Logging External CPD
Some of your professional development happens away from this platform - an external congress, an online course, or a workshop run by another organization. You can log that activity yourself so it counts toward your CPD / CE totals. Depending on how the organization has set things up, an organizer reviews your claim first and then adds the points to your record, or the claim counts straight away.
For example, if you attended a cardiology congress run by a different body, you can log it here, attach your certificate of attendance as evidence, and have those points recognized alongside the credit you earned at this event.
Before logging an external activity, make sure:
- You are signed in - claims are tied to your account.
- Your organization accepts external CPD - if the organization has switched claims off, the Log external CPD button is not shown. Claims you filed earlier stay visible.
- The activity has already happened - you cannot log an activity dated in the future.
- You have any required evidence ready - some programs require you to upload proof (a certificate, receipt, or transcript) before a claim can be submitted.
Me > My CPD > Claims > Log external CPD
Open My CPD, go to the Claims tab and choose Log external CPD. In the mobile app, open Account > My CPD log, go to the Claims tab and choose Log external CPD.
One form. If you have only one programme you can claim for, it is named for you; otherwise you choose the programme first. You then pick a category from chips, enter minutes or points, and fill in the activity details. A live "You're claiming..." line repeats what you are about to submit, and a note tells you whether an admin reviews the claim before it counts or it counts straight away.
Logging an Activity
- Open Log external CPD.
- Choose the programme the activity counts toward (skipped when only one is available).
- Choose the category.
- Enter the activity title (for example, "International Cardiology Congress 2026").
- Optionally add the provider - the organization that ran the activity.
- Set the activity date - the day the activity took place. Future dates are not accepted.
- Enter either minutes spent or points claimed, depending on what the category asks for.
- Optionally add a short description.
- Attach evidence if the programme requires it (or if it helps your case).
- Check the "You're claiming..." preview and select Submit claim.
Evidence can be a PDF, a Word, Excel or PowerPoint document, or an image, up to 25 MB. In the mobile app you can choose a document, a photo from your photo library, or take a photo with your camera.
Minutes or Points
The form asks for whichever measure the category uses:
- Minutes spent - the category works out your points from the time you spent, using the program's hourly rate. Enter a whole number of minutes.
- Points claimed - the category lets you claim a set number of points directly. Enter a positive value.
You only ever see one of these two fields, based on the category you chose.
Per-Cycle Limits
A programme can limit how many self-reported points you may hold in one cycle. If your claim would take you over that limit, ema refuses it and tells you so. Reduce the amount, or contact the organizer.
A member attends a 90-minute external workshop that maps to a category measured in minutes. They open the Claims tab, choose Log external CPD, pick the category, enter the workshop title, set the date, type 90 minutes, attach their certificate of attendance, and submit. The claim shows as under review until an organizer looks at it, then its points appear in their totals. If the organization does not require approval, the points count as soon as the claim is submitted.
After You Submit
Whether your claim waits depends on the organization. When approval is required, your claim enters a review queue for an organizer and shows Under review. When it is not, ema certifies the claim straight away, and your certificate and any CE sync follow with no review.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under review | Submitted and waiting for an organizer to review it. |
| Approved | Reviewed and accepted - the points now count toward your totals. |
| Rejected | Reviewed and not accepted. The points do not count, and the organizer's Reason is shown on the claim. |
| Withdrawn | You cancelled the claim before it was reviewed. |
Each claim also shows its title, points, an Evidence link when you attached a file, and a Withdraw action while it is under review.
Withdrawing a Pending Claim
If you submitted a claim by mistake or want to change it, you can withdraw it while it is still Under review:
- Find the pending claim on the Claims tab.
- Select Withdraw and confirm.
Once an organizer has approved or rejected a claim, you can no longer withdraw it - if it needs changing after that, contact the organizer. You can withdraw a pending claim even if the organization has since switched external claims off.
When approval is required, a claim is not credit until an organizer approves it. If your program requires evidence, you must attach it before you can submit - a claim without required evidence will not go through.
You can log, view, and withdraw your own claims. You cannot decide how many points a claim is worth, approve your own claim, or log against every program - external claims are only supported for the organizer's internally tracked, project-based programs, and there may be a limit on how many self-reported points you can earn per cycle. If the program you need is not listed, the button is missing, or your claim is rejected, the organizer is the one to contact.
Check Your Work
- Your claim appears on the Claims tab with an Under review status (or Approved when the organization does not require approval).
- If the program required evidence, the claim row shows an Evidence link to your uploaded file.
- The claim appears straight away on the Activity tab of My CPD / CE under External CPD, marked pending while it is under review. Once it is approved, its points count toward your totals on the Progress tab.
Related Guides
- My CPD / CE - see your progress and download certificates once your claim is approved.