members.
We select members for these programmes both randomly and on the basis of risk.
If we don't feel your CPD records provide confirmation of your compliance with our policy, we will:
- provide guidance on how to approach your CPD in the future
- ask you to participate in another monitoring exercise within 12 months
Cases of persistent and wilful non-compliance will be subject to disciplinary proceedings.