How to Obtain Free CPE Courses for CPA License Renewal?
As a CPA, It is important to maintain your license by completing your CPE credits. However, for CPAs, attending CPE courses has never been cheaper. So, do we have any other option?
Thankfully, there are a number of ways to earn credits by attending Free CPE Courses for CPA. In this blog, you can find the various platforms and methods.
The availability of online learning platforms has greatly changed the way professionals access educational materials. Online CPEs have considerably reduced both time and cost.
Professionals' access to educational resources has been fundamentally transformed by the increasing number of online learning platforms. Online CPEs have considerably reduced both time and cost.
CPAs cannot take their CPEs with them at all, and online CPEs are significantly more affordable than offline CPEs. However, you must exercise caution when choosing the best CPE providers. You must take care to avoid attending sales presentations appearing as CPE webinars.
MYCPE ONE is one of the most emerging NASBA-approved continuing education platforms. It provides high-quality courses for CPE credits in 500+ subject areas (including accounting, auditing, finance, taxes, technology, etc.). They have made 13,000+ hours of courses available at a single subscription price. But Don’t worry about it; here is a list of free CPA CPE courses made available by MYCPE ONE to test the waters. All courses are of premium quality, specifically curated for your learning and CPEs.
| Courses | Reg. link | Credits | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inside Job, Outside Job! Low Tech Fraud in a High Tech World | Click here | 1 Credit | 4.5 ★ |
| Cutting the Gordian Knot: ECheck Fraud, Mobile Banking Fraud, Check 21 & Holder In Due Course | Click here | 1 Credit | 4.1 ★ |
| Excel - Power Pivot - Take Your Pivot Tables to the Next Level | Click here | 1 Credit | 4.7 ★ |
| This Ain’t Your Grandpappy’s Payment Fraud - Part 1 | Click here | 1 Credit | 4.4 ★ |
Source- Trustpilot
CPAacademy is a years-old CPE platform that offers online courses in the form of live webinars and self-study courses. Many CPAs complete their CPE requirements by attending their free courses. However, many of the courses offered are sales presentations by marketing and business development professionals.
Corporate Finance Institute provides learners access to certification programs for upskilling. Most of the programs are limited to finance-related domains. They offer free CPE to attract for their certification programs; however, most of the courses are fundamental courses. Here is a link to access the CFI website.
Often, CPAs are part of professional associations like AICPA, BDO Alliance, etc. Such associations offer free offline/online sessions that have been approved for CPEs.
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is a non-profit professional organization representing certified public accountants (CPA) in the United States. AICPA offers very limited free CPE for CPAs from time to time.
The normal price for attending any course in the form of online webinars, conferences etc. costs around $60 to $70 which makes an average cost of $2600 to meet annual requirements. You get a membership discount for attending these events; however, annual membership costs around $350 to $400. Here is a link to visit AICPA CPE courses.
BDO Alliance USA is among the industry's largest associations of accounting and professional services firms. BDO Alliance also offers time-to-time free webinars, podcasts, and articles on accounting, tax, and auditing.
However, such courses are not available for non-members. Access to CPE courses are available with “Membership Only.” The cost of membership ranges from $500 to $1500 per year. Here is a link to visit CPE Courses offered by BDO Alliance.
Maintaining your CPA license by completing CPE credits is crucial, but it doesn't have to break the bank. Various options exist for obtaining free CPE credits. Online learning platforms like MYCPE ONE offer a wide range of NASBA-approved courses, including free webinars, making it a top choice for CPAs.
CPA academy is another option, but be cautious of potential sales presentations. Corporate Finance Institute provides free CPE as an incentive for their certification programs.
Professional associations like AICPA and BDO also offer free CPE sessions to members, although membership fees apply. Overall, CPAs have several accessible avenues to fulfill their CPE requirements without overspending.
Free courses may provide you with a free certificate, but when there is nothing on sale, probably you’re the “Sale.” We have come across many instances where CPAs received audit notices that did not meet the technical requirements. So, we recommend you select an appropriate CPA CPE Course where you pay the right price for the right content.
No, free CPE provides mostly access to sales demonstrations. Such free CPEs are delivered by unqualified professionals like marketing managers. CPAs require minimum credits in the technical areas like accounting, auditing, finance, taxes etc. which are often missing in the free CPEs.
There is a state-specific requirement requirement in the form of limitation of courses in non-technical areas. Not all providers can provide free CPE in technical areas. We recommend you to always check your state board's guidelines for verification if you are attending free webinars for CPE credits.
Instead of solely relying on free CPE, we advise you to make the right investments in the right content so that you can meet the requirements effectively, and there is no risk of getting a CPE audit in the future.
The author Imtiaz Munshi is a Certified Public Accountant and CFO at Azstec, LLC. He is Business Strategist, Tax Planner, Entrepreneur and Advisor to "HNEs" (High Net Worth Entrepreneurs).
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