Build learning experiences that meet continuing professional education standards
Regis has successfully helped create many CPE-compliant courses using SimGate, and this guide will help you understand how.
Overview
SimGate gives you the flexibility and tools to create compliant learning experiences to meet Continuing Professional Education (CPE) standards, like those set by NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy).
CPE compliance is in your hands as the designer! Due to varying requirements based on how your course is delivered (asynchronous, synchronous, team-based), the type of credit you're seeking, and your organization's specific standards - SimGate doesn't automatically create CPE-compliant courses.
🌟 Know Your Requirements First
Before you start building, take time to understand the specific CPE requirements for your course. These can vary based on:
Delivery method (self-paced online, instructor-led, team-based simulation)
Course type (what kind of CPE credit you're seeking)
Your organization's standards and the governing body's rules
State-specific requirements if applicable
Once you know what's required, you can use SimGate's features strategically to meet those standards. The examples in this article show common approaches—they're not the only way to accomplish compliance, but they've worked for many successful CPE courses.
Step-by-Step: Building a CPE-Compliant Course
1. Research Your Requirements
Before opening SimGate, document your specific CPE requirements:
What delivery format are you using?
What's the required passing score?
Are there restrictions on question types?
What documentation will reviewers need?
2. Design Your Course Structure
Plan your wireflow to include:
Welcome page with learning objectives
Course menu/navigation
Content sections with appropriate pacing
Assessment(s) with proper scoring
Completion confirmation
3. Build Compliance Elements
See chart below for more examples.
Configure Scoring and Pass/Fail - if your course requires a final assessment
Set Up Retake Capabilities (if required) - if learners must retake the entire course upon failure:
Add Certificates (if needed)
4. Test rigorously and keep everything current
See "Best Practices" below for specific examples.
Build in review time – CPE approval processes are rigorous. Add buffer time for documentation, review cycles, and revisions
Test thoroughly – Verify all navigation paths, scoring logic, and LMS data tracking. Have a colleague complete the course as a learner
Sync your documentation – If you update the course after approval, update screenshots and alignment matrices to match, then re-publish in SimGate
CPE Requirements + SimGate Solutions
Here's a quick-reference chart showing common CPE requirements and example ways to address them in SimGate:
CPE Requirement | Example of How to Accomplish This in SimGate Studio |
Course Menu / Table of Contents | Build a menu into a Pagebuilder or Slideshow template in your wireflow, and/or include it in a navigation tab so learners can access it at any time. |
Learning Objectives Listed | Include 1-2 compliant learning objectives in a Pagebuilder/Slideshow template in your wireflow, and/or add them to a navigation tab for easy reference. |
Navigation Instructions | For asynchronous courses: build instructions into a Pagebuilder/Slideshow template or navigation tab. For team-based facilitation: instructions can be demonstrated by the facilitator, or built the same way as asynchronous. |
Glossary | Create a glossary using a Pagebuilder/Slideshow template in your wireflow, and/or include it in a navigation tab for learners to reference throughout. |
Final Assessment Questions | The number of questions is up to you as the designer/developer. Build assessments into your project using question templates. |
Assessment Instructions | Build instructions into the same page as your assessment questions—typically using a Pagebuilder/Slideshow template in the wireflow. |
Passing Grade (e.g., 100%) | If your assessment is built into the project, configure your scoring model to include a "final assessment" metric. Set pass/fail criteria based on achieving the required score (e.g., 100%) to pass the course. This status is passed back to your LMS. |
Question Types (e.g., no True/False) | Question type is up to you as the designer/developer. SimGate supports multiple choice (radio buttons) and multi-select (checkboxes) question formats. |
Question Feedback | Whether and when to provide feedback is your design decision. You can configure feedback to appear immediately, at the end of a section, or not at all. |
Retake Policy | Retake capabilities are available in SimGate. Configure retake settings based on your CPE requirements (e.g., requiring learners to retake the entire course if they fail). |
Course Expiration Notice | Expiration dates are typically managed in your LMS. You can also build expiration information into a Pagebuilder/Slideshow template or navigation tab within SimGate. |
Completion Certificate | Certificates are usually delivered through your LMS. However, if you want a downloadable certificate built into the course, add a Resources template to the end of your wireflow. |
Course Evaluation | SimGate has built-in "review" features that allow CPE review teams to assess a course from a learner's perspective (via review links or test links). Additional evaluation documentation is handled outside the platform. |
Best Practices for CPE Course Design
💡 Plan ahead, test rigorously, and keep everything current
Build in Review Time from the Start
CPE courses go through rigorous approval processes. Add buffer time to your project timeline for creating documentation (screenshots, alignment matrices), multiple review cycles with CPE approval teams, and revisions based on feedback.
Test Before You Submit
Before sending your course for CPE approval, verify all navigation paths work correctly, scoring and pass/fail logic functions as expected, and LMS data passes through accurately. Have a colleague complete the course from a learner's perspective to catch issues you might miss.
Keep Everything in Sync
If you update your course after initial CPE approval, update your documentation to match, re-publish in SimGate to apply changes, and verify that updates don't affect your compliance status.
👩💻 Technical Considerations
Completion Tracking
CPE courses require accurate tracking of learner completion. SimGate sends data to your LMS at key intervals: when learners launch the course (status: "in progress") and when they end their session (status: "in progress" or "complete"). This works seamlessly with SCORM/LMS systems for asynchronous courses.
For team-based simulations, facilitators need to track attendance manually, though completion data can still be captured and reported.
Documentation Requirements
CPE compliance often requires documentation beyond what's built into SimGate. SimGate doesn't automatically generate storyboard outputs or content exports, so plan to create these manually. Historically, designers have taken screenshots of each page and compiled them into a presentation deck or word document for review, along with timed agendas and alignment matrices connecting activities to learning objectives.
