Engagement Meets Compliance: Smart Strategies for NASBA Attendance Checks in Virtual CPE

Smart Strategies to Keep Virtual CPE Both Compliant and Engaging

As virtual learning continues to be a central delivery method for Continuing Professional Education (CPE), accounting firms and their training partners face a critical challenge: how to meet NASBA’s attendance monitoring requirements without compromising the quality of instruction. At 20-20 Services, we believe that regulatory compliance and effective learning can—and should—go hand in hand.

The Challenge: Keeping Learners Present Without Losing Focus

NASBA requires regular attendance monitoring checks in group internet CPE courses to ensure participants are actively engaged. While this is essential for accountability, traditional methods, like random check-ins or non-content-related polls, can interrupt instructional flow and feel intrusive to both instructors and learners.

So, how do we satisfy compliance requirements while keeping learning engaging and seamless?

Using Content-Based Polling to Enhance Learning

One simple yet powerful solution is to use content-based polling questions. These strategically placed questions not only meet NASBA’s requirement for attendance monitoring but also reinforce key concepts, spark critical thinking, and keep learners mentally engaged.

For example, instead of a pop-up asking, “Are you still there?”, instructors can pose a question like, “Which of the following is a key component of ASC 842 lease classification?” This type of polling doesn’t just check attendance, it strengthens learning. Learning professionals can even use the response data to gather information about the knowledge of the attendees.

How We Use Conferences i/o to Monitor Attendance Without Disrupting Flow

To efficiently manage attendance checks across long-format virtual courses, which require a large number of checks, our team uses Conferences i/o, a platform that allows us to deploy random attendance codes rather than relying solely on content questions. But even then, we’re intentional about how and when those codes are given.

Here are a few strategies our instructors use to maintain momentum in the classroom:

• Before Group Activities: Since our content is heavily activity-based—with three discussions or exercises per hour on average—we often distribute attendance codes just before a group breakout or task. This ensures compliance is handled during natural transitions.
• During Transitions or Before Breaks: Instructors may issue a code as we shift to a new topic or right before a scheduled break, minimizing any instructional interruption.
• Using Random Timers: Some instructors set timers in advance to prompt them to share a code at various points, making the process seamless and less noticeable to learners.

These techniques allow us to meet NASBA’s requirements while keeping the learner experience smooth and uninterrupted. Because our courses are designed to be highly interactive by default, integrating attendance checks into the rhythm of the class feels natural—not forced.

Making It Easier for Instructors

We also recognize that instructors are often balancing multiple responsibilities during a virtual session. Our goal at 20-20 Services is to set our instructors up for success. We want them to be able to show up to whatever class they are teaching and be able to focus on delivering the content in fun, engaging ways, so the learners walk away feeling like they learned something. To support them, we recommend:

• Pre-built Polling Templates: Provide instructors with polling questions aligned to learning objectives ahead of time (This is a great option for shorter 1-3 hour webinars).
• Moderator Support: Assign a co-host or tech moderator to manage polling logistics so the instructor can focus on teaching (this may be difficult depending on personnel availability). We highly recommend having a moderator to start the class and handle all the logistics for the instructors.
• Integrated Tools: Use learning platforms that embed polling directly into the session workflow, reducing distractions and minimizing clicks.

At 20-20 Services, we coach instructors and content development teams on these tools and strategies as part of our virtual delivery training. The result is smoother sessions, more confident instructors, and a fully compliant CPE experience.

Conclusion: A Win-Win Approach

Balancing compliance and learner engagement doesn’t require compromise; it requires smart design. By rethinking how we implement attendance checks, we can create CPE experiences that are not only NASBA-compliant but also genuinely impactful.

Have questions about implementing effective CPE engagement strategies in your firm’s virtual training? Let’s talk, we’re here to help.