Frequently asked questions

Who can use CPDpoints.com?

CPDpoints.com is designed for optical professionals, including optometrists, dispensing opticians, contact lens opticians, specialty optometrists, trainee dispensing opticians, trainee contact lens opticians and pre-registration optometrists.

Our content is suitable for General Optical Council (GOC) registrants in the UK, as well as optical professionals completing CPD as part of an application to restore to the GOC register. It is also suitable for CORU registrants in Ireland and optical professionals completing their professional development through Norges Optikerforbund in Norway or Optikerförbundet in Sweden.

Our content may also be suitable for optical professionals in other countries where the relevant professional development scheme allows learning activities to be self-certified.

Is CPDpoints.com a GOC-approved CPD provider?

Yes. CPDpoints.com is an approved provider with the General Optical Council (GOC). We offer provider-led GOC-approved learning through online courses, live webinars, peer review sessions and clinical events.

Is CPDpoints.com only for optical professionals in the UK?

No. Although our activities include GOC-approved CPD for UK optical professionals, all of our content is also suitable for optical professionals registered with CORU in Ireland and those completing professional development through Norges Optikerforbund in Norway or Optikerförbundet in Sweden.

We report completed activities for optical professionals in Norway and Sweden. CORU operates a self-certification process, so professionals registered in Ireland can use their CPDpoints.com certificate and course information to record completed learning within their own professional development portfolio.

Our content may also be suitable for professionals participating in other self-certifying country schemes. As requirements vary, you should confirm that an activity meets the rules of your relevant regulator or professional association.

Is it free to register?

Yes. You can create a CPDpoints.com account free of charge using your name and email address. Your first piece of CPD content is also free, allowing you to experience the platform before deciding whether to subscribe or pay for individual activities.

How much does CPDpoints.com cost?

You can purchase individual CPD activities on a pay-as-you-go basis or choose an annual subscription. The annual subscription currently costs £170 and provides access to the subscription content available on CPDpoints.com for 12 months.

What types of CPD are available?

CPDpoints.com offers a wide range of professional learning, including articles, clinical case studies, recorded lectures, webinars and peer review activities. New content is added regularly and covers a variety of clinical and professional topics relevant to optical practice.

Our content can support the professional development of General Optical Council (GOC) registrants in the UK, CORU registrants in Ireland and optical professionals in Norway and Sweden. It may also be suitable for other international schemes that allow professionals to self-certify their learning.

How many GOC CPD points do I need?

Most fully qualified optometrists and dispensing opticians are required to obtain a minimum of 36 CPD points during the three-year General Optical Council (GOC) cycle. Additional requirements apply to registrants with a specialty, and requirements may be adjusted for those joining the register partway through a cycle.

You should check your GOC MyCPD account for your individual points target, progress and any outstanding requirements.

Can I search for CPD relevant to my profession?

Yes. You can browse and filter the available CPD to find activities that are relevant to your profession and learning needs. Each course page shows the intended professional audience, the number of CPD points available, the learning outcomes and the associated professional domains.

Some CPD may be available to several professional groups, while other activities are designed for a specific target audience. The information shown on each course will help you identify the learning that is relevant to your role and professional requirements.

How do I receive my CPD certificate?

Once you have successfully completed an activity and met its completion requirements, your certificate will be available to download from your CPDpoints.com account.

Your certificate provides a record of the activity you completed and can be used as evidence when recording your CPD.

Does CPDpoints.com upload my points to MyCPD?

You will need to download your certificate from CPDpoints.com and upload it to MyCPD as evidence when allocating your points. Your CPDpoints.com account provides a record of the activities you have started and completed, but it does not replace your General Optical Council (GOC) MyCPD record.

Please make sure that the information recorded in MyCPD accurately reflects the activity you completed and continue to check your account to monitor your progress against your individual GOC requirements.

Does CPDpoints.com offer interactive CPD?

Yes. We offer interactive GOC-approved CPD through live webinars, peer review sessions and other activities that allow optical professionals to participate in discussion and engage with their peers.

The course information will confirm whether an activity is interactive, the professional groups it is suitable for and the number of CPD points available.

How do I complete interactive CPD and what do the statuses mean?

For eligible distance learning courses, you can choose to receive a non-interactive point or apply for an interactive point. Once you have passed the course, return to the course page and select your preferred option "receive non-interactive points" or "apply for interactive points".

Pending means that you have completed the course but have not yet selected whether you want to receive an interactive or non-interactive point.

If you select the interactive option, discuss the course with a suitable peer within 14 days, submit a summary of your discussion and ask your peer to verify it by email.

Checking interactive means that your discussion form has been submitted and is awaiting verification. Please make sure your peer has responded to the verification email.

Your interactive certificate will be issued once verification is complete. If the process is not completed within 14 days, you will receive a non-interactive certificate instead. Read our guide to interactive CPD points for more information.

What is a peer review pack?

We offer provider-led online peer review sessions as well as self-directed peer review packs. Our provider-led sessions are facilitated by an experienced moderator and allow you to discuss clinical cases with fellow optical professionals.

A peer review pack provides the materials you need to organise your own discussion with fellow optical professionals. Each pack includes fictional clinical cases, discussion points and supporting guidance to help your group explore different approaches and reflect on professional practice.

The course information will explain which professional groups and domains the activity is suitable for. You should compare this with the requirements shown in your MyCPD account before arranging your session.

Please note that self-directed peer review packs are not suitable for optical professionals completing CPD as part of an application to restore to the General Optical Council (GOC) register, as they do not count towards their restoration requirements. Restorers should select a suitable provider-led peer review session.

Can I complete CPD online?

Yes. CPDpoints.com allows you to access and complete a wide range of CPD online. Our on-demand articles, recorded lectures and clinical case studies can be completed at a time and pace that suits you.

We also offer scheduled online webinars and peer review sessions for activities that involve live participation and discussion.

How often is new CPD added?

New learning is added monthly throughout the year. You can check the CPD library, upcoming events and our blog to discover new activities, clinical topics and professional development opportunities.

Do you run CPD events?

Yes. We run regular live online webinars and provider-led peer review sessions for optical professionals. Upcoming dates, activity details and registration information can be found on our Events page.

We also provide bespoke CPD events for optical practices, groups, Local Optical Committees and other organisations across the UK and Ireland.

Can CPDpoints.com support practices, LOCs or organisations?

Yes. We work with optical practices, Local Optical Committees and other organisations to provide tailored CPD courses, webinars, peer review sessions and events.

We can also support the development of educational content, event administration and ongoing CPD management. Please contact us to discuss your requirements and how we may be able to help.

I am having difficulty accessing or completing CPD. How can I get help?

Please email [email protected] or call us on 0131 526 3800.

When contacting us, please include the email address linked to your CPDpoints.com account and the title of the activity you are trying to access or complete. This will help our team investigate the issue more quickly.

Want to know more? Drop us an email at [email protected]

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