Frequently Asked Questions


What are the most common mistakes made on promotional materials?

A few of the most common mistakes revealed by our audit process are as follows:

  • Learning objectives not clearly identified
  • Program level category misclassified
  • Prerequisite and advanced preparation statement omitted
  • Complaint contact information omitted
  • Clear statement of delivery method omitted

  Read the solutions to these mistakes


What’s the process from the time I file my online application until I hear from NASBA that I’ve been approved?

When the application is received, an account manager is assigned, according to Jeanetta Cothron, Regulatory Compliance Auditor. That’s the person who’ll be reviewing the documents that the applicant has attached to the application to see if anything is missing or needs clarification. If that’s the case, the main contact will receive an email to that effect, asking for the supplemental material.

Once NASBA has all the needed materials in-hand, the documentation is submitted electronically to a NASBA manager for final approval. At that point, any further documentation or clarification needed is requested from the applicant, and if all is in place, final approval is issued.

“Once the approval has been granted, the main contact will receive an electronically generated approval packet, which will have their sponsor identification number, information on how to use the NASBA logo on their materials, and a wall certificate that certifies that they are now an official Registry member,” Cothron says.


Where can I get an invoice?

Many companies require an invoice to pay for their applications to NASBA.  Since NASBA has moved to an online application, we have also moved to an online invoicing system.  You might be asking "How do I get an invoice?"  A sponsor can contact anyone in the CPE department by phone or email and provide the following information:

  • Sponsor name and identification number
  • Reason for the invoice request
  • Invoice contact person and email address

Once any member on the CPE team has the proper information, we will send out an invoice that will direct you to pay online via PayPal.


Can I pay without creating a PayPal account?

Yes.  After completing the application, simply look for the link that says "pay without a PayPal account." Once you click on that link, all you need to do is provide the information that is being requested.  The same goes for an invoice: on the left side of the screen, you will see "don't have a PayPal account?"  Click “Continue” under that section and you will be taken to a page to make payment without having to create an account.  Sponsors are encouraged to take advantage of this secure and faster method of processing payments.


When do I receive my renewal form?

The main contact will receive a link to the renewal form 30 days prior to the renewal date. It’s important to keep the email address as current as possible to ensure that you receive the email link.


What do I submit with the renewal form?

The online renewal is a simple process. You answer a series of yes/no questions about your organization’s compliance with the Standards. You then pay online with several options. You do not have to submit any documents with the renewal form. However, be sure that you do maintain supporting documentation in the event that you appear in a random sponsor audit.


Where can I find the Additional Delivery Method (ADM) Application?

If you would like to add an Additional Delivery Method (ADM) to your sponsorship, you must first complete and Additional Delivery Method (ADM) application. This can be found on our new website www.learningmarket.org. Simply choose the “National Registry” heading followed by “Registry Forms and Applications.” Under “Membership Update Forms” is the “Additional Delivery Method (ADM) Application Interest Form.” Submit your information and your Registry account manager will send the Additional Delivery Method (ADM) Application to you via e-mail.


How can I ensure that I get my Registry-related emails?

Take some of these easy steps.

Registry emails are sent from a salesforce.com extension address (no-reply@salesforce.com). Depending on your company email security rules, Registry emails could be viewed as "spam" by the company's firewall. You can check with your IT department and let them know emails coming from the Registry are legitimate.

Emails are sent to the address of the designated main contact for your organization that is recorded in the National Registry database. If the address is incorrect, the email will bounce. Please be sure to let us know about email changes.

You also may not receive emails due to a change in the main contact, or the person responsible for communicating with NASBA and coordinating the Registry applications. When this person leaves the organization or assumes different responsibilities, the sponsor is required to notify NASBA by completing the "Notification of Change in Main Contact" form within 30 days of such change. The form can be found at https://www.tfaforms.com/170970.

We understand that change is a constant in any business, and by notifying NASBA of changes in a timely manner, sponsors can avoid paying late-renewal fees and missing out on pertinent CPE information such as updates on the CPE Standards revision process. To help with keeping your contact information up to date, we have begun to send out "Stay-In-Touch" email requests to the main contact on record a few weeks before your official Registry renewal form is sent. This Stay-In-Touch email will ask you to either "Update Now" or verify "No Changes" to your information.

We hope these tips will ensure better delivery of Registry emails. If you still encounter any problems with your email, please contact any member of the Registry Team at 1.866.627.2286 option 1 or CPE@nasba.org.


What are the guidelines for using the Registry logo and Registry statement on a Sponsor's website and online materials?

Until recently, NASBA has had strict guidelines regarding use of the Registry logo in outside materials, primarily that it had to be accompanied by the Registry statement. But with the continued rise in Internet marketing, that requirement has become unwieldy.

“The way people market and advertise their courses has changed quite a bit,” says Jessica Luttrull, CPA, Manager of the National Registry. “Many sponsors want to market their courses on their website, as well as advertise some of the accolades they have received. In doing so, they want to use the Registry and QAS logos, and until now our guidelines have prohibited the use of a freestanding logo,  and required that it must be connected to the Registry statement.”

From now on, Registry sponsors who wish to use the logos in their online marketing may do so, provided that a user who clicks on the logo is taken to a site, or a pop-up window, that displays the Registry statement. Those who use the logos in print material must continue to attach the Registry statement as before.


What is the difference between Group Live, Group Internet-Based and Self-Study when it comes to the actual instructional methods?

Continuing professional education providers have a number of instructional delivery methods to engage their students in dynamic learning. The Statement on Standards for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Programs (Standards), as revised January 2012, authorizes three delivery methods:

  • Group Live
  • Group Internet-Based
  • Self-Study

The Standards define Group Live programs as “an educational process designed to permit a participant to learn a given subject through interaction with an instructor and other participants either in a classroom or conference setting.”

Have you attended a one-day seminar? Have you attended a multi-day conference with different sessions? Then you have experienced a Group Live presentation.

A Group Internet-Based program is defined as “an educational process designed to permit a participant to learn a given subject through interaction with an instructor by using the Internet.” The three main Group Internet-Based program requirements are:

  1. A live instructor for the duration of the course;
  2. Participants must be able to interact with the instructor while the course is in progress; and
  3. Sponsors must use a monitoring mechanism to verify learner participation throughout the course.

But what is an acceptable monitoring procedure? Sponsors have discretion in determining the most appropriate monitoring procedures. They can use polling questions, code words at random intervals or a combination of these. (Tip: If you use polling questions, you must include three polling questions per CPE credit hour.)

If you have participated in a WebEx webinar, Adobe Connect webinar or GoToMeeting, then you have experienced a Group Internet-Based program.

Did you know that you can offer Group Internet-Based CPE credits to your small group? If you have a situation in which one person from a small group logs into the computer, but the other individuals are not logged in, you can offer CPE credits provided that (1) a live subject matter expert facilitates the discussion and (2) verifies and documents attendance.

However, future presentations that are archived and do not include a live subject matter facilitator are considered Self-Study, and must meet all Self-Study requirements. CPE credit for archived events is equal to the CPE credit awarded for the original presentation.

A Self-Study program is “an educational process designed to permit a participant to learn a given subject without involvement of an instructor.” Self-Study programs can be taken online or may be paper-based. These programs require the completion of a final examination with a passing score of 70.

Also, this delivery format has a unique methodology to determine CPE credits. CPE credits can be determined through a pilot test or a word count formula under the 2012 Standards. For more detail on these two methods, please review Standard No. 14 of the 2012 Standards.