Advisers will need to complete a minimum of 35 hours of relevant CPD each year, according to the FSA's latest Retail Distribution Review paper.
It is likely standards will become stricter as the regulator highlights "this should not just be an accumulation of certificates of attendance".
The regulator has confirmed full-time advisers will need to maintain this annual level of development, with at least 21 hours of this being structured learning.
It notes many advisers are already carrying out CPD well in excess of 35 hours, but one in five will have to increase the amount of time they spend on structured CPD.
It explains: "There will be increased emphasis on providing evidence that the adviser has gained new and relevant knowledge, skills or behaviours from the structured activity, linked with the requirements of the adviser's accredited body.
"Firms' own training and competence schemes will continue to play an important role in helping advisers to meet these requirements, particularly where those schemes already follow the approach above, as we have seen in many firms," it adds.
It says there are no plans at this stage to introduce a requirement for advisers to undertake more detailed periodic testing of their knowledge and skills.
"We will, however, monitor the need for such a requirement in the future through observing the experience of other professions and examining the effectiveness of our own professionalism policy once implemented."
CPD top-up will also be renamed ‘qualification gap filling' in a move designed to avoid any confusion with the proposed requirements for ongoing CPD which is about keeping knowledge up-to-date.
In terms of knowledge gap analysis, the FSA says it does not necessarily expect individual advisers to carry out the gap analysis themselves.
The regulator says it is aware qualifications providers intend to carry out this exercise for individuals against their own qualifications, as well as make appropriate suggestions and arrangements to help individuals to address those gaps.
"However, this will not cover all qualifications on the transitional list and some individuals may want to do their own analysis.
"We will allow individuals to do their own mapping, but we expect in 100% of cases this will need to be reviewed and verified by the accredited body before that body issues the relevant SPS."
The FSA also says under its draft rules, it will make provisions for firms to suspend CPD requirements due to employee absence and it also proposes a lower number of CPD hours for individuals working part-time.
