CPD and Professional Development Log

Who this is for

Every course, book, event and mentoring session on one running sheet. Each line records what the activity was, who provided it, the hours it took, what you took from it, where the evidence is and what it cost; the hours and the cost total themselves for the period your professional body asks about.

Anyone whose profession, registration or employer asks for a record of continuing professional development, and anyone who simply wants to see what they learned this year.

What this helps you track

• Hours of development logged in the period, added up for you
• What each activity was, who ran it and what type it counts as
• What you actually learned, written while it is still fresh
• Where the certificate, notes or attendance record is kept
• What development has cost, whether you paid or your employer did

How to use it

1. Write your name, your profession or registration and the period the log covers at the top.
2. Add one line per activity, on the day: date, what it was, the type, who provided it and the hours.
3. Write one or two lines on what you learned — the answer to that question is what most bodies actually ask for.
4. Say where the evidence is: a certificate in a folder, a booking email, notes in a file.
5. Enter the cost if there was one. The hours and cost total at the foot on screen and in the workbook; on paper, add them up when the page is full.
6. Read the sheet before a renewal or an appraisal and copy the hours into whatever form is asked for.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How many CPD hours do I need?

Your professional body, regulator or employer sets any requirement, and they differ widely. None is stated here. The log totals what you have done so you can compare it with whatever figure applies to you.

What counts as CPD?

Whatever your body accepts — formal courses, reading, conferences, mentoring, shadowing, teaching others. The type column has broad headings and an Other; use the notes for anything that needs explaining.

Do I need to keep evidence?

Some bodies audit a sample of members and ask for it, others take the log on trust. Recording where the evidence is costs nothing and saves a search later.

Can I record time I spent reading?

Yes. Reading is one of the types. Record the hours honestly and write what you took from it, as you would for a course.

Is this the same as a training matrix?

No. A training matrix is an employer's grid of who holds which training. This is your own log of your own development, which goes with you when you leave.