Where Can CPAs Find Free CPE Courses and Webinars?

Key Takeaway

This page compares five providers offering free CPE courses and webinars for CPAs, explaining what is actually free, the catch behind each offer, and how free courses fit into a complete CPE plan.

• Compares five free CPE sources, including CPEThink.com, Free Live CPE, Deloitte Dbriefs, PwC, and Learn CPE, on free offering, format, credit limit or catch, accreditation, and rating.
• Shows that CPEThink.com offers free self study courses and webinars plus a 30 day trial for browsing its full course library, backed by 4.8 to 4.9 out of 5.0 ratings on Trustpilot and Shopper Approved.
• Explains why so little CPE is truly free, including the cost of accredited infrastructure, recordkeeping requirements, and the use of free courses as part of a sales funnel.
• Recommends using free CPE courses to earn general credits, explore emerging topics, identify knowledge gaps, and cover a CPE shortfall.

Where Can CPAs Find Free CPE Courses and Webinars?: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which providers offer free CPE courses for CPAs on this page?

This page compares five sources of free CPE, including CPEThink.com, Free Live CPE, Deloitte Dbriefs, PwC, and Learn CPE.

What does CPEThink.com include in its free CPE offering?

CPEThink.com offers free self study courses and webinars plus a 30 day trial for browsing its full course library, though the trial does not grant final exam access or CPE credit.

Why is so little CPE truly free?

Genuinely free CPE is rare because providers must maintain accredited infrastructure and multi year recordkeeping, and most offer free courses as part of a sales funnel rather than a standalone service.

What should CPAs check before enrolling in a free CPE course?

CPAs should confirm the provider is listed on NASBAs National Registry of CPE Sponsors, verify the program qualifies for credit in an acceptable field of study, and check for certificate delivery and third party ratings.

How should free CPE courses fit into a CPAs overall CPE plan?

Free CPE courses work best for earning general credits, exploring emerging topics, and identifying knowledge gaps.

Undeniably, free CPE for CPAs gives you an excellent opportunity to evaluate the quality of a provider's content before you enroll in their paid courses. But not all free CPE courses are created equal, and many come with hidden surprises. This page compares five providers that offer such programs to help you make an informed decision.

CPEThink.com:

Perhaps CPEThink.com gives you the best option when it comes to free CPE courses for CPAs. You can take all their available courses and evaluate their overall quality using their CPE trial subscription. And their superb ratings on both Trustpilot and Shopper Approved assure very high user satisfaction.

Free Live CPE:

While they allow you to complete lots of free CPE webinars hosted by major firms regularly, you must verify each provider's NASBA accreditation and meet their specific requirements to receive credits. Together, these may make earning free CPE credits a cumbersome and time-consuming process. Plus, the platform itself doesn't have a Trustpilot profile, so you must check individual providers' ratings.

Deloitte Dbriefs:

If you're focusing primarily on free CPE webinars, Deloitte Dbriefs is one of your best options. But the catch is you must watch the original live webcasts and meet certain requirements to earn credits.

PwC:

While their free webinars cover a broad range of important topics, strict CPE eligibility requirements may discourage some learners. It's also important to note that not all their free webcasts are accredited with NASBA for CPE credits, so you must check individual details before registering.

Learn CPE:

They let you earn just one free CPE credit in Auditing, which may not be enough to evaluate their overall quality. They also don't have any Trustpilot reviews where you can see what other users say about their courses. Consider these factors before registering with Learn CPE, especially when you have other sponsors with multiple courses and good ratings available.

Read "A Comprehensive Guide to CPE Subscriptions" for more details on CPEThink.com's plans.

What To Look for Before Enrolling in Free CPE Courses?

• The provider is listed on NASBA's National Registry of CPE Sponsors. This indicates that they follow the CPE standards jointly set by NASBA and the AICPA.
• Confirm the program qualifies for CPE credit and if it falls within an acceptable field of study. It's also important to ensure that the sponsor maintains proper documentation of the entire program.
• If you want to meet your board's CPE requirements, make sure a free course will actually help you get the credits you need before enrolling in it.
• The CPA CPE free programs don't have any catch like a limited-period offer or are only for new customers. These things typically signify that the provider's focus is on getting new customers instead of offering genuinely free CPE for CPAs.
• See whether these are live webinars or self-paced courses. You must attend live webinars at pre-scheduled dates and times, while self-paced courses can be completed anytime, from anywhere.
• Make sure you can get downloadable certificates of completion instantly after you pass the final exams for self-study courses or within a few days after attending the webinars. Delay in receiving the certificates may jeopardize your CPE planning.
• The provider has good ratings on a third-party review website like Trustpilot, because these ratings speak for themselves. For example, as mentioned in the table, CPEThink.com has very impressive ratings on Trustpilot and Shopper Approved, which demonstrates high quality of both their content and platform.

Why So Little CPE Is Truly Free?

The "free" model is financially non-viable without any catch. Here's why genuinely free CPE courses are rare.

• The provider must deploy proper tools and have secure infrastructure when they offer properly accredited free courses, which is expensive.
• The provider must maintain comprehensive records for the courses for several years, which increases administrative burden.
• CPE content for CPAs can't be evergreen. They've to be updated within a reasonable time frame after changes to the subject matter happen. The accounting field experiences rapid changes, and changing the educational material is expensive.
• Most CPE sponsors use free courses as part of their sales funnel. Either they need your contact information that typically leads to sales calls, pitches, and emails or they offer a couple of basic courses to encourage you to buy their subscriptions.

How Should Free Courses Fit into Your Full CPE Plan?

• Use free CPE courses for CPAs to earn general credits without utilizing your CPE budget.
• Attend free CPE webinars hosted by major accounting firms to stay on top of the latest changes.
• Use these programs as an opportunity to explore emerging areas like AI, ESG reporting, blockchain, or new financial technologies.
• Utilize them to spread learning throughout the year instead of waiting until the end of your CPE reporting period.
• Many free CPE courses cover the basics of complex topics, which means they can be used to build foundational knowledge before you can take advanced paid programs.
• Use them to identify knowledge gaps. A free course can help reveal that you need deeper training in a particular subject matter, which will help you choose subsequent programs efficiently.
• If unavoidable, complete self-study free courses to cover CPE shortfall instantly.

Lastly, taking free CPE courses for CPAs isn't all about maintaining compliance. You can use them as free learning resources to explore the needs of your future career goals like advisory services, leadership roles, or transition into emerging fields.

Get the best CPE you're looking for.

Check out what other customers are saying.