Calculate CEUs from contact hours or program minutes, subtract non-allowable time, and estimate PDUs using standard education conversions.
CEU Formula
The calculator uses three related formulas, one per tab.
CEU Converter
CEUs = Contact Hours / 10
Minutes to CEUs
CEUs = (Total Minutes - Non-allowable Minutes) / 600
PDU Estimate
PDU = Contact Hours = CEUs * 10
- CEUs: Continuing Education Units awarded
- Contact Hours: clock hours of qualified instruction
- Total Minutes: full scheduled program length
- Non-allowable Minutes: meals, breaks, registration, and other non-credit time
- PDU: Professional Development Unit, used by PMI and similar bodies
Assumptions: 1 CEU equals 10 contact hours under the IACET standard. 1 contact hour equals 1 PDU for education activities under PMI’s Talent Triangle. Some boards round CEUs to the nearest 0.1 or require a minimum of 0.5. Always confirm rounding rules with the credentialing body that will accept the credit.
The CEU Converter tab moves between contact hours and CEUs in either direction. The Minutes tab takes a raw program length, subtracts time that does not qualify for credit, then converts the allowable minutes to hours and CEUs. The PDU tab maps a course’s hours or CEUs to PDU, with an optional flag for whether the activity included a scored assessment.
Reference Tables
Use these to sanity check a calculator result or to plan a program before you build it.
| Contact Hours | Contact Minutes | CEUs | PDU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | 0.1 | 1 |
| 5 | 300 | 0.5 | 5 |
| 7.5 | 450 | 0.75 | 7.5 |
| 10 | 600 | 1.0 | 10 |
| 16 | 960 | 1.6 | 16 |
| 24 | 1,440 | 2.4 | 24 |
| 40 | 2,400 | 4.0 | 40 |
Typical renewal requirements vary by profession. The table below lists common ranges. Confirm the current rule with your specific board, since states and chapters set their own cycles.
| Credential | Cycle | Typical Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (RN) | 2 years | 20 to 30 contact hours |
| Professional Engineer (PE) | 1 to 2 years | 15 PDH per year |
| CPA | 1 to 3 years | 40 CPE hours per year |
| PMP | 3 years | 60 PDU |
| SHRM-CP / SHRM-SCP | 3 years | 60 PDC |
| Licensed Teacher | 5 years | 6 to 15 CEUs |
Worked Examples and FAQ
Example 1: Hours to CEUs. A workshop runs 7.5 contact hours. CEUs = 7.5 / 10 = 0.75 CEUs.
Example 2: Minutes with breaks removed. A two day course is scheduled for 960 minutes total. Lunch and breaks total 120 minutes. Allowable = 960 – 120 = 840 minutes. Hours = 840 / 60 = 14. CEUs = 14 / 10 = 1.4 CEUs.
Example 3: CEUs to PDU. A provider awards 0.6 CEUs. Contact hours = 0.6 * 10 = 6. PDU = 6.
Is 1 CEU always 10 hours? Yes under the IACET standard, which most US providers follow. A few state boards define their own “CEU” with different math, so check the specific rule.
Do breaks count? No. Meals, networking, registration, and breaks are subtracted before converting to CEUs. Use the Minutes tab to handle this.
Can a session be less than 1 contact hour? Yes. Most boards accept partial credit in 0.1 CEU increments, which is 6 minutes. Some require a 0.5 or 1.0 minimum per activity.
Are CEUs and college credits the same? No. CEUs are non-degree credit. A semester credit hour represents a different time commitment and is not interchangeable.
What about self-study or webinars? Many boards accept them, sometimes with a cap. The calculation is the same. The acceptance rule is separate from the math.
