How to Get Free CPE Credits for CMA: A Step-by-Step Guide

The annual cost of keeping your CMA certification current can reach up to $1,500 just for CPE credits. This represents a hefty sum for professionals who need to watch their spending.

The good news? You can earn these credits without spending any money. Most accounting professionals don't realize they have plenty of options available. These include free CMA webinars and detailed online CMA courses. MYCPE ONE stands out by providing accredited courses that meet CPE requirements at zero cost.

Our team has put in the hours to test and research free CPE opportunities. You won't need to waste time looking for resources that don't deliver. This piece walks you through the best places to find quality free CPE credits. You'll learn how to claim them properly and develop strategies to meet your yearly requirements.

Want to keep your certification current while saving hundreds? Let's explore these practical solutions that get real results!

What are CPE credits?

CPE (Continuing Professional Education) helps certified professionals learn continuously after getting their credentials. These credits show educational activities that help CMAs stay up-to-date with industry changes and boost their professional skills.

One CPE credit equals 50 minutes of instructional activity. To name just one example:

• A 75-minute webinar would provide 1.5 CPE credits
• A 100-minute course would earn 2 CPE credits

CPE activities range from courses and seminars to workshops and self-study materials that boost knowledge in specific topics from the IMA Management Accounting Competency Framework.

Read Also: What Is CPE? A Complete Guide for Accounting Professionals

Why CMAs need CPE to stay certified

Continuing education forms the foundations of certification maintenance. Your CMA credential requires ongoing education—it's not optional. Your certification becomes invalid if you don't meet annual CPE requirements.

CPE serves these key purposes:

Professionals stay current with emerging concepts, techniques, and regulations

• Skills needed to perform job functions remain sharp
• CMAs keep pace with industry best practices and technologies

CPE courses are a great way to get career advancement through specialized training in areas that interest you. MYCPE ONE provides accredited free CPE courses that meet these requirements without extra cost.

How many CPE hours are required annually

CMAs must complete 30 CPE hours each calendar year by December 31 to stay certified. These 30 hours must include at least 2 hours focused on ethics.

Key requirements you should know:

• CPE requirements start in the calendar year after certification
• You can carry forward up to 10 extra CPE hours to next year
• Extra ethics hours (up to 2) can roll over to the next year
• CMAs must keep active IMA membership along with meeting CPE requirements

Missing these requirements puts you in delinquent status. You can fix this by completing both current year requirements and any previous shortfall—or 60 total hours if you can't make up the shortfall within one year.

The IMA website's member profile section lets you report your CPE hours. Keep your completion certificates safe for verification.

Where to Find Free CPE Credits for CMA

Getting free CPE credits to maintain your CMA certification isn't as hard as you might expect. You can meet your yearly requirements without breaking the bank thanks to several available resources.

Webinars from professional accounting bodies

The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) runs over 70 live webinars annually that qualify for NASBA CPE credits. Members get free access to all these professional development sessions. Topics range from data analytics to strategic management. Their webinar series include:

• Inside Talk – featuring emerging issues like technology and revenue recognition
• IMA's Leadership Academy – explaining how to become management accounting leaders
• Career Connection – where industry experts share career growth strategies

Members also benefit from IMA's Annual Ethics Benefit token program. Each year, they receive a token to get any two-credit Ethics Series product free of charge.

Free CMA course online platforms

MYCPE ONE offers an impressive 4,800+ hours of IMA-compliant content. You'll find several free courses on their platform including "Projected Financials: Crafting and Analyzing Pro Forma Statements" and "Integrating Financial Statements: An All-encompassing Approach."

Big accounting firms also run free webinars regularly. FreeLive CPE connects you with free live webinars from firms like PwC and KPMG. Deloitte's Dbriefs platform and EY's webcasts feature expert-led sessions about current issues and industry trends.

Podcasts and video series with CPE credits

Becker Accounting Podcasts let you learn from industry leaders while earning CPE credits. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or Spotify, then complete practice questions and final exams on Becker's platform for credit.

Earmark CPE offers a fresh take on continuing education credits. You can learn while you're on the move without setting aside specific study time.

Government and nonprofit educational resources

Surgent's specialized government and nonprofit CPE courses cover everything from preventing fraud in nonprofit organizations to performing single audits under federal guidelines. These courses help you stay current with the latest GASB, FASB, and other regulatory bodies' developments while earning required credits.

University-sponsored free CPE programs

Teaching relevant accounting courses helps college instructors earn CPE credits. Lecture hours count toward CPE credits, but instructors must change their course material to claim credit more than once every three years.

Read Also: 5 Top-Rated Online CPE Platforms CPAs Actually Use in 2025

How to Claim and Track Your Free CPE Credits

Getting your free CPE credits for CMA is just the beginning. The next vital step involves claiming and tracking them correctly to keep your certification current. Good record-keeping will give a solid foundation if you face an audit and helps meet all requirements.

free CPE credits starts with proper registration. I log into my member account and sign up for upcoming IMA webinars. These sessions cover everything in accounting, financial management, business law, and economics that qualify for CPE credits.

Live events require you to:

1. Take part in presence checks during webinars
2. Complete required knowledge assessment.
3. Attend the full session—each CPE hour needs 50 minutes of instruction

Credits automatically appear on my transcript when I take courses through IMA, which makes the process much easier.

Downloading and storing completion certificates

CMAs need solid documentation. I download and save completion certificates right after finishing any CPE activity. Regular audits are a reality with IMA, so keeping organized records is necessary.

You don't need supporting documents unless there's an audit. Still, it's smart to save all certificates, attendance records, and course materials for at least two years. I play it safe and keep mine for three to five years.

Using CPE tracking tools and spreadsheets

My main tracking tool lives in the member profile section on the IMA website. This portal tracks all CPE hours, and IMA courses show up automatically.

Several detailed tracking options exist:

• Becker's CPE compliance tracker provides individual-specific dashboards that calculate requirements based on certification type
• Checkpoint Learning manages complex tracking with simultaneous compliance periods and carryover credits

Using CPE tracking tools

My main tracking tool lives in the member profile section on the IMA website. This portal tracks all CPE hours, and IMA courses show up automatically.

Several detailed tracking options exist:

• MYCPE ONE Provide In-build CPE Credit Tracker & Vault
• Checkpoint Learning manages complex tracking with simultaneous compliance periods and carryover credits

Avoiding common mistakes in CPE reporting

Poor documentation stands out as the biggest problem. I make sure my certificates have complete information and stay properly filed. There's another reason people struggle - they wait until year-end to complete all 30 required hours, which becomes overwhelming.

Note that you need two ethics credits yearly. Before spending time on MYCPE ONE or other free platforms, I verify that courses meet CMA requirements specifically.

Tips to Maximize Free CPE Opportunities

Smart planning helps you collect free CPE credits for CMA and saves time and money. You can stay on top of requirements with these proven methods instead of rushing at the last minute.

Set a monthly CPE goal

Good planning prevents stress at the end of the year. The best approach is to complete 2-3 hours monthly rather than cramming all 30 hours before the deadline. This strategy gives you several benefits:

• Continuous learning throughout the year
• Less pressure as deadlines approach
• Better retention of information
• More flexibility during busy times

Breaking down your yearly requirement into smaller monthly targets will help you maintain steady progress.

Also Read: Which CPE Providers Offer Free CPE Courses for Accountants?

Subscribe to CPE alert newsletters

IMA members can use email notifications to learn about upcoming free webinars and educational events. These alerts tell you about:

• Inside Talk webinar series
• Leadership Academy presentations
• Special ethics programming (note that you need those mandatory 2 hours!)

Many other accounting organizations provide similar notification services. Custom alerts help you catch all relevant free training opportunities.

Join CMA forums and LinkedIn groups

LinkedIn Learning gives you access to over 700 NASBA-approved courses that count for CPE credit. The platform offers great benefits:

• Free one-month trial with full access
• Free courses through participating libraries if you have a library card
• Quick certificate downloads when you score 70% on quizzes
• Built-in CPE tracking for members

Use mobile apps for on-the-go learning

Mobile apps turn your spare time into valuable CPE opportunities. The CPE Flow app provides NASBA-approved video masterclasses whenever you want, and Earmark CPE lets you earn credits by listening to podcasts.

These mobile tools give you:

• Learning options during commutes or between meetings
• Instant certificate generation after completion
• Progress tracking on all your devices
• Offline access to learning content

These strategies make it easier to meet your annual requirements while getting the most from free and affordable resources.

Conclusion

You don't need to spend a fortune to maintain your CMA certification. Many high-quality resources offer free CPE credits for CMA. MYCPE ONE emerges as an excellent platform with thousands of hours of IMA-compliant content at zero cost. Professional accounting bodies like IMA also provide over 70 free webinars annually that cover everything from data analytics to strategic management.

Your certification becomes substantially easier to maintain when you set a monthly CPE goal instead of rushing to complete all 30 hours at year-end. This approach helps you retain knowledge better and avoid unnecessary stress. Make sure you complete those two mandatory ethics credits each year!

Every CMA needs proper documentation. You should download and store completion certificates right after finishing courses to avoid problems during potential audits. These records should be kept for three to five years as a safety measure.

Put these strategies to work today and never worry about meeting CPE requirements or paying high fees again!

Key Takeaways

CMAs can maintain their certification without breaking the bank by leveraging free educational resources and strategic planning approaches.

• Complete 30 CPE hours annually with 2 ethics credits required - Break this into 2-3 hours monthly to avoid year-end stress and improve retention.
• Access thousands of free hours through MYCPE ONE and IMA's 70+ annual webinars - These platforms offer high-quality, accredited content at zero cost.
• Download and store all completion certificates immediately - Maintain documentation for 3-5 years as IMA conducts regular audits of CPE records.
• Use mobile apps and podcasts for on-the-go learning - Transform commute time into productive CPE opportunities with platforms like Earmark CPE and LinkedIn Learning.
• Subscribe to CPE alert newsletters and join professional forums - Stay informed about free opportunities and connect with other CMAs sharing resources.

With proper planning and the right free resources, you can save up to $1,500 annually while maintaining your valuable CMA certification through legitimate, high-quality educational content.