> Impact of Pension Protection Act on ASPPA Education & Examination    programs
> New Retirement Plan Fundamentals (RPF) Webcourses
> Preparatory Webinar Courses for Fall Examinations
> Register for Fall 2006 Examinations
> Important Dates
> C-3 & C-4 Examination Scheduling for 2007
> ASPPA Examination Waivers
> Other ASPPA Examination Waivers
> NIPA Member Examination Waivers
> Reach Your Last Quarter QPFC Goal
> ASPPA Education & Examination Survey
> Candidate Corner
> Stay in Touch!
> Education and Examination Calendar

• Download The Candidate Connection as PDF

Impact of Pension Protection Act on ASPPA Education & Examination programs

The leadership of the ASPPA Education and Examination Committee has determined that the legislative changes brought about by the Pension Protection Act of 2006 will not be incorporated for the 2007 examination programs but will be incorporated into examination programs beginning in 2008. This decision has been made because the new legislation was signed into law after August 1—the cut-off date for legislative changes to be incorporated into education material for the following course year. This cut-off date is enforced to ensure that E&E has sufficient time to familiarize itself with new policies and regulations. ASPPA realizes the importance of current, practical knowledge to its members and other retirement plan professionals. ASPPA conferences, webcasts and other forums will, as always, continue to offer a wealth of opportunities for retirement plan professionals to learn about the latest industry regulations, standards and practices. E&E will include disclosures on all its publications, examinations and courses.

New Retirement Plan Fundamentals (RPF) Webcourses

ASPPA is pleased to introduce two new webcourses: RPF-1 and RPF-2. Each webcourse consists of five sessions, each lasting approximately one hour, unless otherwise noted. The webcourses are designed as supplementary study tools to help candidates prepare for the 2006 RPF examinations by addressing the most challenging topics on the examinations. The webcourses also provide excellent training for retirement plan professionals who are new to the industry—regardless of whether or not they are pursuing an ASPPA credential. Participants can earn five ASPPA continuing education (CE) credits for the RPF-1 webcourse, and six ASPPA CE credits for the RPF-2 webcourse.

The regular registration fee for each webcourse is $110. Register by September 15, 2006 for a discounted registration fee of $75. Access to the webcourses will be available until December 31, 2006 for registered participants. Register for the webcourses online at http://www.asppa.org/education/2k6rpfwc.htm.  

Note: It is expected that webcourse registrants preparing for an RPF examination thoroughly study the RPF study guides—the required reading for the RPF exams. The webcourse sessions should not be used as a substitute for these materials. The study guides can be purchased through the ASPPA bookstore at http://store.asppa.org. To register for an RPF examination, visit http://www.asppa.org/education/ed_rpf_reg.htm. Remember, 2006 RPF examinations must be submitted by midnight, ET on December 31, 2006.

Preparatory Webinar Courses for Fall Examinations

Need extra help preparing for fall examinations? Register for one of ASPPA’s fall webinar courses designed to help candidates prepare for the DC-1, DC-2, DC-3, DB, PFC-1 and PFC-2 examinations. Each webinar course consists of six weekly online classes. Students will interact with the instructor and their classmates via simultaneous conference call and Web-based live presentation of the material.

Registrants will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed information about accessing handouts, and the audio and Internet portions of the webinar. Inaugural year group pricing is available for the PFC-1 and PFC-2 webinar courses. Registration is limited to 20 participants per webinar course, so register today! Visit http://www.asppa.org/education/webinar.htm to register or find more information including registration deadlines, fees, schedules, continuing education credit and instructors.

Registration is open. ASPPA’s 2006 fall proctored examination window will be November 1 – December 15. Early registration ends September 30, and the final registration deadline is October 31. Register online at http://www.asppa.org/education/ed_dc-db_reg.htm. To learn more about ASPPA exams, visit the Education and Examination page on the ASPPA Web site at http://www.asppa.org/education/ed_ed.htm.

Important Dates

C-3 and C-4
Beginning in 2007, the Financial and Fiduciary Aspects of Qualified Plans (C-3) examination will be offered once per year in the spring cycle. The Advanced Retirement Plan Consulting (C-4) examination will be offered once per year in the fall cycle. Please adjust your plans for taking ASPPA examinations accordingly.  The C-3 and C-4 will be offered in the fall of 2006 on November 15 and November 16, respectively. Grades for these two exams will be sent to candidates approximately eight weeks following the exam. Passlists will be posted on the ASPPA Web site shortly before grade results are mailed. 

PFC-1 and PFC-2
Because this is the first year the Plan Financial Consulting exams are being offered, PFC-1 and PFC-2 exam candidates will receive their scores from the fall exam window by February 28, 2007. Any continuing education credit earned by taking the PFC-1 and PFC-2 exams will be recorded under the 2005-2006 ASPPA CE cycle, and those who are reporting CE from these exams will be given an extension to renew their credentialed membership.

ASPPA’s other multiple-choice, proctored exams (DB, DC-1, DC-2 and DC-3) will continue to provide immediate score feedback to the candidate upon completion of the exam.

Remember to register early and contact Prometric to schedule your exam appointment after you receive your confirmation e-mail in September to guarantee a seat for the exam. Please keep in mind that the most preferred spots do generally fill up quickly—particularly for the C-3 and C-4 examinations—so plan to make your appointment as soon as possible after receiving the e-mail from ASPPA.

C-3 & C-4 Examination Scheduling for 2007

Beginning in 2007, the Financial and Fiduciary Aspects of Qualified Plans (C-3) examination will be offered once per year in the spring cycle. The Advanced Retirement Plan Consulting (C-4) examination will be offered once per year in the fall cycle. Please adjust your plans for taking ASPPA examinations accordingly, and keep in mind that you are not required to pass the C-3 prior to taking the C-4 examination. For more information on either examination please visit http://www.asppa.org/education/ed_ed.htm. The C-3 and C-4 will be offered in the fall of 2006 on November 15 and November 16, respectively. Grades for these two exams will be sent to candidates approximately eight weeks following the exam. Passlists will be posted on the ASPPA Web site shortly before grade results are mailed. 

ASPPA Examination Waivers

ASPPA’s Board of Directors approved examination waivers for the purposes of obtaining ASPPA credentials. Below is a listing of the current waivers available for ASPPA examinations.  For more information please visit www.asppa.org/credentials/cred_apply_waivers.htm.

RPF Examination Waivers
ASPPA members with the credentials, FSPA, MSPA, CPC, QPFC, QPA or QKA will be given credit for ASPPA’s RPF-1 examination for purposes of obtaining other ASPPA credentials.  An ASPPA QKA, QPA, CPC, QPFC, FSPA or MSPA credentialed member does not need to complete the RPF-2 examination if he/she has successfully completed the Pension Administrators Series: PA-1, PA-2 and PA-3. In these cases, the RPF-2 examination is waived for purposes of obtaining other ASPPA credentials.

If an ASPPA credentialed member has not completed PA-3, formerly know as the DV (Daily Valuation examination), he/she will be required to complete the RPF-2 examination for purposes of obtaining other ASPPA credentials.

Non-credentialed ASPPA Members & Examination Candidates
Non-credentialed ASPPA members and examination candidates must have successfully completed the Pension Administrators Course, PA-1, PA-2 and PA-3 or he/she is now required to complete the Retirement Plan Fundamentals examination series, RPF-1 and RPF-2, for purposes of obtaining ASPPA credentials.  The Retirement Plan Fundamentals examination series will serve as the basis for most ASPPA credentials.

Other ASPPA Examination Waivers

• Examination candidates and ASPPA members having passed both the C-1 and the C-2(DC) examinations prior to 2004 are given credit for DC-3 for purposes of obtaining ASPPA credentials.

• Examination candidates and ASPPA members having passed either the C-1 or C-2(DC) examinations prior to January 1, 1999 are given credit for the PA-1 and PA-2 examinations.

• Enrolled Actuaries are given credit for ASPPA’s RPF-1, DC-1, DC-2, DC-3 and DB examinations for the purposes of obtaining ASPPA credentials.

NIPA Member Examination Waivers

The basic requirements for the ASPPA credentials, QKA, QPA, QPFC and CPC, require the passage of the two online examinations, RPF-1 and RPF-2. NIPA members with the credentials APA and APR will be given credit for RPF-1 for the purpose of obtaining ASPPA credentials.

Pension professionals holding NIPA's Accredited Pension Administrator (APA) credential and having at least three years of plan consulting experience may qualify for ASPPA’s Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) credential by successfully completing the Financial and Fiduciary Aspects of Qualified Plans (C-3) and the Advanced Retirement Plan Consulting (C-4) examinations.  ASPPA’s RPF-1, RPF-2, DC-1, DC-2, DC-3 and DB examinations are waived for these candidates. For a NIPA APA interested in obtaining any other ASPPA credentials, the required exams will not be waived (except the RPF-1, as stated above under the NIPA examination waiver).

Reach Your Last Quarter QPFC Goal

Countdown time is here if you have set your sights on earning the QPFC credential in 2006.    The sales and investment advisor community is positioning itself for widespread recognition of QPFC.   Don’t let another year go by without the credibility and business building opportunities you will gain with your QPFC from ASPPA.

Here are two useful schedules you might want to follow:

RPF recorded webcourses and PFC live webinars can help you prepare for exams.  Register on-line. 
RPF webcourses      http://www.asppa.org/education/2k6rpfwc.htm 
PFC webinars           http://www.asppa.org/education/webinar.htm

If you want to have company recognition of the QPFC credential and would like us to contact your Designation Review Committee, please e-mail Bunny Fernhall, Chief of Education and Professional Development,  bfernhall@asppa.org.

Questions about QPFC or how to register?  educasppa@asppa.org

ASPPA Education & Examination Survey

The ASPPA Education and Examination Committee wants to hear from you. ASPPA’s education programs are designed for YOU, and we need your feedback to ensure that we’re providing the best courses, examinations and publications for your professional development. Please help us serve you better by filling out a five-question survey online at http://www.asppa.org/education/candidate_survey1.htm. We’ll be sending out notices for surveys on an ongoing basis moving forward so that we can learn how we can better serve you. Tell us what you think! Please take just a minute or two to give us this vital feedback.

Candidate Corner

ASPPA’s Education Services Department has created the Candidate Corner to answer some of the most common questions from candidates. This Web page is intended to be an all-inclusive, one-stop page for all the information you need about ASPPA examinations and courses. It includes exam syllabi, test taking tips, ASPPA’s policies on examinations, examination procedures and instructions, the latest updates to errata for study materials and much more. There are many resources to help you prepare for your examination or fulfill your educational needs.

The Candidate Corner is located at http://www.asppa.org/education/ed_ee_cc.htm but you can reach it from almost any Education and Exams Web page by clicking on the Candidate Corner logo as shown above. Stop by Candidate Corner today, and send any suggestions for other information you’d like to see here to educasppa@asppa.org.

Stay in Touch!

We need your help. Please don’t forget to update your contact information if you move, accept a new job or even simply change your e-mail address. It’s quick and easy to update your contact information by logging into your online account on the ASPPA Web site. Keeping your information current ensures that we can communicate important examination and educational updates to you – whether we’re announcing an important change in policy or reminding you of examination deadlines. We want you to have the information you need to pursue your professional development goals, so please remember to let us know if your contact information changes. Questions? E-mail educasppa@asppa.org.

Education and Examination Calendar

*Please note that when a deadline date falls on a weekend, the official date shall be the first business day following the weekend.

For more information, please contact the ASPPA office at 703.516.9300.

Note: Exam deadlines are final. Registration and payment must be in the ASPPA office by the deadline dates.

Associate Editors

Troy L. Cornett
Emily Guyton

Layout and Production

Jay Young Gerard
Dwight Patel