Course approval mark
For a named course that has completed course accreditation. It can support accurate course promotion and approved learner certificate use for that course only.
View course accreditationUse each CPD approval mark for the right purpose.
Course, provider and assessor approvals have separate marks. Use the supplied artwork only while the matching approval is current, and keep every claim within its recorded scope.
The mark should make an approval easier to understand.
CPD Qualifications™ approval marks help learners, employers and clients identify what has been reviewed. The mark should appear with clear wording so the viewer can distinguish an approved course, an approved provider and an approved assessor.
Permission follows the approval record. The organisation or person using the logo is responsible for checking the correct route, approved name, number, scope and validity period before publishing it.
Provider approval does not automatically accredit every course. Assessor approval applies only to the recorded subject scope. A course mark applies only to the named learning activity that completed review.
Use of the heraldic device in Scotland
CPD Qualifications is based and operated in England. Following guidance received from the Court of the Lord Lyon, CPD Qualifications does not authorise third-party use of its heraldic device in Scotland. Scottish organisations should not reproduce, display or otherwise use the device without prior written permission from CPD Qualifications.
Three CPD approval marks.
Course approval, provider approval and approved assessor status each carry their own mark.
Match the mark to the approval route.
The artwork and the words around it must describe the same approval record.
Provider approval mark
For the approved training organisation and its provider status. It does not automatically show that every course offered by the provider is accredited.
View provider approvalApproved assessor mark
For an approved assessor within the subject scope recorded against their unique assessor number. It does not give authority outside that approved scope.
View assessor approvalChoose the supplied version that fits the background.
Each route includes transparent artwork for clean light backgrounds and on-blue artwork for a controlled dark presentation.
Course approval artwork
Use only for a named course with current approval and the certificate or promotional wording confirmed for that course.
Provider approval artwork
Use for current provider approval. Keep it separate from claims about individual courses unless those courses also have their own approval.
Approved assessor artwork
Use with the approved assessor identity, number and subject scope. It must not imply employment by CPD Qualifications™.
Keep the artwork consistent and readable.
Use these rules wherever the mark appears, whether digital or printed.
Use the supplied artwork
Use the current file provided for the approval route. Do not recreate the mark from text, screenshots or parts taken from another logo.
Keep its proportions
Scale the mark evenly. Do not stretch, squash, rotate, crop or remove the lion, wording, approval number or other supplied elements.
Preserve the approved colours
Do not recolour the logo or add gradients, outlines, shadows and filters. Choose the supplied version intended for the background instead.
Give it clear space
Keep text, photographs, borders and other marks far enough away for the approval mark to remain distinct and easy to identify.
Maintain readable contrast
Use the transparent artwork on a clean light background and the on-blue artwork where that version gives the clearest presentation.
Keep the mark secondary
The approval mark should support the provider, course or assessor identity. It must not be presented as the owner or operator of another organisation.
Certificate use must follow the approved course record.
A learner certificate should identify the learner, named course, provider, completion date, active CPD time and approval reference. These details should match the course that was reviewed.
A provider approval mark cannot be used on a learner certificate to make an unreviewed course look accredited. Certificate permission and wording belong to the applicable course approval.
No approval mark may imply an Ofqual-regulated qualification, RQF level, degree, diploma, licence to practise or professional registration unless that status exists separately and is described independently.
View certificate guidanceCheck the context wherever the mark appears.
Approval wording must remain accurate across every page, document and promotional channel.
Websites and course pages
Place the mark close to wording that identifies the exact approval route. On a course page, confirm that the named course has its own current approval.
Certificates and learner records
Use the approved certificate wording and mark for the completed activity. A provider mark alone does not authorise course approval claims on learner certificates.
Proposals and printed material
Check the approval remains current before printing. Avoid broad statements that could make every service, course or trading name appear approved.
Social media and advertising
The same rules apply to posts, adverts, profiles and video. The surrounding caption must not make a wider claim than the approval record supports.
Renewal, changes and removal protect the approval record.
A provider licence runs for 12 months. The provider should contact the assessment office before the expiry date and report material changes to its name, ownership, training controls or responsible people when they happen.
Individual courses and assessors follow the scope and validity dates shown on their own records. Do not use the provider renewal date to suggest that every course or assessor approval has also been renewed.
If approval expires, is paused, withdrawn or no longer applies, remove the mark and current approval claims from websites, certificates, adverts, social profiles, proposals and printed material. A renewal enquiry does not extend logo permission.
Read the provider renewal terms
Questions about CPD logo use.
Guidance for course teams, approved providers and assessors using CPD Qualifications™ marks.
Who can use a CPD Qualifications™ approval mark?
Only an organisation, course or assessor with current approval for the matching route may use the supplied mark. Use must remain within the recorded name, scope and validity period.
Can an approved provider put the logo on every course?
No. Provider approval covers the organisation and its training controls. A named course must complete its own course accreditation before it is promoted or certified as an approved CPD course.
Can I change the colour or shape of a logo?
No. Do not redraw, recolour, stretch, crop, rotate or add effects to the mark. Use the supplied transparent or on-blue version that suits the background.
Can the approval mark appear on a learner certificate?
Yes, when the named course and certificate use have been approved. The certificate must use the correct course details, CPD time and approval reference without suggesting a regulated qualification.
Does the logo mean a course is an Ofqual-regulated qualification?
No. CPD approval records professional learning. The mark must not imply Ofqual recognition, an RQF level, an awarding-body relationship, professional registration or a licence to practise.
How long does provider logo permission last?
Provider approval runs for 12 months and must be renewed to remain current. The dates on the approval record control use. Course and assessor approvals follow their own recorded scope and validity dates.
What should happen when approval expires or is withdrawn?
Stop presenting the approval as current and remove the mark from websites, certificates, social profiles, advertising, proposals and printed materials until renewed approval is confirmed.
