How to Become an HRD Corp Accredited Trainer (2026)
The two accreditation routes, what each costs, how long it takes, and the renewal rule that catches trainers out three years later.
Become TTT Certified (HRD Corp's 5-day course) or TTT Exempted, then apply for accreditation through TDMS. Certified after 1 Jan 2021 → Accreditation by Assessment (submit a video of a real session, RM150, ~2 months). Certified before 1 Jan 2021 → Accreditation by Activity (120 training hours in 12 months). Valid 3 years; renewal needs 360 hours.
Since 1 January 2025, accreditation is mandatory — not optional
HRD Corp states that only HRD Corp Accredited Trainers are allowed to conduct training under the various HRD Corp schemes. It is enforced at two separate gates:
- 1.A training provider registering a course in e-TRiS must name a trainer who is Accredited, Pre-Accredited or HRD-TDF Exempted.
- 2.An employer applying for a grant must do the same.
An application naming a trainer without one of those statuses will be queried. In practice, an unaccredited trainer cannot be placed on a claimable programme at all.
TTT Certified vs TTT Exempted vs Accredited
Three different statuses, routinely used interchangeably. Only the third one lets you deliver claimable training.
TTT Certified Trainer
You completed HRD Corp's 5-day Train-the-Trainer certification course and were certified by the lead trainers. This is an entry status.
TTT Exempted Trainer
HRD Corp waived the TTT course because your existing certification, qualification or experience already evidenced the competency. Also an entry status.
HRD Corp Accredited Trainer
You passed accreditation — by assessment or by activity — after being TTT Certified or Exempted. Since 1 January 2025 this is the status that actually permits you to deliver training under HRD Corp schemes.
Required since 1 Jan 2025
The Two Accreditation Routes — Which One Applies to You
You do not get to choose. The date on your TTT certificate or exemption decides it.
Accreditation by Assessment
- Who it is for
- TTT Certified or Exempted AFTER 1 January 2021 — and anyone who cannot meet the activity-hours route
- What you submit
- Submit a video of a real face-to-face training session for evaluation by an HRD Corp-appointed panel
- Cost
- RM150.00 per application (via TDMS / Billplz)
- Timeline
- 2-month service level agreement from a complete submission
Accreditation by Activity
- Who it is for
- ONLY for trainers TTT Certified or Exempted BEFORE 1 January 2021
- What you submit
- Evidence 120 hours of training conducted within 12 calendar months (documentation from 1 Jan 2018 onward is accepted)
- Cost
- No assessment fee — you are evidencing hours, not being assessed
- Timeline
- Depends how quickly you can produce the supporting documents
Both routes are applied for through the Trainer's Development Management System (TDMS) at trainers.hrdcorp.gov.my.
Step-by-Step: Getting Accredited
Get TTT Certified, or apply for exemption
Complete HRD Corp's 5-day Train-the-Trainer certification course, or apply for a TTT exemption if your existing certification, qualification or experience already covers it. You cannot apply for accreditation without one of these two statuses.
Create your profile in TDMS
Register at trainers.hrdcorp.gov.my — the Trainer's Development Management System. This is where accreditation is applied for, paid for and tracked, and where HRD Corp builds its database of active trainers.
Check which route you are eligible for
The date on your TTT certificate or exemption decides it. Before 1 January 2021 → you may use Accreditation by Activity (120 hours). After 1 January 2021 → Accreditation by Assessment is your route. Getting this wrong wastes an application.
Prepare the evidence
For assessment: record a video of a real, face-to-face training session and gather the supporting documents. For activity: compile evidence of 120 training hours within 12 calendar months, with sessions of 2–25 pax (technical) or 2–35 pax (soft skills) for a single trainer.
Submit and pay
Apply in TDMS under "Apply for Accreditation". Assessment applications cost RM150.00, paid through the Billplz gateway at submission. HRD Corp first checks your documents are complete and the video is accessible, then forwards it to the panel.
Track the 3-year clock from day one
Accreditation is valid for three years from the certificate issuance date, and renewal requires 360 training hours across that period. Log hours in TDMS as you go — reconstructing three years of training records at renewal time is how trainers end up re-sitting an assessment.
Renewal — the 360-Hour Rule
HRD Corp Accredited Trainer status is valid for three (3) years. Renewal is based on active training hours, not on re-sitting a course: you need 360 hours of training conducted within that three-year validity period.
If you cannot meet the 360 hours, you can renew by going through the accreditation-by-assessment process instead — so missing the hours is recoverable, but it costs you another application and another two-month wait.
One detail worth noting: the renewal date runs from your certificate's issuance date, not from a calendar year. Check the certificate rather than assuming. And log your hours in TDMS as you complete them — trainers who try to reconstruct three years of records at renewal time are the ones who end up back in assessment.
Accredited Trainer vs Registered Training Provider
Two different registrations, routinely conflated. Most people building a training business need both.
| Accredited Trainer | Registered Training Provider | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | You, as an individual | Your company or organisation |
| Applied through | TDMS (trainers.hrdcorp.gov.my) | e-TRiS |
| Cost | RM150 per assessment application | RM1,000/year head office + RM500 per branch |
| Key requirement | TTT Certified or Exempted, then accreditation | At least one full-time trainer + signed Corporate Integrity Pledge |
| Validity | 3 years (360 training hours to renew) | 1 year, renewable |
Setting up the company side too? See the guide to becoming an HRD Corp registered training provider. Need the TTT course itself? See Train the Trainer (TTT) HRDF certification.
Common Mistakes
Assuming TTT certification is enough
It is not, and has not been since 1 January 2025. TTT Certified and TTT Exempted are prerequisites. Only HRD Corp Accredited Trainers may conduct training under HRD Corp schemes — a course registration or grant application naming a non-accredited trainer gets queried.
Applying for Accreditation by Activity when you are not eligible
The activity route is closed to anyone certified or exempted on or after 1 January 2021. If your certificate is dated after that, assessment is your only route regardless of how many training hours you have accumulated.
Leaving accreditation until a course is already booked
Assessment carries a 2-month SLA from a complete submission, and that assumes no queries. If you are being named on a programme, your accredited status needs to exist before the provider registers the course and before the employer applies for the grant.
Not logging training hours as you go
Renewal is based on 360 active training hours across the 3-year validity, evidenced through TDMS. Trainers who do not log hours contemporaneously usually cannot reconstruct them, and end up going through assessment again to renew.
Confusing trainer accreditation with provider registration
Accreditation covers you as an individual, via TDMS. Registering a training company is a separate e-TRiS process costing RM1,000/year for a head office plus RM500 per branch. Running a training business that employers can claim against generally needs both.
Counting sessions that breach the pax limits
For accreditation by activity, a single-trainer session counts only within HRD Corp's limits — minimum 2 participants, maximum 25 for technical training or 35 for soft skills. Hours from an oversized session are not automatically creditable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an HRD Corp Accredited Trainer?
An HRD Corp Accredited Trainer is a trainer who has been formally assessed as competent by HRD Corp, and it is the only trainer status fully qualified to deliver training to HRD Corp-contributing employers. It sits above two earlier statuses: TTT Certified (you completed the 5-day HRD Corp Train-the-Trainer course) and TTT Exempted (you were granted an exemption based on your certification, qualification or experience). Being TTT Certified or Exempted is the prerequisite — it is not the end point. You then go through accreditation, by assessment or by activity, to become an HRD Corp Accredited Trainer.
Do I have to be accredited to conduct HRD Corp claimable training?
Yes. Since 1 January 2025, only HRD Corp Accredited Trainers are allowed to conduct training under the various HRD Corp schemes. This is enforced at two points in the process: a training provider registering a course in e-TRiS must name a trainer who is Accredited, Pre-Accredited or HRD-TDF Exempted, and an employer applying for a grant must do the same. An application naming a trainer without one of those statuses will be queried. In practice this means an unaccredited trainer cannot be put on a claimable programme at all.
How do I become an HRD Corp Accredited Trainer?
There are two routes, and which one applies to you is decided by when you obtained your TTT Certificate or Exemption. Accreditation by Assessment is for trainers certified or exempted after 1 January 2021 (and for anyone who cannot meet the activity-hours route): you submit a video of a real face-to-face training session for evaluation by an HRD Corp-appointed panel. Accreditation by Activity is only available to trainers certified or exempted before 1 January 2021: you evidence 120 hours of training conducted within 12 calendar months. Both are applied for through the Trainer's Development Management System (TDMS) at trainers.hrdcorp.gov.my.
How much does HRD Corp trainer accreditation cost?
Accreditation by assessment costs RM150.00 per application, paid through TDMS via the Billplz payment gateway when you submit. There is one exception: if you attended HRD Corp's 5-day TTT certification course in 2021, the RM150 accreditation fee was already embedded in your course fee — you email tdu@hrdcorp.gov.my with the subject "TTT HRD Corp 2021 Accreditation Fee" once you can sign into TDMS, and HRD Corp verifies it from their side. Trainers who obtained a TTT Exemption certificate in 2021 pay the RM150 through TDMS as normal. This fee is separate from the cost of the TTT course itself.
How long does accreditation by assessment take?
HRD Corp works to a service level agreement of two (2) months from a complete submission. That clock is subject to the application actually being complete — queries, missing supporting documents or an inaccessible video will extend it. After payment, HRD Corp first reviews your submission to confirm the supporting documents are complete and the video is accessible, and only then forwards it to the assessment panel. Plan your accreditation well before you need to be named on a course or grant application, not after.
What counts toward the 120 training hours for accreditation by activity?
Any training that meets HRD Corp's requirements can count, whether or not it was delivered under an HRD Corp scheme. The session conditions are a minimum of 2 participants and a maximum of 25 for technical training or 35 for soft-skills training where there is a single trainer, delivered face to face or as Remote Online Training per HRD Corp guidelines. The 120 hours must fall within 12 calendar months, and HRD Corp will consider supporting documentation dating from 1 January 2018 onward. Remember this route is only open to trainers certified or exempted before 1 January 2021.
How long does HRD Corp accreditation last, and how do I renew it?
HRD Corp Accredited Trainer status is valid for three (3) years. To renew, you need to have conducted 360 hours of training within that three-year validity period — the renewal is based on active training hours, not on re-sitting a course. If you cannot meet the 360-hour requirement, you can renew by going through the accreditation-by-assessment process instead. Note that the renewal date runs from your certificate's issuance date, so check the certificate rather than assuming a calendar year.
What is the difference between TTT Certified, TTT Exempted and Accredited?
TTT Certified means you completed HRD Corp's 5-day Train-the-Trainer certification course and were certified by the lead trainers. TTT Exempted means HRD Corp waived that course because your existing certification, qualification or experience already demonstrated the competency. Both are entry statuses. HRD Corp Accredited Trainer is the status you reach afterwards, by passing accreditation through assessment or activity — and since 1 January 2025 it is the status that actually permits you to deliver training under HRD Corp schemes. Being TTT Certified alone is no longer sufficient.
Is becoming an accredited trainer the same as registering as a training provider?
No — these are two different registrations and people frequently conflate them. Trainer accreditation is about you as an individual and is managed through TDMS. Training Provider registration is about your company: it is done through e-TRiS, costs RM1,000 per year for a head office plus RM500 for each branch, requires at least one full-time trainer, and needs a signed Corporate Integrity Pledge. If you want to run a training business that employers can claim against, you generally need both — an accredited trainer, and a registered provider entity to hold the programmes.
Where do I register and manage my accreditation?
Through the Trainer's Development Management System (TDMS) at trainers.hrdcorp.gov.my. That is where you create your trainer profile, apply for accreditation by assessment or by activity, pay the RM150 assessment fee, and track your status. HRD Corp uses TDMS to build its database of active trainers in the HRD Corp space, so keeping your profile and training hours current there is what makes renewal by activity hours possible later. If you are not yet TTT Certified or Exempted, that comes first — you cannot apply for accreditation without one of those statuses.
Cara Menjadi Jurulatih Bertauliah HRD Corp — Ringkasan Bahasa Melayu
Mulai 1 Januari 2025, hanya Jurulatih Bertauliah HRD Corp (HRD Corp Accredited Trainer) dibenarkan mengendalikan latihan di bawah skim-skim HRD Corp. Langkah pertama ialah menjadi Jurulatih Bertauliah TTT melalui kursus Train-the-Trainer selama 5 hari, atau memperoleh pengecualian TTT berdasarkan kelayakan dan pengalaman sedia ada. Seterusnya, permohonan akreditasi dibuat melalui sistem TDMS di trainers.hrdcorp.gov.my. Terdapat dua kaedah: Akreditasi melalui Penilaian untuk jurulatih yang disahkan selepas 1 Januari 2021 — anda perlu menghantar video sesi latihan sebenar untuk dinilai oleh panel HRD Corp, dengan bayaran RM150.00 setiap permohonan dan tempoh penilaian dua (2) bulan. Akreditasi melalui Aktiviti pula hanya untuk jurulatih yang disahkan sebelum 1 Januari 2021 — anda perlu mengumpulkan 120 jam latihan dalam tempoh 12 bulan. Status akreditasi sah selama tiga (3) tahun, dan pembaharuan memerlukan 360 jam latihan dalam tempoh tersebut.
Related Resources
Verified August 2026 against hrdcorp.gov.my/hrd-trainer, hrdcorp.gov.my/hrd-tdf and the HRD Corp Support Centre HRD-TDF FAQ and accreditation-fee articles. Fees and rules are set by HRD Corp and can change — confirm on TDMS before applying.
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