Retirement Plan Fundamentals Part 1 & Part 2 (RPF-1 & RPF-2)
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*Upon registering for an RPF examination, you will receive a downloadable PDF version of that exam in your confirmation email in addition on the instructions page once you access the online examination.
Please note: If you are pursuing the QPFC credential please review the 2012 QPFC program changes before registering.
2012 RPF-1 Syllabus
2012 RPF-2 Syllabus
Course Overview
Examination Details
Required and Supplementary Reading
Supplementary Study Tools
Required Reading and Supplementary Study Material References & Errata
RPF Certificate Program
Earn College Credit for ASPPA Examinations
2012 QPFC Education Requirement Changes
Course Overview
The Retirement Plan Fundamentals (RPF) program is designed to convey the broad base of knowledge necessary for every retirement plan professional to master. RPF text materials and exams aid in establishing groundwork in retirement plan terminology, issues, and requirements for anyone beginning a career, reentering the retirement field, or commencing the credential process.
The course is divided into two parts: Each part is designed to build upon the groundwork established by the other while not duplicating content or presupposing knowledge or experience level. The objective of the Retirement Plan Fundamentals Course, Parts 1 and 2 (RPF-1 and RPF-2) is to give an individual beginning a career as a retirement plan professional a general background in qualified plans as a first step toward meeting the challenges of the profession. Individuals employed in the insurance, brokerage or financial consulting professions should find that the course imparts knowledge that will increase his or her ability to assist plan sponsors and further professional development. Please refer to the RPF-1 syllabus and/or RPF-2 syllabus for specific learning objectives, exam topic weightings, etc.
Examination Details
Please note: If you are pursuing the QPFC credential please review the 2012 QPFC program changes before registering.
The 2012 RPF exams are open-book online exams and each consists of 75 multiple choice and true/false questions. Upon completion of an RPF exam, you will receive an immediate score and feedback report. A score of 64 or more out of 75 is a passing score on the 2012 RPF examinations.
There are two versions of each exam. Candidates are only required to take one version. If you fail one version you can register, pay and take the second version in the same calendar year. For example, if you register for RPF-1 version 1 and you fail, you can register and pay for the RPF-1 version 2 exam the same calendar year. The RPF exams are available for review before taking the exam.
Registration for the RPF exams is open from January 3 to December 13, 2012. To register, a candidate must have an account with ASPPA, to set up an account click here. Candidates can register online or download the RPF registration form and send via mail or fax to 703.516.9308.
Once registered for an RPF examination, you can access your exam from the Access Exams and Quizzes link on the right side of this page. You may complete a portion of the exam, save it, and return to the exam at another time to complete it. 2012 RPF exams must be submitted online by December 13, 2012, midnight, Eastern Time, (11pm Central, 10pm Mountain, 9pm Pacific).
Exam Fees - The non-refundable registration fee for each RPF exam is $195.
Estimated hours needed to study - Study time depends greatly on the experience level of the student. The average candidate reports it takes approximately 40 hours study time per examination.
Required and Supplementary Reading
The RPF textbooks(s) are available for purchase through the the online bookstore or our downloadable publications order form.
The required readings for the RPF-1 exam are:
- RPF-1 Course: Retirement Plan Fundamentals Part 1 – 7th Edition. Arlington, VA: ASPPA, 2012. Available from the ASPPA Bookstore in PDF format for $199 list price and a member discount price of $185, and in print format for $230 list price and a member discount price of $210.
- Elegant Ethical Solutions by Lauren Bloom [order online or download the publications order form].
The required reading for the RPF-2 exam is:
- RPF-2 Course: Retirement Plan Fundamentals Part 2 – 7th Edition. Arlington, VA: ASPPA, 2012. Available from the ASPPA Bookstore in PDF format for $199 list price and a member discount price of $185, and in print format for $230 list price and a member discount price of $210.
The RPF textbooks are also available as a set (RPF-1 & RPF-2 Course Set) in PDF format from the ASPPA Bookstore for $375 list price and a member discount price of $340. Distributable version PDF (for internal training purposes only) is available for $695.
Recommended Reading for the RPF-2 exam is:
Supplementary Study Tools
The study tools below are not required preparation for the RPF examinations. They are offered as additional study aids.
It is the candidate’s responsibility to review all of ASPPA’s exam policies and procedures which can be found on Candidate Corner.
Required Reading & Supplementary Study Material References & Errata
For updates to ASPPA’s publications and examinations please click here. Stop by regularly as new updates are posted. It is recommended that the candidate check the errata before preparing for and sitting for an ASPPA examination.
RPF Certificate Program
ASPPA has designed the Retirement Plan Fundamentals certificate program to meet the needs of pension plan professionals. Successful completion of the RPF certificate program also counts toward the requirements for many of ASPPA’s credentialed memberships. The RPF certificate program exams are administered online in open book multiple choice format. Upon successful completion of the RPF-1 and RPF-2 exams, ASPPA will automatically issue the Retirement Plan Fundamentals certificate. The certificate will be available online at the successful conclusion of the final exam needed to earn the RPF certificate program. Please note: you do not need to complete both examinations in the same calendar year.
Earn College Credit for ASPPA Examinations
The American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT) has evaluated and recommended college credit for most ASPPA’s examination programs. Candidates may be able to receive college credit for successful completion of most ASPPA examinations (includes current and previous (no longer offered) examinations. Please note: for ASPPA’s certificate program online examinations, RPF-1, RPF-2 and TGPC-1, in order to obtain college credit, candidates will need to take the examination online and a proctor will be required. The examination must be completed within 3 hours and it is not open-book. For more information such as which exams credit is awarded, how to obtain credit, etc. please click here.