Calculating Credits and Documenting Attendance

Calculating Credits

Recertification credits are calculated based on the following guidelines.

• You may earn any number of credits per year, earn all your credits in one year, or over the course of three years.
• Some continuing education categories have a maximum number of allowable credits per recertification cycle.
• A program must be at least 25 minutes to qualify for credit.
• One (1) recertification credit is equivalent to 50 minutes (including question and answer sessions) of instruction in an eligible topic area.
  • Credits are to be reported in whole numbers and are never rounded up.

As an example, a seminar runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and includes a one hour lunch and two fifteen minute breaks. There are 390 minutes of instruction (480 (8hrs =480 minutes) - 60 (lunch) - 30 (two breaks)). One recertification credit is earned for every 50 minutes of instruction 390 minutes divided by 50 equals 7.8. This seminar earned 7.8 credits.

Certificants evaluate their own recertification activities and determine the appropriate number of recertification credits based on the information outlined above. AFP does not review and approve recertification activities for certificants. Please review the guidelines in its entirety to determine if an activity is eligible.

Documentation of Attendance

It is the responsibility of each Certified FP&A Professional to maintain records documenting recertification activities for up to two years from the end of the recertification reporting cycle in the event they are selected for the random audit. The documentation must contain the following:

• Name of the sponsoring organization (e.g., ABC Conference, XYZ Corporation)
• Title of the activity (e.g. Capital Budgeting, FP&A Roundtable 2014)
• Date of the activity (the date must fall within your three year cycle)
• Length of each educational session attended (minus breaks and meals).
• If the program is advertised as being eligible for FPAC continuing education credits, submit the Attendance Confirmation Form, distributed by the program provider. (NOTE: programs need not be pre-approved by AFP to be eligible for credits).
• Contact information for a sponsor representative who could verify your attendance if you are audited

More Information

• Forms
• Recertification Cycle
• Reporting Credits
• Calculating Credits & Documenting Attendance
• Requesting a General Extension
• Recertification Fees
• Revocation & Reinstatement
• Qualifying Recertification Activities
• Retired & Inactive Status
• Certification Audit