Quick reference The timer lets you track time spent on CPD sessions in real time — start it when you begin, stop it when you finish. You can also log time retrospectively (time already spent). Timer sessions are attached to activities and contribute to your hours total. One active session at a time.
7.1 Why time tracking matters
CIMA does not set a minimum number of hours for CPD, but it recommends approximately 20 hours of development per year. More importantly, the CIMA form requires start and end dates (and by implication, duration) for each development activity. Accurate time records strengthen your submission.
CPDFlow’s timer removes the friction of time tracking — you do not have to calculate durations manually or try to remember how long something took. Start the timer when you begin a CPD session, stop it when you finish.
7.2 The timer widget
The active timer is visible on the dashboard when a session is running. It shows the elapsed time and the activity it is linked to, with pause/stop controls.
7.3 Starting a timer
There are two ways to start a timer:
From the dashboard: Select Start Timer in the timer widget. You will be prompted to link the session to an activity (optional — you can link it when you stop).
From an activity: Open any activity and select Start Timer. The session is linked to that activity automatically.
Once running, you can leave CPDFlow and the timer continues. Return at any point to check the elapsed time.
7.4 Pausing and resuming
Select Pause on the timer widget to pause the session. The elapsed time at the moment of pausing is saved. Resume when you return to your CPD session — accumulated time is preserved across pauses.
7.5 Stopping a timer
Select Stop when your session is complete. You will be prompted to:
- Confirm or change the activity the session is linked to
- Add an optional note describing what you worked on
The completed session is added to the activity’s time log. The session duration is added to the activity’s total hours.
7.6 Logging retrospective time
If you spent time on CPD before starting a timer — or prefer not to use the timer at all — you can log time retrospectively.
From an activity: Open the activity, go to the Timer Sessions section, and select Log Time. Enter:
- Duration (hours and minutes)
- Date the session took place
- Optional note
This is equivalent to a completed timer session and contributes to the activity’s total hours in the same way.
7.7 Editing and deleting sessions
Timer sessions can be edited after the fact. Open an activity, go to Timer Sessions, and select the session you want to edit. You can change:
- Start time
- Stop time
- Duration (if manual)
- Note
Only completed sessions (not running or paused) can be edited.
To delete a session, open it and select Delete. Note that deleting a session removes that time from the activity’s total hours.
7.8 One active session at a time
CPDFlow allows only one running or paused timer session at a time. If you try to start a second session while one is active, you will be prompted to stop or discard the existing one first.
What’s next?
Time tracked via the timer or logged retrospectively appears on the activity’s detail page and contributes to your cycle’s hours total. See Chapter 5 — Activities for managing the full activity record, and Chapter 6 — The Inbox for logging time captured at inbox creation time.