Continuing-education & licensing glossary
- CPE — Continuing Professional Education credit
- The basic unit of continuing education for CPAs, EAs, and other accounting and tax professionals. Under NASBA standards, 1 CPE credit = 50 minutes of qualifying learning.
- 50-minute hour
- The measurement standard for CPE. One credit equals 50 minutes; additional credit is often awarded in half-credit (25-minute) increments after the first full credit.
- NASBA — National Association of State Boards of Accountancy
- The body that, with the AICPA, sets the CPE Standards most State Boards of Accountancy follow, and that runs the National Registry of CPE Sponsors.
- AICPA — American Institute of CPAs
- The national professional association for CPAs; co-author of the Statement on Standards for CPE Programs.
- Field of Study
- NASBA’s classification of program content — for example Taxes, Accounting, Auditing, or Regulatory Ethics. Some states require credits in specific fields.
- Regulatory / Professional Ethics
- A required CPE topic covering professional conduct, independence, and applicable board rules. The IRS requires EAs to earn 2 ethics credits each year.
- Enrolled Agent (EA)
- A federally authorized tax practitioner. EAs must complete 72 CPE hours per three-year cycle, with a minimum of 16 hours per year including 2 ethics hours.
- AFSP — Annual Filing Season Program
- A voluntary IRS program for non-credentialed preparers, requiring 18 CPE hours annually, including the 6-hour Annual Federal Tax Refresher (AFTR) course and exam.
- PTIN — Preparer Tax Identification Number
- The IRS-issued number every paid tax return preparer must hold and renew each year.
- CFP® continuing education
- CFP® professionals must complete 30 CE hours every two years, including 2 hours of CFP Board–approved ethics.
- Reciprocity / Substantial Equivalency
- The process of obtaining a CPA license or practice privilege in another state based on your existing credential rather than re-testing.
- Carryover
- Excess CPE some State Boards allow you to apply to your next reporting cycle. See carryover rules.
- Reporting cycle
- The period a credential measures CPE over — for example annual, biennial (2 years, common for CPAs and CFP® professionals), or triennial (3 years for EAs).
- Self-study (QAS Self-Study)
- Independent, interactive continuing education completed on your own schedule. Some states cap how many self-study credits count toward renewal.
- Certificate of completion
- The document proving you finished a program — must typically show your name, program title, sponsor, Field of Study, CPE credits, and date.
This information is general guidance, not legal or tax advice — always confirm current rules with your State Board of Accountancy, the IRS, or the CFP Board.
