How Many CPD Points Do I Need in 2026? A State-by-State Guide for Built Environment Professionals
Most built environment professionals in Australia need between 12 and 50 CPD points each year to maintain registration, accreditation, or membership. The exact number depends on which body regulates you, not which state you live in. Here is the quick version:
| Profession | Annual CPD requirement |
| Architect (any state) | 20 hours, 10 of which must be formal |
| Building designer (BDAA member) | 20 points, 10 formal and 10 informal |
| Chartered engineer (Engineers Australia) | 150 hours over 3 years, averaging 50 per year |
| Energy assessor (NatHERS accredited) | 12 points, 6 formal technical and 6 informal |
| NSW residential builder | 12 points per licence year |
| NSW building certifier | 25 points per year |
| Interior designer (DIA Accredited) | 50 points per calendar year |
If you scrolled here for one number and you know which body you report to, you have it. The rest of this article is what the table cannot tell you: the mandatory topics, the audit risk, the formal versus informal split, and the courses that actually count.
Why the Number Matters More Than People Realise
CPD is not paperwork. It is the difference between a renewed registration and a suspended one. It is the trail you point to when a defects claim lands on your desk and someone asks how current your knowledge was when you signed off the documentation. It is also, increasingly, the thing being audited.
NSW ARB audits roughly 5% of practising architects each year. NSW Fair Trading can refuse a builder’s licence renewal if 12 points are not on file. NatHERS Accredited Assessor Organisations (AAOs) deregister assessors who do not meet the 12-point annual minimum. The penalties are real, and they are not theoretical.
Most professionals lose points the same way: they assume the conference they went to in March counted as formal, they assume the lunch-and-learn from the window supplier counted as formal, and they assume they have until December to top up. None of those assumptions are reliably true.
That is the gap this guide is built to close.
How CPD Actually Works in Australia
Before the numbers, a quick reset on the mechanics. Most Australian CPD schemes share four common features.
One point equals one hour. Across nearly every body referenced in this guide, one CPD point represents one hour of relevant learning activity. There are exceptions for academic work and authorship, but the one-to-one rule is the working baseline.
Formal versus informal. Formal CPD is a structured activity with defined learning outcomes and either an assessment, a quiz, or significant interaction between presenter and learner. Informal CPD is self-directed: reading a technical paper, attending a non-assessed presentation, watching a recorded session without verification of completion. Most schemes require a minimum portion of formal CPD. Skipping the formal portion is the single most common cause of audit failure.
Mandatory topics. Some bodies, particularly the state architect registration boards, mandate that part of your formal CPD must address specific subjects. In NSW this includes the National Construction Code, sustainability, ethics, and Understanding and Respecting Country. These are non-negotiable.
Record keeping and audits. You are required to keep evidence of your CPD for five to seven years depending on the body. Certificates, course outlines, assessment results, and time stamps all matter. If you cannot show it, you did not do it.
CPD Requirements by Profession
The rest of this article is the long form of the table above. If you only practise in one discipline, you can jump to your section.
Architects
Every state architect registration board in Australia has converged on the same baseline: 20 hours of CPD per year, with at least 10 hours being formal. What differs between states is the list of mandatory topics, the structure of the registration cycle, and the audit approach.
New South Wales. Practising architects must complete 20 hours of CPD annually, with at least 10 hours being formal. Of those 10 formal hours, a minimum of 3 hours must address the mandatory topics. CPD reports are submitted at the time of registration renewal. Architects on a 3 or 5 year registration term only report at the end of the term.
Victoria. ARBV requires 20 CPD points per registration year for all practising architects. Pro rata applies for partial-year registration. The framework allows both formal and informal learning, with formal activity carrying greater weight.
Queensland. BOAQ requires 20 hours of CPD annually, of which 10 must be formal. The Queensland CPD year runs from 1 April to 31 March, which is different to the calendar year. Records must be kept for at least five years.
Western Australia. The Architects Board of WA requires 20 CPD points per year, with a minimum of 10 formal points covering at least two of the four NSCA Units of Competency. The board audits at least 5% of practising architects every year as part of registration renewal.
South Australia. The Architectural Practice Board of South Australia requires 20 points annually, with 10 formal. One point equals one hour.
Tasmania. The Tasmanian Board of Architects requires 20 hours of acceptable CPD per year, with at least 10 hours being formal.
Northern Territory and ACT. Both jurisdictions align closely with the national baseline of 20 hours including 10 formal. Confirm with your registration board, as cycle dates and mandatory topics can vary.
If you are wondering why the architect numbers are so consistent: the National Standard of Competency for Architects (NSCA) sits underneath every state framework. The boards have aligned to it, even if the language they use to describe it differs.
Relevant courses on CPD On Demand: NCC 2025 Pipeline Protection, Balcony Waterproofing Under NCC 2025, Designing for Net-Zero Embodied Carbon.
Building Designers
The Building Designers Association of Australia (BDAA) sets the national baseline for non-architect building designers: 20 CPD points annually, comprising 10 formal points and 10 informal points. The BDAA reporting year runs from 1 July to 30 June, not the calendar year.
The important caveat: if you are registered or licensed in a state that mandates its own CPD requirements, the state requirement takes precedence over the BDAA scheme. That means:
- Queensland building designers registered under QBCC follow the QBCC CPD program.
- Tasmanian building designers registered under CBOS follow the Tasmanian licensing program.
- Victorian building designers registered under the new Building and Plumbing Commission follow the Victorian requirements.
In every case the standard the state regulator sets is the floor. Meeting BDAA without meeting your state regulator will not save your registration.
Relevant courses on CPD On Demand: Whole-of-Home Compliance: What Building Designers Are Actually Responsible For, Insulation Documentation That Gets Approved, Non-Conforming Building Products: Specification Risk and Documentation Defence.
Engineers
Engineers Australia is the dominant CPD scheme for engineers seeking to maintain Chartered status or remain on the National Engineering Register (NER). The structure is different to the other professions covered in this guide.
150 hours of CPD over a rolling 3 year period. That averages to 50 hours per year, but Engineers Australia measures across the triennium rather than annually. Within that 150 hours:
- At least 50 hours must relate to your area of engineering practice.
- At least 10 hours must focus on risk management.
- At least 15 hours must address business and management skills.
If you work in more than one area of practice, you must log at least 50 hours for each area across the three-year period. Engineering academics and teachers have an additional industry-involvement requirement.
Some Australian jurisdictions, including Victoria, Queensland, and the ACT, also operate registered professional engineer schemes with their own CPD overlays. If you hold one of those registrations, the state requirement applies in addition to, or instead of, the Engineers Australia rules.
Energy Assessors
If you produce NatHERS ratings, you must maintain accreditation through one of three approved Accredited Assessor Organisations (AAOs): ABSA, Design Matters National (DMN), or HERA. The annual CPD requirement across all three AAOs is the same:
12 CPD points per year, comprising 6 formal technical points and 6 informal industry knowledge points.
In addition to CPD, every accredited assessor must submit a minimum of three NatHERS for new homes assessments per year in each software tool they wish to remain accredited in. CPD alone does not maintain accreditation. Output does.
Energy assessors are also one of the most heavily audited groups in the built environment. The AAOs run accuracy and assumption audits (AAOs run AAO audits, which is unfortunate phrasing but unavoidable) that test whether your modelling reflects what was actually built. The most common failure mode is rework triggered by a small design change that was never re-rated.
Relevant courses on CPD On Demand: Common Mistakes Uncovered in AAO Audits, When a Design Change Triggers a Whole-of-Home Re-Rating, What to Expect From a NatHERS Audit.
Builders
In New South Wales, residential builders and swimming pool builders are required by law to complete 12 CPD points every year as a condition of licence renewal under the Home Building Act 1989. The requirement applies to contractor licence holders, not nominee supervisors only.
NSW Fair Trading recognises 8 approved learning areas: technical skills, sustainability, business management, work health and safety, legal and regulatory compliance, customer service and dispute resolution, digital literacy, and risk management. You are not required to spread your points across the categories. You can earn all 12 points in a single learning area if that is what your practice needs.
Multi-year licences accumulate proportionally: 36 points across a three-year licence. Up to 11 surplus points can be carried forward 12 months.
Other states are progressively moving towards mandatory builder CPD schemes, but as of 2026, NSW remains the most strictly regulated.
Building Certifiers and Surveyors
NSW certifiers must complete 25 CPD points annually under the NSW Fair Trading certifier framework. Mandatory components currently include the Certifier Practice Standard CPD course and the Certifier Corruption Prevention CPD course on the Construct NSW platform. Both must be completed by 30 June 2026.
If your professional association’s CPD program contributes fewer than 25 points, you must top up through activities recognised under the Fair Trading CPD guidelines. Up to 10 surplus points can be carried forward, except for swimming pool certifiers.
Victorian building surveyors are regulated under the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), which commenced on 1 July 2025. Confirm current requirements directly with the BPC.
Interior Designers
The Design Institute of Australia (DIA) operates a points-based accreditation scheme. To maintain the Accredited Designer status and the right to use the Accredited Designer logo, members must earn 50 CPD points per calendar year.
DIA CPD activities can come from any provider, not just the DIA. Conferences, courses, workshops, teaching, and authorship all count. The 50-point threshold is higher than other professions covered here, but the activities recognised are broader.
Mandatory Topics: The Trap Most People Miss
Almost every audit failure in the built environment comes down to one of two things. Either someone could not produce evidence of attendance, or they did the hours but missed the mandatory topics.
The mandatory topic list varies by body, but the recurring themes are:
- National Construction Code (NCC), including the 2025 update
- Sustainability and energy performance
- Ethics, conduct, and corruption prevention
- Cultural competency, including Understanding and Respecting Country (NSW architects)
- Building safety, defects, and waterproofing
- Practitioner responsibility under the Design and Building Practitioners Act
NSW architects must allocate at least 3 hours of their 10 formal hours to mandatory topics. NSW certifiers must complete specific named courses by 30 June 2026. NatHERS assessors must include NCC energy provisions in their formal technical points. The pattern is the same everywhere: the regulator is naming the topics and counting whether you covered them.
This is not the part to leave to a generic conference summary. This is the part to plan deliberately at the start of your cycle.
What to Do Next
Three things will get you through your next renewal cleanly.
One. Identify which body or bodies you report to. Many practitioners report to more than one. A building designer with BDAA membership and a Victorian registration reports to both. An architect with AIA A+ membership and NSW ARB registration reports to both. The regulator requirement always takes precedence.
Two. Map your formal CPD against the mandatory topics for your scheme before you book anything. The cheapest CPD course is the one you actually needed. The most expensive is the one you booked for the points and then had to redo because it did not satisfy a mandatory topic.
Three. Keep your certificates somewhere you can find them under pressure. Your dashboard, a dated folder, a spreadsheet. If a CPD audit lands on a Tuesday and your evidence is in a co-worker’s old email inbox, you will not enjoy the rest of that week.
CPD On Demand was built to make all of this easier. Every course is one hour, one point, with a certificate stored in your dashboard, mapped against the Performance Criteria codes and CPD frameworks of the major Australian built environment registration bodies. No subscription, no sales pitch dressed up as education, no guessing whether the session actually counts.
Browse the full CPD library or jump straight to your discipline: architects, building designers, energy assessors, trades.
The opposite of someday is today. Renewal will come faster than you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CPD points do architects need in Australia per year?
Practising architects in every Australian state and territory are required to complete 20 hours of CPD per year, of which at least 10 hours must be formal. Mandatory topics and reporting cycles vary by state.
Do BDAA members have to do the BDAA CPD program?
Yes, BDAA members must complete 20 CPD points per year (10 formal, 10 informal). However, if a BDAA member is also licensed or registered by a state body (QBCC in Queensland, CBOS in Tasmania, BPC in Victoria), the state requirement takes precedence.
How many CPD points does a NatHERS assessor need?
12 points per year. 6 formal technical and 6 informal industry knowledge. The requirement is the same across ABSA, Design Matters National, and HERA. Assessors must also submit at least 3 NatHERS new homes assessments per year per software tool to retain accreditation.
How many CPD points does a NSW builder need to renew their licence?
12 CPD points per year for residential builders and swimming pool builders under NSW Fair Trading. Missing CPD can result in refusal of licence renewal.
How many CPD points do I need in 2026?
The number has not changed for 2026. Architects still need 20 hours per year with 10 formal. Building designers under BDAA still need 20 points. NatHERS energy assessors still need 12 points. NSW residential builders still need 12 points. DIA Accredited Designers still need 50 points. What has changed in 2026 is the NCC 2025 transition, which means more of your formal CPD should be directed at understanding the new edition before your jurisdiction’s adoption date.
Are CPD On Demand courses recognised by the NSW Architects Registration Board, BDAA, and the NatHERS AAOs?
CPD On Demand courses are structured for self-assessment compliance. Each course is one hour with defined learning outcomes, a quiz, and a certificate of completion mapped to the Performance Criteria codes and the CPD frameworks of major Australian registration bodies. Final recognition depends on your registration body. Detailed accreditation status is published openly on the CPD On Demand About page.
When does the CPD year start and end?
It depends on the body. NSW ARB aligns to your registration renewal date. BOAQ runs 1 April to 31 March. BDAA runs 1 July to 30 June. Engineers Australia runs on a rolling 3 year triennium. Always confirm your reporting period before you plan your year.