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Becker CPE — 2024 Review & CPE Packages

In many jurisdictions, CPAs must engage in continuing professional education (CPE) to maintain their license. Continuing education is important—it helps us review concepts we don’t often use and updates us on new regulations that affect the accounting profession. But with Becker CPE courses, you can stay in the know.

What are the CPE Standards for CPAs?

The AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) and NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) publish standards for CPEs, which you can access online. For example, the AICPA recommends that you get 120 hours of CPE over a 3-year period.

However, each jurisdiction can set its own CPE requirements, and they can really differ. The number of hours that you need over a certain amount of time depends on the standards of your Board of Accountancy. Plus, some states even require that your CPE credits fall into certain subject areas.

Let’s look at just a few examples to give you an idea of how much the CPE requirements for CPAs are varied:

California CPE Requirements

  • 80 hours of CPE every 2 years with at least 20 hours per year. So, you can’t cram it in at the last minute.
  • At least 40 hours dealing with technical content
  • At least 4 hours in ethics
  • Plus, very specific subject area requirements depending on your job. For example, government auditors vs. non-public accountants have different requirements.

Florida

  • 80 hours of CPE every 2 years with at least 8 hours in accounting or auditing
  • If you work with government audits, 24 of your hours should be related to governmental CPE
  • At least 4 hours in ethics

New York CPE Requirements

  • 40 hours of CPE every year, but you can substitute just 24 hours in a concentrated subject area
  • CPE hours must be in certain approved subject areas such as accounting, attest, auditing, advising, and taxation
  • At least 4 hours of ethics CPE every 3 years

Ohio

  • At least 120 hours every 3 years, with at least 20 hours each year
  • 3 hours of ethics CPE
  • 24 of your CPE hours must be in certain subjects depending on your job.

If your Board of Accountancy isn’t on this list, consult the full state list.

How are CPE Hours Calculated?

Again, the calculations vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, so it’s always best to consult with your State Board of Accountancy. But most states and territories use the following formula recommended by the AICPA:

  • One semester hour at the college/university level = 15 CPE hours
  • One quarter hour at the college/university level = 10 CPE hours
  • Outside of university settings, one hour spent in a CPE course = 1 CPE hour

So, for example, if you enrolled in a semester-long 3-hour course at your local college, you could earn 45 CPE hours. Some jurisdictions also count self-study courses, attending live webinars, or teaching experience. So again, it’s important to understand your specific requirements since it will take some planning to fit these requirements into your already busy schedule.

What is a CPE Course?

Some CPA Exam review course providers offer courses that help you meet your CPE requirements. If you can’t—or just don’t want to—enroll in a course at your local college or take the time to find appropriate continuing education opportunities, enrolling in a CPE course is a convenient way to meet your requirements.

Plus, if you enroll in a CPE course from an industry-trusted provider, like Becker CPA, you know that you’re getting access to high-quality materials that are going to be relevant to your daily work life.

However, not all jurisdictions accept CPE credits from all CPE course providers. Boards of Accountancy have high standards for CPE hours. These standards ensure that CPAs provide the highest level of professional accounting services. Therefore, it’s important to find a CPE course that is endorsed by your state.

What is Becker CPE?

You probably know the Becker brand from your days studying for the CPA Exam. Becker has been providing CPA Exam reviews for over 60 years and has become the industry’s gold standard for education.

Becker also provides CPE courses. The content is created and taught by some of the industry’s leading instructors. Plus, the material is regularly updated to give you CPE hours in the field’s most pressing current issues and new regulations.

Becker CPE Courses

Becker has designed its CPE courses to update you on the latest topics in the field. You can review new tax laws and the latest standards in accounting practices and ethics. Becker’s CPE courses come in two formats: live webcasts and on-demand videos.

Webcasts

The live webcasts have a regular schedule to help you plan ahead. They air weekdays at 9AM, 2PM, and 7PM (all CST). There’s also a “lunch and learn” series on weekdays at noon CST. If you prefer to do your CPE hours on the weekend, Becker has options for that, too.

I encourage you to browse the Becker CPE catalog to get a feel for the topics covered.

On-Demand Courses

In addition to the webcasts, Becker also has over 600 on-demand courses that come with more than 1,000 hours of CPE credits. The courses reflect 18 different study areas from accounting and auditing to information, taxes, and personal development as a CPA. To learn more, you can access the Becker CPE catalog online.

CPA CPE Packages

Becker has CPE packages at several price points.

If you just need a few CPE hours, you can purchase individual Becker CPE courses. You can find the list of offerings here.

Or, if you need more comprehensive CPE support, Becker has packages with different levels of content access. The smallest package—Essentials—comes with webcasts with live Q&A sessions and access to on-demand courses and other downloadable course content for 90 days. This option is best if you just need to finish a few more CPE hours. Or, this is a good option if you are looking for a limited amount of high-quality material in a particular subject area.

I recommend the highest CPA CPE Becker package, the Prime. You have access to all of the great material in the Essentials package like the webcasts and on-demand courses. But you’ll also gain access to exclusive, premium content that is only available to Prime members. Becker has also designed ethics courses for Prime members catered to individual jurisdictions. And, with a Prime package, you have access for an entire year.

Actually, I know a lot of CPAs who annually renew their Prime Becker subscription so that they can continually work on CPE hours. They also use Becker as a one-stop-shop when they need information about how changes in current regulations affect their careers.

Becker CPE Instructors

All of Becker’s CPE courses are written and taught by seasoned professionals. They come from all sections of the field: public and non-public accounting, consulting, and academia. So, you’ll benefit from the depth of their knowledge.

What are the Benefits of Becker CPE?

Flexible Formats

You can choose from live webcasts or on-demand lectures depending on how much time you can commit to CPE on a given day. Plus, you can choose from courses with 1-8 CPE credit hours.

Lunch and Learn

One of the easiest ways to meet your CPE requirements is to work at them little by little. And frankly, this method helps your overall career because you are constantly updating yourself on regulations. Plus, you’re always learning new ways to sharpen your skills.

Becker’s “Lunch and Learn” series presents webcasts every day at noon CST. You can watch these short webcasts and work towards your CPE credits on a daily basis.

Becker CPE Compliance Tracker

Becker has a new user-friendly feature that helps you with the tedious task of monitoring your CPE compliance progress. The Becker CPA compliance tracker is based on the continuing education requirements for your particular certification (whether it’s the CPA license or another certification). It also makes CPE course recommendations to fill any gaps. Plus, you can upload CPE credits from other third-party CPE providers, too.

The brand-new Becker compliance tracker can now be purchased for a full year for just $19.99 or as part of the Prime package.

Relevant and Up-to-Date Topics

Becker’s CPE course topics are always timely. Becker won’t waste your time on information you don’t need right now to succeed as a CPA. For example, do you know the nuances of the CARES Act and the Families Coronavirus Response Act? Are you familiar with other recent legislation that responds to the COVID-19 pandemic? Becker covers these topics and more.

Accepted by Most Jurisdictions

Not all CPE courses are recognized by all 55 Boards of Accountancy. To help you find a reliable course, NASBA publishes a National Registry of CPE Sponsors. It lists the courses that meet NASBA’s guidelines for CPE content. Becker Professional Education is included in the registry. Therefore, Becker’s CPE courses are accepted by most jurisdictions. (But remember, double-check in your state before your window to complete your hours expires.)

Do you have a Becker CPE discount?

Actually, I have discounts to several Becker CPA products. Click here for a list.

Final Thoughts

With providers like Becker on the market, it’s not necessarily hard to get your CPE hours. In fact, with Becker’s convenient webcasts, on-demand CPE lectures, and the daily “Lunch and Learn” series, it’s easy to meet your CPE requirements. Plus, you’ll have the confidence that comes with staying in the know and sharpening your accounting skills.

There are other options for CPA CPE if Becker isn’t the best choice for you.

If you still have questions, please never hesitate to contact me. I love hearing from my readers!

About the Author Stephanie Ng

I am the author of How to Pass The CPA Exam (published by Wiley), and I also passed all 4 sections of the CPA Exam on my first try. Additionally, I have led webinars, such as for the Institute of Management Accountants, authored featured articles on websites like Going Concern and AccountingWeb, and I'm also the CFO for the charity New Sight. Finally, I have created other accounting certification websites to help mentor non-CPA candidates. I have already mentored thousands of CPA, CMA, CIA, EA, and CFA candidates, and I can help you too!

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