Report Attendance

1. Download the Attendance Reporting Template onto your desktop; save as a MS Excel file.
2. Do not alter the template in any way; fields have been specifically formatted for ease of use
3. Always start your entries on the line immediately below the column headers
4. Create a naming convention for your attendance files
   • Give each attendance file you upload a unique file name
   • Be strategic in your naming
   • Distinguish your Fix File while referencing the original upload file name
     • Example: Original attendance record file: Batch_2345
     • Fix file 1: Batch_2345_Fix1
     • Fix file 2: Batch_2345_Fix2
   • Do not add or hide columns of data
5. Log in to your CE Sponsor Account and click the CE Sponsor Account link.
6. Click the Attendance Reporting Profile link.
7. Complete an attendance reporting file using the Attendance Reporting Template.
   • Required Fields – your file will not be accepted by the system if any record in your spreadsheet do not contain this information:
     • CFP Board Program ID
     • Date Individual Completed
     • CFP Board ID
     • Attendee Last Name
     • Attendee First Name
   • Recommended Fields – while not required for the system to accept your file, we strongly suggest you collect and add the following information to ensure a match in our system:
     
     • Attendee Middle Name (Initial)
   • Multiple programs can be uploaded on the same reporting file
   • Upload 1 record or 2,000 (or more) – there is no data limit
     • Larger files could take a few minutes to upload
   • Save the completed file to your desktop using a unique file name
8. With the completed file saved, click the Upload New Attendance Record link.
9. Click Browse to upload the (Excel) attendance record.
   • You should see Excel files only in this view
10. Click Upload New Attendance Batch
    • If the file is accepted, the system will assign a unique Batch ID
    • If the file is rejected, the system will give an error message.
      • Check the following for accuracy: Was the file saved in Excel Format?
      • Are all required fields correctly filled in?
        • CFP Board Program IDs correctly entered
        • Date format MM/DD/YYYY
        • CFP Board ID
        • Last Name for each entry
        • View upload results
    • # (records) Matched
      • CFP® professionals with a matched record immediately receive email notification that CE has been uploaded to their accounts
      • How a CFP® professional match is made:
        • CFP Board ID 
    • # Processing Errors
      • View processing errors
    • Click download processing error details link
    • Make corrections; save document
    • Click the Upload Fixes link associated with this batch; repeat step 6
      • The batch ID will not change; it will remain the same
        1. Upload Fixes. CE Sponsors are required to correct and upload fixes within 5 working days of the original batch upload. CFP Board will regularly audit sponsor accounts to ensure the following:
    • Batch uploads are being completed within the 14-day requirement
    • Fix uploads are being completed within 5 working days of the original batch upload.

Your attendance reporting profile provides you immediate access to a summary of attendance records uploaded. Attendance reports submitted before March 29, 2017 are not viewable in the profile. Here is a summary of data available in your profile view:

Attendee Not Identified: This occurs more frequently for records without a valid CFP Board ID. The system was not able to make a match using the last 4 digits of the SSN and the attendee last name.

Invalid CFP Program ID: Generally indicates a typo in this data field. Check to ensure your program ID numbers are correctly entered.

Program Completion Date Outside Active Window: Programs are active based on the application date; all programs expire 12/31. Typically, this error will appear if the completion date is before the application date or after the 12/31 expiration date. First double check the completion dates. If they are correct, contact CFP Board, at CESponsor@cfpboard.org, to initiate a fix to the problem.

It is critical that the data be entered into the template properly. This means each column is properly formatted and the information in that column is correct. Here is a summary of how each column within the template is formatted.

CFP Board staff will routinely audit the attendance reporting process. We want to ensure two things: first, that the 14-day upload requirement is being met on a regular basis; second, that processing errors are being addressed within five (5) business days of the original upload date.

If a CE Sponsor is regularly behind on one or both processes, CFP Board will take steps to remedy the problem. These steps will include but not be limited to a review and summary of most common problems with recommended solutions, one-on-one training in using the system, and/or review of attendance collection procedures. If the problem persists over a period of three or more months, this could lead to revocation of CE Sponsor privileges with no refund of fees.

1. How long after a course completion do I have to upload an attendance record?
   The CE Sponsor Terms & Conditions require attendance records to be reported/uploaded within 14 business days of the course completion date.
2. When do CFP® professionals’ Reporting Periods end?
   Reporting periods end on the last day of the month. CE Sponsors should consider this when planning their reporting/upload schedules. While the CE credit is immediately posted to the CFP® professional’s account, it can take up to 24 hours for the system to recognize that the CE requirement has been complete.
3. What are CFP Board’s expectations in uploading fixes?
   It is our expectation that fixes will be uploaded to the system within five (5) business days of the original upload date. CFP Board staff will be conducting regular audits to ensure corrections to file errors are made in a timely manner.
4. Can I still send CFP Board an Excel file for uploading my attendance records?
   No. After May 5, 2017, CFP Board will return Excel files sent to cereports@cfpboard.org. CE Sponsors are required to upload their own files.
5. What happens if, by mistake, I upload the same completion record twice? 
   The system recognizes when a completion with the same Program ID and completion dates has already been credited to a CFP® professional’s account and marks the second file as a duplicate.
6. How long will it take me to upload an attendance file?
   Smaller uploads will be completed in a matter of seconds. Larger uploads will take several minutes. CFP Board’s testing found that 700 records took about 3 minutes to upload; 1,500 records took about 6 minutes.