The Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) credential must be renewed every three (3) years via continuing education. To maintain your earned credential, you must complete (1) ongoing adherence to professional conduct requirements and (2) continual professional development activities or a combination of professional development activities and contributions to the profession; as outlined below:

• Meet Minimum Continuing Education Requirements: Renewing certification holders must have completed a minimum of 40 hours of exit planning related professional development. EPI accepts reciprocal CE hours from CPE, CFP, etc. EPI, however, does not accept ethics as CE.
  • 20 hours must be Value Acceleration Methodology-based education called VAK-Hours. These come from EPI or its endorsed partners and are Value Acceleration Methodology-based. Examples of qualifying activities include programs, courses, and meetings offered by the Exit Planning Institute, such as the Exit Planning Summit, EPI Academy Courses, Chapter Events, CEPA Think Tanks, Webinars, and more.
    
    
• Maintain Professional/Ethics Standards: Renewing certification holders must agree in writing that they will adhere to the EPI Professional Standards and Code of Ethics, and they must re-attest that they have not been convicted of a felony related to the practice of exit planning.

In addition to the requirements stated above, in order to maintain the CEPA credential, an Annual Membership fee must be maintained. In the case the Annual Membership fee is not maintained, the CEPA credential will be de-activated and membership terminated. An applicant will be ineligible for renewal if their Annual Membership fee is past due.

Ongoing membership fees to maintain an active CEPA credential vary based on your desired level of engagement. CEPA membership tiers start at $495 per year and scale to include more comprehensive access to resources, community, and advanced experiences designed to support deeper implementation and professional growth. For more information, please see the Member Benefits page.

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• Choose CEPA if you want the credential and the foundational education. 
• Choose CEPA Plus if you are actively working with business owners and want deeper tools, programs, and support to implement exit planning. 
• Choose CEPA Mastery if you want to operationalize exit planning across your team with strategic support and measurable outcomes.

• CEPA ($495 annually) is ideal for individual professionals seeking the CEPA designation and being considered part of the EPI community. 
  
  

• CEPA Plus ($3,600 annually) is for professionals looking to actively apply exit planning through structured programs, advanced learning, community, and increased access to EPI resources. The Exit Planning Summit registration ticket is included in this package.

•  CEPA Mastery ($23,000 annually or $1,917 monthly) is a comprehensive, high-touch experience designed for professionals committed to embedding exit planning into their business model with strategic guidance, implementation support, and leadership alignment. The Winter Mastery Retreat registration ticket is included in this package. Availability is limited; discuss with your Member Experience Representative today! 

• CEPA focuses on education and credentialing.
• CEPA Plus adds community involvement, advanced programming, application-based learning, and enhanced access to resources. 
• CEPA Mastery includes implementation support, leadership engagement, and the highest level of access to CEPA community expertise.

• Support and access increase meaningfully at each membership level, moving from self-guided learning to facilitated implementation to strategic, high-touch partnership. 
• CEPA members receive foundational support designed for individual learning and credential maintenance. 
• CEPA Plus members receive live, in-person access, advanced CE, exclusive content, and collaborative peer experiences which includes a standard ticket to the Exit Planning Summit. 
• CEPA Mastery members receive high-touch, strategic support designed for firm-wide implementation.

• CEPA members gain knowledge, credibility, and professional recognition. 
• CEPA Plus members gain practical tools and confidence to deliver exit planning more effectively. 
• CEPA Mastery members achieve alignment, scalable implementation, and long-term integration of exit planning into their business model. 

Yes. CEPA Plus includes a standard registration ticket to the Exit Planning Summit, making the Summit a built-in benefit of your annual membership rather than an additional purchase.

No, EPI does not have a proprietary software program. To better serve our CEPAs, EPI endorses several software providers through the Alliance Partner Program.

View EPI Partner Network →

The best way to learn about the tools is to have a meeting with your Member Experience Representative to discuss which option best fits your needs. In brief, there are four endorsed tools for the triggering event. The Value Opportunity Profile, the Value Builder System, MAUS Business Systems, and Capitaliz. Navigate to our Partner Network to learn more about each system.

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There are several ways to connect with other advisors within the EPI community. Through our webinar series, CEPA Mastermind Groups, EPI Chapter events, and the annual Exit Planning Summit, CEPAs have a variety of opportunities to build relationships, exchange insights, and collaborate with peers across the globe. Additionally, CEPA Connect—a dedicated platform designed specifically for CEPAs—provides an ongoing space to engage with fellow advisors, share knowledge, and stay connected between events.

The most immediate way to connect with other advisors is by utilizing the Find A CEPA directory, where you can search by region, name, company, and more.