How to Earn CPA CPE Credits While Working Full-Time
Balancing a demanding career and professional development isn't easy especially when you're a full-time CPA staring down the barrel of looming CPE credit deadlines. Between client meetings, tax season crunches, and emails that never seem to stop, how can anyone find time to keep their license active?
Good news: it’s more doable than you think.
In this guide, we’ll break down how to earn CPA CPE credits efficiently while still thriving in your 9-to-5 (and beyond). Whether you're a public accountant, CFO, or working in industry, these smart strategies will help you stay compliant without burnout.
What Are CPA CPE Credits?
These are required learning hours that licensed CPAs must complete regularly to maintain their active license. Each state's board of accountancy requires CPAs to earn between 40–120 CPE hours every 1–3 years. These aren't just regulatory checkboxes; rather, they keep you current on tax law changes, new auditing standards, and industry developments to keep you informed.
Since requirements differ in every state—from ethics hours to live training mandates—check our CPA CPE Requirements by State guide to get your exact requirements and avoid costly compliance mistakes.
Challenge #1: No Time? No Problem.
One of the biggest hurdles for full-time professionals is finding time for CPE. Here's how to make learning fit into your packed schedule:
Embrace On-Demand Learning
On-demand CPE courses are built for busy people. These allow you to pause, rewind, or resume content at your pace. You can chip away at a course over multiple days—perfect for those unpredictable work weeks.
Look for NASBA-approved providers that offer bite-sized content and tracking tools to monitor your progress.
Turn Dead Time Into CPE Hours
Your daily commute and lunch breaks can knock out CPE credits without cutting into billable time. Audio courses let you learn while driving, and mobile platforms work during client waiting periods or even while walking your dog. An hour-long commute becomes 10 CPE credits per week—that's half your annual requirement just from drive time.
Pro tip: Bookmark topics that need focused attention and save lighter topics for multitasking moments.
Choosing the Right CPE That Works for You
Not all CPE courses are worth your time. When you're busy running a practice, every learning hour should either solve current problems or help you earn more. Smart CPE selection keeps you licensed while growing your business—random course picking just wastes time and money.
Match Courses to Your Business Goals
Take courses that solve today's client problems or build tomorrow's revenue streams. Moving into advisory work? Target financial planning, ESG reporting, or business valuation CPE. These specialized areas command higher fees and fewer competitors chase this work.
Diversify Your CPE Learning Formats
Different CPE formats work better for different situations. Here's how to choose:
- Live Webinars: Perfect when you need real-time Q&A or have to meet specific live-hour requirements for your state.
- Self-Study Courses: Take control of your schedule with zero time pressure. Study at your own pace, pause when clients call.
- Virtual Conferences: Get the most value by covering multiple topics in one event.
Pro Tip: Combine formats to prevent study fatigue and reinforce learnings.
Staying Organized (So Nothing Slips Through)
Tracking your CPE is almost as important as earning it. Nothing’s worse than scrambling for certificates days before license renewal.
Maintain a CPE Tracker
Most reputable platforms include a CPE tracking feature that auto-updates your earned credits and certificates. Others allow manual uploads if you take courses from multiple providers.
Set calendar reminders for course deadlines and renewal cycles—especially if your state has rolling requirements.
Don’t Let Ethics Sneak Up on You
Ethics CPE is mandatory in nearly every state. Make sure to slot this in early in your cycle. Many professionals wait until the last minute, only to find limited session availability or state-specific versions.
Full-Time Job? Turn It Into a CPE Goldmine
If you’re working full-time, you might already be doing things that qualify for CPE credit without realizing it.
Leverage In-House Training
The training sessions you already run at your firm can count as CPE credits. Your internal trainings, workshops, and training sessions may qualify for CPE, especially if they meet NASBA standards and include learning objectives and some kind of test or evaluation.
Just ask your employer or the HR person to make sure these sessions get the right paperwork. It's an easy way to earn credits while you're already teaching your team.
Turn Conferences Into a Credit Fest
Industry events and accounting summits often provide CPE-eligible tracks. If you’re attending, make sure to collect completion certificates or participation proof.
Make Learning Part of Your Routine
Building a sustainable CPE habit isn’t just about compliance, it’s about development. Create a routine that works long-term.
Set Weekly or Monthly Learning Goals
Most CPAs fail at CPE because they try cramming 40 hours in the final weeks before renewal. Break your requirement into manageable weekly sessions instead. Setting an hour on weekends will allow you to complete your credits months ahead of deadline. You'll avoid the rush, get better course selection, and often pay less for premium content.
Find an Accountability Partner
Pair up and motivate one another by setting joint milestones and reviewing your achievements together each month. Set mutual goals and check in monthly on your progress.
CPE On Your Terms
Good news: you can now earn CPE credits however works best for you. Study at home during downtime or use your firm's training sessions to count toward requirements. Staying licensed while running your practice is totally doable with the right plan.
Don't see CPE as just another task—it's what keeps you sharp and competitive. With online courses, mobile learning, and easy tracking, you can stay current without hurting your business.
Are you looking for a platform that supports your schedule and offers a wide range of topics from ethics and auditing to AI and blockchain? Then CPA CPE Credits library is a great place to explore relevant options.
Conclusion
Your license compliance directly impacts your firm's credibility and revenue potential. Flexible CPE solutions like MYCPE ONE CPA CPE platform let you maintain credentials without pulling away from client work or strategic planning.
Your CPA license keeps your firm running and clients trusting you. MYCPEONE makes it easy to get your CPE credits without missing client deadlines or losing billable hours. Don't wait—get your CPE done now so you can focus on what matters most: your business.
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