1. Submit the Interest Form
Any individual, company or organization that wants to offer continuing professional education (CPE) credits for U.S. licensed Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) should apply to join the Registry. The organization must have previous experience in developing, presenting, measuring and reporting some type of educational or training program. The program does not need to be offered for the CPA profession or awarded for CPE credit. After the complete interest form is submitted, a link to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors application will be sent to the main contact. After the complete interest form is submitted, a link to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors will be sent to the main contact. The email address is cpe@nasba.org. Some mail client security features may reject this address, so make sure email settings are set to accept messages from this address.
2. Get Acquainted with the Standards
Before proceeding with the online initial application the organization should read the 2026 Statement on Standards for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Programs. These are the Standards by which the application will be measured for compliance.
3: Complete ADM Application
The Registry application is a detailed process, and potential sponsors should take the necessary steps in providing a complete application. The online application is an intuitive and interactive interface by which the organization can upload all materials that are relevant for the delivery method it is seeking for approval. The application contains help text to assist in completion of required elements. Examples may be found in the sample template section. The application and review fees can also be paid through this secure system. The online application form will allow applicants to save and return to complete it at a later date. The organization will be prompted to supply a login and password to access the incomplete form.
The organization may apply for multiple instructional delivery methods (group; QAS™ self study; nano learning; and blended learning) within the initial application. Applicants will be requested to submit certain documentation and program materials for one program of each instructional delivery method for which they are applying. All of the requested documentation for the application should relate to the submitted program. For example, if the submitted course is titled, “Accounting ABCs,” then all submitted materials—program materials, promotional materials, certificate of completion, evaluation form, etc.—should be for the “Accounting ABCs” program.
Application Review Documentation
The required Administrative documents for the application include:
- Administrative policies: The Administrative Policies are required for submission with an application. The purpose of the Administrative Policies is to ensure that applicants and sponsors understand what is required of them regarding record retention, refunds, cancellations, complaint resolution, and course update policies.
- Program Content Development Policies: As part of the National Registry application process, applicants must submit Program Content Development Policies with an application. The purpose of the Program Content Development Policies is to ensure that the organization understands the requirements as they relate to program content and knowledge levels, delivery systems, and content development as it relates to course authors/developers, reviewers, and the inclusion of measurable learning objectives.
- Program List: A program list is required for submission with an application. For initial/ADM applications, the program list should identify QAS™ self study programs the organization anticipates offering in the year following approval. If all program offerings have not yet been determined, submit the known course offerings and remit fees based on that program offering level. If, during the year, the organization will exceed the total number of CPE credits offered as indicated in the initial application, please contact the organization's National Registry Account Manager and request an upgrade to the program level. If all program offerings have not yet been determined, submit the known course offerings and remit fees based on that program offering level. Please note that program levels for Initial and Additional Delivery Method (ADM) QAS™ self study applications are based on the total number of CPE credits which will be offered in the year following sponsorship approval rather than the total number of programs.
- Author & Reviewer Bios: The program author/developer is a vital part of the content delivery; the organization is required to provide biographies of the author/developer and reviewer. Qualifications listed in author/developer biographies must show evidence of expertise in the subject matter and instructional strategies. This documentation is also meant to ensure that individuals acting as the course reviewers have subject matter knowledge and are separate from the development team. A biography, resume, curriculum vitae, or comparable written documentation may be used if it contains enough detail to establish the individual’s relevant qualifications. Links to webpages or LinkedIn profiles should not be submitted as the sole evidence of qualifications because the documentation must be retained and available for review. Applicants should provide a stable document containing the relevant qualification information.
- Descriptive/Promotional Material: Applicants must submit representative descriptive/promotional materials. These materials should demonstrate how the organization will disclose the significant features of a program in advance, consistent with requirements of Section 8 of the 2026 Standards. These materials are meant to provide advanced notice to potential participants when determining if the program is suitable for their CPE requirements. This documentation also communicates, where applicable, that the organization is registered with NASBA as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. Descriptive/Promotional Materials should be exemplary of the course submitted for the review.
- Course Evaluation: Applicants must submit a representative course evaluation. The evaluation should demonstrate how the organization will evaluate learning activity quality and participant feedback consistent with Section 4, Paragraphs 4.04- 4.04.2. The objectives of evaluation are to assess participant and instructor satisfaction with specific programs and to increase subsequent program effectiveness.
- Certificate of Completion: Applicants must submit a representative certificate of completion. The certification should demonstrate how the organization will provide participants with documentation of program completion consistent with Section 9 of the 2026 Standards. The certificate of completion is meant to provide program participants with documentation of their participation in a program/course. The certificate of completion should be exemplary of the course submitted for the review.
QAS™ Self Study Additional Materials:
- Program Measurement: Documentation of the chosen methodology for CPE credit determination. Calculations must be shown for one of the following methods, as outlined in Section 7, Paragraph 7.02- 7.02.9:
- Participant Engagement: This documentation must include all questions, all answer choice options, an answer key, and appropriate feedback for each item. Examples of content related participant engagement in self study programs include but are not limited to:
- Instructional strategies, such as interactive content, hands-on activities, personalized learning paths, or audiovisual aids;
- Content Reinforcement tools with feedback as required by 5.01.2.1, such as review questions or simulations.
- Grading Policy: The organization will provide an explanation of the grading policy as it relates to the program qualified assessment. This policy must describe in detail the minimum required score (70%) and compliance with all guidelines and feedback requirements as outlined in Section 6, Paragraph 6.01.2.
- Completion Verification: This documentation must include all qualified assessment questions, all answer choice options, and the answer key.
- Learning Objective Alignment: Each qualified assessment question should be aligned with one of the course learning objectives. Supporting documentation must be provided which shows 75% or more of learning objectives are measured in the qualified assessment. (Ex: Question 1 measures Learning Objective 3)
4. Main Contact Notified of Status
Once you have submitted your ADM application, you will receive a confirmation email.
5. Application Review Process Begins
The National Registry team reviews the application to determine if the policies, procedures, and course are compliant with the Standards. The initial application process consists of a hands-on evaluation by the National Registry of CPE Sponsors administrative review team. The application will be assigned to an Instructional Design Reviewer. Initially, the assigned reviewer will complete the Preliminary Instructional Design Review. If the course does not pass these requirements, the application will be denied and the review will not proceed further. If the course does pass these requirements, the reviewer will then proceed with the Full Instructional Design Review, including the administrative documents (listed above in item 3).
6. Request for Modifications
If there are areas of non-compliance, the Instructional Design Reviewer will send an email to the main contact on the account with an Instructional Design Report attached. Each element on the modification report must be addressed. If there are any questions, please contact the Instructional Design Reviewer working on the application. The organization will have one week from the date of the email to submit a written response in relation to the Instructional Design Report. This is not the date by which course corrections are expected to be complete; rather, the written response should address each finding and describe how corrective action will be implemented. The response should also include a date by which course corrections are expected to be implemented. Courses with a recommended CPE credit value between 1-10 CPE credits should submit corrective action within 4 weeks; courses with a recommended CPE credit value of 11 CPE credits or more should submit corrective action within 6 weeks. Non-responsiveness to requests for modifications and/or the inability to complete the modifications in a reasonable time frame may lead to closing the application.
7. Instructional Design Review Complete
Once the course has passed the Preliminary and Full Instructional Design reviews, the application will be accepted and the organization will be approved for sponsorship.
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