CPE Requirements for ICAI Members
The Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Committee of ICAI has been at the forefront to provide sufficient opportunities that are essential for Chartered Accountants to equip themselves with the changes occurring due to globalization and increasing business & professional complexities. To enable Chartered Accountants to remain in tandem with evolving requirements of business and economy, the ICAI actively endeavors to provide prompt education and training to its members, relevant in current professional scenario.
CPE Requirements for each calendar Year Applicable From 1-1-2023 Onwards
All the members (aged less than 60 years) who are holding Certificate of Practice (except all those members who are residing abroad) are required to:
a. Complete at least 40 CPE credit hours in each Calendar Year.
b. Complete minimum 20 CPE credit hours of structured learning during the calendar year.
c. Balance 20 CPE credit hours can be completed either through Structured or Unstructured learning (as per Member’s choice).
2. All the members (aged less than 60 years) who are not holding Certificate of Practice; and all the members who are residing abroad (whether holding Certificate of Practice or not) are required to:
a. Complete at least 20 CPE credit hours of either structured or unstructured learning (as per Member’s choice) during the calendar year.
3. All the members (aged 60 years & above) who are holding Certificate of Practice, are required to:
a. Complete at least 30 CPE credit hours of either structured or unstructured learning (as per member’s choice) during the calendar year.
The CPE learning activities, which are eligible for CPE Credit hours are divided into Structured Learning Activities (SLAs) and Unstructured Learning Activities (ULAs).
Self-Declaration Form
For claiming CPE hours of Unstructured Learning Activities undergone by a Member, he/she has to submit the ULA CPE Hours Online as per convenience by login their CPE account under Member’s tab.
The Members are required to indicate the time devoted to the ULAs along with topic and date in the Self Declaration Form which is to be completely filled and submitted Online on CPE Portal by the members.
Submission of Self-Declaration Form Online by the member
The members are required to submit their Self-declaration Online in the format specified on or before 31st May or such other time as may be prescribed, pertaining to the previous calendar year, to avail the CPE Hours Credit for the Unstructured Learning Activities undergone by them in the previous calendar year. Members are not required to submit any evidence along with the self declaration. However, the members are required to submit evidences in support of declarations submitted in this regard, if so desired, by the CPEC/ICAI. If a member fails to provide appropriate evidence to the satisfaction of CPEC Secretariat or if the CPEC Secretariat is of the opinion that such claims cannot be entertained, it can forfeit or deny the unstructured CPE credit awarded, if any. Any delay in submission of the self-declaration within a specified date can only be condoned by the CPEC at its discretion, provided it is satisfied with the reason(s) and the genuineness of the learning activities, based on which only the Member will be entitled for unstructured CPE hours. Any delayed declaration has to be submitted through scanned copy over e-mail to the CPEC Secretariat directly within a specified date, as may be prescribed from time to time, with or without fee, as may be decided by the CPEC.
Therefore all are encouraged to complete your CPE hours requirements for the current year in timely manner, which is also pre-requisite for issuance of Good Standing Certificate for Study Abroad.
Provisions for Non Compliance
“Consequential provisions for non-compliance with CPE hours requirement on yearly basis” from calendar year 2024 onwards (to be operational w.e.f. 1/1/2025 for non-compliances arising from the calendar year 2024)
Level I (from 1st Jan to 30th June) 2025
Member who fails to complete the CPE requirement by the end of the calendar year shall be given extended Period of 6 months i.e. till June 30 of the following year to make up for the shortfall, provided the member(s) shall make up for any shortfall in their CPE credit hours by obtaining twice the shortfall of CPE hours. This would be in addition to the regular CPE hours requirement for the current calendar year. Member(s) shall be notified of the shortfall of CPE hours through e-mail.
Level II (from 1st July to 31st Dec) 2025
Names of Member(s) who fail to make up for the shortfall on expiry of the extended Period as aforesaid in paragraph 1, shall be classified to non-compliance status on July 1 and the details of non-compliance status shall be displayed in CPE Portal of the ICAI under particular Member’s login till the Member is fully compliant. The member(s) shall make up for the shortfall for the calendar year by obtaining twice the shortfall of CPE hours for the relevant year in which the shortfall has occurred.
Level III (from 1st Jan to 30th June of Next year) 2026
If the member continues to be non-compliant for the period given at Level-II above, the CPE
Committee may resort to the following measures on 1st January of the following calendar year:
In case of member(s) holding Certificate of Practice (COP) The Member is required to disclose the of status of non-compliance of CPE hrs requirement in Multipurpose Empanelment Form (MEF) of ICAI. List of non-compliant members shall also be provided to Professional Development Committee of the ICAI by CPE Committee of ICAI.
Member(s) shall be given 6 months’ time (i.e. from 1st January till 30th June) at this level to complete the shortfall in their CPE hour credit by completing twice the shortfall to get fully compliant status for the respective year.
Level IV: (from 1st July to 31st Dec of Next year) 2026
If the non-compliance by the Member continues even after the Level III stage as above, i.e., 1.5 years of extended period for compliance) then following consequences would follow.
If the Member is in Practice (i.e. Holding COP) -If the individual or the firm is otherwise eligible for the issuance of Peer Review Certificate, only Provisional Peer Review Certificate would be issued to such individual or the Firm in case if the individual or any partner of the Firm (as the case may be) has not complied with the requirement of these guidelines. Final Peer Review Certificate shall be issued to the individual or the firm only after compliance of CPE hrs requirement as per these guidelines by the individual or all the partners of the firm (as the case may be).
The member(s) shall be given additional 6 months’ time (i.e. from 1st July till 31st December) at this level to complete the shortfall by completing twice the shortfall in their CPE hour credit to be eligible to get fully compliant status for the respective year and for issuance of Final Peer Review Certificate. The member shall be informed in advance that if the default still continues then, such non-compliance would be liable to be referred to Disciplinary Directorate for necessary action in accordance with provision of CA Act, 1949.
Issuance of Good Standing Certificate to member shall be deferred at all levels until the member complies with the requirement under these CPE guidelines.
