CPD - FAQs

CPAs must continually enhance their knowledge and expertise to remain at the forefront of today’s competitive market. It is imperative that CPAs remain knowledgeable and current in all areas in which they practice or work in order to best serve the interest of clients, employers and other stakeholders.

No, there are no formal limits or maximums on learning activities. It is up to the member to determine the learning activities that best suit their professional role. However, the expectation is that the member take a balanced approach towards CPD, and therefore not generally derive all CPD hours from the same source or the same topic.

Yes, “professional role” is defined in the broadest sense. CPAs should engage in learning activities that are relevant to their current or future professional role. Those learning activities do not necessarily have to include accounting, tax or assurance courses. Take an inventory of your current skills and competencies and consider whether you allocate sufficient time to building or refreshing the various skills and competencies you need to do your job well. Consider whether you have the range of soft skills (leadership, communication, etc.) and sufficient knowledge in your particular industry. The time you spend gathering these skills and industry knowledge all count towards your CPD requirements.
 
Selection of learning activities should be a thoughtful, reflective process addressing your current and future professional plans, current knowledge and skill level, and desired or needed additional competence to meet future opportunities and/or professional responsibilities.

Under CPABC’s Bylaws, the membership of those who do not comply with the CPD requirements will be suspended and/or cancelled. This is necessary to protect the public and ensure that we maintain public trust and uphold the reputation of the CPA designation.
 
Members who believe they have a valid reason for an exemption from the minimum CPD requirement may submit a written request to the Membership Committee to consider their circumstances using the CPABC’s secure website. Members who submit a request related to a medical condition must attach CPABC’s Medical Form completed by their medical practitioner. Please note that members are expected to plan and allocate time to CPD; being “too busy” is not a valid reason for exemption from CPD. The Committee will review each request on a confidential basis. Based on the information submitted, a determination will be made and forwarded to the member.

The CPD program does not mandate areas of study, other than the four hours of professional ethics in every rolling three-calendar-year period (special requirements apply to new CPA, CGA graduates – see Ethics FAQs). Note, however, that members must meet the professional competence requirement of Rule 203 of the CPABC Code of Professional Conduct. They should choose learning opportunities that are relevant to their professional role. Take an inventory of your skills and consider whether you allocate sufficient time to building or refreshing the various skills needed to do your job well. Qualifying CPD is not limited to accounting, assurance, tax or other technical areas. Consider, for example, whether you have the range of soft skills (leadership, communication, etc.) and sufficient knowledge about your particular industry.

Selection of learning activities should be a thoughtful, reflective process addressing current or future professional plans, current knowledge and skill level, and desired or needed additional competence to meet future opportunities and/or professional responsibilities.

Sitting on a board of directors or on an audit committee does not in itself qualify as CPD. In order to qualify as CPD, the volunteer activity must help members to develop and maintain professional competence to enable them to perform their professional role. Such activities may include participation in technical discussions and receiving or delivering presentations that help them make more informed decisions and help with their oversight responsibility.

When evaluating whether or not a meeting qualifies for CPD, consider the following questions:

• Were any formal presentations made at the meetings? If so, what was the topic and duration of each of the presentations?

• Did the presentation contain significant intellectual or practical content that provide for the development of new or existing competencies in areas that are relevant to the members professional responsibilities and growth?

The activity must help CPAs develop and maintain professional competency to enable them to perform their professional role. The activities qualify for verifiable CPD subject to supporting documentation being available to verify the learning activity.

Members report the actual number of hours they engaged in learning activities, up to a maximum number of hours as estimated by the course provider for the activity. For conferences and conventions, report the amount of time that was spent engaged in activities with significant intellectual or practical content.  Marketing, networking or social activities do not qualify as CPD.

You are allowed to report the number of hours you actually engage in a learning activity.  Report the number of hours you actually spent learning at the course in-person. If you read the seminar materials on your own to learn what you missed, you can report unverifiable CPD for the amount of time you spent doing so.

Verifiable CPD should be supported by certificates of completion, confirmation of registration from providers, attendance records, or such other evidence that can objectively verify completion of the learning activity. For online learning such as a webinar or an online course, a certificate of completion or an assessment with a passing grade must be obtained in order to qualify for verifiable hours – otherwise the webinar or course would only be eligible for unverifiable hours.

CPABC in-person seminars that have been converted to an online virtual offering (“Live Webinar”) will qualify as verifiable CPD as attendance calls will be carried out by CPABC staff. CPABC’s PD Department will not issue certificates of completion for these live webinars.

At a minimum, supporting documentation should:

• Describe the learning activity;
• Identify the provider of the activity;
• Connect the member to the activity;
• Identify when the activity took place; and
• Provide a basis for concluding that the number of reported hours is reasonable.

Examples of documentation, any one of the following:

• Certificate of completion or official transcript
• Confirmation of participation by provider or employer (e.g. registration confirmation)
• Attendance record (e.g. sign-in sheet)
• Course assignment and exam results
• Copy of course outline/agenda
• Copy of course payment/invoice

Each year, CPABC verifies a sample of CPD reports for the preceding three-calendar-year period. Accordingly, members are required to retain all supporting documentation for their CPD activities for five years after the end of the reporting period. There is no need to submit the supporting records unless requested. 

Participants who complete the pre-work may report it as verifiable CPD. The PD seminar auto-populate process on Online Services will indicate the total eligible CPD hours, including the pre-work.  Participants who do not complete the pre-work must reduce the reported CPD hours accordingly.

CPABC does not accredit third party course providers. As long as the activity allows you to develop and maintain professional competency to enable you to perform your professional role, it will qualify for CPD. It is up to the member to determine the learning activities that best suit their professional role. The expectation is that the member take a balanced approach towards CPD, and therefore not generally derive all CPD hours from the same source or the same topic.

Verifiable CPD hours can be reported for the preparation and delivery time of courses or educational presentations that are related to the member’s professional role, but only once per calendar year for the same or similar topic. Preparation time should relate to maintaining and developing new knowledge to share with the audience. There is no formal limit on CPD hours related to presentations; however, the expectation is that the member takes a balanced approach towards CPD, and therefore not generally derive all CPD hours from the same source or the same topic.

Only new learned skills in the performance of the position would qualify as CPD.

Marking: If you mark the same question for multiple students, you can only report verifiable CPD for the particular question once (i.e., only for one student). Report verifiable CPD for the time it takes you to read the test question, review the answer key and mark your first paper.  If you mark more than one question, then report CPD once for each new question you mark.

Facilitating: You can report verifiable CPD once for each unique task that you facilitate per year. Report verifiable CPD for your preparation and facilitation time with the student with whom you spent the most time on a particular task. If you facilitate more than one student on a particular task in a module, you are limited to reporting verifiable CPD for the time spent with only one student.

You can claim CPD credits to the extent that you have achieved learning that develops and maintains your professional competence, to enable you to continue to perform your professional role.  You can claim verifiable CPD credits to the extent that the learning can be verified objectively. The amount of credit will vary from one volunteer to another, as it will depend upon a number of factors such as:  the experience level of the volunteer, the issues addressed in the presentations and feedback, and the relevance to the volunteer’s professional role.  Members should document the basis for the extent of CPD claimed.

Under Rule 203 (Professional competence) of the CPABC Code of Professional Conduct, members must sustain professional competence by staying informed of, and complying with, developments in professional standards in all functions in which they provide professional services or are relied upon because of their calling. This rule applies to all members, even those with an exemption from CPD reporting requirements.

Members who no longer qualify for exemption from the Basic Requirements as set out in Part 6 of the CPABC Bylaw Regulations (definition 600/2: “Continuing Professional Development Program: Basic Requirements”) after having been exempt for three or more consecutive CPD years are strongly encouraged to create a CPD learning plan to ensure that they develop the competencies necessary for their roles. We recommend that members contact CPABC’s professional advisory team at professionaladvisory@bccpa.ca for guidance on developing an effective learning plan.

All the provincial bodies in Canada have adopted international CPD standards. This has brought greater harmonization to the CPD requirements across Canada. However, there may remain certain differences at a more detailed level, sometimes due to differing legislation. If you are a member of more than one provincial CPA body, please be sure to contact the other bodies to ensure that you meet all your CPD requirements.

The criteria for a dues waiver and a CPD exemption are not the same; therefore, qualifying for one does not automatically qualify you for the other. You have to apply for each separately.

CPABC encourages members to volunteer in the community. The unpaid work that you do for the charitable organization would not in itself cause you to be required to comply with the mandatory CPD requirements. However, you are reminded that under the CPABC Code of Professional Conduct, you must sustain professional competence by staying informed of, and complying with, developments in professional standards in all functions in which you provide professional services or are relied upon because of your calling, even if you are not remunerated for your services. 

Please note that, if you do not meet all of the criteria for CPD exemption, you would be required to comply with the mandatory CPD requirements.

Members who meet the eligibility criteria for a CPD exemption from the prescribed minimum CPD requirements would not be required to report CPD to CPABC. However, you are reminded that under the CPABC Code of Professional Conduct, you must sustain professional competence by staying informed of, and complying with, developments in professional standards in all functions in which you provide professional services or are relied upon because of your calling, even if you are not remunerated for your services.