HCPC CPD audit: how to prepare and what to submit

If you have been selected for an HCPC CPD audit, you need to renew your registration as normal and submit a CPD profile through your online account before the deadline. The profile has four parts: a summary of your recent work, a dated list of activities, a personal statement and supporting evidence. This guide explains what the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) asks for, how the process runs and how to prepare. For a wider look at record-keeping across professional bodies, see our general guide to CPD audit preparation.

How the HCPC CPD audit works

According to the HCPC (2026), an audit checks at renewal that you still meet its standards, including those for continuing professional development. At the start of each renewal, the HCPC randomly selects 2.5 per cent of each profession and asks those registrants to submit a CPD profile. Selection is computer-generated, so nothing you have done makes you more or less likely to be picked, and because CPD is ongoing you could be selected more than once.

Only registrants who have been registered for two years or more can be audited. That means recent graduates are not selected at their first renewal, and neither are people returning after a break in registration. The HCPC states that most registrants who are selected pass, which shows their CPD is adequate and up to date.

If you are selected, the HCPC emails you at the start of your renewal window and a message also appears in your online account. You still need to renew and pay your fee as usual. Our post on HCPC CPD requirements for allied health professionals covers the underlying standards in more detail.

The five standards you are measured against

The HCPC's CPD standards say that registrants must:

• Standard 1: maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of their CPD activities.
• Standard 2: demonstrate that their CPD activities are a mixture of learning activities relevant to current or future practice.
• Standard 3: seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality of their practice and service delivery.
• Standard 4: seek to ensure that their CPD benefits the service user.
• Standard 5: upon request, present a written profile, which must be their own work and supported by evidence, explaining how they have met the standards.

Standard 5 only applies if you are picked for audit. The HCPC does not set a number of hours or points to complete, but it does expect at least two different types of learning activity, and the audit looks back over the previous two years, which is the length of each registration cycle.

What to submit: the four parts of your profile

You can add your activities by uploading a single Excel or Word file listing everything from the previous two years, or by entering them one by one. You can also save your progress and return later, and complete the sections in any order.

Writing a personal statement that works

The HCPC guidance suggests choosing activities from the last two years and explaining what you did, what you learnt, what you now do differently and who benefited. In its published top tips, the HCPC advises describing four to six activities in detail rather than every activity on your list, and providing evidence for each.

• Write in the first person. The HCPC advises saying "I", not "we", so the CPD reads as your own.
• Use plain language. The audit assesses your CPD, not your writing ability, and no particular style is required.
• Focus on impact. Show how your practice changed and how service users benefited, rather than simply listing courses attended.
• Make it your own. The HCPC says you must not use standard text or profiles prepared by others. Sample profiles are for guidance only.

Choosing and presenting your evidence

You do not need to upload your whole CPD record. Upload only evidence that supports the activities in your statement. The HCPC lists examples including personal development plans, role or performance review paperwork, business plans, reflections or mentor discussions, records of changed ways of working and records of how you plan to use new knowledge.

Evidence of effect is particularly valued. Where direct proof is hard to find, the HCPC says you can describe how you believe the activity improved your work and support that with what you do have. Two practical points from the HCPC:

• Number your evidence so you and the assessor can refer to it easily.
• Remove anything that could identify a service user, such as names or addresses, before you upload.

Timeline: from selection to outcome

According to the HCPC (2026), you have around three months to complete and send your profile, with a reminder about a month before the deadline. If circumstances stop you taking part, you can request a deferral. To submit, log in to your portal account, click Edit, complete each tab, then select Submit Profile and confirm. You should receive an acknowledgement email.

After submission, the HCPC checks the profile is complete and asks for anything missing. CPD assessors, who are trained registrants, then review it against the standards, and at least one is from your profession. The HCPC guidance says processing can take around eight to twelve weeks, handled in the order profiles arrive. You stay registered and can keep practising during assessment and any appeal.

If an assessor needs more information, or finds the profile does not meet the standards, the HCPC guidance sets out short windows to respond, observe or appeal. Read the wording of any letter carefully and act promptly. Failing to send a profile or requested information may lead to removal from the Register, although you would be able to appeal.

How to prepare before you are ever selected

Because selection is random, the best preparation is a habit rather than a scramble:

• Record little and often. The HCPC suggests recording CPD in small instances, without setting aside chunks of time, and treating informal learning as CPD.
• Keep the record somewhere you control. The HCPC warns that storing it at your employer's workplace is risky because you may change employment.
• Vary the learning. Combine, for example, journal reading, courses, peer discussion and work-based learning.
• Reflect as you go. A short note on what changed in your practice is far easier to write now than two years later.
• Do not invent activity to fill a gap. The HCPC specifically advises against this. Explain gaps honestly instead.

There is no required format, and the HCPC does not endorse any online CPD tool or guarantee that one will lead to success in an audit. A spreadsheet, folder or portal all work if the record is accurate and accessible.

FAQs

How likely am I to be audited?

The HCPC randomly selects 2.5 per cent of each profession at each renewal, and you could be selected more than once.

Is there a minimum number of CPD hours?

No. The HCPC does not set hours or points. It expects a continuous record and at least two different types of learning activity.

Can I keep practising while my profile is assessed?

Yes. The HCPC states that if you have renewed, you stay registered and can keep practising during assessment and any appeal.

What if I cannot complete the profile in time?

You can ask for a deferral if circumstances prevent you taking part. Not sending a profile or requested information may lead to removal from the Register, so contact the HCPC early.

Do I need to upload every certificate?

No. Upload only the evidence supporting the activities in your statement, within the four to twelve pieces the portal asks for.

Final thoughts

An HCPC audit is a check on whether your CPD is continuous, varied and has improved your practice, not a test of how much you have spent or how many hours you have logged. Keep a dated record, reflect as you go and choose a handful of strong examples. If you want to build up your learning record, you can browse our CPD hub. Always check the current guidance on the HCPC website before you submit.