Continuing Professional Education (CPE): Importance, Types, and Compliance

Learn what Continuing Professional Education (CPE) is, its types, compliance rules, and how professionals earn CPE credits.
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3 min
12 August 2025

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) plays a vital role in ensuring professionals maintain and enhance their skills throughout their careers. In fields such as accounting, finance, law, and healthcare, industry standards and regulatory requirements change frequently. By participating in CPE programmes, professionals can stay updated with the latest developments, best practices, and compliance regulations. For chartered accountants, for example, CPE is not only a professional responsibility but also a requirement to retain certifications and licences.

What is Continuing Professional Education (CPE)?

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) refers to structured learning activities that help professionals, particularly Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), maintain competence and keep their knowledge up to date. It is a mandatory requirement set by professional bodies and regulatory authorities to ensure high standards of practice.

For CPAs, CPE is essential to retain the CPA designation and comply with state-specific regulations. According to the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), CPAs must complete at least 120 hours of CPE during every three-year reporting period. These learning activities can include workshops, webinars, online courses, conferences, and self-study programmes. The primary goal is to keep professionals competitive, relevant, and equipped to deliver quality services in their respective fields.

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Importance of CPE for professionals

Continuing Professional Education plays a crucial role in ensuring Certified Public Accountants remain competent, relevant, and trusted in a rapidly evolving business environment.

  • Maintains professional competence: Ensures professionals keep pace with evolving industry standards, laws, and technologies, enabling them to provide accurate and timely advice.
  • Supports quality of service: Equips Certified Public Accountants with up-to-date knowledge so they can address complex, high-impact business issues for clients and stakeholders.
  • Improves career opportunities: Enhances skills and expertise, leading to better job prospects, career advancement, and greater recognition within the profession.
  • Ensures compliance: Meets the requirements set by professional bodies and regulatory authorities for maintaining certifications or licences.
  • Enhances client trust: Reinforces credibility, as clients value professionals committed to continuous learning and high service standards.
  • Encourages personal growth: Broadens professional knowledge and fosters confidence in decision-making, particularly in a fast-changing global business environment shaped by technology and regulation.

Types of Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

  • Technical learning: Covers industry-specific topics like tax updates, auditing standards, or financial reporting changes.
  • Ethics training: Focuses on ethical responsibilities, codes of conduct, and professional integrity.
  • Soft skills development: Enhances communication, leadership, and teamwork abilities.
  • Specialised programmes: Addresses niche areas such as forensic accounting, business valuation, or information security.

CPE Governance - NASBA and AICPA

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designations in the United States are issued at the state level, not nationally. This means CPAs must follow the specific standards and requirements of the state where they are registered. While NASBA represents the interests of state-level boards, AICPA focuses on supporting individual CPAs.

NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy)

  • Supports the 50+ state-level CPA boards by improving their effectiveness and advancing shared goals.
  • Promotes reciprocal recognition of CPA designations between states.
  • Offers a platform for state CPA organisations to collaborate on important professional matters.
  • Acts as a unified voice for state boards in dealings with U.S. government agencies.
  • Maintains the official registry of CPE sponsors, which many states use to approve continuing professional education providers.

AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants)

  • Represents over 400,000 individual CPAs across the United States, with membership being optional.
  • Sets ethical standards for the accounting profession.
  • Develops auditing standards for use by companies, governments, and organisations.
  • Creates and grades the Uniform CPA Exam.
  • Offers specialised credentials in areas such as financial planning, forensic accounting, business valuation, and information management.

Requirements for general CPE

For AICPA members, the CPE reporting period begins on January 1 of the first full calendar year after membership starts. As per AICPA guidelines, CPAs must complete a minimum of 120 hours of continuing professional education within each three-year reporting cycle.

Specific CPE requirements can vary by state, so it is advisable to review the NASBA website for detailed state-level regulations.

CPE credits for approved programmes are calculated as follows:

  • 50 minutes of participation equals 1 CPE credit.

Qualifying programmes for earning CPE credits

CPE credits must be earned through recognised programmes designed and delivered by qualified professionals. These should enhance a member’s skills and be formally structured. Examples include in-house training, university courses, conferences, trade shows, and e-learning platforms.

How to earn continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits?

CPE credit requirements differ depending on the certification. For instance, professionals holding ISACA credentials such as CISA, CISM, CGEIT, or CRISC must complete 120 CPE credits over three years, with at least 20 credits each year. These can be earned through:

  • Attending ISACA conferences (up to 32 CPE)
  • Participating in webinars or online training (up to 36 free CPE per year)
  • Completing on-demand courses (up to 28 CPE per course)
  • Joining skills-based labs (up to 32 CPE per lab)
  • Volunteering (up to 20 free CPE per year)

After earning credits, professionals must log in to their ISACA account to report them.

Similarly, ISC2 requires CPE completion within a three-year certification cycle, with credits submitted via its CPE portal. Requirements vary by designation. For example, Associates need at least 15 CPEs annually from Group A, while CISSP holders require a minimum of 40 CPEs per year and 120 over three years from Groups A and B combined.

  • Group A CPE credits are earned from domain-specific activities such as reading white papers, publishing articles, attending or teaching courses, preparing presentations, working on unique projects, studying for exams, volunteering in relevant sectors, or pursuing higher education in the field.
  • Group B CPE credits come from general professional development, including attending conferences, preparing lectures, or volunteering as a trainer.

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) compliance

CPA members must meet the Continuing Professional Education requirements set by their state licensing authority, along with any additional rules from government agencies, membership associations, or other professional organisations.

It is essential for members to directly confirm their specific obligations with all relevant bodies to which they report.

In some cases, members may complete training from providers not approved by NASBA or AICPA. Certain hours from these programmes may still qualify for CPE credits. To determine eligibility, members should keep all programme details and consult their state board before applying for credit recognition.

Record documentation and CPE evidence

CPA members must take responsibility for maintaining accurate records of the CPE credits they earn. This involves keeping proper documentation that confirms participation in and completion of recognised learning activities.

The standard unit of measurement is one CPE credit, equivalent to 50 minutes of programme time. While tracking and reporting credits is important, the AICPA emphasises that the primary objective should be enhancing knowledge and skills, rather than simply meeting the credit requirement.

Keeping these records is essential, as members may need to provide proof of their continuing education to regulators or other organisations. The AICPA advises retaining documentation for a minimum of five years after completing the programme.

Acceptable evidence may include:

  • A certificate of completion from an approved CPE provider
  • A certificate showing successful completion of all required assessments in a self-study programme
  • Academic transcripts or grade records issued by a university

Further examples of acceptable documentation are available on the NASBA website.

Conclusion

Continuing Professional Education is essential for staying relevant and competitive in a fast-changing professional landscape. For chartered accountants, maintaining updated knowledge can improve client service and ensure compliance with industry regulations. If you are looking to invest in your professional development, financial assistance through a CA loan can help you manage training costs with ease. You can also explore options based on the CA loan interest rate that suits your budget. Alternatively, a professional loan can provide funding for skill enhancement, certifications, and career growth.

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Frequently asked questions

What is CPE continuing professional education?
Continuing Professional Education (CPE) is the ongoing education that professionals undertake to maintain their certifications and stay up to date with industry standards. This is typically required for professionals like accountants, lawyers, and healthcare providers.

What is the CPE training program?
CPE training programs include structured learning activities, such as online courses, seminars, and workshops, that help professionals acquire the necessary knowledge to maintain their certifications and skills.

What are CPE qualifications?
CPE qualifications are typically industry-specific standards set by professional bodies. These qualifications include a minimum number of hours and approved types of educational programs that professionals must complete to maintain their certification.

What is the meaning of CPE certificate?
A CPE certificate is proof that a professional has completed a continuing education program. It often includes details such as the number of hours, the course title, and the date of completion, serving as evidence for compliance.

What is the purpose of Continuing Professional Education (CPE)?

The purpose of CPE is to help professionals keep their skills, knowledge, and expertise current. It ensures they can meet industry standards, follow regulations, and deliver quality work throughout their careers.

What is level 1 Continuing Professional Education (CPE)?

Level 1 CPE is an introductory stage of training focused on developing core skills, professional identity, and confidence in applying knowledge in real-life situations. It is often the starting point for structured professional learning.

How to get Continuing Professional Education (CPE) certified?

To earn CPE certification, you must complete approved training or educational programmes from recognised providers, meet the required credit hours, and receive formal proof of completion, such as a certificate or transcript.

What is the benefit of Continuing Professional Education (CPE)?

CPE improves professional credibility, supports career growth, enhances job performance, and keeps professionals updated with the latest trends, laws, and technologies in their field.

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