What is ACPEN?
The Accounting Continuing Professional Education Network is an innovative, cooperative effort of many State CPA Societies and Business Professionals' Network, Inc., which is designed to help accounting and tax professionals like you, gain the skills and knowledge that will help you succeed into the future.
What is it like to attend an ACPEN webcast?
Each ACPEN full day broadcast is delivered to your desktop, via broadband internet technology. The courses range in length from one hour to eight hours, and are available as live webcasts, or live webcast replays. Webcasts are intended for use by individual CPAs watching at their own computer, using streaming video technology, provided by our internet ASP.
ACPEN Signature courses also deliver a unique educational bonus! Instead of a single discussion leader, each of these full day courses will give you the insight of a whole panel of anywhere from three to a dozen national experts, regulators, and practitioners. You receive insight on each point from several presenters. ACPEN viewer evaluations attest to the interactivity of the presentation and the quality of the content you will receive.
Each course is organized much like a traditional seminar. The full day courses have appropriate breaks and a lunch period. Shorter webcasts may not include a break.
What kind of interaction with the faculty does ACPEN provide?
Attendees, at group sites or on webcasts, are invited to participate in each program by emailing in questions to the presenters. Speakers will typically respond during the program in the case of a live event, or via email in the case of a live webcast replay.
Can I help plan ACPEN courses?
Another unique feature of ACPEN courses is that you, the viewer can help plan the program to exactly meet your needs!
Once you have registered for an ACPEN program, you can contact the curriculum development team for the topic you are interested in with your own questions or areas you would like the panel to address. You should email jim.parente@acpen.com with any questions you would like the speaker(s) to address.
No other CPE program of any kind gives you this way to ensure that the program meets your needs so well!
What about post-course questions?
With ACPEN the learning continues after the course is over! ACPEN courses are unique in the CPE world, in that, after the course is over, you have 48 hours to email questions to the faculty! Speakers will respond to questions and expand on points that you need clarified. No other CPE source adds this expanded dimension to their CPE programming.
*Note: ACPEN is not able to guarantee an answer to every question submitted due to the potential volume of such questions and the professional commitments of speakers. Experience to date has been that more than 95% of submitted questions have received at least one faculty response; many receive more than one response.
What are webcasts?
ACPEN webcasts are high quality, full motion streaming videos, seen and heard over the internet at the participant’s computer, for full CPE credit. There is no need for the telephone or other connection.
Additionally, presentations often include slides and materials to be viewed concurrently on the same screen. These are interactive events with materials available online prior to the event, or for an added fee, by regular mail.
What are Live Webcast Replays™?
ACPEN courses are also available as live webcasts replays, for live CPE credit, through internet streaming video technology. Participants, with a broadband internet connection, using their own computer, watch a complete ACPEN course that was previously produced and recorded.
This experience is supplemented by members of the faculty who are available during the event to answer questions from viewers in real time by email. Thus providing full, live, CPE credit.
How about CPE and other professional credit?
For CPAs, CPE credit is provided for ACPEN courses in two ways. ACPEN's parent company, Business Professionals' Network, is a member of the NASBA Registry of CPE providers so ACPEN webcasts are fully accredited as live, internet-based Group study (1 CPE hour per 50 minute segment).
We offer courses ranging from one, to eight credit hours for a typical full day course. In addition, some of our state society partners produce multi-day conferences offering sixteen, or more credits. Specialized credit such as "Yellow Book" and ethics are included as appropriate.
Detailed information about credit for particular courses is provided on a given course's product page, in the ACPEN course catalog.
How are ACPEN broadcasts produced?
ACPEN Signature courses are professionally produced and developed by an accomplished team with more than 25 years experience in the creation of professional education. The courses are delivered in an energetic and engaging format that typically includes a panel of three to twelve national experts. The panel will use discussion, demonstration, or specially developed case studies to cover the accounting, tax, and other professionally relevant topics. And, as a special bonus, ACPEN viewers are encouraged to send questions to the panelists after each program, for two days, that panelists will respond to. Unlike most other CPE options, the learning continues after the course ends!
In Specialized Area courses, we partner with experienced course developers and presenters to bring you targeted information on industry, tax, and financial planning. In these courses, presenters bring their expertise to providing you with detailed information on various topics. Course lengths vary from one to eight hours, and typically include one or two presenters.
All ACPEN broadcasts are fully interactive, allowing attendees to ask questions of the presenters during the event via email to be answered during the live program, or following the course via email.
How does ACPEN select its topics?
The Accounting Continuing Professional Education Network is unique in that it is produced nationally, but with the close cooperation of state CPA societies, which help select the subjects and timing of each broadcast topic. We also encourage our viewers to share their topic suggestions in the comments section of each course evaluation or by contacting us.
Do I just sit and watch TV for eight hours?
ACPEN broadcasts are designed to be interactive and participants are encouraged to participate in every facet of the broadcasts. Past attendees have said that they find the broadcasts are professionally stimulating. Attendees have the opportunity to email in questions during the program and the panelists will respond, just as at a traditional seminar or conference.
Additionally, courses can be viewed by groups or firms, which allows for networking and discussion, just like a traditional seminar. For more information about group viewing, please contact Anne Taylor via email at anne.taylor@acpen.com or visit the group training section for more information.
Will I get written materials?
One of the most useful facets of ACPEN programming is the access to relevant slides and materials. Our platform allows participants to log in and download associated materials prior to, or during the event. This is a great way to ensure that participants can recall and apply the most important information from each course.
What if others in my company want to watch as well?
ACPEN offers discounted pricing and registration options for on-site groups. ACPEN will customize a package for you, based on the course selections, and number of professionals who will be watching.
Contact Anne Taylor at anne.taylor@acpen.com or visit the Group Training section and submit a Group Webcast Pricing form.
What acpen courses are available?
ACPEN provides a wide range of online CPE courses. Our ACPEN Signature courses cover 'meat and potato' topics like Accounting & Auditing, Compilation and Review, and the Annual Tax Update. The specialized areas offer courses on specific topics in industry, tax, and financial planning.
ACPEN's full listing of courses can be found in the ACPEN CPE Catalog.
How do I set up an ACPEN account?
If you are purchasing a course as an end user, you will be prompted to create an account on check out.
If you already have an account, you can log in at the ACPEN CPE Catalog. If you have any specific questions on your account, please contact the ACPEN helpdesk at help@acpen.com or 1-877-602-9877.