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CPD certificates and how to check them

A learner certificate records course completion. Provider and assessor certificates confirm a different type of approval. Here you can compare the three types, see examples and find the right route for verification or certificate enquiries.

Example CPD course completion certificate

Start by checking what the document confirms and who it names. A certificate for a training organisation does not establish that you personally completed a course. Likewise, a course completion certificate does not establish approval as an assessor.

The images below are examples of our certificate designs. They are not evidence of your own completion or approval. For an individual document, use its full reference and compare the returned information with the certificate you hold.

Have a certificate number? Verify the certificate using its exact code. You can also check the accredited course or find its provider.

Course completion certificates example

Course completion certificates

A course completion certificate records that a learner completed a named CPD activity. Check the learner name, course title, provider, completion date, CPD hours and certificate reference against the training you took.

If you have finished a course and need a certificate, start with the training provider. Ask them to confirm your completion record and explain the certificate arrangements, including any applicable charge and delivery time. Enrolling on a course does not by itself establish completion.

Keep the certificate with your CPD log and a short note about what you learned. It can support an appraisal or professional portfolio, but your employer or professional body decides whether the activity meets its requirements.

View course accreditation
Provider approval certificates example

Provider approval certificates

A provider approval certificate relates to the organisation reviewed, including its responsibilities, learner support and record controls. It is issued following provider approval and should match the organisation named in the approval record.

Provider licences run for 12 months and require renewal. Check the current record and applicable dates before using a certificate in a proposal, on a website or in other publicity. An older certificate alone does not establish current approval.

Provider approval does not accredit the entire course catalogue. Individual courses need their own review before course approval claims or marks are used. A provider certificate cannot be used as a learner completion certificate.

View provider approval
Assessor verification certificates example

Assessor verification certificates

An assessor verification certificate relates to an individual whose qualifications and experience have been reviewed for a defined subject scope. It should be read alongside that scope, rather than as permission to assess any subject.

Assessor application and approval are free. Approved assessors can order an optional PDF certificate for £9.99 through the assessor route. Buying the certificate is separate from approval and does not guarantee paid assessment assignments.

If you need to check an assessor, use their published profile or exact assessor reference. A learner course certificate and an assessor verification certificate confirm different things and are not interchangeable.

View assessor approval

Verification, corrections and missing certificates

Enter the complete reference in our verification service, including any letters and separators. Check the returned name, record type and dates. Provider references begin CPDP, course references CPDC and assessor references CPDA; use the number printed on a learner certificate when checking that certificate.

If no matching record appears, check the code for a typing error. A missing result needs investigation; it does not by itself explain why a document could not be found. Contact us with the reference, provider name, course title and relevant date so the record can be checked.

For an incorrect name, date or course detail, explain which information needs correcting and contact the issuer or training provider. Do not edit the certificate yourself. If a document is missing or lost, ask about obtaining a copy; availability, charges and delivery arrangements need to be confirmed for your record.

A CPD certificate does not award a regulated qualification or a licence to practise. Read the qualification comparison if you need a formal award, and check your professional requirements before relying on an activity for renewal. For your own development record, keep the certificate alongside notes on what you learned and applied.

Evidence requirements for providers

Ready to make your CPD approval clear?

Start with the right route for your course, provider approval or assessor application, and we will guide the evidence from enquiry to review.

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