CFA Institute Continuing Education Requirements: What Charterholders Need to Know

Many finance professionals assume that holding the CFA charter comes with a mandatory annual CPD hours target, in the way some accountancy bodies work. According to CFA Institute's own pages, the position is more nuanced: for CFA charterholders and members its Professional Learning programme is encouraged rather than required, while a separate mandatory requirement applies to holders of the CIPM designation. This guide sets out what CFA Institute continuing education requirements say on the pages we read, what is genuinely compulsory, and how to build a sensible learning plan. If you are comparing options for your team, our guide to CPD training for Dublin finance professionals may also help.

Is continuing education mandatory for CFA charterholders?

CFA Institute's Professional Learning (PL) programme page says CFA charterholders and members are encouraged to earn at least 20 PL credits per membership year, including 2 credits in Standards, Ethics and Regulations (SER). The page describes this as a recommendation. It does not state a penalty for not meeting it, and it lists no exemptions. When members renew, they are asked whether they can attest to having earned the recommended credits, and the page says attesting makes them eligible for CFA Institute recognition.

The page's only date is a 2026 copyright notice, so we cannot tell when the wording was last changed. A 2020 version of the PL Guidebook, which is older, also describes participation as recommended and says members are not required to keep a record of their activities. Because that guidebook is dated, do not rely on it for current record-keeping rules; check the current programme page.

Note that your employer, your regulator or another professional body may impose its own continuing education requirement. The PL guidebook says members who face continuing education requirements set by their employer can use the tracking tool to track and report those activities. That is a separate obligation from the CFA Institute recommendation.

How Professional Learning credits work

According to the programme page:

• One credit equals one hour of educational activity, recorded in quarter-hour increments, with a minimum of 0.25 for any activity.
• A single self-study activity can earn no more than 20 credits.
• Carry-over: once you have earned more than 20 PL credits including 2 SER credits, you can carry over up to 20 additional PL credits and 2 additional SER credits.
• Activity types: the page describes self-study, employer-based training and third-party offerings such as live events, university courses, webinars and technical readings, and says some CFA Institute content can be recorded with a one-click button. It does not use the terms "structured" or "verifiable".
• Recognition: participation certificates are available, and digital badges are awarded for between 5 and 35 consecutive years of PL.

The "membership year" is the reporting period, and attestation happens at renewal. The page gives no calendar deadline.

The mandatory side: CIPM and Professional Conduct Statement

CIPM designation holders

The programme page says CIPM designation holders must complete a minimum of 15 PL credits annually to maintain the designation. CFA Institute's Mandatory Professional Learning guidebook (copyright 2020) adds detail that you should verify against the current programme: credits must be completed by the end of each member year, holders attest at renewal, documentation is only sent if the holder is selected for compliance review (with 30 days to respond in the guidebook), and records should be kept for one year after the year they relate to. It also states that the right to use the CIPM designation is suspended at the end of a cycle in which the requirements are not met.

Professional Conduct Statement

Separately, CFA Institute's Professional Conduct Statement page says members complete a statement when they join or reactivate and then annually at renewal. They attest to complying with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct and disclose certain matters from the last two years, such as complaints, investigations and sanctions. The page says that failing to submit it on time results in suspension of membership, including the right to use the CFA and CIPM designations. The page does not address continuing education.

What the Code and Standards say about staying current

The Standard I(A) page does not set continuing education hours. CFA Institute's page on Standard I(A), Knowledge of the Law (marked "Updated April 2024"), says members and candidates must understand and comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations and must remain vigilant as they are updated. The same page says that taking part in an internal or external continuing education programme is a practical way to stay current with legal changes. The page does not set out specific hours or credits.

Building a sensible learning plan

Our suggestions, not CFA Institute requirements:

• Treat the 20 credits and 2 SER credits as a baseline if you want to attest at renewal, and keep a simple log so you can answer the attestation question honestly.
• The 2020 PL Guidebook says charterholders are not required to keep a record, and the current page states no record-keeping rule for them; even so, keeping a short record of what you did and when is cheap insurance if an employer or regulator asks.
• If you work in a regulated firm in Dublin, ask your compliance team what your firm requires, because those obligations are separate from the CFA Institute recommendation.
• Mix self-study with discussion-based learning, and include at least two hours on standards, ethics and regulation.
• Check the programme page again at each renewal, as programme details can change.

For other ways to compare provision, see our overview of finance training courses in Dublin.

Learnsignal's offices are off Baggot Street in Dublin, and we offer in-person training from there. For current details, see our CPD pages.

Frequently asked questions

How many continuing education credits does a CFA charterholder need?

CFA Institute's page recommends at least 20 PL credits per membership year, including 2 SER credits, but describes this as encouraged rather than mandatory for charterholders and members.

Do I lose the CFA charter if I do not attest to Professional Learning?

The page we read states no consequence for CFA members who do not attest to PL. The Professional Conduct Statement is different: the page says late submission leads to suspension of membership.

Is Professional Learning mandatory for CIPM holders?

Yes. The page says CIPM holders must complete at least 15 PL credits a year to maintain the designation.

Can I carry over extra credits?

Yes. According to the page, after earning more than 20 PL credits including 2 SER, you can carry over up to 20 additional PL credits and 2 SER credits.

Check the CFA Institute programme page at each renewal, and keep a simple log of your learning.