For those required to take their accounting CPE (continuing professional education), it may seem boring or difficult. However, you have so many available options, including in-person sessions, online and even free online CPE. Usually, free courses are not provided for all required continuing education. For example, most free options only give one or two credits, unlike some you pay for that provide up to 25 credits. However, it is still worthwhile in most cases to try the free ones.
Why Are They Free?
Many people think poorly on free CPE, as they feel it is not of good quality or may not count towards their requirement. However, this is usually untrue. Of course, you will want to find a reputable provider that tells you at the beginning how many credits you will receive. This will help you determine the quality of the course.
Many providers offer a few courses for free to get people interested in their company. It is much easier for people to feel comfortable with online study courses after they have taken a free course. It shows you the type of materials you get and how the course works, so that you can make an educated decision about the rest of your CPE.
Safety
Most people wonder about the safety of a free course. When downloading software, you could receive viruses on your computer. Most providers have a built in scanner so that there is no virus that is transferred. You can also set your personal computer scanner to scan for viruses before it is downloaded.
Another safety concern is spending the time on the course and not getting credited. It would be annoying to complete the course without proper reward, but it would be a free course, meaning you aren’t paying for something you don’t receive. This is a great way to test the provider. You can ensure you get credit for what you did and then can go to another accounting CPE course.
Benefits
Of course, the benefits of free courses abound. You will get to test out the provider to ensure they will work for your needs. You can test their courses, their materials, the value of the provider, what other materials you have access to and whether or not they will do as promised. Most providers offer tracking of your credits through their site. This allows you to easily keep track of your credits throughout the year and up to five years afterward.
If you are interested in free accounting CPE, you can go to CPE Think today and learn more or find your free course.