In order to keep your CPA license, you need to earn 40 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits a year. That’s a tough requirement to meet, which is why it’s important to get to work on it immediately.
You have several options for meeting these CPE requirements, but some are more effective than others.
Essentially, online CPE courses are the fastest and most efficient way to earn your credit hours and maintain professional status. Although there are plenty of these on offer, only a few of them are truly worth your time.
Because of that, I’ve compiled a list of the best CPE courses for CPAs. Read on to see which one is right for you!
| CPA EXAM REVIEW COURSES |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE | $989 | $349 | $399 | $699 | $799 | $600 |
| DISCOUNT | Save 17% | Save 20% | ||||
| CREDITS | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 7500+ | 100+ |
| LIVE WEBINARS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| EXTRA MATERIALS | Study Guides, Flashcards, Video | Video, Articles | Video, Flashcards, Yellow Book | Audio Lectures, Study Guides, Textbooks | Video, Flashcards, Study Guides | Quizzes, Textbooks, Video |
| ACCESS PERIOD | Up to 3 Years | 1 Year | 2 Years | 1 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year |
| SUPPORT | Phone, Email, Chat | Phone, Email, Chat | Phone, Email, Chat | Phone, Email, Chat | Phone, Email, Chat | Phone, Email, Chat |
| START NOW | Start Now! | Start Now! | Start Now! | Start Now! | Start Now! | Start Now! |
#1: Becker
The Pros
Multiple Price PlansGl
Many courses charge you massive amounts of money to access them. Becker is not one of those courses. Instead, they recognize that different people have different price ranges; that’s why they offer three different course packages. These come with a different array of materials and cost $300, $400, and $700 each— which offer you excellent financial flexibility.
Free Content
Each Becker course can be started as a free demo. Few online courses will offer free materials — unless they’re extremely limited — but Becker is confident enough in their high-quality study tools that they know you’ll come back for more. These trials let you better understand the course and make an informed purchase.
Flexible Study Formats
Becker offers both live and self-study CPE content. They do this because they know that different students learn in different ways. Because of that, they offer a little bit of everything so no one ends up alienated by their content. On top of that, varied content helps keep you engaged throughout the entire course.
The Cons
Price
Becker courses can be expensive if you’re interested in the top of the line packages. That’s a shame because those packages contain some of Becker’s best materials— so you’ll miss out if you only opt for the most inexpensive options. Even so, the less expensive tiers still contain everything you need to succeed, and financing options make it easier to afford the high-end packages.
Bottom Line
Becker’s wide range of formats combined with its customizable price makes them a very attractive option. Check this service out if you’re interested in getting a little bit of everything!
#2: Illumeo
The Pros
Experienced Teachers
Illumeo has strict requirements for all of their teachers. Each one must be a tax professional and an experienced instructor. This is because they recognize that you won’t learn anything from an under-qualified instructor. Instead, you deserve the best of the best while you earn CPE hours.
Free Content
Illumeo offers a host of free courses on top of their paid ones. These allow you to work through a sample of what this CPE provider has to offer before deciding whether or not to purchase anything. Plus, the free courses are even eligible for CPE hours. That ensures that you haven’t wasted your time even if you don’t end up purchasing anything.
Mobile Friendly
Every course offered by Illumeo is available on all devices. Because of that, you can learn on the go or during small breaks of free time on your tablet or smartphone. Illumeo recognizes that your career means you have a busy schedule, so they make accessing their course as easy as possible.
The Cons
Unfocused
Unfortunately, Illumeo’s course content can be a bit scattershot due to how much they offer. If you’re the type of person to get lost in links or frequently go on tangents, then this course will be difficult for you to navigate while remaining focused.
Bottom Line
Illumeo offers an excellent and unmatched self study course. It’s possible to get a bit lost in their content— but for the price they’re offering, you can do a lot worse.
#3: Lambers
The Pros
Free Updates
Lambers’ courses are not static; they’re frequently updated free of charge to ensure that you always have up-to-date materials. Thanks to that, you’ll never waste your time on outdated topics, and you’ll always see a constant stream of new courses and topics. If you use your time wisely, you can earn almost unlimited amounts of CPE.
Yearly Subscription
Lambers offers a single subscription plan instead of several different payment packages. This simplifies your purchase and grants you unlimited access to everything Lambers has to offer. On top of that, the annual plan only costs $500 a year— which is far cheaper than some of the other courses on this list.
Experienced Instructors
One of Lambers’ biggest focuses is their teaching staff. Every instructor is highly qualified in their respective field and dedicated to helping you improve your professional knowledge. That’s why they break down difficult topics into more easily understood parts. Lambers understands that you should never feel lost when continuing your education.
The Cons
Money Back Policy
Lambers doesn’t have a great refund policy. Almost all sales are final except for physical materials. However, you will be charged a restocking fee for returning those. This shouldn’t matter much if you know what you’re getting into, but keep that in mind before paying for anything.
Bottom Line
Lambers is an excellent continuing education course for earning CPE credits. It’s an affordable service that only accepts the best teachers and study materials.
#4: Lorman
The Pros
Webinars
One of Lorman’s big focuses is their live webinars which convey complicated topics in easy-to-understand terms. Consequently, they’re an excellent tool for anyone who excels in a standard classroom environment. Don’t worry about missing any of these either— every lecture is automatically uploaded as a recording and made available to you upon completion.
All Access Pass
Lorman doesn’t just offer webinar content. They also offer self study material in several different formats. These are all available through the Lorman All-Access Pass. This pass gives you unrestricted access to the full Lorman catalog for one year, but it can also be extended beyond that point if you’re interested.
Mobile Learning
Much like Illumeo, Lorman is mobile friendly. They know that finding time to study is difficult, so they’ve made sure to help with that process as much as possible. Now you don’t need to sit down in front of your desktop for hours to learn. Just pull out your phone whenever you have time and get some studying done!
The Cons
Price
Lorman can get a bit pricey if you aren’t careful. Individual courses can cost up to $250, and the all access pass costs $699 a year. The materials you’ll gain access to are well worth the cost, but they will definitely put a strain on your wallet.
Bottom Line
Lorman content is as varied as it is exceptional, but it can be a bit pricey. Make sure to check this out if you’re comfortable with what you’re spending.
#5: Surgent CPE
The Pros
International Support
Just like Lorman, Surgent offers a wide range of live seminars. These cover topics that every CPA should know and play throughout the week. But unlike Lorman, Surgent makes sure that people in all time zones can access live content at a reasonable hour. This addition is helpful for international students who study in different time zones.
Wide Topic Range
Surgent also offers a massive amount of self study topics. Collectively, these make up over 10,000 CPE hours— so you’ll be able to find topics that relate to your profession no matter what.
Qualified Faculty
Surgent has some of the most qualified instructors in the business. Each teacher has years of experience and their staff has collectively earned over 500 Speaker of the Year awards for CPE. This guarantees that you’ll always be learning important CPA concepts from the best teachers available.
The Cons
Limited Webinar Credits
You can only get so many credits through Surgent’s webinars, which is a shame because it’s the course’s best feature. However, you’ll be able to fill in the rest of the credits you need via their self study content and premium courses.
Bottom Line
Surgent is one of the best options for getting CPE hours. Their webinars and self study materials have a lot to teach you. Plus, they offer the most credits of any courses I’ve seen.