Every CPA needs to earn CPE requirements, and whether you’re getting them through live webinars or self-study courses, you’ll want to save the CPE certificate at the end of the session.
Here’s everything you need to know about accessing CPE certificates, from why it’s important to save them to how to download them.
Why Should You Save Your CPE Certificate?
CPE certificates are used to verify a CPA’s compliance with continuing education requirements. And you never know when your State Board of Accountancy may request a copy of your CPE certificates as proof of attendance, so it’s important to save them for your records.
In order to receive a CPE certificate, you need to meet the requirements to earn CPE credits during the webinar. This is usually based on meeting the minimum viewing time requirement and answering polling questions.
Once you’ve met the requirements, some organizers will offer the option to download CPE certificates on the spot. Others, however, may take a few weeks before they make CPE certificates available to attendees.
Download the CPE Certificate During the Webinar
Many organizers allow you to check the progress of your CPE requirements during the webinar. This allows you to track how long you’ve been attending the webinar, as well as how many polling questions you have answered.
You can usually access this by clicking the “CPE” icon at the bottom of the webinar dashboard for CPE information. Keep in mind that organizers use different images or language for their “CPE” icon, but here’s an example of what you should be looking for:
If the organizer allows you to download your CPE certificate during the webinar, it’s likely that this icon is where you’ll find that as well. Once you meet the minimum CPE requirements, you may see a download button to save a copy of your CPE certificate.
Keep in mind that not all organizers offer this option, so if you don’t see a way to download the CPE certificate during the webinar, don’t worry: There are other ways to retrieve it after the webinar is over.
Just make sure that the webinar you’re attending actually offers CPE credit. Some companies host webinars that do not qualify for CPE, in which case a CPE certificate will never be available. Details on whether a webinar is CPE eligible should be on the organizer’s registration page.
Check for Emails from the Organizer
Most organizers will send attendees an email after the webinar is over to confirm attendance. If you’ve met the minimum CPE requirements, they may also include a link to download your CPE certificate or attach it to the email.
Here’s an example of an email Deloitte sends to its webinar attendees. They include a download link for people who qualify for CPE credit.
Keep in mind that these emails will look differently depending on the organizer.
Access Your CPE Certificate from CPE Databases
Recently, more and more organizers have been storing CPE certificates on their database. This is convenient because you get instantaneously access to CPE certificates, often dating back a few years.
If you’ve attended any webinars held by these organizers, you should be able to access your CPE certificate at your convenience:
Request Your Certificate by Reaching Out to the Organizer
If, after a few weeks, you still have not received your CPE certificate, reach out to the organizer. Contact information for CPE requests is usually available on the organizer’s website, but you should also be able to find it on the registration email you likely received after signing up for the webinar.
We’ve compiled a list of contact information for some of the most popular CPE organizers for your convenience:
- PWC – support@xyvid.com
- Deloitte – usdbriefs@deloitte.com
- KPMG – kpmgwebcasts@kpmg.com
- EY – send them an email through their CPE FAQ page
- Baker Tilly – learning@bakertilly.com
- Grant Thornton – CPEEvents@us.gt.com
- Moss Adams – MossAdams.CPEcertificate@mossadams.com
- FORVIS – cpecompliance@forvis.com
Track Your CPE Credits
Now that you know the importance of saving CPE certificates, here’s a reminder to track your CPE credits, too. It’ll help ensure that you’re meeting your annual CPE requirements and keep you organized should you ever be audited by your State Board of Accountancy.