Instructor FAQ
Everything a first-time CEU Events instructor needs to know about running an event — from scheduling and setup through certificates and credit reporting.
🎓 This article is for Instructors.
Welcome to CEU Events. Whether you're teaching your first CE course or joining us from another platform, this FAQ covers the questions most new instructors ask, in the order they typically come up. Answers are brief — click through to a linked article whenever you want the full walkthrough.
Getting started
Do I need my own CEU Events account?
Yes. Your instructor account is separate from any provider or attendee accounts. Your provider adds you to their program, and you'll receive an invitation to create or activate your account. See Getting Started as an Instructor.
How do I get onboarded as an instructor?
When your provider adds you to their program, they let CEU Events know so we can set you up in the system. At that point, we send you a welcome email with everything you need to get started — a link to this knowledge base, pre-recorded tutorials, and the schedule for our monthly public training sessions. In most cases, we also schedule a private launch session with your provider to walk your team through the platform together.
What can I do in my instructor account?
Schedule and edit your events, invite and manage attendees, present with confidence, record attendance, and issue certificates. CEU Events handles credit reporting to over 100 associations and licensing boards automatically — that's the "manage less" part.
Before the event
How do I schedule an event?
From your account, click the Events menu and create a new event. Set the date, time, course, location, and other details. See the full walkthrough for step-by-step guidance.
How do I invite attendees?
Once your event is scheduled, share the registration link with your attendees — by email, social media, calendar invite, or however works for your audience. You can also upload a contact list and send invitations directly through CEU Events. See Manage Your Contact Lists.
How do attendees register?
They can pre-register through your registration link before the event, or they can record their attendance at the end of the event using the Event Code you provide. Pre-registered attendees receive a registration confirmation before the event.
What if attendees don't pre-register?
That's completely fine. Attendees can register on the spot at the end of the event by scanning the QR code on the Paperless Attendance Slide or entering the Event Code manually at www.ceuevents.com/attendance. See Use the CEU Events Paperless Attendance Slide.
Can I run virtual webinars through CEU Events?
Yes. You can host webinars while managing attendance and certificates in one place. See the webinar tools articles in the For Instructors category.
During the event
How does attendance recording work?
There are two paths, depending on your event format:
- Small in-person events (typically 10 or fewer pre-registered attendees). Open the event details at the end of your session and check the box under the Attended column next to each attendee who participated. Come prepared with a printed Attendance Recording Guide in the room as a backup for walk-ins — see Use the Attendance Recording Guide.
- All events — larger in-person, hybrid, and webinars. Display the Paperless Attendance Slide at the end of your presentation. It shows a QR code and a unique Event Code. Attendees scan the code or enter it manually to record their attendance at www.ceuevents.com/attendance. This creates their certificate and triggers credit recording automatically. Make sure the Event Code is up to date before starting your presentation.
What's the Event Code?
A unique short identifier assigned to every event on CEU Events. It links each attendee's registration to your specific event, which is what enables their certificate and credit reporting to flow. See What Is the Event Code?.
When should I share the Event Code?
It depends on which attendance path you're using:
- If you're manually marking attendance (small in-person events) and you've already checked the Attended box for everyone, you don't need to share the Event Code at all — the attendance and credit recording are handled.
- If you're using self-service attendance recording (larger in-person, remote, hybrid, webinar, or at a conference where you want attendees to self-record for speed and accuracy), display the Event Code only at the end of the event, after attendees have earned their credit. Most organizations require 50 minutes of attendance for 1 hour of credit — sharing the Event Code too early risks granting credit that wasn't earned, which can jeopardize the credit-eligibility of the event itself. See Use the CEU Events Paperless Attendance Slide.
What if the QR code doesn't scan?
It happens — bad lighting, screen glare, weak connections. Direct attendees to www.ceuevents.com/attendance to enter the Event Code manually. Have a printed Attendance Recording Guide in the room as a backup — see Use the Attendance Recording Guide.
How much time do I need at the end of the event?
Plan for about three minutes for attendance recording. This gives attendees time to open their cameras, scan the QR code, sign in to their CEU Events account (or create one if they're new), and complete registration before they leave the room.
After the event
How do I mark attendees as Attended?
For pre-registered attendees who don't self-record, you can mark them manually. From the event page, find the attendee list and check the Attended box next to each name. See Mark Attendees as Attended.
What if someone attended but isn't on my list?
Two paths, in order of preference: (1) send them the Attendance Recording Guide so they can self-record and have the attendance link to their own account, or (2) manually add them from your event page. Manual entry requires them to complete a sign-in step before their certificate becomes available. See Manually Add an Attendee.
When are credits reported to organizations?
For organizations that support automatic reporting (like AIA and AIBC), credits are reported by the end of the next business day after the event, provided the attendee's membership number is on file in their profile. For self-reporting organizations (like USGBC/GBCI and CAB), attendees submit their credit themselves using their certificate.
When do certificates become available?
- Live events: Certificates are available immediately once the attendee is marked as Attended (either by you or by their own self-recording with the Event Code) — provided the attendee registered through their own CEU Events account. For attendees you added manually, the certificate shows Sign-In Required until they complete the sign-in process. See Manually Add an Attendee.
- On-demand courses: Certificates become available 2 hours after the attendee completes the quiz.
Do I need to send certificates to attendees?
No. Attendees can download their own certificates from their CEU Events account as soon as their certificate is available. You do have the option to download an attendee's certificate on their behalf when the Certificate column shows Ready — useful if an attendee asks you to share it directly. Click the (⋯) menu next to their name and select Download Certificate.
What if I made a mistake?
Uncheck the Attended box next to their name to reverse a marking. To fix an incorrect attendee record, remove them and re-add. If you need help with something beyond that, contact CEU Events support.
Support and common situations
An attendee says they didn't get credit — what do I do?
First, confirm they're marked as Attended in your event. Second, confirm the Credits column on the event details page shows their organization's membership or license number (this is required for automatic reporting). If both are correct and credits still aren't reported after one business day, they can contact CEU Events support.
What's the difference between Ready and Sign-In Required?
These are the two possible statuses in the Certificate column on your event details page:
- Ready — the attendee can download their certificate from their account, and you can also download it on their behalf.
- Sign-In Required — the attendee was added manually and needs to sign in (or create a free attendee account) before they can access their certificate. Send them a Certificate Notice from the (⋯) menu to give them the sign-in link. This process ensures we link the event to the correct attendee account and all information is properly connected in case of an audit.
Can I download a certificate for an attendee?
Yes, when their Certificate column shows Ready. Click the (⋯) menu next to their name and select Download Certificate. Attendees can always access their own certificates directly from their account — this download option is available for cases where you want to share the certificate directly with them.
Where can I get more help?
- Browse the For Instructors category in this knowledge base for detailed walkthroughs.
- The AI knowledge assistant on this help site can answer specific questions any time.
- Submit a support ticket for personalized help — our team responds as soon as possible.