Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
What is CPD?
CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development and is part of the Institute’s mission. The Institute expects all its members in practice as mathematicians to maintain the standards required for admission to their membership grade. The knowledge, skills and expertise gained at an early stage in a career require renewal, development and enhancement to maintain professional status and competence.
As a member, we strongly advise that you keep a CPD record. Many members find that they are already active in professional development but have not acquired the habit of writing it down. This is particularly true if you include day-to-day learning in the workplace and not just formal courses.
How does the IMA CPD Scheme work?
The CPD record is available to all IMA members. Non CSci members can enrol using the Online CPD System but their record will not be subject to audit. Keeping an online CPD record is strongly recommended for Chartered Scientists who wish to revalidate.
The IMA CPD scheme has been designed to provide a framework to formally update, build and reflect on your professional knowledge, skills and expertise. A credit scheme has been devised to sit alongside the recording of outcomes, designating a specific number of points to each hour spent on activities within each subcategory. Registered professionals’ CPD should be a mixture of learning activities relevant to current or future practice and should include activities in at least three (exceptionally two) of the following categories:
- Work Based Learning
- Professional Activity
- Formal/Education
- Self Directed Learning
- Other
To find out more about the IMA’s CPD Scheme and how to enrol, download our helpful CPD Booklet.
How does the Scheme relate to my employment?
Members should inform their employers of their involvement in the CPD scheme and seek the advice of their employers about appropriate and relevant training. Other professional groups have or are in the process of introducing CPD schemes and for some regulatory professions e.g. accountancy these schemes are compulsory.
Employers are more likely to provide in-house training, pay course fees and allow absence from immediate work commitments to staff that are committed to a formal CPD programme and are devoting some of their own time and possibly money to meeting the requirements. CPD is particularly relevant during periods of career break, perhaps due to family reasons or unemployment. Financial support from employers may no longer be available but time to attend meetings or participate in distance education may be more easily available.
CSci CPD Assessment for Revalidation
Chartered Scientists must engage in ongoing CPD to remain on the register. The IMA is required to select 2.5% of registrants for audit. If chosen, the audit will assess your CPD record against Science Council Standards. A more detailed version of these requirements can be found on this Science Council document.
Keeping an online CPD record is strongly recommended for Chartered Scientists who wish to revalidate. Further information about the CSci Audit can be found in the IMA CSci CPD Audit – Meeting the Required Standards Booklet. This booklet contains examples of approved CPD entries as well as useful tips to ensure that your CPD Record meets the required standards.
We highly suggest that CSci Candidates download and refer to our helpful CPD Booklet when logging their CPD; this booklet contains information on how to use the MyIMA CPD Module with in depth information about the Five CPD Categories which all CPD activities fall under.
Relevant Documents
IMA CPD Scheme Booklet
For information about the IMA CPD Scheme, CPD enrolment, how to use the IMA CPD Module and the Five CPD Categories.
IMA CSci CPD Audit – Meeting the Required Standards Booklet
For CSci Candidates to learn about the IMA CSci Audit, how to meet the CSci Audit Standards and detailed real life examples of approved and rejected CPD entries.