Frequently Asked Questions — Webcasts

• Do you offer any buy-in-bulk discounts for webcasts?
• How do I access a webcast once I’ve registered?
• When and how will I receive my certificate of completion for a webcast?
• What kind of CPE credits will I receive?
• Will my state board of accountancy accept webcast CPE credits?
• Will I be required to take an exam?
• Can several people watch a webcast on the same computer?
• Are group discounts available for webcasts?
• What happens if I fail a webcast?
• How is my attendance confirmed during a webcast?
• What happens if I fail a Federal & California Tax Update webcast?
• Nothing happens when I click the webcast link in the email.
• Why am I getting a message that tells me I can’t connect to the server?
• I’m having trouble with my Internet connection. What should I do?
• How do I get Adobe Flash for my computer?
• What browsers do you support?
• I can’t hear the audio portion of the webcast. What’s wrong?
• The audio and video keep cutting out. What should I do?
• What are the system requirements to view a webcast?
• How do I get Adobe Flash for my computer?

Do you offer any buy-in-bulk discounts for webcasts?

Yes. You can purchase 24 or 40 CPE credits at a discount with our All-Access Pass and save significantly!

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How do I access a webcast once I’ve registered?

An hour before your webcast, you will receive an automatic email with information about your course. This email will include a link on the right side, “Join Webcast.” Simply click that link and you will automatically be transferred into the webcast. It’s that simple!

You may also access the webcast through your Western CPE account. Go to westerncpe.com and, at the top right side of the page, click the “login” tab and enter your email and password. At the top right side of the page, click the “My Learning” tab. This will direct you to the webcasts you are registered for. Select your course and click on the title; then click on the globe icon at the bottom of the page to enter the webcast.

If you have any difficulties, please call our office at (800) 822-4194.
 

When and how will I receive my certificate of completion for a webcast?

Your certificate of completion will be emailed to you within 1 business day of successful completion of the webcast. If you don’t receive a certificate within a week but believe you successfully completed the webcast, please contact our office at (800) 822-4194 or email webcasts@westerncpe.com. You can also print your certificate of completion after 1 business day. First, log in to your account by clicking on the white “login” tab at the top of your screen. This will take you to your “My Account” page. Click on “Order History” and proceed through the process. If you ever need another copy of your certificate of completion, simply follow the above instructions.

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What kind of CPE credits will I receive?

Webcasts provide group Internet-based CPE credits. The NASBA category for each webcast is listed in the course description. Where noted, courses are CFP Board accepted.

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Will my state board of accountancy accept webcast CPE credits?

Western CPE is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a member of the Registry and QAS programs; as such, our CPE credits are accepted in all 50 states.

However, CPE credits in different states may vary, so please check with your state board. New York and Texas require sponsors to individually register with their state as continuing education sponsors. We’re registered sponsors in New York (sponsor ID number: 001353) and Texas (sponsor ID number: 006477).

For CPAs licensed in the state of California, Western CPE webcasts follow the new California guidelines for group Internet-based CPE credits. Our CTEC sponsor ID is 2071. Our IRS enrolled agents sponsor ID is 322.

The New Jersey State Board of Accountancy only lists New Jersey approved providers on its website. NASBA QAS providers are not required to register with the State Board and thus will not be listed. Western CPE, as a NASBA QAS provider, is accepted by the New Jersey State Board; however, our webcasts are not considered “didactic instruction.” They will count towards NJ CPA’s total CPE requirement, but not towards the NJ 60-hour didactic minimum.
 

Will I be required to take an exam?

NASBA considers webcast CPE to be “live,” so you’re not required to take an exam.

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Can several people watch a webcast on the same computer?
Several people can view a webcast as a group via a single computer and an LCD projector or a big-screen monitor. If you choose this method, your firm will need to designate a company proctor who must be present during the webcast to verify participant attendance. A registered participant from the Proctored Group will need to log in to the webcast and confirm the attendance for the group. The proctor will need to complete an attendance roster, which the proctor will receive by email prior to the webcast. Upon completion of the webcast, the proctor must email the attendance roster back to Western CPE before certificates of completion can be awarded.

Proctors don’t earn CPE credits. You must have a group of three or more people registered to use the proctor method. If you’re not using the proctor method, each attendee must view the webcast on his or her own computer. Attendance is verified through participation pop-ups or polling questions that take place throughout the webcast. Therefore, each person must be logged in on an individual computer in order to confirm his or her participation and to receive CPE credits. If you do not register before the webcast as a proctored group, you cannot receive credit by signing a proctor form after the program is over.

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Are group discounts available for webcasts?

Yes! When you register 5–9 people, you’ll save 10%; 10–24 people, 15%. If you have 25 or more people you’d like to register, please call our Corporate & Group Solutions division at (800) 822-4194 ext. 160. We encourage groups to register two weeks in advance. Group discounts cannot be used in conjunction with any other special offer or promotion.

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What happens if I fail a webcast?

If you fail a webcast, you will not receive a refund. However, you may take another webcast worth the same number of CPE credits within the same calendar year. Western CPE will make every effort to award a reasonable and fair makeup webcast, at no additional charge. “Failure” means you failed to verify your attendance 70% of the time (75% of the time for California participants). Please call (800) 822-4194 to schedule your makeup webcast.

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How is my attendance confirmed during a webcast?
To confirm your attendance, and in order to receive CPE credit for a webcast, you must sign in no later than the scheduled start time to participate in attendance pop-ups. Once you are signed in to the webcast, our attendance system is completely automated throughout the duration of a webcast. Please be sure to click the “OK” button when it appears.

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What happens if I fail a Federal & California Tax Update webcast?

If you fail a Federal & California Tax Update webcast, you will not receive a refund; however, you may attend another Federal & California Tax Update webcast. “Failure” means you failed to verify your attendance 70% of the time (75% of the time for California participants). If there is not another Federal & California Tax Update webcast available within the same calendar year, you may attend any other webcast within the year of your original webcast. Please call (800) 822-4194 to schedule your makeup webcast and to set up your discount. This offer does not apply toward attendance at a live Federal & California Tax Update.

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Nothing happens when I click the webcast link in the email.
If you’re unable to begin your course, you may want to check to see if you have a pop-up blocker turned on. If your pop-up blocker is turned off and you still aren’t able to view a course, you may not have the necessary Flash players installed. Check with your system administrator. You can download the required Flash players by going to the Flash and Adobe links and downloading them. Be sure to uncheck the “Install Yahoo Toolbar” box during the installation process. Click on the “Install Now” button. After downloading the Flash players, close your Internet browser and open a new one.Please call Western CPE at (800) 822-4194 for further assistance.

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Why am I getting a message that tells me I can’t connect to the server?

The first thing to do is check your Internet connection. If your connection looks good, you or your company most likely have a firewall that’s preventing your computer from accessing our network. Disabling or bypassing firewalls can be somewhat complicated—please check with your network administrator for details on how to resolve this issue.

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I’m having trouble with my Internet connection. What should I do?

There can be many reasons for this. We recommend you not use Wi-Fi (wireless) or dial-up connections when accessing webcasts through our system. Check all your cables, close down all browser windows, and try again. If you’re still having difficulty with your Internet connection, please contact your network administrator.

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How do I get Adobe Flash for my computer?

To download the latest version of Adobe Flash, please visit Adobe.com. You may need to restart your browser to activate the update.

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What browsers do you support?
We currently support Internet Explorer version 7 or higher, Firefox 5.0 or higher, and Safari 4.0 or higher. You can use these browsers on either a Windows or Macintosh platform. If you have a previous version of Internet Explorer, or if you’re using a different browser entirely, please download one of the aforementioned browsers.
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I can’t hear the audio portion of the webcast. What’s wrong?

First, make sure your computer has internal or external speakers. Once verified, check your volume settings, which could include: computer volume; adjust the volume slider and make sure “mute” is not activated, test external computer speakers; and adjust the volume settings on them.

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The audio and video keep cutting out. What should I do?

Make sure you don’t have any other browers open and you have a sufficient stable Internet connection. If your computer is connected wirelessly, please consider connecting it via an Ethernet cable. If you continue to have problems, call us at (800) 822-4194.
 

What are the system requirements to view a webcast?

• Use of Internet Explorer 7+, Firefox 5+, or Safari 4.0 +.
•  Security and privacy settings set to allow Adobe Connect to run.*
•  Flash security settings set to allow communication with Adobe Connect servers.*
•  Pop-up blockers set to allow Adobe Connect domains.*
•  Adobe Flash plug-in version 8 or higher installed.
•  Screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or better.
•  Speaker or headphones and a sound card capable of playing streaming audio.
•  Processor speed of 1.0 GHz or better with 256 MB RAM.*
• 1.0mbs Internet Connection per session of the webcast.

*System requirements are checked when you run our system check. For additional information or to test your system, please visit our Webcast Technical Requirements & Support page.


 

How do I get Adobe Flash for my computer?
To download the latest version of Adobe Flash, please visit Adobe.com. http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/.  You may need to restart your browser to activate the update.
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