Join through CIPD Experience Assessment
Use your real world experience to gain the professional accreditation employers respect, using our Experience Assessment tool

Use your real world experience to gain the professional accreditation employers respect, using our Experience Assessment tool
Experience Assessment offers a direct route to membership for those with recent experience in the people profession, without the need for additional study.
It lets you showcase your skills, knowledge, and career achievements to demonstrate that you have the necessary real-world expertise required for your desired CIPD membership grade. The evidence must come from the last five years of professional experience.
You can also use Experience Assessment if you are already in CIPD membership and want to upgrade to Chartered Member or Chartered Fellow, without additional study.
Full details of the Experience Assessment process and what it involves can be found on this page including an FAQ section below.
If you'd like to talk about the assessment and reasonable adjustments, email us at ea@cipd.co.uk or call us on +44 (0) 20 8612 6208 (09:00 - 16:00 Mon - Fri UK time) to find out more.
Use the membership standards to identify which membership grade is right for you. Depending on your level of experience, you can achieve one of the following CIPD membership grades with Experience Assessment:
Use our free 10-minute pre-assessment tool to find out if you're eligible for Experience Assessment. The pre-assessment can also help you to choose the right grade to apply for and identify areas for development.
Choose when to start your assessment within three months. After registration and payment, you'll get access to your CIPD member benefits, including a range of materials, online research and communities that’ll help and support you throughout your online assessment.
Your online assessment will take about three days over a four-week period. It comprises two elements: knowledge and impact report, and information on your professional development.
You’ll have a virtual discussion with an experienced CIPD assessor to talk about your career and explore your evidence in more detail. This discussion takes around 1.5 hours.
You'll get the outcome of your Experience Assessment within four weeks. If you're successful, you'll be awarded Associate Member, Chartered Member or Chartered Fellow grade and receive your CIPD certificate.
Our membership year runs from 1st July to 30th June, and you can join membership at any time.
*The one-off assessment fee is non-refundable
**Your Membership fee covers up to 12 months, valid until 30 June 2025
***Next time you renew your membership, you’ll pay the membership fee for the grade you’re awarded.
A CIPD qualification gives you the skills to thrive in the workplace at any stage of your career. Find out more with CIPD today.
Shape the future of the world of work by achieving Chartered status. Becoming a Chartered Member (MCIPD) or Chartered Fellow (FCIPD) is the ultimate badge of expertise, credibility and authority in the people profession.
We have a range of CIPD membership options that will support the diverse needs of your team.