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Independent ethics and professionalism CPD for Australian health practitioners

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Free tool

Free CPD hours planner for Australian practitioners

Choose your Board, see the core CPD requirement and plan your activities for the year. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.

Key facts

  • Free to useNo account needed
  • Private by designNothing you enter leaves your browser
  • Written for Australian BoardsCheck your Board for the current rules
  • Print or saveKeep a copy with your records

Plan your CPD year

How to use the planner

Select your National Board. The planner shows a plain-language summary of that Board's core CPD requirement, including any split by type of activity. Add the activities you intend to complete, with estimated hours and type, and the planner shows how your plan compares with the requirement.

Your plan is held in your browser only. It is not sent to us and no account is needed. If you clear your browser data, the plan is deleted, so use the download option to keep a copy. When you are ready to track actual activities through the year, the CPD Portfolio keeps your log, reflections and certificates together.

Core CPD requirements at a glance

National BoardCore requirement (summary)Points to note
Medical BoardAt least 50 hours each calendar yearAt least 12.5 hours educational and at least 25 hours reviewing performance and measuring outcomes (at least 5 in each); a CPD home and a professional development plan are required
Nursing and Midwifery BoardAt least 20 hours each registration yearRelevant to your context of practice; additional CPD applies to some endorsements
Dental BoardAt least 60 hours over each three-year cycleMost activity must be clinically or scientifically based
Pharmacy BoardExpressed as 40 CPD credits each CPD yearAt least half from higher-level activities; guidelines amended in April 2026, so check the current version
Psychology Board30 hours each registration yearIncludes 10 hours of peer consultation, guided by a learning plan
Physiotherapy BoardAt least 20 hours each registration yearPro rata if you register part way through a year
Occupational Therapy BoardAt least 20 hours each registration yearMust include interactive learning with other practitioners
Podiatry Board20 hours each registration year10 additional hours for the scheduled medicines endorsement; podiatric surgeons 40 hours
Optometry BoardAt least 20 hours each registration year30 hours for endorsed optometrists, including 10 related to the endorsement; non-clinical activities capped
Chiropractic Board20 hours each registration yearGuided by a learning plan; planning and reflection time does not count; separate first aid requirement
Osteopathy Board25 hours each yearIncludes at least 4 hours on specified mandatory topics
Chinese Medicine BoardAt least 20 hours each registration yearIncludes minimum amounts on professional issues and interactive activity
Medical Radiation Practice BoardAt least 60 hours over each trienniumAt least 10 hours each year and at least 35 hours of substantive activities
Paramedicine Board30 hours each registration yearIncludes at least 8 hours of interactive activity
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice BoardAt least 20 hours each yearIncludes at least 5 interactive hours

Read this before relying on the table

The table summarises the core requirement in each Board's CPD registration standard as described in our researched course material. It is a planning aid, not the standard itself. Boards update standards and guidelines, and Ahpra and the National Boards consulted in 2026 on revised CPD and recency of practice standards across professions. Current standards continue to apply until any new standard commences. Always confirm the current requirement on your Board's website, especially before renewal.

Many standards also include details the table cannot capture: exemptions, pro rata arrangements for new or returning registrants, requirements for specific endorsements or registration types, rules about what counts as an activity and how long to keep records. If your situation is unusual, read the standard and its guidelines in full.

Planning a CPD year that holds up

  1. Start from your learning needs

    List what you need to learn: gaps identified in feedback, complaints, audits or incidents, changes to your scope or role, and new guidance from your Board.

  2. Turn needs into goals

    Write three to five goals, each specific enough that you would know if you had met it.

  3. Match activities to goals and types

    Choose activities for each goal, checking that the mix matches any split your Board requires, such as interactive, peer or outcome-focused hours.

  4. Spread the load

    Plan activities across the year rather than in the month before renewal, leaving room for things you cannot predict.

  5. Record actual time and reflect

    Log the time you really spent, not the advertised duration, with a short reflection on how the activity affects your practice.

  6. Review at year end

    Look back at your goals, note what changed and carry unfinished needs into next year's plan.

Where our courses fit

Our courses are self-paced educational activities on ethics, professionalism and compliance. Each lists an estimated learning time, usually two or three hours, but you record the time you actually spend. Self-paced courses generally do not count towards interactive or peer consultation hours. For doctors, they sit within educational activities, logged through your CPD home. Several Boards place limits on non-clinical activity, so check how ethics and professional learning fits your Board's rules.

Our courses are not accredited and not approved by Ahpra or any National Board. You decide whether each course fits your plan. If you are completing learning because of a condition or undertaking, confirm with Ahpra or the Board, and your adviser, whether it will meet that requirement before you start.

Courses many practitioners plan into their year

Shared courses on the code, professionalism and reflection fit most CPD plans. Profession-specific courses are listed on each profession page.

Frequently asked questions

How many CPD hours do I need in Australia?

It depends on your National Board. Most Boards require around 20 to 30 hours a year, doctors need at least 50 hours a year, and the Dental and Medical Radiation Practice Boards work on 60 hours over three years. Check your Board's current standard for the exact requirement.

Does the planner save my information?

Only in your own browser. Nothing is sent to us. Download your plan if you want to keep it, because clearing browser data deletes it.

Can I count the estimated hours shown on a course?

Record the time you actually spend. The estimate is a guide; if you take longer or shorter, record your real time.

Do self-paced courses count as interactive CPD?

Usually not. Interactive activity generally means learning with other practitioners, such as a workshop, peer review or case discussion. Check your Board's definition.

What happens if I am audited?

Ahpra audits a selection of practitioners against registration standards. You will be asked to provide evidence that supports your CPD declaration, such as your plan, records and reflections. Keeping records as you go makes this straightforward.

Are the requirements in the table current?

They summarise the core requirements described in our researched course material. Boards update their standards, and revised CPD standards were under consultation in 2026, so confirm the current requirement on your Board's website.

I registered part way through the year. What do I need?

Several Boards set pro rata requirements for new registrants or those returning to practice. Check your Board's standard and guidelines for the formula that applies to you.

Primary sources

Links go to official regulator and government websites. Check them for the current version before relying on any requirement.

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