CPE Requirements

The VSCPA is committed to providing its members with up-to-date information on continuing professional education (CPE) requirements. The chart and information below covers general CPE requirement questions. We've also developed FAQs on the Virginia Board of Accountancy (BOA) regulations, including the two-hour annual ethics course requirement for all Virginia CPAs. Should you have additional questions or concerns, please contact VSCPA Technical Services Manager Emily Walker at (800) 733-8272. 

*As of January 1, 2004, the Virginia Board of Accountancy (BOA) instituted an annual 2-hour ethics CPE requirement. The BOA will issue an outline every year on topics a course must contain to quality for this requirement. Click here for more information, including how to take an ethics course from the VSCPA to fulfill the requirement.

** Virginia law no longer requires CPAs to use specific sponsors or to take specific courses (i.e. tax or A&A).

• Virginia Board of Accountancy (BOA) CPE Requirements
• American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) CPE Requirements 
• AICPA/NASBA CPE Standards (.PDF)
• Government Accountability Office (GAO) Continuing Education Requirements (Yellow Book)
• National CPE Curriculum

Virginia Board of Accountancy (BOA) CPE Requirements | Top

1. CPAs providing or offering to provide services to the public — 120 hours every three years, 20 hours per year minimum
   
2. CPAs providing services other than for the public (may include educators, members in industry):
   
   July 1, 1999 – December 31, 2002 — No CPE required
   January 1, 2003 – December 31, 2005 — 45 hours over the three year period, 10 hours per year minimum
   January 1, 2006 – December 31, 2008 — 90 hours over the three year period, 15 hours per year minimum
   Effective January 1, 2009 — 120 hours every three years, 20 hours per year minimum
   
   All CPAs must also complete an annual 2-hour ethics CPE requirement.
   
3. The new regulations have eliminated all required course areas and all sponsorship requirements, allowing each individual to decide what classes to take. To meet Virginia licensure law, CPAs do not need to take a minimum number of hours in tax or A&A, nor do they need to take their CPE from a BOA-approved sponsor. However, if you are preparing to commence services for the public after a period of performing services not for the public, please contact the VSCPA to learn about additional CPE requirements.
   
4. Individuals failing to meet the CPE requirements may be subject to re-qualification, including possible re-examination and submission of experience qualifications. The BOA may, at its discretion, waive or defer CPE requirements so long as such waiver or deferral is in the public interest.
   
5. For further information on the Virginia CPE requirements, VSCPA members can visit the BOA Web site or contact VSCPA Technical Services Manager Emily Walker at (800) 733-8272.

National CPE Curriculum | Top

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) CPE Division has created a national curriculum for all CPE courses.

The goal of this structured and combined curriculum is two-fold:

• To provide CPAs and other accounting professionals with assistance in program selection through the use of an overall framework of specified knowledge and skills.
• To supply course developers with a guide to aid them in development of comprehensive CPE programs.

More than 100 members of the profession contributed to the curriculum project. Representatives from more than 40 states (including members of small, regional and national firms; federal, state and local governments; industry; academia; and state societies) volunteered a total of more than 1,000 working days to the project. After carefully analyzing the tasks and activities performed by accountants in their work, seven task forces identified the knowledge and skills to be acquired by CPAs.

To address the CPE needs of the three major segments of the profession CPAs in public practice, industry and government C the initial curriculum framework is organized by six fields of study. These fields of study are: accounting and auditing, advisory services, management, specialized knowledge and applications, personal development and taxation.

To maximize the usefulness of the curriculum, each CPE program is also designed to meet individual training needs at various levels of professional development and particular segments of the profession. Refer to the prerequisite and the level of knowledge within the course description to best understand the classification of these designations.

Fields of study

Accounting and auditing includes accounting and financial reporting subjects, the body of knowledge dealing with pronouncements of authoritative accounting principles issued by the standard setting bodies, as well as other related subjects generally classified within the accounting discipline. It also includes auditing subjects related to the examination of financial statements, operations, systems and programs; the review of internal and management controls; the reporting on the results of audit findings; and the compilation and review. This curriculum covers the needs of professionals in public practice, industry and government.

Advisory services deals with management, personal financial planning and other services. This curriculum also covers an organization's various systems and the services provided by consultant practitioners. Systems include those dealing with planning, organizing and controlling any phase of business activity. Services provided cover those from management, such as designing, implementing and evaluating operating systems for organizations For the most part, this curriculum is for consultants in public practice, but consultants in industry who are employed by large organizations will find these courses of interest.

Management emphasizes the specific management needs of accountants. Courses concentrate on the practice management of the public practitioner, such as organizational structures, marketing services and human-resource management. For accountants in industry, there are courses dealing with the financial management of an organization, including information systems, budgeting and asset management.

Specialized knowledge and applications comprises subjects relating to specialized industries, such as health care, banking and Nonprofit organizations. An industry is defined as specialized if it has unusual forms of organization, economic structure, sources of financing, legislative or regulatory requirements, marketing or distribution systems, terminology or technology and if it employs unique accounting principles and practices, unique tax problems, a need for unique advisory services, or faces unique audit issues.

Personal development is designed to assist participants in becoming a competent manager of people by covering such skills as communications, managing the group process, and dealing effectively with others in interviewing, counseling, and career planning. Public relations and professional ethics are also treated.

Taxation includes courses dealing with tax compliance and tax planning. Compliance covers tax return preparation and review, as well as IRS examinations, ruling requests and protests. Tax planning focuses on applying tax law to prospective transactions and understanding the tax implications of unusual or complex transactions. Recognizing alternative tax treatments and advising the client on tax-saving opportunities are also part of tax planning. Although the main topical coverage of this curriculum is for the practitioner, tax professionals in industry will also be interested in many of these courses.