Count what a typical learner does
Add up the time to read or watch the material at a normal pace and to complete the understanding check. A 25-minute video with a 10-question quiz is closer to 0.75 hours than to 1.
Do not count
- Optional further reading the learner may never open
- Time spent logging in, paying or downloading the certificate
- Rounding up to the next whole hour because it looks better
A 25-minute video with a 10-question quiz is closer to 0.75 hours than to 1.
Test it
The simplest method is the best one. Ask two or three people from the target audience to complete the activity and time them. Use the middle result. Record how you got the figure.
Reading-based activities
For an article, a working rule is about 200 to 250 words a minute for professional reading, plus time for the reflection questions. A 2,000-word article with three reflection questions comes out near a quarter of an hour, which is why short articles are usually worth 0.25 or 0.5 hours.
Points are not always hours
Some regulators convert time to points using their own rules. Where that applies, the provider states the hours and explains the conversion, and the learner checks it against the regulator's own guidance.
