ICE CPD for civil engineers: requirements, themes and recording
ICE sets no minimum CPD hours, but requires a written record and engagement with three mandatory themes. Here is what ICE says about recording, audit and sampling.
According to the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), it does not set a minimum number of CPD hours for professionally qualified members. What it does require is a written CPD record in the form ICE prescribes, which you must submit when asked, and CPD each year that relates to at least one of three mandatory themes, with all three covered across a rolling three-year period. ICE audits records every year, and from 2026 it is auditing 5% of its professionally qualified membership. This post covers ICE members; other bodies such as the Engineering Council, RIBA or ARB have separate rules.
Who the ICE requirements apply to
ICE's CPD requirements page says professionally qualified members (MICE or FICE) must keep a written record of CPD activities and submit it on request. Its CPD framework page refers to professionally qualified members as those holding CEng, IEng or EngTech. If you are unsure what those registrations mean, our guide on the difference between CEng, IEng and EngTech explains them. ICE's Code of Professional Conduct also requires all members to develop their knowledge and skills on a continuing basis.
No fixed hours
ICE states that it "does not set a minimum CPD hours requirement for professionally qualified members". The page adds that the right amount varies with your registration grade, experience, role and career plans. That means you should plan CPD around your own development needs rather than a number. It also means a log that shows a variety of relevant activity matters more than a total.
The three mandatory themes
From 2026 onwards, ICE says professionally qualified members must undertake CPD relating to at least one of three mandatory themes every year, and must ensure all three themes are covered within a three-year rolling period. The themes are:
- ethical and professional behaviour, including the ICE Code of Professional Conduct;
- safety and risk management; and
- sustainable development, including decarbonisation and the application of nature-positive solutions.
ICE also lists four additional themes that are recommended but not required: delivery excellence, energy, transport and water.
ICE says it will monitor engagement with the themes through the annual CPD audit from 2027, and that sanctions may apply from 2029 for members who do not engage with the framework.
Quick reference
| Question | What ICE says |
|---|---|
| Minimum hours | None set for professionally qualified members |
| Record | A written record in ICE's prescribed form, submitted when requested |
| Mandatory themes | At least one theme every year; all three over a rolling three years |
| Development Action Plan (DAP) | Review and update at least once a year |
| Personal Development Record (PDR) | Log learning activities regularly through the year |
| Audit | Annual; ICE will audit 5% of professionally qualified members from 2026 |
| Failing to submit | Removal from the membership roll and Engineering Council register |
How to record your CPD
ICE's requirements page says you should review and update your Development Action Plan (DAP) at least once a year, and log learning activities in your Personal Development Record (PDR) regularly through the year. ICE strongly recommends the templates in its CPD guidance, which follow a plan, act, assess, review cycle. It also provides an online CPD recording tool.
You may choose your own templates and platforms. Records made for an employer or another institution are accepted if they meet the plan, act, assess, review cycle, but you must submit them to ICE in that case. The DAP is not mandatory to submit for audit.
ICE's CPD guidance document, listed on its website as last updated 7 July 2026, covers the CPD cycle, the DAP and PDR, how to present your records and where to get more support. Download the current version rather than relying on an older copy.
Monitoring and sampling
ICE audits CPD records annually. Its page says that from 2026 it will audit 5% of its professionally qualified membership, using a randomly selected sample that is asked for its 2025 records. ICE's news item on the 2025 audit says this is in line with a new requirement from the Engineering Council, and that the chance of being asked to submit records will be higher in 2026. Records are peer-reviewed by volunteer members.
The requirements page does not give a fixed submission date; records are provided when requested. For the 2025 audit, ICE's news item says the deadline was February 2026 and gave no exact day.
ICE says members who fail to submit records, or to give an adequate reason for exemption, when asked will be removed from the membership roll and the Engineering Council register. Its news item reports that for 2024, 62 members were reported to the Trustee Board for non-compliance and 17 were removed after missing the extended February 2025 deadline.
The Engineering Council link
Many ICE members are also registered with the Engineering Council as CEng, IEng or EngTech, which is why ICE's audit matters beyond your ICE membership. ICE's requirements page says the Engineering Council requires licensees to audit at least 5%, and that failing to respond to a request can lead to removal from both the ICE membership roll and the Engineering Council register. If you hold registration through ICE, treat a request for your CPD records as a priority, and reply within the time given. If you cannot meet the date, contact ICE early and explain why; the news item on the 2025 audit shows the deadline was extended in the previous cycle, but that is not something to count on.
Exemptions
ICE says the requirements can be waived in certain circumstances, such as parental leave, retirement, unemployment of over six months, illness or extended leave. Contact ICE to check whether you are eligible, and do so before a request for records arrives if possible.
Practical tips
- Record as you go. A short entry written the same week is easier than a rebuild at audit time.
- Show a mix of activity. ICE's news item on the 2025 audit reported that 88% of audited members showed at least three types of CPD activity, and that 51% showed awareness of unplanned CPD opportunities.
- Map your year to the themes. Make sure at least one entry each year clearly relates to a mandatory theme, and note which ones you have covered in the last three years.
- Keep employer-led records, but make sure they follow the plan, act, assess, review cycle before you submit them.
Frequently asked questions
How many CPD hours do ICE members need?
ICE sets no minimum number of hours for professionally qualified members. It requires a written record and engagement with the mandatory themes.
What are the ICE mandatory CPD themes?
Ethical and professional behaviour, safety and risk management, and sustainable development. You need at least one each year and all three across a rolling three years.
How do I record ICE CPD?
Keep a DAP and a PDR, using ICE's online tool or templates, or your own platform if it follows ICE's cycle. Submit the record when ICE asks.
What happens if I do not respond to an ICE CPD request?
ICE says members who do not submit records, or give an adequate reason for exemption, risk removal from the membership roll and the Engineering Council register.
Where can I see other CPD guides?
Our CPD hub collects guides across professions.
In summary
Keep a dated, honest record, cover the three mandatory themes over time, respond promptly if ICE asks for your records, and check ICE's CPD pages each year because the framework is still being phased in.
This article is general information, not professional advice. ICE can change its requirements, so always check the current guidance on the ICE website.
This page was last updated:
Learnsignal Education Team
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