Take your payroll career to a professional level. Earn the FPC or CPP certification.

Join over 16,000 payroll professionals who have earned the prestigious Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) and Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designations and prove your knowledge, competency, and value to colleagues and employers.

Enhance your skills while you prepare for exam-day success with Prince George's Community College‘s PayTrain Fundamentals and PayTrain.

FPC and CPP Certification Information

American Payroll Association (APA)

As an official APA PayTrain® College & University partner, we are able to offer you the most comprehensive, effective, and up-to-date exam preparation tools available. The PayTrain programs are designed to help you with the following:

ASSESS your current knowledge.

  • The online assessment determines current knowledge and identifies topics for improvement.

STUDY your way to success.

  • Read learning modules that cover payroll concepts, recent changes, trends, and best practices.
  • Quizzes, calculations, exercises, and flashcards reinforce learning.
  • Course games review content and make learning fun.

ACHIEVE success as a payroll professional.

  • Post-test mimics the FPC and CPP exam formats and weighting to build exam-day confidence.
  • Score 80% or higher on the post-test to qualify for a certificate of achievement and earn Recertification Credit Hours (RCH).
The following features are included with our PayTrain courses:

Assessment

  • Online assessment helps determine your current knowledge and identify areas for improvement.

Calculations

  • Complete calculations for each topic based on the scenarios provided.
  • Hints and feedback guide you in developing your calculation and payroll skills.

Module Quizzes

  • Check your understanding of the lessons covered in reading modules, calculations, and exercises.
  • Decide whether you need further study or practice on the topic.

Flashcards

  • Interact with flashcards covering all learning modules.
  • Practice learning key terms and concepts to reinforce your knowledge.

Glossary

  • Look up key terms from anywhere in the system with the glossary.
  • Use the search box or browse by letter.

Games

  • Engage with the module games for a fun and interactive way of reinforcing material at the end of each module.
  • Review the topics covered by the entire course with the entertaining and challenging course games.

Resource Center

  • Additional resources, including tax tables, forms, and publications mentioned in the modules.
  • Certification information available on the American Payroll Association's website.
  • Feedback forum for evaluation and suggestions.
  • Payroll updates with legislative changes and new developments.

Post-Tests

  • Tests are weighted and balanced based on the same percentages as the FPC and CPP exams.
  • Includes flag for review, review each item, and time limits, similar to the FPC and CPP exams.

Reports

  • Track your progress, and compare the results of quizzes and pre- and post-tests.
  • View a breakdown of your test scores by module to determine your learning gain.
Course Details and Options

In cooperation with the American Payroll Association, Prince George's Community College presents the PayTrain College & University® Certificate Program for payroll professionals. Comprised of two professional development courses, PayTrain Fundamentals and PayTrain, this program is designed for all levels of payroll administration. Whether you are interested in preparing for the Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) or Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification exams, or are new to the industry and need to learn the basics of payroll, the Certificate Program will help you meet your goals.

PayTrain Fundamentals teaches the fundamental payroll calculations and applications necessary for individuals who are new to the payroll industry, those who support the payroll industry, and those who are preparing for the FPC or CPP certification examinations. This part of the program will provide you with the basic knowledge and skills required to maintain payroll compliance and prevent costly penalties.

PayTrain is a continuation of PayTrain Fundamentals and provides students with an in-depth understanding of the advanced payroll topics necessary for payroll managers and supervisors. This part of the program is ideal for experienced payroll professionals seeking compliance training, professional development, or CPP certification preparation.

The two parts of the program are required for the Certificate Program and together offer the knowledge and skills necessary to sit for the FPC and CPP exams.

Students are required to register for the full program which is 60 contact hours and is instructor-facilitated.

Course Topics

Course Outline for PayTrain Fundamentals and PayTrain Certificate Program

(Similar topics are covered in both courses; however, PayTrain Level 1 is an introduction to these topics and PayTrain Level 2 examines each topic in more depth.)

  • Module 1:   Payroll Concepts
  • Module 2:   Calculations of Pay
  • Module 3:   Calculations of Deductions and Net Pay
  • Module 4:   Fringe Benefits and Other Payments
  • Module 5:   Retirement Plans
  • Module 6:   Cafeteria Plans
  • Module 7:   Payroll Reporting and Employment Taxes
  • Module 8:   Record Keeping and Payroll Practices
  • Module 9:   Payroll Accounting and Audits
  • Module 10: Payroll Administration (PayTrain Fundamentals) and Management (PayTrain)
  • Module 11: Health Benefits (PayTrain ONLY)
  • Module 12: International Payments (PayTrain ONLY)
Eligibility Requirements

There are no payroll experience requirements to take the FPC exam. To be eligible to sit for the CPP exam, APA requires that candidates meet specific payroll experience or educational criteria.

For details on eligibility requirements, visit www.americanpayroll.org/home/.

Who Should Enroll?

Our course is designed primarily for individuals seeking FPC or CPP certifications but is also ideal for those looking for payroll professional development training.

  • FPC and CPP exam candidates.
  • Experienced and entry-level payroll professionals.
  • Managers and supervisors providing strategic payroll management.
  • Sales professionals and consultants serving the payroll industry.
  • Systems analysts and engineers writing payroll programs.
  • Payroll service bureau client representatives.
Why Enroll?

Offered in partnership with the American Payroll Association, the curriculum in the PayTrain® College & University course is updated each year to include the latest payroll concepts, recent changes, trends, and best practices. Our course is designed to help you learn and retain the material effectively and efficiently by combining the best exam preparation system with expert instruction and peer discussion.

By completing PayTrain Fundamentals and PayTrain, you will gain: 

  • A foundation of knowledge for starting or advancing your payroll career
  • Improved job performance by increasing accuracy and compliance
  • Access to a network of peers to learn about payroll practices in other organizations
  • Preparation for the FPC and CPP exams
  • Recertification Credit Hours (RCH) or Continuing Education Units (CEU) to help maintain your FPC or CPP credential

For complete certification details, visit www.americanpayroll.org.

Prince George's Community College's program offers you a preparation course to help meet your needs and increase your success on the FPC and CPP exams.

Summer and Fall 2024 Course Details 

Summer 2024 

PayTrain Fundamentals (formerly PayTrain Level 1)

Date: June 15 – July 13, 2024

  • Course Code: MGT 763
  • Course Number: 07242
  • Day: Saturday
  • Time: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • Location: Remote
  • Contact Hours: 30

Summer 2024 

PayTrain (formerly PayTrain Level 2)

Date: August 03 – September 07, 2024

  • Course Code: MGT 764
  • Course Number: 07243
  • Day: Saturday
  • Time: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • Location: Remote
  • Contact Hours: 36

Fall 2024

PayTrain Fundamentals (formerly PayTrain Level 1)

Date: October 12 – November 09, 2024

  • Course Code: MGT 763
  • Course Number: 11804
  • Day: Saturday
  • Time: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • Location: Remote
  • Contact Hours: 30

Fall 2024

PayTrain (Formerly PayTrain Level 2) 

No class

 

PayTrain Fundamentals Tuition

$845 (includes a $375 lab fee to cover your training materials).

PayTrain 2 Tuition

$910 (includes a $375 lab fee to cover your training materials).

Classroom Sessions Include:
  • A high-level review of course material.
  • Interactive discussions and learning activities.
  • Sample assessment questions.
  • Study and test-taking tips.

Contact Information

Gnansi Konan
Phone: 301-546-0032
Email: konange@pgcc.edu