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Practitioner · Privacy management
DPIA & Records of Processing
Build the privacy records that show how personal data is handled and its risks managed.
A practitioner course on two accountability tools in the GDPR, Regulation (EU) 2016/679: the record of processing activities under Article 30 and the data protection impact assessment (DPIA) under Article 35, with prior consultation under Article 36.
Secure payment by Stripe · for yourself or for your team
Standard and editionGDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679)
Last updated3 October 2026
Preview this course
Experience the learning
before you enrol.
Watch a sample from DPIA & Records of Processing before you enrol.
DPIA & Records of ProcessingSample
Learning outcomes
Knowledge you can put to work.
Connect the subject to the responsibilities and decisions people encounter in their roles.
- Build a record of processing activities with the content Article 30 asks for
- Screen processing for likely high risk using Article 35(3) and the WP29 DPIA criteria
- Describe processing and assess its necessity and proportionality
- Assess risks to the rights and freedoms of individuals and choose measures to address them
- Recognise when the supervisory authority must be consulted before processing starts
Part of: Privacy and Data Protection Training
Inside the course
A clear path through the essentials.
16 modules, 16 practice checkpoints and a final exam. Video runtimes are approximate; allow additional time for the practice questions and the final exam.
Part 1Module 1Approx. 8 min
- Why DPIAs and records matter8 min
- Practice: Why DPIAs and records matter3 questions
Part 2Module 2Approx. 7 min
- The GDPR building blocks you will use7 min
- Practice: The GDPR building blocks you will use3 questions
Part 3Module 3Approx. 7 min
- The record of processing: what goes in it7 min
- Practice: The record of processing: what goes in it3 questions
Part 4Module 4Approx. 7 min
- The processor's record, form and the exemption7 min
- Practice: The processor's record, form and the exemption3 questions
Part 5Module 5Approx. 7 min
- Building the record, step by step7 min
- Practice: Building the record, step by step3 questions
Part 6Module 6Approx. 7 min
- Worked example: completing the record7 min
- Practice: Worked example: completing the record3 questions
Part 7Module 7Approx. 6 min
- Keeping the record current, and putting it to work6 min
- Practice: Keeping the record current, and putting it to work3 questions
Part 8Module 8Approx. 8 min
- The DPIA: what it is and when it is due8 min
- Practice: The DPIA: what it is and when it is due3 questions
Part 9Module 9Approx. 8 min
- Screening: the law's cases and the nine criteria8 min
- Practice: Screening: the law's cases and the nine criteria3 questions
Part 10Module 10Approx. 7 min
- Screening worked: six cases7 min
- Practice: Screening worked: six cases3 questions
Part 11Module 11Approx. 7 min
- Step 1: describing the processing7 min
- Practice: Step 1: describing the processing3 questions
Part 12Module 12Approx. 6 min
- Step 2: necessity and proportionality6 min
- Practice: Step 2: necessity and proportionality3 questions
Part 13Module 13Approx. 7 min
- Step 3: assessing risks to people7 min
- Practice: Step 3: assessing risks to people3 questions
Part 14Module 14Approx. 7 min
- Step 4: measures, residual risk and sign-off7 min
- Practice: Step 4: measures, residual risk and sign-off3 questions
Part 15Module 15Approx. 7 min
- Prior consultation, review and the processor's role7 min
- Practice: Prior consultation, review and the processor's role3 questions
Part 16Module 16Approx. 6 min
- Putting it all together6 min
- Practice: Putting it all together3 questions
Frequently asked questions
Your questions,
answered.
About DPIA & Records of Processing, its certificate and enrolment.
Ask SterlingWho is the DPIA & Records of Processing course for?
It is for people who keep privacy records or carry out DPIAs: data protection officers, privacy leads, legal and compliance staff, and IT, product and project teams planning new processing of personal data. It suits organisations subject to the GDPR, including service providers that process personal data for clients in the EU. A basic understanding of GDPR principles helps.
What does the DPIA & Records of Processing course cover?
It covers how records of processing and DPIAs support accountability; the content of the record of processing activities under Article 30, for controllers and processors; screening processing against the Article 35(3) examples and the nine WP29 DPIA criteria; carrying out a DPIA with the four elements in Article 35(7); the data protection officer's advice; residual risk and prior consultation under Article 36; and reviewing DPIAs when processing changes.
How long does the DPIA & Records of Processing course take?
It is a set of short video modules, each followed by practice questions, and a final exam. The course page shows the number of modules and the approximate video runtime; allow additional time for the practice questions and the exam. With 12 months of access, you can complete it in one sitting or spread it over several sessions.
Do learners receive a certificate?
Yes. Learners who reach the 70% pass mark in the final exam receive a Sterling Academy Certificate of Completion for DPIA & Records of Processing. Each certificate carries a unique number and a QR code, and anyone can check it online using the certificate number and the holder's surname. It is a training certificate for the individual learner.
Is the course online and self-paced?
Yes. DPIA & Records of Processing is a self-paced online course made of short video modules, in English with captions. You study at your own pace during 12 months of access, and practice questions after modules help you check your understanding before the final exam. If a point is unclear, questions are answered by a Sterling consultant.
Can we enrol a team, and how much does it cost?
DPIA & Records of Processing has a list price of US$149 per learner, with a limited-time offer of US$99 per learner until 31 December 2026. Teams save 20% for 11 to 50 learners and 30% for 51 to 200; 201 or more learners are priced on request. Client administrators can track their team's progress. Prices are in US dollars, excluding taxes, and Sterling confirms final pricing and enrolment.
Does this course make our organisation GDPR compliant?
No. The Certificate of Completion is a training certificate: it shows that one person completed DPIA & Records of Processing and reached the pass mark in its final exam. The GDPR is a law, not a standard an organisation is certified to by Sterling; each controller and processor remains accountable for meeting it, and supervisory authorities enforce it. Sterling does not certify organisations, and a course alone does not make an organisation compliant.
Assessment & completion
Complete the learning.
Keep a verifiable record.
Learners who complete the course and its final exam receive a numbered Sterling Academy Certificate of Completion with online QR verification.
This records course completion. It does not confer ISO certification or a professional auditor qualification.
- Pass mark
- 70%
- Prerequisites
- None
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