GOC CPD Requirements for UK Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians

UK optometrists and dispensing opticians work to the General Optical Council's continuing education and training (CET) scheme, now simply badged as CPD, on a three-year cycle. The current cycle runs from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2027, and registrants need 36 points by the end of it. Here's how the points system actually works.

The three-year cycle and 36-point target

The GOC requires registrants to accumulate 36 CPD points across each three-year cycle, logged through your MyCPD account (accessed via MyGOC). Rather than leaving it all to the final months, the GOC expects a reasonably even spread — the guidance points registrants towards roughly six points a year as a sensible pace, though the formal requirement is the three-year total rather than a strict annual quota.

Interactive vs non-interactive points

Not all 36 points can come from passive learning. A minimum of 18 points must come from interactive CPD — activity where you actively engage and demonstrate learning, such as discussion-based events, workshops, or peer-reviewed interactive content, rather than simply reading or watching. The remaining points can be made up from non-interactive activity, but at least 18 points overall must come from GOC-approved CPD providers, so it's worth checking a course carries GOC accreditation before assuming it counts.

The four core domains

Your CPD portfolio has to cover all four of the GOC's domains of practice, with a minimum of one point required in each:

• Professionalism — ethics, standards of practice, and professional judgement.
• Communication — patient communication, consent, and working with colleagues.
• Clinical practice — the technical and clinical skills at the core of optometry and dispensing.
• Leadership and accountability — practice management, supervision, and accountability for decisions.

Covering all four domains with at least one point each means you can't simply load up on clinical CPD and ignore the others — the GOC is explicit that rounded development across all four areas is part of the requirement, not just a nice-to-have.

Peer review and reflection requirements

Two specific activities are built into every cycle beyond the raw point count:

• A personal development plan, set at the start of the cycle, identifying your own learning needs and priorities.
• At least one peer review event, completed with a written reflection statement, plus a further reflective exercise carried out with a peer by the end of the cycle.

These reflective elements exist so that CPD isn't just point accumulation — the GOC wants evidence that you've genuinely thought about how your learning maps to your own development needs and translates into practice.

Dispensing opticians vs optometrists

The core framework — 36 points, four domains, interactive minimum, peer review — applies across both optometrists and dispensing opticians on the GOC register. Where they differ is largely in the content and clinical scope of the CPD itself: dispensing opticians will naturally weight their clinical-practice points differently from optometrists carrying out sight tests, reflecting the different scopes of practice each role covers, though both work to the same point structure and domain coverage rules.

Practical tips for staying on track

Because the cycle is three years rather than one, it's easy to lose track of your running total. A few habits make a real difference: log points as you complete each activity rather than batching them up, check your domain balance at least once a year via MyCPD so you're not scrambling to find "leadership and accountability" content in year three, and confirm any external course is GOC-recognised before relying on it for your interactive points. Structured CPD courses designed against GOC domains can make it much easier to balance your portfolio, and it's worth comparing this points-based model with other UK health regulators, such as the very different, hours-based approach nurses follow under NMC revalidation or the standards-based (non-quota) approach used for HCPC-regulated allied health professionals. Learnsignal's wider guide to healthcare compliance and CPD training in the UK is a useful primer if you're new to regulated CPD generally.

FAQs

How many CPD points do optometrists need under the GOC scheme?

36 points across each three-year cycle, with at least 18 of those coming from interactive CPD activity, and at least one point in each of the four domains of practice.

Do dispensing opticians follow the same CPD scheme as optometrists?

Yes — the same 36-point, four-domain, three-year structure applies to both optometrists and dispensing opticians on the GOC register, though the specific clinical content of their CPD naturally differs by scope of practice.

What counts as interactive CPD for GOC purposes?

Interactive CPD requires active engagement and demonstrated learning — such as discussion-based events, workshops or peer-reviewed interactive activities — rather than passive reading or watching content alone.

The GOC's CPD scheme rewards steady, well-rounded engagement over the full three-year cycle rather than a late rush. Track your points regularly, keep an eye on domain balance, and treat the peer review and reflection elements as genuine opportunities to shape your own development plan rather than a box to tick.