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Mandatory CPD Recording and Auditing

CPD is a critical requirement for all professionally registered Members and Fellows of the IMechE and the Engineering Council. Members must maintain annual CPD records, covering a 12-month period and should be consistent with the guidelines provided in the relevant IMechE webpages.

The Engineering Council requires all Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs) to conduct annual samples of a minimum 5% of their registered Members. The sampling process verifies that members are recording their CPD and provides feedback intended to help members benefit from the process. A well-maintained CPD plan and record of activities, complete with reflection, can significantly support career progression. When selected, participation in the audit is mandatory; repeated failure to engage in the process may result in the loss of professional registration.

To maintain your professional registration and membership with the IMechE, is it essential to follow the guidelines outlined in the Engineering Council regulations and the IMechE Code of Conduct.

Further information on the CPD sampling process can be found below.

Infographic showing the CPD cycle: Identify, Plan, Act and Learn, Record, Reflect. Includes steps for submitting CPD records, assessor review, feedback, employer records, and possible sanctions for non-compliance.

1. How members are selected

Each year, 5% of Professionally Registered members (EngTech, IEng or CEng) are randomly selected for the CPD sample. This includes retired members as they may still be professionally active under IMechE's definition.

This 5% sample includes 10% of our Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) registrants, in line with our licensing requirements with the Society for the Environment. If you hold this designation, please ensure your CPD records reflect your environmental responsibilities and are kept up to date.

2. Select a statement

If you’re selected to take part in the CPD Sample, you will be required to confirm your CPD status for the past 12 months. Where applicable, please ensure your CPD record is complete and available prior to making your selection from the following statements:

  • My CPD records for the past 12 months are complete and available for review.
  • I have not been professionally active in any engineering capacity during the past 12 months.

Please note: the second statement is intended only for members who have not engaged in any professional engineering activity during the period in question. If you are professionally active, you are expected to provide a CPD record before confirming your status.

Discover more about about what it means to be professionally active.

We understand that life events - such as serious illness, bereavement, or career breaks - can affect your ability to meet CPD requirements. If you're facing extenuating circumstances, you can request an exemption by contacting cpd@imeche.org. All requests are treated with care and confidentiality.

Our CPD process is designed to support your professional journey. There are no rigid criteria like points or hours—just a simple way to reflect on your development and demonstrate your commitment to professional standards.

3. What CPD do I need to submit?

If you are required to submit your CPD records as part of the Sample, include your goals, activities and reflective documents from the previous 12 months. Upload these to the CPD Tools Activity Log or Document Vault for review. If you use a spreadsheet, simple narrative or other methods to track your CPD, you can upload these to the Document Vault. Ensure each activity or document uploaded is marked ‘Yes’ to allow our CPD assessors access to for review.

If you have completed a SWOT analysis or used the Benchmarking tool, these will also be shared with the CPD assessors.

4. Who reviews my CPD?

Your CPD submission will only be viewed by trained CPD assessors, who are full members of the Institution, and by the IMechE CPD administration staff. Confidentiality is maintained at the same level as your membership application.

Avoid including any commercially sensitive or confidential information. As CPD submissions should only be a summary of the activity along with your reflection, you should be able to avoid any conflicts.

Assessors will only review CPD from the previous 12 months and provide constructive feedback to enhance your CPD process.

5. What happens if I do not engage with the CPD Sampling requirement?

Compliance with CPD recording is a requirement for IMechE membership and Engineering Council Professional Registration.

Members who fail to engage with the Institution’s CPD Sample will be automatically included in the following year’s Sample to provide another opportunity to comply.

If a member still does not engage in the second successive CPD Sample , the CPD Sample sanctions process will be initiated, which may lead to the removal of membership and professional registration.

6. What is the CPD Sample Sanctions Process?

The Engineering Council’s CPD Policy places an obligation on PEIs to carry out annual Samples of their registered members’ CPD activity and to apply sanctions on those that do not engage in the Sample process. 

The sanctions process is a structured approach to ensure compliance with CPD Sample regulations set out by the Engineering Council.

  1. Members are randomly selected to take part in the annual Sample and notified via email, letter and phone call.
  2. Failure to engage in the CPD Sample results in automatic inclusion in the following year’s CPD Sample and classification as a ‘non-engaged’ member.
  3. Continued non-engagement leads to referral to the Continuing Professional Development Assessment Committee (CPDAC), who will endorse the initiation of the sanctions process.
  4. A formal sanctions letter (Removal of Membership for non-compliance with the CPD Sample) will be sent to the member, including:
  • A final request to submit CPD records or indicate professional inactivity.
  • A 3-month deadline to comply

If the member fails to respond once the 3-month deadline has passed, their IMechE membership and Engineering Council registration will be terminated. The entire process typically spans approximately 30 months.


 

CPD Tools

    Part of the Career Developer suite, this is a tool for professionally registered members (EngTech, IEng or CEng) to record their experience and professional activity, providing a strong framework for career progression and professional development.

Log in to CPD tools

Personal CPD Record

    For those that prefer to use a spreadsheet to record their CPD an example spreadsheet template can be downloaded using the following link.

Download template

Need some help?

If you have a question about Continuing Professional Development, please contact us.