Professional Education | Professional Education Requirements At-a-Glance
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Professional Education

Professional Education Requirements
At-a-Glance

Also see

Organization

Period
Length

Period Begins

Period
Ends

Total CPE
Hours

Annual Minimum

Subject
Minimum

Pa. State Board of Accountancy

2 Yrs.

1/1/08

12/31/09

80 Hrs.

20 Hrs.

16 Hrs. A&A/eight Hrs. Tax

N.J. State Board of Accountancy

3 Yrs.

1/1/06

12/31/08

120 Hrs.

None

72 Hrs. in technical subject
areas, including 24 Hrs. A&A, four in NJ Law & Ethics

GAO
Yellow Book Requirements

2 Yrs.

1/1/07

12/31/08*

80 Hrs.

20 Hrs.

24 Hrs. Gov’t Related

AICPA

3 Yrs.

varies

varies

120 Hrs.

None

None

PICPA

There are no CPE requirements to be a member of the PICPA.

Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy
The Pa. State Board of Accountancy requires and strictly enforces a minimum of 20 hours of CPE per year. As of Jan. 2001, the Pa. State Board of Accountancy implemented new rules for continuing education program sponsors. Your license expires on Dec. 31, 2009. The license expiration date coincides with the reporting period. For the full regulations, visit the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy Web site.

New Jersey State Board of Accountancy
The N.J. State Board of Accountancy requires 72 hours in technical subject areas each reporting period, 24 of which must be in A&A, and effective 1/1/03, four in N.J. Law & Ethics.

GAO Yellow Book Requirements
Each auditor performing work under GAGAS should complete, every two years, at least 80 hours of CPE that directly enhance the auditor’s professional proficiency to perform audits and/or attestation engagements.

*Instead of following the dates listed above, your period may run two years from the start date of first audit made in accordance with the Yellow Book. The GAO states that to simplify administration of CPE requirements, an audit organization may establish a standard two-year CPE period for all of its auditors, which can be either a fixed-year or rolling-year basis. A fixed year period, for example, would be 2005-2006, 2007-2008; a rolling-year period would be 2005-2006, 2006-2007. Effective Jan. 1, 2004, the GAO released an amendment to their CPE requirements that states that CPAs may not, in most cases, use tax credits to meet their 80-hour GAO Yellow Book requirement beginning Jan. 1, 2004.

To read the requirements effective June 30, 2005 as outlined in the GAO's Guidance on GAGAS Requirements for Continuing Education; the overview of Major Changes from the 1991 CPE Interpretation; and the technical amendment made by the Comptroller General to CPE requirements contained in the 2003 revision of Government Auditing Standards, visit the GAO Web site.

AICPA
Reporting period begins January 1 of the calendar year after joining the AICPA.

Category of Study/Credit

Maximum Amount of
CPE Per Reporting Period

How Credit is Calculated

Group Study

No Maximum

• Awarded one CPE credit for each 50 minutes of participation

Individual Study

50% of requirement

• Noninteractive (no direct feedback between attendee & instructor) - Credit will be given based on half the average completion time calculated by the sponsor. Includes approved professional education courses taken over the Internet.
• Interactive (interaction between instructor/sponsor & attendee) - Awarded one CPE credit for each 50 minutes of participation. NASBA registry approved individual study courses qualify under this standard.
• Credit will only be given in the renewal period in which the certificate of completion is dated. Certificate must be retained for five years.

Professor, Lecturer, Discussion Leader, Speaker

50% of requirement

• Awarded one CPE credit for each 50 minutes of service as lecturer.
• Two additional CPE credits are awarded for preparation time for each credit hour of instruction.
• Credit will not be awarded for subsequent sessions unless the subject matter has substantially changed.

University/College Courses

No Maximum

• Credit Courses - Awarded 15 CPE credits for 1 semester credit.
(i.e. - (1) Three-credit college course = 45 CPE credits)
• Non-credit Courses - Awarded one CPE credit for each 50 minutes of
class participation.

In-House/On-Site Training Programs

No Maximum

• Awarded one CPE credit for each 50 minutes of participation.

Publications, Articles/Books,
Professional Education Courses

25-50% of requirement

• One credit given for each 50 minutes of preparation time on self-declaration basis up to 25% of biennial requirement. A copy of the publication must be submitted to the Board with the biennial renewal application.
• Applicant may request additional credit by submitting a copy of work to the Board with a letter explaining why applicant believes he/she should be awarded more than 25%.

For more information or if you have additional questions, email us at education@picpa.org or call us at (888) 272-2001, ext. 430.

For more information or if you have additional questions, email us at education@picpa.org or call us at (888) 272-2001, ext. 430.

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