NSW measures builder CPD in points, and a point is a unit of time at a rate set by the type of activity. For most CPD an hour is a point. For a narrower category of assessed, accredited learning an hour is two points. A small number of points come from things that are not learning hours at all. Knowing which rate applies is how you avoid over-claiming at audit, and how you plan twelve points without doing more hours than you need.
The short version
1 point per hour for interactive learning on an approved topic, with stated outcomes, from a provider with industry expertise. 2 points per hour for learning with an assessable outcome tied to a National Training Package or university qualification, delivered by an RTO or university. 1 to 2 points each for apprentices, trainees or a partner learning on the business’s behalf, capped at 4 points a year combined.
The conversion table
| Activity | Rate | 2 hours | 6 hours | 12 points is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive course, workshop, forum or conference on an approved topic (any provider with industry expertise) | 1 pt/hr | 2 pts | 6 pts | 12 hours |
| Assessed learning tied to a training package or degree (RTO or university) | 2 pts/hr | 4 pts | 12 pts | 6 hours |
| Apprentice or trainee employed under a formal training arrangement | 1 pt each per year | Not hours-based | Max 4 pts from this row | |
| Partner or associate learning on the business’s behalf | 1 to 2 pts | Not hours-based | Shares the 4-pt cap | |
What decides the rate
Not the topic, not the provider’s reputation, and not how hard the course was. The 2-point rate needs three things at once: an assessable outcome, a link to a National Training Package unit or a university qualification, and delivery by an RTO or an Australian university. Miss any one and the activity is at the 1-point rate, however good it was.
An assessed course from a non-RTO provider is 1 point per hour. An RTO’s unassessed information session is 1 point per hour. An RTO unit assessed against a unit of competency is 2 points per hour. Ask the provider which unit or qualification the assessment maps to; if there is no answer, the rate is 1.
The hours that count
Learning time only. A full-day seminar advertised as eight hours with an hour’s lunch and two coffee breaks is six and a half hours of learning, and the provider’s record of attendance should say so. Travel does not count. Reading the pre-course material at home does not count unless it is part of an interactive activity with stated outcomes.
Three worked conversions
- Two online interactive courses of two hours each from a provider with industry expertise: 4 points.
- A three-hour RTO unit assessed against a training package unit: 6 points.
- A full-day association event with six hours of sessions, plus one apprentice employed: 6 + 1 = 7 points.
Put together, those three examples are 17 points: 12 for the year and 5 carried forward.
What goes on the record
The provider’s record of attendance should carry the duration, the assessment type and the points earned. Those three fields are what an auditor uses to check the rate you claimed. If a certificate says 2 points for a one-hour course, the provider is asserting the RTO tier; the assessment type on the certificate should show it, and you should be able to name the unit it maps to. If it cannot, treat it as 1 point per hour in your diary.
Planning twelve points by hours
At the 1-point rate, twelve points is twelve hours a year, and every PointCPD course banks at least 2 of them with the topic, duration, assessment and points on the certificate. The how-many-points guide has more worked years, and the complete NSW CPD guide covers everything else.
Questions builders ask
Is one CPD point one hour?
For interactive learning on an approved topic from a provider with industry expertise, yes: 1 point per hour. Assessed learning tied to a National Training Package or university qualification, delivered by an RTO or university, earns 2 points per hour.
Do half hours count?
The NSW page states the rates per hour and does not publish a rounding rule. Providers state the points on the record of attendance; claim what the provider records and keep the duration with it. If you are relying on part-hours from an unusual activity, confirm with Fair Trading rather than assume.
Does travel or lunch at a seminar count toward the hours?
No. Only the learning time counts.
Sources: NSW Government, Continuing professional development for builders and swimming pool builders.