Are Continuing Education Credits Offered?

You can earn continuing professional education (CPE) credits at most of our live trainings. Additionally, you can earn Professional Development Credits (PDCs) at our HR and Employment Law live trainings. 

Check the ‘Continuing Education’ tab of your course to confirm if and how many credits are available.

What Kinds of Credit Are Offered?

We offer general CPE credit in the Specialized Knowledge and Applications field of study. We also offer PDCs for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities. We do not offer industry-specific CE credit such as accounting, nursing, pharmacy, law, etc., but in some cases, general credits may count toward an elective component or total credit hours needed to fulfill a licensing or professional education requirement. Please consult with your organization or licensing body about continuing education credit requirements. 

How Do I Register for Credit for Webinars?

To register for credit for a webinar, you must click the checkbox labeled "Add CPE Credit?" or “Add PDC Credit?” on the 'Register' tab or in the Add-Ons box during the checkout process. There is an additional fee for credit for webinars.

How Do I Register for Credit for Workshops?

There is not an additional fee to receive credit for a workshop. At the beginning of the training, we will let you know the requirements to receive credit. 

How Do I Document My Attendance for Webinars?

CPE credit: you must demonstrate that you were an active participant in the training. We measure this by asking polling questions throughout the session. If you do not answer the minimum number of polling questions required for that webinar, we cannot award you any CPE credits for attending. You cannot answer the polling questions in the chat box or after the webinar ends. 

PDC credit: you must attend the live webinar and listen for the Activity Code. We may provide the code at any time during the live webinar. We cannot provide the activity code after the training if we cannot verify that you attended. 

What Do I Do if the Polling Questions Do Not Work?

If you have problems with your computer or our system during the training and are unable to select an answer to the polling questions, please contact the moderator immediately, using the chat box. 

How Do I Document My Attendance for Workshops?

Hybrid Workshops: we use Conferences i/o to track attendance and conduct live polling during hybrid trainings. 

For in-person attendees, we will provide a QR code to check in and out of the training each day. While we encourage you to participate, you do not need to answer any polls to receive credit. If you do not check in and out of the training each day and respond to the post-event survey, we cannot award you CPE credits for attending.

For virtual attendees, an integrated app will pop up once you log in to Zoom and the session begins. To check in, use the name and email address with which you registered and follow the prompts. Alternatively, you can use a second screen, such as a smartphone, to respond to polls. If you do not answer the minimum number of polling questions required, check in and out of the training each day, and respond to the post-event survey, we cannot award you CPE credits for attending. You cannot answer the polling questions in the chat box or after the training ends. 

Prior to the training, a how to guide will be sent to your registered email address. Additionally, on the morning of the training, we will provide an explanation of the Conferences i/o platform and how best to utilize it. 

Virtual Workshops: to receive CPE credit, you must demonstrate that you were an active participant in the training. We measure this by asking polling questions throughout the session. If you do not answer the minimum number of polling questions required for that training, we cannot award you any CPE credits for attending. You cannot answer the polling questions in the chat box or after the training ends. 

Can We Receive Credit if We Watch Together as a Group?

We will only issue credit in the name of the account holder who purchased the training and completed the required components (i.e., paid the credit fee if applicable, answered the minimum number of polling questions, and completed the post-event survey). See our Attendance Record FAQs for alternative ways to document participation.

Please note that a registration fee entitles you to access by one attendee. Contact us for group registration rates.

How Are Credits Calculated?

Credit is awarded based on the actual educational time spent in the program (breaks are not included). One CPE credit is equal to 50 minutes of participation in a program of learning. One PDC credit is equal to 60 minutes of participation in an educational program. 

Learning content portions of programs count toward eligible credit amounts. Time spent on activities outside of actual learning content (e.g., welcome and introductions, housekeeping instructions, and breaks) do not count toward the total credit hours.

Why Are My CPE Credits Lower Than the Number Listed on the Course Page?

Each eligible course page lists the total number of potential CPE credit hours available for that course. This total is an estimate based on the planned agenda. Your credits may also be lower if you did not meet all of the requirements. 

How Do I Claim/Receive My Certificate of Attendance?

After you successfully complete a course, a Certificate of Attendance will be generated for you by our system. It will be available to download and print from your Learning Center account during your course access period. To access:

  • Log in to your account
  • Click on ‘My Training’ 
  • Select the training from your activities list (you may have to toggle between your ‘Completed’ and ‘Pending’ activities to find the training)
  • Click ‘Take Course’
  • Click ‘Start Course’
  • Open the ‘Certificate’ tab in the ‘Course Progress’ bar on the left-hand side of the page
  • Click ‘Review’
  • Click the ‘Claim Credit’ button to add the number of credit hours 
  • Click ‘Submit’ to download your Certificate

How Do I Claim/Receive My CPE Credits?

After you successfully complete the course elements required by our accrediting body (polling questions, evaluation, and (for workshops) the sign-in/sign-out form), we will generate your CPE Certificate. We will email you a copy of this certificate within seven (7) business days. You cannot generate a CPE certificate from your Learning Center account. 

Contact us if you need a copy of your CPE certificate. 

How Do I Claim/Receive My PDC Credits?

You can enter your Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for recertification by signing into the Certification portal. You'll be given the option to enter your credits whether you have an activity ID or not. You must attend the live training and listen for the Activity Code. We may provide the code at any time during the live training. 

To add your PDCs with an activity ID, you'll need to follow these steps:

  • Navigate to portal.shrm.org, and enter your SHRM login e-mail address and password
  • In the homepage, click on Add PDCs
  • When asked if you have an activity ID, click Yes
  • Enter the activity ID in the available field
  • If required, enter the program start and end dates
  • Click Submit

When entering PDCs, ensure that the activities you enter occurred between the beginning and end dates of your three-year recertification cycle. You must wait until the activity end date to record any activity.

How Long Should I Retain Documentation?

We recommend that you retain documentation for a minimum of five years from the end of the year in which the learning activities were completed. You may also want to ask any organization you are submitting your credits to (e.g., your employer or a state licensing body) about any document retention requirements.

Who Is Your Accrediting Body?

We currently have two accrediting bodies, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy and the Society for Human Resource Management. 

We are registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website www.nasbaregistry.org. 

For more information on the Standards for Continuing Professional Education Programs, please visit the NASBA website.  

We are recognized by the Society for Human Resource Management to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities. 

What Is Your Refund Policy?

We do not provide refunds for the additional credit fee. You can read more about our Cancellation Policy here.

TABLE OF CONTENTS