What counts as participatory CPD hours?

The NMC defines participatory learning as activity involving interaction with one or more other professionals, in a physical or virtual environment. Its own examples include conferences, workshops, relevant training courses and group meetings outside everyday practice, such as a discussion of a specific event or a new way of working. You do not have to be in the same room as the other participants.

Guide

NMC revalidation CPD hours and participatory learning

Q: How many CPD hours do you need for NMC revalidation?

35 hours of CPD relevant to your scope of practice in the three-year period since your registration was last renewed or you joined the register, of which at least 20 hours must have included participatory learning.

Updated 2026-08-15

Two numbers and one definition. Most of the difficulty people have with this requirement is with the definition rather than the numbers.

The requirement, in the NMC's words

"You must have undertaken 35 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) relevant to your scope of practice in the three year period since your registration was last renewed, or you joined the register. Of those 35 hours of CPD, at least 20 must have included participatory learning" (nmc.org.uk).

What your CPD record has to contain

The CPD method.
A description of the topic and how it related to your practice.
The dates on which the activity was undertaken.
The number of hours, including the number of participatory hours.
The identification of the part of the Code most relevant to the activity.
Evidence that you undertook the CPD activity.

That list is the NMC's, verbatim. The two entries people most often leave out are the link to the Code and the evidence, and both are things a confirmer will look for.

What participatory means

The NMC's definition is deliberately wide: "To meet the participatory learning requirement, you simply have to undertake activity that involves interaction with one or more other professionals. This can be in a physical environment or a virtual one, you don't have to be in the same room as the people you undertake the activity with." Its examples are attending a conference, taking part in a workshop, attending a relevant training course, and group meetings outside everyday practice, for example to discuss a specific event or a new way of working.

What the NMC does not do

It does not prescribe activity types. "It's important to remember that we don't prescribe any particular type of CPD; we leave it up to you to decide what activity is most useful for your development as a professional." There is no approved-provider list to buy from, and no requirement that CPD be paid for. The NMC suggests using its standards of proficiency to identify learning needs, then planning CPD against them across the three-year period rather than in the final months.

Recording it

The NMC publishes a CPD log template and describes it as recommended rather than mandatory, so your own format is acceptable provided it captures the six items above. Only the reflective accounts form, the reflective discussion form and the confirmation form are mandatory.