Professional Education Questions
Registration, Cancellation, and Attendance Verification
Course Details
Continuing Professional Education Credits
Your CPA License
Other Links
Registration, Cancellation, and Attendance Verification
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Q. How do I register for a course or contact a member of PICPA’s Professional Education Team for assistance?
A. There are several convenient ways to register:
Payment of fees is required at the time of registration. The PICPA will provide your certificate of completion (formerly the attendance verification card) online within two weeks of the program. You will receive an e-mail once your certificate of completion is available. Please register at least two weeks prior to the program start date.
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Q. How do I register multiple people for events?
A. If you would like to register multiple people for one or more events, please sign-up to be a firm administrator. Once you are approved as firm administrator, you will be able to register an unlimited number of people at your firm or organization.
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Q. How do I know if my registration has been received?
A. You will immediately receive a confirmation e-mail with course details.
When you register more than two weeks prior to the course date, you will receive a confirmation postcard (your Express Admission Ticket) via U.S. mail that you should bring with you to the course. If you register less than two weeks prior to the course date, you will not receive this postcard in advance.
To confirm your registration, go to your account and view your "Upcoming Courses." You can also call the PICPA at (215) 496-9272 or (888) 272-2001.
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Q. How can I verify my attendance at a PICPA seminar or conference?
A. Your certificate of completion will be available online about two weeks after the course. You will receive an e-mail once your certificate of completion is available. Log into your account and view a summary of the PICPA professional education events you have attended. On this page, you can also add courses taken outside of PICPA for CPE history tracking purposes. The PICPA no longer mails annual CPE history letters. In the event a signed letter is required, contact the Professional Education Team.
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Q. How do I cancel a course registration?
A. Please notify the PICPA at least five business days before the start of the program and we will provide a full refund. A $50 late cancel, late transfer, or no show fee will be charged for changes made less than five business days prior to the program to cover incurred meal, facility, and administrative costs. If e-materials have been downloaded, refunds are not possible.
Substitutions are welcome and can be made before the date of the program. Refunds are not possible if the PICPA is not notified in advance.
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Q. What time should I arrive at a course?
A. The start time is noted on your Express Admission Ticket or e-mail confirmation; however, most follow the same schedule:
7:30 a.m. - Registration
8:00 a.m. - Course begins
12:00 p.m. - Lunch (45 min.)
4:00 p.m. - Course ends
Exception: Start times vary for conferences and other events. Visit our online course catalog for more details.
Late arrivals, early departures, or extended absences from class will result in a reduction of credit hours.
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Q. How do I get to a course site?
A. For site directions, look at the directions link on the course description. You can find your upcoming courses online.
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Q. What is your inclement weather policy?
A. It is the policy of PICPA to hold all seminars and conferences. If there is inclement weather in your area and you have doubts as to whether the program you are scheduled to attend will be held, call the PICPA at (215) 972-5430. A recorded message will tell you if the program has been cancelled. The absence of a cancellation message on the Hotline indicates the program will be held as scheduled. If PICPA is forced to cancel a program for any reason, liability is limited to a refund of the registration fee.
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Continuing Professional Education Credits
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Q. What are the CPE requirements for Pennsylvania CPAs?
A. Pennsylvania CPAs are required to obtain 80 hours of CPE credits per biennial period. The 80 credit hours must include at least 16 in accounting and auditing subjects, eight in tax subjects, and four in ethics. In addition, there is a minimum requirement of 20 credit hours per year. For a breakdown of the professional education requirements by type of study, use PICPA's at-a-glance guide.
On May 1, 2001, the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy implemented amended CPE program sponsor regulations that directly impacted licensees. The amendment included a stipulation that all individuals or entities offering a program for continuing education credit must apply to the Board for approval as a program sponsor. Licensees should confirm a sponsor's approval under the regulations prior to registering for a program.
Licensees who participate in programs provided by unapproved sponsors need to take additional steps and not assume the training qualifies for continuing education credits. Those steps include determining whether the program met all requirements of CPE and the program sponsor met all responsibilities under the regulations and maintaining documentation to support these claims. For more details on the CPE requirements and program sponsor responsibilities, review the regulations of the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy.
PICPA is an approved sponsor of CPE programs as required by the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York State Boards of Accountancy.
Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy - Sponsor Number PX000490L
New Jersey State Board of Accountancy - Sponsor Number 20CE00027000
New York State Board of Accountancy - Sponsor Number 002218
Also see CPE Requirements At-a-Glance.
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Q. In what states is PICPA a program sponsor?
A. PICPA is an approved sponsor of CPE programs as required by the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York State Boards of Accountancy.
Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy - Sponsor Number PX000490L
New Jersey State Board of Accountancy - Sponsor Number 20CE00027000
New York State Board of Accountancy - Sponsor Number 002218
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Q. How can I get a course approved for CPE? Do I need to?
A. The Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy is the regulatory body responsible for licensing CPE program sponsors. There is a formal process of approval that all sponsors must submit to the Board to obtain a license. Applications to become a licensed sponsor are available to download.
Any individual or entity desiring to offer a program, including firm in-house training for continuing education credit must apply to the Board for approval as a program sponsor. This includes public accounting firms and others that provide training internally to staff. The only exemption from approval is a member in good standing of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s (NASBA) National Registry of Continuing Professional Education Sponsors.
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Q. Why didn't I receive full credit for attending a course?
A. As a State Board approved CPE provider, PICPA is required to maintain accurate CPE records. One credit hour is granted for every 50 minutes of class participation. If you arrive late, leave early, or are absent from class for an extended period of time, your credits are adjusted based on the class records of the course coordinator or discussion leader.
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Q. How many credits do I report for self-study courses?
A. The State Board defines two types of individual study, interactive and noninteractive as follows:
"Interactive individual study program-A continuing education program designed to use interactive learning methodologies that simulate a classroom learning process by employing software, other courseware or administrative systems that provide significant ongoing interactive feedback to the learner regarding the learning process which issues a certificate of completion."
"Noninteractive individual study program-A continuing education program designed to permit a participant to learn a given subject without interaction with an instructor or interactive learning methodologies which issues a certificate of completion upon the participant's achieving a 70 percent minimum grade on a written examination or workbook."
Further, interactive study programs shall be given one credit hour of continuing education credit for each 50 minutes of participation. Noninteractive programs shall be given credit based upon one-half the average completion time calculated by the sponsor.
The Pennsylvania State Board accepts credit from individual study programs; however, the maximum continuing education credit from self-study courses is limited to 50 percent of the biennial requirement, or 40 hours.
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Q: What other licenses and accreditations does the PICPA offer CPE to support?
A: CLE – Continuing Legal Education ($50 per day processing fee)
CFP® – Certified Financial Planner
CFE – Certified Fraud Examiner
Enrolled Agents
CLU – Chartered Life Underwriter
ChFC – Chartered Financial Consultant
CFM – Certified Financial Manager
CMA – Certified Management Accountant
Pennsylvania Insurance Licensee ($10 processing fee)
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Q: How do I know which courses are approved to support specialized designations, licenses, or accreditations?
A: Check individual course descriptions.
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Q. Do PICPA-sponsored programs qualify for continuing legal education (CLE) credits?
A. The PICPA Foundation is an approved provider of continuing legal education (CLE) in Pennsylvania (CLE Provider #545). Most PICPA courses qualify for 6.5-Substantive CLE credits per day. Technology, soft skills, and "staff training" courses do not qualify for CLE credits. If you would like to receive the CLE credits for attending a CLE-approved PICPA program, note your Pennsylvania attorney identification number, pay the additional fee of $50 per day, and PICPA will report your CLE credits directly to the Pennsylvania CLE Board. You can verify your CLE credits with the CLE Board. One CLE credit hour is awarded for every 60 minutes of instruction.
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Q. Do PICPA courses qualify for CFP®?
A. Effective Jan. 1, 2006, the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Board of Standards requires all continuing professional education (CPE) taken by CFPs to meet their certification renewal requirements to be taken from CPE sponsors who are registered with the CFP Board.
Programs from nonregistered CPE sponsors completed after Jan. 1, 2006, will not be accepted for credit by the CFP Board. Programs completed before Jan. 1, 2006, will be subject to review and acceptance by CFP Board.
Here's how PICPA events will qualify:
PICPA is an approved CFP sponsor. To view the complete list of CFP sponsors, visit www.cfp.net.
The major developers of PICPA courses (including AICPA and Surgent McCoy) will preregister their courses with the CFP Board. PICPA will register other programs such as the Personal Financial Planning Conference. PICPA course descriptions will identify courses that qualify for CFP®.
What you need to do to receive CFP credit:
Beginning on Jan. 1, 2006, when you attend a PICPA course to fulfill CFP® renewal requirements, you will be asked to provide your name and CFP® certificate number. We will submit that information to the course developer who will then submit it to the CFP® Board for acceptance.
Be sure to bring your CFP® certificate number with you to future PICPA courses.
For more details about this new CFP® requirement, visit www.cfp.net.
CFP is a certification mark owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. These marks are awarded to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.
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Q. Do PICPA courses qualify for CFE?
A. Several PICPA courses are accepted by the ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) for CPE credit when the course falls within one of the following fields of study:
- Fraud Examination
- Accounting and Auditing
- Specialized Knowledge and Applications
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Q: What qualifies as CE credit for Enrolled Agents?
A: PICPA is an approved provider of continuing professional education for individuals enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service (Enrolled Agents-Sponsor #597). Programs that qualify are those that enhance the professional knowledge of an enrolled agent in federal taxation or federal tax related matters. It is the responsibility of the course registrant to make this determination. One eight-hour course equals eight credits for an enrolled agent. You must track and report your credits to the appropriate organization. PICPA does not maintain records or assume responsibility for reporting.
Q: Does the PICPA offer RTRP credits?
A: The IRS no longer requires RTRP (Registered Tax Return Preparer) credits. Should the credit requirement be reinstated, the PICPA will offer seminars that qualify for RTRP credits and the course catalog will highlight those courses.
Q. Where can I find more information on "Yellow Book" requirements?
A. These requirements are effective June 30, 2005 as outlined in the GAO's Guidance on GAGAS Requirements for Continuing Education  . You can also read the overview of "Major Changes from the 1991 CPE Interpretation."
Auditors performing work under GAGAS should complete every two years:
At least 80 hours of CPE that directly enhances the auditors' professional proficiency to perform audits or attestation engagements, with a minimum of 20 hours in any one year of the two-year period.
At least 24 of the 80 hours of CPE should be in subjects directly related to government auditing, the government environment, or the specific or unique environment in which the audited entity operates.
EXCEPTION: Auditors performing work under GAGAS who are only involved in performing field work but are not involved in planning, directing, or reporting on the audit or attestation engagement, and who charge less than 20 percent of their time annually to GAGAS audits and attestation engagements, should complete every two years: At least 24 hours of CPE in subjects and topics directly related to government auditing, the government environment, or the specific or unique environment in which the audited entity operates, but are exempt from the remainder of the 80-hour CPE requirement.
The Comptroller General has also issued a technical amendment to the CPE requirements contained in the 2003 revision of Government Auditing Standards (April 2005).
Visit the GAO Web site for more details. For questions about the CPE guidance document, please contact Michael C. Hrapsky at (202) 512-9535, hrapskym@gao.gov or Marcia Buchanan at (202) 512-9321, buchananm@gao.gov.
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Q. How and when do I report my CPE credits?
A. All Pennsylvania licensees are on the same biennial reporting period, ending Dec. 31 of odd-numbered years (such as 2013, 2015, etc.). The license expiration date coincides with the reporting period.
The Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy mails renewal notice reminders to all licensees at the close of a biennial period.
To assist with documentation, login to your account and view a summary of all PICPA events attended. Your certificate of completion will be available on that page about two weeks after the course.
PICPA is an approved sponsor of CPE programs as required by the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York State Boards of Accountancy.
Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy - Sponsor Number PX000490L
New Jersey State Board of Accountancy - Sponsor Number 20CE00027000
New York State Board of Accountancy - Sponsor Number 002218
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Q. How can I reactivate my CPA license?
A. To reactivate your license, submit your certificate number, current address, and your request to reactivate your license to the State Board of Accountancy via e-mail or U.S. Mail. The Board will then mail you a Reactivation Application, which you return to the Board with a license renewal fee of $100 and a reactivation fee of $35.
You will need to attend 80 hours of CPE preceding your request for reactivation. Of those 80 hours, 16 must be in A&A, eight must be in tax, and four must be in ethics.
To contact the State Board of Accountancy:
Mail: P.O. Box 2649,
Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649
Phone: (717) 783-1404
Fax: (717) 705-5540
E-mail: ST-ACCOUNTANCY@state.pa.us
You can also get information on the State Board of Accountancy's Web site.
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