Both of Australia’s main accounting bodies ask for 120 hours over three years. That is where the similarity ends. They run on different years, they treat verifiable hours differently, and their ethics requirements differ.
Side by side
Requirement | CPA Australia | CA ANZ (Chartered Accountants) |
Three-year period | Calendar years. The current period is 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028 | Starts 1 July. The current period is 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028 |
Year ends | 31 December | 30 June |
Total over three years | 120 hours | 120 hours |
Each year | At least 20 hours | At least 20 hours |
Verifiable | Ethics hours must be verifiable | 90 of the 120 hours |
Ethics | At least 2 verifiable hours a year, and 10 over three years | At least 2 verifiable hours over three years |
Records | Record activities in your CPD Diary | Keep records for six years |
CPA Australia
CPA Australia counts “any activity that increases your knowledge, skills and ability to do your job”, including online courses and self-study. Reading articles from professional journals and magazines counts too, up to “a maximum of 10 hours in total”.
Ethics hours are the exception. They must be verifiable, and CPA Australia is specific about the evidence: a certificate of completion or confirmation of attendance. Presentation slides, registration emails and general course materials are not enough.
If you joined before 30 June, your three-year period started on 1 January of that year. If you joined after 30 June, it started on 1 January of the following year.
CA ANZ
CA ANZ asks for most of your hours to be verifiable: 90 of the 120. Its member guidance also says at least 20 hours should be verifiable in each year. It defines verifiable CPD as activities “for which there is Verifiable Evidence to support their completion”. That includes attendance records, certificates of completion, registration forms, invoices, and independent assessment by a competent individual.
Informal, independent learning, such as reading technical articles or mentoring discussions, is non-verifiable.
Requirements are lower for other membership levels. Associate Chartered Accountants need 90 hours over three years, 67 of them verifiable, with at least 15 verifiable a year. Accounting Technicians need 60 hours, 45 of them verifiable, with at least 10 a year.
Where CPDProof fits
For CPA Australia members, CPDProof gives you a record for each online learning activity: what you studied, when, for how long, and a quiz you passed, all checkable through a QR code. For CA ANZ members, a CPDProof certificate is written evidence that you completed an activity, which CA ANZ’s definition of verifiable CPD asks for.
Neither body pre-approves CPDProof, and no provider can guarantee acceptance. Choose content relevant to your role, and keep your certificates with your CPD records.
See plans [link: /buy-credits]
Common questions
I’m a member of both bodies. Which year do I follow?
Each body’s own. Your CPA Australia hours run to 31 December and your CA ANZ hours to 30 June, so plan for both dates.
Does reading count for CPA Australia?
Yes, up to a maximum of 10 hours in total, and the reading must be relevant to your role.
What is the CA ANZ deadline?
The CA ANZ year ends on 30 June. The current three-year period ends on 30 June 2028.
Related: What counts as verifiable CPD [link: /blog/what-counts-as-verifiable-cpd] · Free verifiable CPD hours: what actually counts [link: /blog/free-verifiable-cpd-hours]
Sources: CPA Australia, Continuing Professional Development · CPA Australia, Recording CPD hours · CPA Australia, CPD review process · CA ANZ, CPD requirements for members · CA ANZ, Regulation CR 7 (PDF)