Guidance on minimum CPD hours for audit professionals

The Institute has recently published a new guidance note which explains how many hours Recognised Supervisory Bodies (RSBs) (UK) and Recognised Accountancy Bodies (RABs) (Ireland) expect auditors to be spending on audit-related CPD.

If you’re a member of an RSB/RAB (including the Institute), you must meet the CPD requirements of your membership body.  The Institute’s CPD Regulations for members are available on the Institute’s website here. The models of CPD which an Institute member may apply can be summarised as follows:

• Input-based models require a set number of hours of CPD to be undertaken each year, normally requiring a percentage of these hours to be verifiable. This includes a minimum quantum of hours CPD in areas of practice engaged in by the member.
• Output-based models place the onus on the individual to determine their professional development needs and what CPD is required to meet those needs, with no set hours listed.
• Members may also chose a hybrid approach which is a combination of input-based measures, with output-based expectations

Regardless of which model is chosen, members working in audit must ensure that they undertake adequate audit CPD.    Members may be selected as part of an annual sample or other regulatory review to assess compliance with CPD obligations. 

Furthermore, the Institute’s Audit Regulations require audit firms to ensure that arrangements are in place so that all principals and employees doing audit work are, and continue to be, competent to carry out the audits for which they are responsible or employed. (Audit Regulation 3.17).

Following a review by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) in 2025, all RSBs agreed that CPD requirements are unlikely to be met by RIs or audit staff who complete less than seven hours of verifiable audit-related CPD, where audit work forms a significant part of their day-to-day work.  The RSBs which are also RABs (including the Institute) apply the same approach in both the UK and Ireland.

Monitoring against this expectation will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Regulators will take a proportionate approach, considering the circumstances of each firm, RI, or audit team member, and any wider quality control framework in place.