7 Common Mistakes When Pursuing CPE Credits – And How to Avoid Them

Written by CFI Team

Reviewed by Jeff Schmidt

Read Time 4 minutes

Earning CPE credits is essential for maintaining certifications and advancing your finance career, but navigating the process can be tricky. From selecting the wrong courses to procrastinating on deadlines, even seasoned professionals can make missteps that waste valuable time and money.

The good news? By recognizing these common mistakes early, you can make the most of your continuing education journey while avoiding unnecessary stress. Here’s a guide to the top pitfalls to steer clear of when earning your CPE credits.

1. Enrolling in Non-Accredited Courses

Many professionals unknowingly sign up for courses that don’t meet CPE accreditation standards, only to discover later that those credits won’t count toward their certification requirements. This misstep can result in wasted time, effort, and money as you scramble to find replacements.

How to Avoid It: Always confirm a course’s accreditation before enrolling. Accreditation details, such as the NASBA logo, indicate that the course meets industry standards and is recognized by organizations like the AICPA.
Pro Tip: Reputable providers like CFI clearly display their accreditation status on course pages. Double-check this information to ensure your efforts go toward fulfilling your CPE requirements.

2. Waiting Until the Last Minute

Procrastinating on CPE requirements can lead to a frantic rush to complete credits at the end of the year. This not only adds unnecessary stress but can also lower the quality of learning as you try to cram in multiple courses at once, risking burnout.

How to Avoid It: Set a proactive plan by dividing your annual requirement into smaller, manageable goals. For example, if you need 40 CPE credits, aim to complete 10 credits each quarter to stay on track.
Pro Tip: Consistently making progress throughout the year reduces last-minute stress and ensures steady advancement toward your goals.

3. Prioritizing Quantity Over Quality

Focusing solely on earning as many credits as possible without considering the relevance of courses can be counterproductive. While you may meet your CPE requirements, you might miss out on acquiring practical skills that can elevate your performance and career prospects.

How to Avoid It: Select courses that align with your career objectives and offer real-world applications. Topics like financial modeling, ESG reporting, or leadership development not only fulfill CPE requirements but also enhance your expertise and professional value.
Pro Tip: Prioritize high-quality CPE courses that deliver actionable skills. CFI’s tailored offerings for finance professionals ensure that every credit you earn contributes to your growth and career advancement.

4. Ignoring Your Certification’s Specific Requirements

Each certification comes with unique CPE credit obligations, such as mandatory ethics courses or subject-specific credit hours. Overlooking these can jeopardize your certification status, leading to missed requirements or even non-compliance.

How to Avoid It: Carefully review your certifying body’s guidelines and keep track of your progress. Ensure you meet both the total and category-specific credit requirements well before deadlines.
Pro Tip: Prioritize understanding your certification’s unique needs upfront. Familiarize yourself with mandatory topics, such as ethics or technical CPE credits, to ensure your course selections align with your requirements.

5. Failing to Track Your Progress

Without an organized system, it’s easy to lose sight of how many CPE credits you’ve earned, leading to duplicate efforts or last-minute panic to fulfill requirements. You might take unnecessary extra courses or, worse, fall short of what’s needed.

How to Avoid It: Consistently monitor your progress to stay on track and save time. Many platforms, like CFI, offer dashboards to help you manage your course completion. For added assurance, maintain a personal log in Excel or Google Sheets.
Pro Tip: Create a simple spreadsheet with columns for course names, dates, credit hours, and category requirements to ensure everything is accounted for.

6. Overlooking the Flexibility of Online Learning

Some professionals mistakenly believe only in-person or live online courses are valid, overlooking the efficiency and accessibility of on-demand learning. This can lead to spending more time and money than necessary on less convenient options.

How to Avoid It: Take advantage of self-paced online courses that let you learn on your schedule. Platforms like CFI offer bite-sized lessons you can complete anywhere, minimizing disruptions to your routine.
Pro Tip: Use small blocks of downtime, such as during commutes or lunch breaks, to complete short lessons. This approach allows you to steadily earn credits throughout the year.

7. Not Applying What You Learn

Taking courses purely to earn CPE credits without integrating the knowledge into your work is a missed opportunity. Valuable skills that could enhance your performance or career growth remain underutilized.

How to Avoid It: Select courses relevant to your current role and long-term career goals. Actively incorporate the skills you gain into your work to demonstrate their value and reinforce your learning.
Pro Tip: Apply what you’ve learned to real-world projects to maximize the impact of your CPE credits. For example, use financial modeling techniques to refine your team’s forecasting. Sharing these improvements with colleagues or managers highlights your initiative and the practical value of your continuing education.

Make the Most of Your CPE Credits

Earning CPE credits doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By avoiding common pitfalls and following the tips shared here, you can make your continuing education journey both productive and rewarding. Prioritize accredited courses, plan your progress, and focus on learning skills that truly add value to your career.

With a trusted learning platform like CFI, you can access NASBA-accredited CPE courses that fit your schedule and align with your career goals. Whether you’re brushing up on financial modeling or developing leadership skills, CFI helps you earn your CPE credits with ease.

Start your journey today — explore CFI’s course catalog and earn credits on your schedule.

Earn Your Credits!