CPD POLICIES  
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS  
FROM THE ANNUAL UPDATES  
REFERENCE POLICIES  
Please read the following CPD Policies  
CPD Policy  
CPD Trainer and Training Providers Policy  
CPD  
Section 1 – Auditors and CPD – Who must do what, by when?  
ꢀ. If I am at the ASCA level, do I need to complete CPD?  
What are the CPD requirements for an RA?  
Per the CPD Policy, CPD Requirements are the same for an RA as they are for a CSCA.  
2. Do auditors who are downgraded from RA to ASCA in ꢁ0ꢁꢁ have the same obligations for CPD?  
Auditors who were RA/CSCA during the year (but spent part of the year as ASCA) have a  
requirement to complete a percentage of CPD for the year. For example - If they were RA/CSCA for  
half the year, then they must complete half of the CPD requirements. If they were RA/CSCA for ¾ of  
the year, they must complete ¾ of the CPD requirements.  
3. In ꢁ0ꢁꢁ, the option to fill out the CPD for the year ꢁ0ꢁ1 was available on the APSCA website.  
Will it continue in the same way in ꢁ0ꢁꢂ?  
Auditors must report their CPD in their Auditor’s APSCA online account (My Account) using  
these instructions.  
4. Is it possible to add training done in ꢁ0ꢁꢁ towards outstanding CPD in ꢁ0ꢁ1?  
If I don’t meet ꢁ0ꢁ1 requirements will I be moved to ASCA?  
I have completed a few courses in ꢁ0ꢁꢁ, could I apply them for ꢁ0ꢁꢂ CPD?  
CPD requirements for 2021 were not mandatory and there is no need to resolve any outstanding  
CPD hours for 2021.  
CPD Requirements for 2022 are mandatory.  
• CPD hours must be reported for the calendar year in which they were completed.  
•ꢀ 2022ꢀTrainingꢀandꢀAuditsꢀmustꢀbeꢀreportedꢀagainstꢀ2022ꢀRequirements.ꢀ  
•ꢀ 2023ꢀTrainingꢀandꢀAuditsꢀmustꢀbeꢀreportedꢀagainstꢀ2023ꢀRequirements.  
Trainingꢀcannotꢀbeꢀappliedꢀtoꢀaꢀdifferentꢀcalendarꢀyearꢀthanꢀtheꢀoneꢀinꢀwhichꢀitꢀwasꢀcompleted.ꢀ.  
You cannot carry over your training from one year to another.  
APSCA Annual Updates - CPD POLICIES Frequently Asked Questions - Feb 2023  
Annual Updates - Frequently Asked Questions  
SECTION 2- CPD Training & Onsite Audits  
GENERAL  
5. Do all CPD credits have to come from the training recognized on the website?  
No, all training does not have to be recognized on the website!  
Independent Submissions are the other route to CPD training for Member Auditors.  
Member Auditors are encouraged to identify and complete training on their own which is relevant  
to their needs/skills gaps and meets their logistic and language needs.  
ForꢀmoreꢀinformationꢀonꢀhowꢀtoꢀsubmitꢀaꢀCPDꢀasꢀanꢀindependentꢀsubmissionꢀpleaseꢀseeꢀpageꢀ3ꢀofꢀ  
these instructions.  
6. Can self-study count towards CPD hours?  
YES! Self-Study is an option for CPD. Please submit it as an independent submission.  
Seeꢀpageꢀ3ꢀofꢀthese instructions.  
7. Can recognized training also be used as an independent submission?  
No, a course is either recognized (has been through the recognition process and is in the drop-  
down list in the APSCA data system) OR it is an independent submission.  
Pleaseꢀseeꢀtheꢀdifferentꢀformsꢀoutlinedꢀinꢀthese instructions.  
8. Does preparation and presentation of CPD training count as CPD?  
Yes! Per enhanced guidance provided to Audit Firms via Member Happenings and to Auditors  
via the Auditor Bulletin in mid-July 2022, preparation, and presentation of CPD training do count  
toward CPD.  
Please submit through the Independent submission form.  
9. As per the APCSCA CPD Update Presentation, CPD hours could be earned through  
mentoring peers during onsite audits.  
What kind of evidence should we submit to APSCA Data System?  
Per the enhanced guidance above and our pod podcast Update mentoring a peer during onsite  
audit does count towards CPD.  
Please Submit through the Independent submission form.  
ꢀꢃ. What does “ꢀ4 hours on subject areas highlighted in APSCA Exam reports” mean?  
What is this related to?  
WhenꢀanꢀAPSCAꢀAuditorꢀcompletesꢀanꢀexam,ꢀtheyꢀreceiveꢀtheirꢀexamꢀresultsꢀreport.ꢀTheꢀreportꢀ  
includes details for that auditor regarding areas of the Competency Framework where there  
is opportunity for improvement. Auditors are asked to look at the reports they have received  
through the exam process (all parts) and use that to guide the development of their own  
personal plan for continuous professional development.  
(Please see more details in the mandatory and elective topics questions below.)  
ꢀꢀ. Are external Ethical trainings acceptable for CPD requirements?  
YES! Ethical trainings can be provided by APSCA Member Firms or other training providers.  
You can submit your Ethical training through an Independent Submission.  
Pleaseꢀseeꢀpageꢀ3ꢀofꢀthese instructions.  
APSCA Annual Updates - CPD POLICIES Frequently Asked Questions - Feb 2023  
Annual Updates - Frequently Asked Questions  
ꢀ2. Can we select Mandatory or Elective topics for updating the training record in our profile?  
RecognizedꢀCoursesꢀhaveꢀalreadyꢀhadꢀthisꢀinformationꢀconfirmedꢀasꢀpartꢀofꢀtheꢀprocess,ꢀsoꢀnoꢀ  
needꢀtoꢀdoꢀitꢀforꢀrecognizedꢀcourses.ꢀForꢀIndependentꢀSubmissionsꢀpleaseꢀaddꢀinꢀtheꢀnotesꢀfield.  
ꢀ3. Does exam preparation count as CPD?  
If you completed a training course which was relevant to the Competency Framework then yes, it  
could be applied for CPD. Self-Study for Exam prep is not CPD eligible.  
ꢀ4. Does the exam time count as CPD?  
No.  
MANDATORY AND ELECTIVE TOPICS  
ꢀ5. What do we mean by Mandatory and Elective topics?  
Thinkꢀofꢀwhenꢀyouꢀwereꢀinꢀsecondaryꢀschoolꢀ-ꢀtoꢀreceiveꢀyourꢀdiploma,ꢀyouꢀhadꢀtoꢀcompleteꢀaꢀ  
certainꢀnumberꢀofꢀcourses.ꢀTheꢀcoursesꢀfellꢀintoꢀtwoꢀbuckets.ꢀ  
Bucket #1 Mandatory – courses everyone had to complete on core subjects.  
Bucket #2 Elective – courses you could choose which were interesting to you and  
complementary to your course of study/work.  
Coursesꢀfromꢀeitherꢀbucketꢀareꢀthenꢀdeliveredꢀviaꢀꢁꢀdifferentꢀmethods:ꢀrecognizedꢀcoursesꢀorꢀ  
independent study.  
ꢀ6. Will the same mandatory training identified be expected to be carried out every year?  
Mandatory training topics will likely change from year to year.  
ꢀ7. I have ꢄ different opportunity topics related to the competency framework in all parts of  
the exam. Is it mandatory to take trainings for these ALL topics?  
No,ꢀitꢀisꢀnotꢀmandatoryꢀtoꢀtakeꢀtrainingsꢀonꢀallꢀofꢀtheseꢀtopicsꢀinꢀyourꢀfirstꢀyearꢀofꢀCPD.  
Useꢀtheꢀidentifiedꢀtopicsꢀtoꢀcreateꢀaꢀmultiyearꢀtrainingꢀandꢀdevelopmentꢀplanꢀforꢀyourselfꢀandꢀthenꢀ  
work toward it. You need to complete 16 hours of mandatory topics training per year (including  
2 hours of Ethics training in 2022), it is ok if it takes you several years to obtain training on all the  
opportunity topics.  
RECOGNIZED COURSES  
ꢀ8. What is the mechanism for getting listed under APSCA approved/recognzed CPD training?  
Follow the Expression of Interest process outlined on the APSCA CPD Page and submit the  
information about the course using the form.ꢀTrainingꢀCoursesꢀandꢀTrainingꢀProvidersꢀmustꢀ  
comply with CPDꢀTrainerꢀandꢀTrainingꢀProvidersꢀPolicy.  
ꢀ9. How long does it take to hear back from APSCA on the acceptance of training that was  
applied for?  
APSCA was overwhelmed by the number of courses submitted for approval in 2022. A delay in  
planned process automation added to a delay in processing requests. By Q4 all requests were  
reviewed within 30 days of submission. We expect to improve this turnaround time in 2023.  
APSCA Annual Updates - CPD POLICIES Frequently Asked Questions - Feb 2023  
Annual Updates - Frequently Asked Questions  
RECOGNIZED COURSES  
2ꢃ. We have internal training & technical meetings on a regular basis, could those meetings &  
training hours be counted as CPD hours?  
Yes, internal training and calibration meetings could be eligible for recognized CPD – Ask your  
Member Firm to submit information about the meeting through the Expression of Interest process.  
2ꢀ. For CPD, where and how could auditors easily access those recognized courses?  
Recognized Courses that are open to the public are listed on an updated list on the APSCA  
website. Check the list and contact the organizing point for the course you like to register for.  
INDEPENDENT SUBMISSIONS  
22. Are external pieces of training or non-APSCA registered trainings considered for meeting  
CPD requirements?  
Yes! Member Auditors are encouraged to identify and complete training on their own which  
isꢀrelevantꢀtoꢀtheirꢀneeds/skillsꢀgapsꢀandꢀmeetsꢀtheirꢀlogisticꢀandꢀlanguageꢀneeds.ꢀTheseꢀcanꢀ  
be recorded in the APSCA Auditor’s APSCA online account (My Account) as an Independent  
Submission. For more information on how to submit a CPD as an independent submission please  
see page 3 of these instructions.  
ON SITE AUDITS  
23. Can Auditing the auditors or witnessing an audit be counted toward CPD? Will both  
witnessed auditor and witnesser get CPD hours?  
LeadꢀAuditor,ꢀTeamꢀAuditorꢀorꢀTrainerꢀareꢀtheꢀonlyꢀrolesꢀinꢀtheꢀAuditꢀthatꢀcanꢀclaimꢀCPDꢀforꢀtheꢀ  
audit.ꢀThoseꢀwhoꢀareꢀObserving/ꢀWitnessingꢀand/orꢀConductingꢀSurveillanceꢀcannotꢀuseꢀtheꢀauditꢀ  
for CPD.  
SECTION 3 CPD and APSCA ꢁ0ꢁꢁ Sessions  
(Annual Update Sessions & Annual Meeting of Members and Stakeholders)  
24. Would you consider this training especially with ethics portion an opportunity for  
CPD credit?  
TheꢀNovemberꢀsessionsꢀknownꢀasꢀtheꢀAPSCAꢀꢁꢂꢁꢁꢀAnnualꢀUpdatesꢀwithꢀLiveꢀQ&AꢀwereꢀnotꢀCPDꢀ  
eligible as they were related to APSCA processes and Operational Performance Updates, not areas  
of the competency framework.  
TheꢀDecemberꢀsessionsꢀknownꢀasꢀtheꢀAPSCAꢀAnnualꢀMeetingꢀofꢀMembersꢀandꢀStakeholdersꢀ  
(AMM) included several CPD-eligible sessions as noted in the agenda because these sessions  
were relevant to advancing the skills and understanding of the Auditors around areas covered by  
the competency framework.  
25. Do we get a training certificate or something to upload as attendance for the CPD  
eligible sessions?  
No, just record your participation in the CPD eligible sessions by following these instructions.  
TheꢀrecognizedꢀsessionsꢀareꢀinꢀtheꢀAPSCAꢀdataꢀsystemꢀandꢀwillꢀappearꢀinꢀtheꢀdrop-downꢀlist.ꢀꢀ  
APSCA has meeting attendance information to validate your participation.  
APSCA Annual Updates - CPD POLICIES Frequently Asked Questions - Feb 2023