What is CPE in Accounting? A Complete Guide to Continuing Professional Education

So, you’ve taken the CPA Exam, and you passed. Congratulations! Your education has only just begun. That’s right. Your qualification as a Certified Public Accountant doesn’t end with the exam. As a CPA, you are now required to earn continuing education credits that can differ depending on the state you are licensed in. That state has specific requirements on how many credits you need per year and the types of CPE courses you need. Whether you’re a newly licensed CPA or an experienced CPA, understanding Continuing Professional Education requirements and choosing what CPE courses to take are crucial for maintaining your credentials and advancing your career. But, what is CPE in accounting? Let’s break down everything you need to know.

What Does CPE Stand For?

This seems pretty basic, right? CPE stands for Continuing Professional Education, but it’s more than that. CPE is the representation of your completed ongoing learning requirements as a tax and accounting professional. It’s mainly thought of as a requirement first and a professional development tool second. That’s the wrong attitude. Your state licensure may need you to stay up to date on changes in the accounting and tax industry, but this is foremost your continuing education, and education is always an opportunity for career growth. That’s why it’s important to choose CPE courses according to your state’s and your personal goals.

Who Needs CPE Credits?

Certified Public Accountants (CPAs): A CPA’s continued licensure depends on the state they are licensed in with most states requiring 20-40 hours annually plus 2-4 hours of ethics training.
Certified Management Accountants (CMAs): A CMA will need 30 CPE credit hours per year starting January 1 to December 31, including a minimum 2 hours of ethics annually. The CPE credit requirements for CMAs are made by the Institute of Management Accountants.
Certified Financial Planner (CFPs): A CFP will need 30 CE credit hours per year, starting on completion of their certification or 12 months after they have passed the CFP exam. Two of the 30 CPE credit hours need to be ethics courses. The Certified Financial Planner Board sets the requirements for CFP CE.
Enrolled Agents (EAs): EAs need 72 hours every three years with a minimum of 16 hours per year, and 2 hours of ethics CPE annually. These CPE requirements are set by the IRS.
Government Auditors: Government Auditors need 80 hours every two years with 24 hours specifically in government auditing and a minimum 20 hours each year. Their CPE requirements are established by the GAO Yellow Book.

Technical vs. Non-Technical CPE

CPE courses fall into two main categories, technical and non-technical CPE, and most states require a balance between them.

Technical CPE directly relates to accounting and finance skills. These are the CPE course topics that you would find with Western CPE:

Accounting
Accounting (Governmental)
Auditing
Auditing (Governmental)
Business Law
Economics
Finance
Information Technology
Management Services
Regulatory Ethics
Specialized Knowledge
Statistics
Tax

Non-technical CPE supports your broader professional development through CPE courses. These are the CPE course topics that you can expect with Western CPE:

Behavioral Ethics
Business Management & Organization
Communications & Marketing
Computer Software & Applications
Personal Development
Personnel/Human Resources
Production

CPE Course Formats

Modern CPE delivery is flexible with much of the industry offering an on-demand approach to education. Self-study online CPE courses work best for busy professionals with irregular schedules. With self-study CPE course, you’re able to learn at your own pace. These CPE courses include self-study video, interactive modules, and downloadable materials.

On-demand webcasts provide interactive learning with real-time question-and-answer opportunities. Webcast CPE courses are for CPAs who would like a more scheduled approach to learning. This format includes live online presentations with chat functionality for immediate clarification of complex topics.

Western CPE offers a new way to webcast with FlexCast. FlexCast is for everyone who appreciates the on-demand webcast format but needs a more flexible self-study approach. With FlexCast, users can pause and resume any webcast, watch the same webcast over multiple days, and easily pick up where you left off in the webcast.

Conference CPE is an exceptional way for CPAs to get most of their CPE course credits. These multi-day events feature breakout sessions, hands-on workshops, and vendor exhibitions. They’re also an exceptional opportunity for conference goers to network and form community in the industry.

Western CPE differs from the rest of the industry by providing a resort experience with the addition of earning CPE credits in several different locations. Network, learn and earn, and vacation all in one place.

Documenting and Reporting CPE Credits

Once you’ve taken your CPE course, how do you get CPE credit? You must keep records for at least five years, including certificates of completion from approved providers, CPE course transcripts showing grades and credit hours, conference attendance records with session details, and self-study completion confirmations with exam scores.

Verify that your course providers have proper approval from NASBA or your state board to ensure credits count toward requirements. Meet annual minimum requirements to avoid cramming all credits into one year, which some states prohibit.

Separate your tracking by category, maintaining records of technical versus non-technical hours. Use spreadsheets or specialized tracking software to monitor their progress throughout the reporting period. Being proactive in your CPE tracking keeps you from scrambling last minute for the rest of the CPE reporting period.

Choosing the Right CPE Provider

What are you looking to gain from your CPE? Looking to keep compliant for recertification? Easy. You can get by on earning CPE credits from any NASBA approved provider and meet your state’s annual minimum CPE requirements, all on a low budget.

What if you’re looking to turn your accounting CPE courses into an opportunity for career development? The best providers offer comprehensive CPE course catalogs covering both technical and non-technical CPE topics. Find the provider with the CPE courses that further your career development goals. Do you want to explore the idea of adding financial planning services to your practice? That’s where the right CPE catalog comes in. You can learn about personal financial planning, financial forecasting, and more all with financial planning CPE courses.

CPE providers often offer bundled packages or CPE subscription models that lock you into a years-long service or longer. At Western, we’re offering an alternative to the subscription model with credit packages:

There’s no need to make big commitments with CPE subscriptions. With CPE credit packages, you can use credits across the digital catalog on whatever learning format you want, guaranteeing you don’t overpay on lengthy CPE subscriptions you don’t need.

Make CPE Work for You

The quality of your Continuing Professional Education in accounting counts towards your career success and gives you the chance to become more competitive in a tough market. Committing to the accounting profession means that you’re a life-long learner at heart. Each investment in the right accounting CPE courses for you is an investment in the future of your practice.

Ready to advance your accounting career with continuing education courses? Explore our comprehensive CPE course catalogue, check out America’s #1 Federal Tax Update CPE course, or—if you’re looking to add a little bit of fun to you CPE—consider in-person learning at one of our acclaimed CPE conferences.