june2021 - 31

FEATURE
IN-PERSON AND ONLINE
CPE COURSES
IN-PERSON
In-person CPE courses are especially
suited to topics that you have a lot
of questions about. It also enables
networking and some people just
prefer a live setting with a more
structured classroom. On the other
hand, in-person courses often require
commuting or travel with a limitation
on the available locations, where the
ideal class can be far away. You are
also dependent on the CPE provider's
schedule with no flexibility on dates
and times.
ONLINE SELF-STUDY
With an online self-study CPE course
you have control of when you attend a
class and for how long. They can also
be accessed anytime from anywhere
in the world - all you need is an
internet connection. With online selfstudy
courses you can also progress
at your own pace, spending the time
you need on each topic. If there is a
concept you want to revisit, you can
simply go back to that part without
interfering with the instructor or
inconveniencing classmates. There's
no limit to the specific topics you can
access with online self-study classes,
so you have the luxury of selecting
the courses that will serve you best.
Additionally, you'll have easy access
to classes from industry-recognized
thought leaders.
The downside of online self-study
CPE courses is that they require more
self-motivation and self-discipline
to complete. Because there is less
accountability than attending an inperson
course, you'll need to make it
a priority to log in and go through the
course so that you finish it on time.
LIVE, ONLINE COURSES
For those that don't want to travel
but have a hard time self-motivating
through an entire course, there are
also CPE courses online, live and done
via webinar. These generally require
formal interaction like questionnaires,
surveys, polls and quizzes to ensure
that you are present and listening.
This type of course is structured, and
does not require as much personal
organization.
FEES
Free courses can be attractive and
the best option for you, but will obviously
contain some limitations. Few
organizations provide their most
valuable information for free, so the
free courses are usually not on topics
that are in high demand and may offer
a lower quality experience.
When it comes to paid CPE
courses:
* They are more likely to be on topics
relevant to your needs
* The production quality of paid courses
presented as webinars is generally better,
with fewer technological glitches.
* Are often presented as paper-based, or
self-study books that end up bringing
the course cost up
* They may include features that you
don't necessarily need or want like
access to reference materials or
discounts on related CPE courses that
you may take in the future.
There are an increasing number
of high-quality, low-cost CPE courses
coming to the market each year. A
number of innovative companies offer
relevant, efficient, and educational
CPE courses taught by industryleading
experts for free or at reasonable
prices.
HOW TO CHOOSE A CPE
PROVIDER
A CPE provider is central to the success
or difficulties you will experience
in a course. Without a good provider,
you may struggle with many aspects
of the course, from wading through
an inefficient presentation or digital
textbook to leaving the course with
more questions than answers. Above
all, the technology must enhance
the CPE courses and your learning
experience.
Here are five elements of a course
to look for:
* Content quality: The content of the
course must absolutely be current and
relevant to ensure that you have the
latest information available.
* Top instructors: The best instructors go
beyond reading slides of information.
They are engaging, experienced and
highly qualified to teach you what
you need to know. Blending real-world
experience with the latest information,
instructors are a key component of
quality CPE courses.
* Reasonable cost: High cost doesn't
automatically translate into high
quality. There are plenty of affordable
CPE courses that will meet your needs.
* Certification: A lot of providers offer
courses that don't offer national
certification. Without being approved
by a reputable national body, the
courses are not worth your time
and will not satisfy your licensing
requirements. Always look for courses
that are approved by NASBA or by your
state's licensing body.
* Reporting: Providers of the best
courses provide a certificate of
completion so you can easily report
your credits to your state.
MANAGING YOUR CPE
CREDITS
Staying up to date on your CPE credits
is extremely important since if you fall
behind, and thus are unable to renew
your license, this can seriously impact
your ability to do business. Developing
a strategy to stay on track with your
CPE credits may be a good idea to
avoid any possibilities of missing any
deadlines or obligations. You should
make sure you know:
* How many credits you need
* When you need to earn them by
* Does your state have an annual
minimum number of credits?
* How many credits you already have
Good record-keeping is essential.
As you plan the year ahead, you
can take note of the courses you
are interested in based on location,
cost, topic, and style. You can then
schedule those courses in advance.
If you want to go beyond a personal
spreadsheet or calendar, tracking
software is available to help you keep
track of this information. When you
have finished a course, you can simply
input your information on reporting
requirements, and indicate how many
credits you have earned. If there are
several CPAs at your firm, you can
organize databases for multiple people
and years.
One of the hardest parts about CPE
courses is simply finding the time to
do them. It can be a good practice to
reserve a specific amount of time once
a week or even taking a day off once
per month to study.
LAST-MINUTE CPE
OPTIONS
If one year you are late with your
credit earning, there are usually some
courses offered at the end of December
or even in the first few weeks of
January that can be counted to reach
the required number of credits. It may
be difficult to earn a lot of credits in a
short period of time, but you may find
a part-day or all-day course that will
deliver what you need.
CPE credits are a necessary part
of being a CPA. Without having a good
grasp on how to effectively manage
these credits, you can waste a lot of
time and money. It is worth taking the
time to plan out your year in credits
so that you don't find yourself in a
last-minute situation trying to figure
out where you stand. ■
Jason Schow is Lead Product Manager at
Canopy.
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM
CANOPY TAX BLOG.
Looking for Outstanding Free
Year-End CPE? Look no further
CPA Practice Advisor's
Ensuring Success event.
December 8-9, 2021.
www.ensuringsuccess.com
JUNE 2021 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
31
http://www.ensuringsuccess.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
june2021

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