If you have question regarding membership and qualifications it may well be answered below. Here you will find the most popular FAQs. Should you not find the answer you are looking for here explore, our other FAQs using the link at the bottom of the list.
How do I become a member of the CIPD?
There are different ways you can become a member of the CIPD. The best route for you will depend on your individual circumstances and your reasons for joining.
Recognition of your professional achievements and qualifications
Membership of the CIPD can give you professional recognition of your existing experience and/or qualifications in personnel and development. You can achieve this recognition in several ways.
Professional Assessment of Competence (PAC) route
If you have at least 5 years’ management-level experience (including 3 years in a HR role) and you are currently operating at a senior level, you can apply to have your experience assessed against our Professional Standards.
How do I apply?
- Look at our Professional Standards and make notes of how and where you meet these, and where you’re able to provide evidence of this.
- Contact your nearest accredited PAC centre to arrange a diagnostic discussion with an adviser. This will help you decide if the PAC route is right for you.
- If you do decide to go ahead you’ll need to complete a membership application form, which your centre will supply.
Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) route
We recognise that many postgraduate-level qualifications match some areas of our Professional Standards. You can apply to have such qualifications assessed by us as long as they were awarded within the last ten years. You can gain exemptions from up to 50% of our practitioner-level qualification, the Professional Development Scheme (PDS) based on any one relevant postgraduate-level qualification you hold. If you hold a second qualification at this level you may be able to gain exemptions from further PDS modules, with the exception of Applied Personnel and Development, which you must study through an accredited CIPD centre.
If you gained APCL exemptions from a full field of the PDS you will be awarded Licenciate membership of the CIPD.
How do I apply?
- Check your qualification is at postgraduate level, is under 10 years old, and you have the full syllabus.
- Look at our Professional Standards to check which modules you wish to gain accreditation for.
- Complete and return workbook syllabus and application for assessment.
Achievement of a CIPD qualification
You can gain professional recognition by achieving a CIPD qualification. There is a wide range of options open to you through this route to membership. It is a requirement that you join the CIPD as a member, whilst you are studying for your qualification
Educational route
Our qualifications are designed to suit a wide range of people, from those new to people management and development to those in more senior roles. Our network of centres provides a range of full-time, part-time, block release, flexible learning and work-based assessment options.
How do I apply?
This is a three stage process.
- Choose the qualification that is right for you.
- Select from the range of study and assessment options available for that course.
- 3Contact your preferred centre to enrol on your course. You will need to register with the CIPD as a member through your centre. Access member services only
There are two options open to you if you want to access our member benefits and services only. You can join us as an individual member in the Affiliate grade. Or, your organisation can join us as an Organisation member.
Affiliate membership
Any individual with an interest in people management and development can join us as an Affiliate member. This gives you immediate access to our member benefits and services. However, Affiliate membership is not a professional grade of membership and carries no designatory letters.
How do I apply?
- Complete an Affiliate membership application form
- Send it to us together with payment
Organisation membership
If you are interested in membership for your organisation, then Organisation membership is for you. It gives access to our member benefits and services through named individuals in your organisation. You can specify the number of named individuals dependent on the size of your organisation, and these can be changed at any time.
How do I apply?
- Complete an Organisation membership form
- Send it to us together with payment
What qualifications does the CIPD offer?
We offer three types of qualification. In addition, many post graduate and Masters degrees are accredited by the CIPD as they meet our Professional Standards in full or in part
Practitioner - level qualification
The Professional Development Scheme (PDS) is the educational programme based on our Professional Standards at practitioner-level. It is aimed at those seeking to advance their management career in personnel and development.
The PDS involves 4 fields of study:
- Leadership and management - the Standards
- People Management and Development - the Standards
- Generalist and Specialist Personnel and Development - the Standards
- Applied Personnel and Development - the Standards
- Leadership and management - the Standards
This field requires you to demonstrate your knowledge and competence in managing and leading organisations at an operational and strategic level. There are four modules in this field:
- Managing for Results
- Managing and Leading People
- Managing in a Strategic Business Context
- Managing Information for Competitive Advantage
- People Management and Development - the Standards
This field covers all the vital elements that make up personnel and development. It provides you with greater awareness of how personnel and development can contribute to organisational success.
- Specialist and Generalist Personnel and Development - the Standards
You'll need to choose four modules from one or more of the following streams:
- People Resourcing
- Learning and Development
- Employee Reward
- Employee Relations.
The generalist modules introduces you to the knowledge and competence required when operating as a personnel and development practitioner. The specialist modules will give you the opportunity to concentrate on a specific stream.
- Applied Personnel and Development - the Standards
There are two aspects to this:
- The Management Report - this assesses your professional competence in the workplace.
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD) - this is a systematic and continuous review of your development.
The PDS is available through full-time study, part-time study, block release, open learning or flexible learning. Courses are run by CIPD approved centres.
Completion of all four fields of the PDS leads to Graduate membership of the CIPD. Completion of one, two or three fields (but not Applied Personnel and Development) leads to Licentiate membership, providing it involves successfully passing our national examinations.
Transitional-level qualification
- Certificate in Business Awareness and Advanced Professional Study (CBAAPS) - the Standards
The Certificate in Business Awareness and Advanced Professional Study (CBAAPS) introduces you to the wide range of business skills needed in today's competitive environment. If you've completed a CIPD Certificate or have a degree level qualification, CBAAPS will enable you to make the transition onto the postgraduate CIPD Professional Development Scheme (PDS). CBAAPS doesn't lead to a membership upgrade, but if you go on to complete all four fields of the PDS, you'll be upgraded to Graduate.
Support-level qualifications
Our support-level qualifications are aimed at those who want to build and develop their career in personnel and development. Successful completion of a one of these qualifications leads to Associate membership. Our support-level qualifications include:
- Certificate in Personnel Practice (CPP) - the Standards
This introduces you to a wide range of practical skills required by line managers, personnel officers, secretarial/ personnel assistants, or clerical staff.
- Certificate in Training Practice (CTP) - the Standards
Studying for this provides you with your first step towards a successful career in training. It covers the skills required by proficient trainers such as training officers, training advisers and line managers.
- Certificate in Recruitment and Selection (CRS) - the Standards
The CRS takes a skills-based approach and provides practical and authoritative guidance on best practice. It is designed for personnel officers, recruitment consultants or line managers with responsibility for recruitment and selection.
- Certificate in Employment Relations Law and Practice (CERLAP) - the Standards
This Certificate covers key aspects of the employment function required by personnel/human resources or employee relations assistants, line managers, owners/managers of small businesses or anyone new to, or aspiring to, a career in personnel, human resources or employee relations.
Achievement of any of the above Certificates leads to Associate membership.
Vocational Qualifications
Through our network of assessment centres we offer NVQ/SVQs and a variety of other vocational awards. These are offered in the areas of learning and development, recruitment consultancy, management and personnel. Some of these qualifications lead to a grade of CIPD membership.
Which course is best for me?
To help you decide, you should consider the following:
Level of qualification
a) Your experience to date
b) Any qualifications you already have
c) Your current job role
d) The grade of CIPD membership you are seeking
e) Your career plans
Preferred study options
a) Regular attendance at college or university
b) Block release
c) Flexible study with support
d) Open learning
e) Work-based assessment
Personal needs
a) Time
b) Cost
c) Location
Take a closer look at each qualification to help you to decide which is best for you.