ACPEN Webcast FAQ's

Preparation for a webcast

How do I test my system prior to the webcast?

To test your system, go to your State Society’s ACPEN site (for the direct web address, please go to the table at the bottom of these FAQ’s). Click on Login and enter your email address and password. You will be redirected to your Dashboard. Under Available Videos/Courses, click on the name of the webcast you’ve registered for. Once on the webcast page, there will be a test link in a box on the top right of the page. Click on that to be redirected to the test page. Confirm that you can both see and hear the video.

How do I access the Course Materials?

1. To access the Course Materials, go to your State Society’s ACPEN site (for the direct web address, please go to the table at the bottom of these FAQ’s).
2. Click on Login and enter your email address and password. You will be redirected to your Dashboard.
3. Under Available Videos/Courses, click on the name of the webcast you’ve registered for.
4. Once on the webcast page, you will find links to download the course materials at the bottom of the page.
5. Upon clicking on these links, you will be asked whether you want to Open or Save the files. If you choose Open, they will be opened as soon as the download is complete. If you choose Save, ensure that you know where you save your downloaded files by default. For most people, this will be on your Desktop or in your My Documents folder.

If you are having trouble finding the file or don’t think it is being downloaded, please contact your System Administrator for help.

I am unable to print the Course Materials.

1. To access the Course Materials, go to your State Society’s ACPEN site (for the direct web address, please go to the table at the bottom of these FAQ’s).
2. Click on Login and enter your email address and password. You will be redirected to your Dashboard.
3. Under Available Videos/Courses, click on the name of the webcast you’ve registered for.
4. Once on the webcast page, you will find links to download the course materials at the bottom of the page.
5. Upon clicking on these links, you will be asked whether you want to Open or Save the files. Choose Open to just open the file on your computer.
6. Once the file loads and you are able to read the file, then save the file to “My Documents”.
7. Once you have opened and saved all the files you wish to review, then reopen the files through “My Documents” and print directly from there. Some email servers and computers have trouble printing a file directly from the internet. If you save the file to “My Documents”, the file will then reside on your computer and you should have no other printing issues.

When I try to open the Course Materials it does nothing / gives an error / the document appears garbled.

Possible Causes

1. Sometimes Adobe Reader cannot display a document that is being sourced over the internet. This usually indicates that you have an older version of Adobe Acrobat Reader that cannot handle PDF documents created with a newer version of Acrobat Reader.
2. When you click on a link to the materials, and nothing happens, this could be a sign that a pop-up blocker of some sort that is blocking the link from being opened.
3. If you get an error when you click on the link to the materials telling you that there is currently no program available to open this type of media, you probably do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your system, or Adobe Acrobat Reader is not recognizing the PDF file type.

Solution

1. Try right-clicking on the document link and select "Save Target As..." to save the document to your computer and then open it from where you saved it.  Note: Make a note of where you save the document.  We suggest saving it to your Desktop for easier retrieval.
2. Check in the Add/Remove Programs module in Control Panel and see what version of Adobe Reader you have and to see if there is more than one version listed.
   1. Click on the [START] button on the Task Bar and select [Control Panel].
   2. Click on the [Add/Remove Programs] in the Control Panel.
   3. Check for both Adobe Reader and Acrobat Reader in the list.
   4. If the version number is earlier than 5 or there are more than one listed: [Remove] all of them.
   5. Go to www.adobe.com and download the latest version of Adobe Reader 7.0.5. Note: If you do not want the extra downloads make sure to uncheck the boxes under [Also Download:] before downloading.
   6. Install Adobe Reader and try opening the document again.
   7. If you are still having problems, please contact the ACPEN Help Desk at help@acpen.com or 800-747-1719.

       

How do I connect to the webcast on the day of the event?

1. To connect to the webcast, go to your State Society’s ACPEN site (for the direct web address, please go to the table at the bottom of these FAQ’s).
2. Click on Login and enter your email address and password. You will be redirected to your Dashboard.
3. Under Available Videos/Courses, click on the name of the webcast you’ve registered for.
4. Once on the webcast page, you will find a link to the webcast player page in a box on the top right of the page. Up until 1 hour before the webcast this will take you to the test page. Starting 1 hour before the webcast starts this link will take you to the player page with a countdown until the webcast starts. Please Note: If you are on the test page, you will not be automatically redirected to the player page when the webcast starts so you will have to go back to the webcast page and click the live player link once it is live.

Billing/Accounts/Certification

I am having trouble logging in to my account

You may have an online account at your state society’s website, but the account used to access the ACPEN webcasts is different. In addition, ACPEN launched a new system in February, 2009 so if you haven’t registered for a webcast since that time, you will need to setup a new account to use this system.

If you have registered for a webcast since then, you will need to use the email address and password you entered when you registered. If you don’t know what your user information is, or it isn’t working for you, please call the ACPEN Helpdesk at 1-800-747-1719 to have your login information reset.

What do I do if I need to change courses, cancel my order or get a refund?

To change courses, cancel an order or get a refund, please send an email to help@acpen.com with your name, email address, phone number, State Society, and Date and Name of Webcast. We will handle your request within 1 business day and let you know it has happened via email.

Are there discounts available if I purchase multiple webcasts at one time?

Since the webcasts are offered by many different state societies, they set the pricing on each webcast and ACPEN isn’t able to offer a discount on these prices for an individual who is registering for multiple webcasts.

Are there group discounts and functionality available?

Yes, there are several options for group viewing of webcasts. Contact your State CPA Society or Anne Taylor with ACPEN (972-377-8199, anne.taylor@acpen.com ) for information about group webcast options and pricing. Group webcasts are not sold through the online catalog.

Can I pay by check or PO?

We are happy to accept payment by check for the ACPEN webcasts.  To do this, follow these steps:

1. If you haven’t already created an account on the new ACPEN system launched in February 2009, do the following to create an account:
   1. Go to your State Society’s ACPEN site (for the direct web address, please go to the table at the bottom of these FAQ’s)
   2. Click Login.
   3. Click the “Not Registered Yet? Sign up now.” link.
   4. Complete the registration process for the user who will be attending the webcast including setting up your email address and password.
2. Send an email to help@acpen.com with the following information:
   1. Name
   2. Email Address
   3. Date, Title and Cost of Webcast(s).
3. Within 1 Business Day of receiving your email, the ACPEN Help Desk will register for you the requested event(s) and you will receive an email confirming your registration.
4. Send a copy of this email with payment to the following address:

BizVision Inc.
Attn: ACPEN Help Desk
7050 Union Park Center 6th Floor
Midvale, UT 84047

5. Payment must be received before the day of the webcast for you to be able to attend the event.

How do I receive a CPE certificate of completion?

Throughout the webcast you will see 4 unique letter codes pop-up in the webcast player. You will need to keep track of all 4 codes to receive your CPE certificate. Once the webcast is complete, click on the Certificate tab on the bottom of the webcast player. Follow the instructions on that tab to enter the codes and be taken to your CPE certificate of completion. If you submit less than all four parts of the code, you will receive partial CPE credit.

What do I do if I missed one of the codes or am having trouble with my CPE certification?

For any certification issues, contact Anne Taylor at 972-377-8199, anne.taylor@acpen.com

How do I access my certificate?

1. Go to your State Society’s ACPEN site (for the direct web address, please go to the table at the bottom of these FAQ’s)
2. Click Login.
3. Login with your email address and password.
4. Click on Credits Earned.
5. You will see the title of all previous webcasts you have attended.  By clicking on the title of the course, you will be taken to the certificate for that completed course.

Technical Issues

How do I know if I have the bandwidth necessary to view the webcast?

All webcasts will be streamed at 256K. Please test your system using the test link given to you when in your registration email and again by email the day before the webcast to make sure that your computer and your network can handle streaming video at this bandwidth. If you are having trouble with the webcast buffering or not playing, please work with the Administrator of your network for additional help.

If you are experiencing extensive buffering, you can click on “Audio Stream Only” on the webcast player page to access the audio stream, you will still see the webcodes to obtain your CPE.

I am unable to open the video player or see the streaming video in the player.

1. Make sure you have the latest Adobe Flash Player, which can be downloaded from http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/.
2. Try logging out of your account and logging back in and restarting the player.
3. If you are still having issues viewing the webcast, please work with the Administrator of your network for additional help.

What do I do if I can’t hear the audio?

1. Confirm that sound is enabled on your computer.
2. Try logging out of your account and logging back in and restarting the player.
3. Test audio from other flash videos at another site like www.youtube.com.
4. If you are still having issues viewing the webcast, please work with the Administrator of your network for additional help.

Why was I able to see the test but have issues with the actual webcast?

The actual webcast will be streamed at the same rate of the test, 256 Kbps. If you were able to see the test but are having trouble viewing the actual webcast, it means that there is something taking up too much bandwidth on your network. Do what you can to reduce any other heavy bandwidth use on your computer and contact the Administrator of your network for additional help.

How do I restart the webcast if I stop or get disconnected?

1. To connect to the webcast, go to your State Society’s ACPEN site (for the direct web address, please go to the table at the bottom of these FAQ’s).
2. Click on Login and enter your email address and password. You will be redirected to your Dashboard.
3. Under Available Videos/Courses, click on the name of the webcast you’ve registered for.
4. Once on the webcast page, you will find a link to the webcast player page in a box on the top right of the page.

Who do I contact if I still have questions?

If you still have questions, you can contact the ACPEN Help Desk by phone at 800-747-1719 or email at help@acpen.com. The Help Desk is available to assist you Monday – Friday from 8:00am to 6:00pm CST, excluding holidays. On the day of a webcast, in addition to these hours they will be available by phone at least 60 minutes before and 60 minutes after the webcast.

What is the web address of my state society’s ACPEN site?

Alabama Society of CPAs - http://alscpa.acpen.com/
Arizona Society of CPAs - http://ascpa.acpen.com/
Greater Washington Society of CPAs - http://gwscpa.acpen.com/
Florida Institute of CPAs - http://ficpa.acpen.com/
Georgia Society of CPAs - http://gscpa.acpen.com/
Iowa Society of CPAs - http://iacpa.acpen.com/
Idaho Society of CPAs - http://iscpa.acpen.com/
Indiana Society of CPAs - http://incpas.acpen.com/
Illinois CPA Society - http://icpas.acpen.com/
Kansas Society of CPAs - http://kscpa.acpen.com/
Kentucky Society of CPAs - http://kycpa.acpen.com/
Society of Louisiana CPAs - http://lcpa.acpen.com/
Maine Society of CPAs - http://mescpa.acpen.com/
Maryland Association of CPAs - http://macpa.acpen.com/
Massachusetts Society of CPAs - http://mscpaonline.acpen.com/
Michigan Society of CPAs - http://michcpa.acpen.com/
Minnesota Society of CPAs - http://mncpa.acpen.com/
Missouri Society of CPAs - http://mocpa.acpen.com/
Mississippi Society of CPAs - http://ms-cpa.acpen.com
Montana Society of CPAs - http://mscpa.acpen.com/
North Carolina Society of CPA's - http://ncacpa.acpen.com/
North Dakota Society of CPAs - http://ndscpa.acpen.com/
New Hampshire Society of CPAs - http://nhscpa.acpen.com/
New Jersey Society of CPAs - http://njscpa.acpen.com/
New York State Society of CPAs - http://nysscpa.acpen.com/
Nevada Society of CPAs - http://nscpa.acpen.com/
Ohio Society of CPAs - http://ohioscpa.acpen.com/
Oklahoma Society of CPAs - http://oscpa.acpen.com/
Oregon Society of CPAs - http://orcpa.acpen.com/
Pennsylvania Society of Public Accountants - http://pspa.acpen.com/
Rhode Island Society of CPAs - http://riscpa.acpen.com/
South Carolina Association of CPAs - http://scacpa.acpen.com/
South Dakota Society of CPAs - http://sdcpa.acpen.com/
Tennessee Society of CPAs - http://tcpa.acpen.com/
Texas Society of CPAs - http://tscpa.acpen.com/
Utah Society of CPAS - http://uacpa.acpen.com/
Virginia Society of CPA's - http://vscpa.acpen.com/
Washington Society of CPAS - http://wscpa.acpen.com/
Wisconsin Society of CPAs - http://wicpa.acpen.com/
West Virginia Society of CPAs - http://wvscpa.acpen.com/