CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION (CPE) Credits

If you have an industry certification, you probably have a requirement to maintain CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION (CPE).

By participating in CyberPatriot, you have the ability to earn qualified CPEs.  The following information was pulled from the most recent certification guidelines.  Be sure to check your certification's policy on CPEs prior to claiming them.

The most important area in regards to CPEs is documentation of what you did.

ISC2
Through CyberPatriot participation, you can obtain CPEs through three different options.

Preparing for presentation/lecture/training – Group A or B credit
CPE credits are earned for the time spent in preparing for the non-work related presentation, lecture or training materials. CPE credits are not earned for the time spent on presenting the course, lecture, or training. Members could claim Group A credits when the presentation, lecture or training, i.e., activities cover topics directly related to one of the domains of their respective credential.

However, if topics of the presentation, lecture or training, i.e., activities are not directly related to one of the domains of the credential, but content of those activities will still enhance members’ overall professional skills, knowledge, education, or competency, members could claim Group B credits.

Number of CPE credits that can be claimed under this category is based on the number of hours spent preparing for the activities – in relation to the presentation time – limited to a maximum of a 2-hour presentation (See Table 3). For example, four CPE credits could be claimed for the initial preparation of training materials, lecture or presentation for a one hour presentation. CPE’s may be earned for updating  an existing presentation as described in Table 4. This CPE activity is only relevant for short presentations up to 2 hours in length. Examples include Webinars or Pod Casts.

Credits are not earned for teaching or training courses that are of multiple days, weeks, or months in length. Tables 3 and 4 provide limits to the number of CPEs earned for preparation time.

Table 3. Initial Presentation

Presentation Time	CPEs	Prep Time	Number of CPE Credits Allow for Prep Time
1/4 hour (15 mins)	0	1 hour	1
1/2 hour (30 mins)	0	2 hour	2
1 hour	0	4 hour	4
1 hour	0	6 hour	4
1 1/2 hour	0	6 hour	6
2 hour	0	8 hour	8

Table 4. Updating Existing Presentation

Presentation Time	CPEs	% of Presentation Update	Number of CPE Credits Allow for Updating Existing Presentation
1 hour	0	25%	1
	0	50%	2
	0	75%	3
2 hours	0	25%	2
	0	50%	4
	0	75%	6

Volunteering for government, public sector, and other charitable organizations – Group A only

Members are entitled to one Group A CPE credit for each hour of volunteer work. As documentation of their volunteer efforts, members must retain a signed confirmation on the organization’s letterhead, indicating the number of hours of volunteer work they have performed. This volunteer work must be
related to a member’s (ISC)2 credential.


Preparing new or updating existing training seminar or classroom material – Group A credit
Instructors, teachers or professors can earn CPE credits for the time spent in preparing information
security training or course material to teach in training seminars or academic classes. The material must be new but not recycled or repeated one. CPE credits are not earned for the time spent for presenting the material. Members could claim Group A credits when the coursework or training material is directly related to one of the domains of their respective credential(s).

Although CPE credits are earned for preparation of the material, but it is calculated based on the length of the training, seminar or course taught (See Table 6). A 500 word essay explaining what was learned from preparing the material is required to be submitted when posting/claiming CPE credits for this category. For example, two CPE credits could be claimed for the initial preparation of new, not repeated, training or coursework materials for a 1-day seminar or class when submitted with the 500 word essay. CPE credits may be earned for updating existing seminar or course material at the same rate as described in Table 6 and must be accompanied with a 500 word essay.

Table 6

Instruction Time	CPEs for Instruction Time	CPEs for Prep Time +500 word Essay
1 Day Course	0	2
2 Day Course	0	5
5-7 Day Course	0	10
Semester (12 weeks or more)	20	2

EC-Council
EC-Council refers to their continuing education as EC-Council Continuing Education (ECE). EC-Council may be a little harder to justify, but they do have an ECE area that may qualify.

Preparing for training classes in a related domain
This credit can only be taken for preparing for the class and can only be claimed once unless you upgrade the materials and then the upgrade can be claimed.

See this site for more info: 
http://portal.eccouncil.org/delta/announcement.htm


DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT.

There are many ways to document CPEs. My preference is to leverage Google Calendar. When I attend an event (conference, webinar, chapter lunch, etc), I put it in my calendar and I put CPE in the description.  If I receive a receipt or some other type of documentation, I take a picture with my phone and attach it to the calendar invite.

When it comes time for me to update my CPEs, I just search my calendar during a certain time frame for the term CPE and all the events come up. If I am ever audited, my documentation can be retrieved from the calendar. 

If you have information on another certification and would like us to add it to this blog, please send it to info@cyberhui.org.