College Credit for Certification

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) - Up to 15 College Credits

Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) - Up to 8 College Credtis

The American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE Credit) has evaluated and recommended college credit for the successful completion of the  Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) and Fundamental Payroll Certification Exams. The American Council on Education, the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and to influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.

ACE CREDIT connects workplace learning with colleges and universities by helping adults gain access to academic credit at colleges and universities for formal courses and examinations taken in the workplace or other settings outside traditional higher education.

For more than 30 years, colleges and universities have trusted ACE CREDIT to provide reliable course equivalency information to facilitate their decisions to award academic credit. For more information, visit the ACE CREDIT website http://www.acenet.edu/acecredit

If you are interested, here's how to proceed:

If you are already certified:

For the benefit of those who pass the CPP and/or FPC Exams, American Payroll Association participates in the American Council on Education's (ACE) Transcript Service. The ACE Transcript Service offers a lifelong record for students who have successfully completed our courses that have been reviewed by ACE CREDIT. This service enables adult learners to present a nationally recognized transcript to the college or university of their choice for the potential award of academic credit. For more information, visit the ACE CREDIT Transcript Service website at https://www.acenet.edu/transcripts/register

If you are considering certification:

• Download and review the FPC or CPP Exam Candidate Handbook from the Certification page of the APA's website.  To request a printed handbook, email your full name and mailing address to APA's Certification Department at certification@americanpayroll.org
• Appendix B in either handbook contains a list of suggested study courses and materials that may be used in preparation for the applicable certification exam.  Information on APA's courses can be found on the Courses & Conferences page of our Web site.  Information on APA's books can be found on the Publications page of our Web site.
• Begin your plan of study for the exams - at least one to three months prior to sitting for the FPC exam and three to six months prior to sitting for the CPP exam.

The subject areas and the amount of credit that you are eligible to earn are based upon the year in which you obtained your original certification. The ACE credit recommendations are as follows:

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)

September 2007 to Present - Up to 14 College Semester Hours

September 2002 to August 2007 - Up to 15 College Semester Hours

June 1991 - December  2001 - Up to 12 College Semester Hours

Prior to June 1991 - Up to 13 College Semester Hours

* Please note, those who passed the CPP exam in the Spring 2002 testing window are NOT eligible for college credits. 

Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC)

September 2002 - Present - Up to 8 College Semester Hours