AICPA Power Query Course for Accountants | 4 CPE Credits

Introduction to Data Analytics with Power Query (Get and Transform)

AICPA Introduction to Data Analytics with Power Query — Automate the Excel Work You’re Still Doing Manually

You’re still copying, pasting, and reformatting data manually every month. Power Query can do it in one click.

Power Query is the ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) engine built into Microsoft Excel and Power BI — and it’s free. It connects to dozens of data sources, applies repeatable transformation steps, and loads clean data ready for analysis. No coding required.

For accountants and finance professionals, Power Query eliminates the repetitive data prep that consumes hours every reporting cycle — consolidating general ledgers from accounting packages, standardising headers, merging datasets from multiple sources, and cleaning transactional data for month-end close.

ICAEW calls Power Query “widely recognised as a powerful tool for data transformation within Excel”. ACCA runs dedicated Power Query workshops for finance professionals. And on LinkedIn and Reddit, finance professionals consistently describe it as the single tool that most transformed their workflow.

This AICPA course by Donald Tomoff, CPA, MBA teaches you the Power Query fundamentals most relevant to accountants — in just 4 CPE credits of self-paced content. 

What You’ll Learn

• Top 6 Power Query features most important to accountants — data source flexibility, appending queries, unpivot, and more
• Real Power Query use cases that accountants can implement immediately after completing the course
• Extracting data from multiple sources (Excel, CSV, databases, web) into a single query
• Transforming data — cleaning, reshaping, standardising headers, replacing values, splitting/merging columns
• Loading data into Excel worksheets vs. the Data Model — and why the distinction matters for analysis
• Adding calculated fields to drive increased data flexibility for reporting purposes
• Excel workbooks provided for hands-on practice at your own pace

Learning Outcomes 

1. Import and transform basic data into Excel using Power Query
2. Understand and apply data load capabilities — loading into Excel vs. loading into the Data Model, and why it matters
3. Transform data and add extra fields to the dataset to drive increased flexibility for analysis purposes

Real Use Cases for Accountants

Section: Who Should Enroll

• CAs and CPAs who use Excel daily and want to eliminate hours of manual data prep from their monthly workflow
• Audit professionals who need to extract, clean, and consolidate client data from multiple systems quickly
• FP&A analysts who build recurring reports and want a one-click refresh instead of manual rebuilds every cycle
• Controllers and finance managers responsible for month-end close who need faster, more reliable data consolidation
• Any accountant comfortable with Excel (LOOKUP, Pivot Tables, Data Tables) who wants to take the next step into automation without learning to code

Note: This course is rated Advanced by AICPA. A working knowledge of Excel navigation and data functions is helpful but not strictly required.

Where This Course Fits in Your Data Analytics Journey

This is the practical tool skills course in the AICPA Data Analytics pathway — it’s independent of the three certificate programs but complements all of them:

How it complements the certificates

The three certificates teach you the what and why of data analytics. This course teaches you the how — inside the tool you already use every day. Many professionals take this course alongside the Data Processing and Analysis Certificate because the concepts of data profiling, cleansing, and mining taught there are exactly what Power Query executes in practice.

⚠️ Important: This course does not include a digital badge. It earns 4 CPE credits but does not award an AICPA digital badge upon completion. If earning a shareable LinkedIn credential is important to you, consider one of the three certificate programs above.

Course Details

About the Author

Donald Tomoff, CPA, MBA is the founder of Invenio Advisors LLC, a consulting firm specialising in information management, process improvement, reporting, and data analysis. His experience spans Big 4 public accounting, senior-level industry finance positions (including 8 years as VP of Finance and Treasurer at Jo-Ann Stores), and consulting. Since 2010, Tomoff has focused on digital process improvement and data analytics initiatives, and speaks at conferences including the IMA National Conference.

Earn 4 CPE Credits Toward Your Annual Requirement

Combined with the three AICPA Data Analytics certificates, the full pathway delivers 37 CPE credits — nearly a full year’s requirement for most jurisdictions.

Why Buy Through Eduyush?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this the same course as on the AICPA website?
A: Yes. Eduyush is an authorized AICPA channel partner. Same content, same CPE credits, same Excel workbooks.

Q: Do I get a digital badge?
A: No. This course does not include a digital badge. If you need a LinkedIn-shareable credential, the Data Analytics Core Concepts, Data Processing and Analysis, or Data Visualization and Communication certificates all include digital badges.

Q: Do I need the Core Concepts Certificate first?
A: Not required. This is a standalone practical course. However, taking it alongside the Data Processing and Analysis Certificate creates the strongest combination of theory and hands-on tool skills.

Q: Which version of Excel do I need?
A: Power Query (Get and Transform) is built into Excel 2016 and later versions, including Microsoft 365. No additional software or add-ins needed.

Q: Is this just for Excel, or does it apply to Power BI too?
A: Power Query is the same engine in both Excel and Power BI Desktop. Skills learned here transfer directly to Power BI.

Q: How long does it take?
A: 4 CPE credits of self-paced content. Most learners finish within 1–2 weeks. You have 1 year of access.