Earning continuing education unit credits (CEUs) every year or two is something many professions require, but it’s not always practical for people to obtain these credits in a traditional classroom setting. This process can take hours to complete and that’s on top of the time needed to drive to and from the location.
Today, people are busy with work and family obligations and don’t have time to drive somewhere to take a test. If this sounds familiar, the solution is to earn your CEUs online. You can find online programs for just about any profession; everyone from cybersecurity experts to respiratory therapists can earn CEUs online.
Although you can still take CEU courses and tests in person if you prefer, here’s why it’s more beneficial to accomplish this online.
- You won’t have to leave your home
If you’re like most people, you’ll take every opportunity to get tasks done without leaving the house. Life is already busy and you probably don’t want to take several hours out of your day just to go take a test in a building. If you work in a profession that requires continuing education, earning your CEUs online means you won’t have to go anywhere.
Online CEUs are convenient for everyone, especially those who are taking care of a family. If you can’t always leave the house or it takes extensive planning to get a day to yourself, then earning your CEUs online will be a game changer.
- Some online courses might be cheaper
When an organization administering CEUs doesn’t have overhead expenses like managing an office building or creating and distributing materials, their costs are lower. Sometimes, they’ll pass those savings onto you.
Before choosing a source for earning your CEUs online, shop around. See if there are any other companies offering what you need and then compare prices. Of course it’s important to prioritize reputable companies, especially when your CEUs need to be approved by a governing body in your industry. However, you might find a significant price difference.
- There’s no difference in the CEUs you earn
If you’re worried that getting CEUs from an online program won’t be the same, rest assured there’s no difference. Earning your CEUs online isn’t any different than taking your test in person with a teacher and a classroom full of other people. One method doesn’t hold more weight than the other; the end result is the same.
The only thing you need to be concerned about is finding a legitimate source for online CEUs. If a governing body from your industry has specific requirements, verify that your online source follows these guidelines. Most of the time, compliance information will be proudly displayed on the company’s website to make sure people know they follow the rules. If it’s not readily available, click around to see if it’s mentioned on any other pages. If you can’t find any references, contact the company and ask.
- You can prioritize your schedule
When CEUs are offered in person, there’s usually a limited time frame for when the tests are administered. It takes a lot of effort to put together a single event, and you’re stuck having to rearrange your schedule to fit in one of the narrow time slots.
CEU courses administered online are much more flexible. With some exceptions, many online courses are pre-recorded and you can log into your account and take your courses at your leisure. The exceptions are when some industries require courses to be administered live. For example, the American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC) requires some CEUs to be earned in a live setting where the instructor is available to interact with people during the course.
In your profession, you might be able to take all of your CEUs without a live instructor, but even if you need a live course, you’ll find they have more availability than in person events.
- Access to comprehensive study materials
Perhaps the biggest benefit to taking your CEU courses online is having access to a wealth of study materials. Most online courses provide extensive materials designed to help you learn the material and pass the test. This is a major selling point for organizations who administer online CEUs because people want to learn, they don’t just want to take a test and call it a day.
Online CEU courses are ideal
For most people, earning CEUs online will be the best option. Depending on your profession, you might need to supplement with some in-person learning, especially if hands-on work is required. However, check out your online options to make earning your required credits as easy as possible.
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