> Fall 2007 Exam Registration Dates – Final Registration Deadline Extended!
> DB, PFC-1 and PFC-2 Exams Immediately Graded for the Fall
> C-4 Fall 2007 Exam Schedule
> ASPPA Announces Recipients of the 2007 Educator’s Award and the Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award
> New Webcourses for DC-1, DC-2, PFC-1 and PFC-2
> Practice Exams Available
> Retirement Plan Fundamentals (RPF) Exam Deadline – Midnight, ET 12/31
> 2007 ASPPA Annual Conference – Intensive Review Sessions
> ASPPA Exams: Testing Procedures & Policies
> Calculator Policy
> Volunteer Opportunity – Publications Subcommittee
> New! Enrolled Actuary (EA) Exam Candidate Web Page
> MSPA and/or FSPA Members: Volunteers Needed
> ASPPA Examinations May Earn You College Credit
> Stay In Touch
> 2007/2008 E&E Calendar

Fall 2007 Exam Registration Dates – Final Registration Deadline Extended!

Related Links : Publications Order Form : Continuing Education : Professional Credentials : Study Guide References print page

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

DB, PFC-1 and PFC-2 Exams Immediately Graded for the Fall

Due to the restructuring of the DB exam for the Spring 2007 cycle and the PFC exams being newly released just last year, these exams have been subject to delayed grading in the past, meaning you would receive your score eight weeks after the window closed and not immediately upon completion of the exam. For the upcoming Fall 2007 examination cycle, the DB, PFC-1 and PFC-2 exams will be immediately graded so that you will receive your score at the conclusion of the examination! DC-1, DC-2 and DC-3 exams are also immediately graded exams.

C-4 Fall 2007 Exam Schedule

As announced earlier last year, the Advanced Retirement Plan Consulting (C-4) examination will be offered once per year in the fall examination window, and the Financial and Fiduciary Aspects of Qualified Plans (C-3) examination will be offered once per year in the spring examination window. Please adjust your plans for taking ASPPA examinations accordingly, and keep in mind that you are not required to pass the C-3 examination prior to taking the C-4 examination. For more information on either examination, please visit www.asppa.org/education/ed_ed.htm. The C-4 will be offered in the fall of 2007 on November 15th. The grades from the C-4 essay examination will be posted on the ASPPA Web site and sent to candidates approximately eight weeks following the examination.

ASPPA Announces Recipients of the 2007 Educator’s Award and the Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award

ASPPA proudly recognizes Ilene H. Ferenczy, J.D., CPC as the recipient of the prestigious 2007 Educator’s Award. Ilene was selected by the ASPPA Board of Directors and the Education and Examination Committee’s Chairs and Vice chairs in honor and recognition of her superior and dedicated commitment to education.

In addition to writing the three textbooks which make up ASPPA’s Defined Contribution Plan Series, Ilene is the author of more than 50 articles for numerous publications including, The ASPPA Journal, the Journal of Pension Benefits (of which she is the co-editor), and the Journal of Taxation of Employee Benefits. The eighth edition of her book, Employee Benefits in Mergers and Acquisitions, published by Aspen Publishers, is scheduled to be released in September 2007. She is the co-author of the Plan Termination Answer Book as well, now in its fourth edition, also published by Aspen Publishers.

Ilene has a distinctive creativity, intelligence and humor that allow her to present highly technical information in a way that is understandable and informative to both benefits experts and novices alike. She is a nationally known speaker on benefits issues and has become a treasure to the local benefits community. She currently serves on ASPPA’s Board of Directors and is the Chair of ASPPA’s new Basic Education Taskforce. Ilene has distinguished herself as a leader in the benefits community and exhibited a dedication to the education of all benefits practitioners.

The Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award is presented in honor of the late Martin Rosenberg, a Fellow of ASPPA. Mr. Rosenberg served as an Education and Examination (E&E) Committee member from 1979 to 1985 and as E&E's General Chair from 1985 until his death in 1987. The award is designed to annually recognize top performing ASPPA examination candidates.

Leslie Whitten is the recipient of the Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award for the fall 2006 Defined Contribution Administrative Issues - Advanced Topics (DC-3) examination.

Leslie has worked for Pension Planners Northwest in Eugene, OR for the last five years. Pension Planners specializes in the design, implementation and administration of qualified retirement plans – primarily defined contribution plans. Leslie’s position as a senior retirement plan administrator includes involvement in all aspects of the services they provide. Leslie graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA with a major in Economics.

The 2007 Educator’s Award and the Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award will be presented on Monday, October 22, 2007 during the luncheon at the upcoming ASPPA Annual Conference. Congratulations to Ilene and Leslie!

New Webcourses for DC-1, DC-2, PFC-1 and PFC-2

ASPPA has developed four new webcourses—DC-1, DC-2, PFC-1 and PFC-2—to help candidates prepare for ASPPA’s respective examinations. The DC-1 and DC-2 webcourses are available for registration now, and registration will open in the coming weeks for the PFC-1 and PFC-2 webcourses. Each webcourse consists of six one-hour sessions, which are approved for ASPPA continuing education (CE) credit. The registration fee is $150 for members and $175 for nonmembers and includes all six sessions. Individual sessions are not available for separate registration. Corporate Discounts are available. Previously developed RPF-1 and RPF-2 webcourses are also currently available. For more information on webcourse topics, instructors and registration, please visit http://www.asppa.org/webcourses.

Practice Exams Available

Don’t forget! Practice examinations for the 2007 DC-1, DC-2, DC-3, DB, PFC-1 and PFC-2 examinations and previous A-4 examinations are available and can be purchased online from the ASPPA bookstore (Sample questions for the C-3 and C-4 examinations can be found in their respective study guides.) Practice exams are great preparation materials and can also help relieve some pre-test jitters as the questions are a representation of what you should expect to see on the real exams. Questions? E-mail educasppa@asppa.org.

Retirement Plan Fundamentals (RPF) Exam Deadline – Midnight, EST 12/31/07

The deadline to submit 2007 RPF-1 and RPF-2 examinations is fast approaching. Remember, any RPF exam you have registered for during the 2007 calendar year must be completed by December 31, 2007 (Midnight, EST). RPF-1 and RPF-2 are online exams. Once registered, you can access an online exam at any time through your ASPPA account. You may exit and return to an exam at a later date, but exams must be submitted by no later than Midnight, Eastern Standard Time (EST), December 31, 2007. For more information and to register for an RPF exam, please visit http://www.asppa.org/education/ed_rpf_info.htm.

2007 ASPPA Annual Conference – Intensive Review Sessions

During the upcoming 2007 ASPPA Annual Conference, to be held at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, ASPPA will be offering DC-1, DC-2, DC-3, DB, C-3 and C-4 Intensive Review Sessions. Each category will be divided into four 75-minute sessions. Attendees are welcome to attend as many sessions as they wish. There is no requirement that you be enrolled in any course program or that you ultimately take an exam, and there is no extra charge to attend these sessions if you are registered for the full conference. Some advantages of attending include: brushing up on basic skills on advanced consulting topics; becoming introduced to ASPPA's Education and Examination (E&E) program; hearing educational material presented in a classroom lecture format; reviewing material for an upcoming exam or even observing how other professionals present the material to students. Students should not have the expectation that simply coming to an Intensive Review Session is enough to pass an exam, but your attendance should improve your chances of success! If you are considering obtaining or upgrading your professional credential, or desire continuing education credit, then this program is for you!

Exam candidates can take advantage of a special one-day pass to the ASPPA Annual Conference to attend the Intensive Review Sessions of their choice. The registration fee of $165 for members/$215 for non-members also enables the candidate to visit the Exhibit Hall and to attend the Sunday President’s Welcome Reception. If you register and attend the entire conference, the Intensive Review Sessions are included (you will just need to sign up for them during the registration process).

Click here for more information or to register for the ASPPA Annual Conference.

To get the most out of the review sessions, you should plan on attending all four sessions of the category of your choosing.

Please note: ASPPA has also recently developed DC-1, DC-2, PFC-1, PFC-2, RPF-1 and RPF-2 webcourses which are available for candidates preparing for the respective exams. More information can be found online at http://www.asppa.org/webcourse.

ASPPA Exams: Testing Procedures & Policies

With the fall examination window approaching, below are some important reminders about ASPPA examination procedures and policies. This information can also be found on the Candidate Corner section of the ASPPA Web site and in the ASPPA 2007 Program Catalog.

Examination Confirmation E-mails
Beginning in September, registered DC-1, DC-2, DC-3, DB, PFC-1, PFC-2 and C-4 exam candidates will begin receive an “eligibility” confirmation e-mail with instructions for scheduling exam appointments at Prometric test centers. The e-mail will include all the information you need to schedule your exam, along with additional information about test procedures. It is the candidate’s responsibility to schedule examination appointments. ASPPA cannot assist with scheduling.

Refund and Transfer Policy
Fees for examinations and postponements are not refundable. The right to sit for an ASPPA examination belongs exclusively to the person named on the examination registration form. That person may transfer the right to someone else; however, the transfer must be in writing and must be received no later than the final registration date.

Postponement Policy
If a candidate is unable to take an examination within the scheduled window, for a $100 fee it may be postponed to a future window. The candidate must submit the Examination Postponement Form to the ASPPA office by the postponement deadline. November 8th is the fall 2007 postponement deadline for the C-4 and A-4 examinations. The postponement deadline for DC-1, DC-2, DC-3, DB, PFC-1 and PFC-2 examinations is December 3rd. A candidate who does not sit for an examination during the window that he/she registered for must cancel the appointment with Prometric, in addition to submitting the Examination Postponement Form to ASPPA. The candidate will be charged $60 if they fail to cancel the exam appointment with Prometric, approximately three to four weeks after the exam window closes. A candidate who does not submit an Examination Postponement Form by the deadline date forfeits the examination registration fee. The postponement form and fee must be received by ASPPA on or before the postponement deadline, the postmark date is irrelevant. The ASPPA staff cannot assist with canceling testing center appointments with Prometric. If it is necessary to postpone an examination, note that the study materials purchased in preparation for the examination may not be the current study materials for examinations in a future calendar year.

Cancellation Policy
If a candidate is unable to take an examination, the exam must be postponed or transferred to another candidate. ASPPA exams are not refundable. ASPPA reserves the right to cancel a candidate’s exam. Prior notification will be sent via e-mail and followed with a letter via mail.

Change of Testing Center or Date/Time of Examination
If a candidate needs to change the date, time or location of a scheduled examination within the same testing window, he/she must contact Prometric directly, by telephone or at http:www.prometric.com/ASPPA, within 48 business hours of the scheduled examination. The ASPPA staff cannot assist with this process. If a candidate needs to change the date of a scheduled examination to another testing window, he/she must cancel the scheduled appointment with Prometric and submit an Examination Postponement Form to ASPPA by the postponement deadline. A candidate who does not cancel a scheduled testing center appointment directly with Prometric and does not submit an Examination Postponement Form to ASPPA by the deadline forfeits the examination fee and will be charged $60.

Forms of Identification Required at Prometric
Examinee must present one of the following forms of ID (bearing both photo and signature) in order to test at a Prometric testing facility:
Acceptable forms of ID include:

• Driver’s license
• Military ID
• Passport

Photo must look like the examinee. Signature on ID must match the Daily Test Taker Roster. Spelling of the examinee’s name on his/her ID must match Prometric’s record. Form of ID must be valid.

Late Arrival
Examination candidates are permitted to enter the examination room as much as 30 minutes after the scheduled examination start time. After 30 minutes, no candidates will be permitted to enter the examination room. All candidates must finish the examination by the required ending time, regardless of the time they begin. If, due to inclement weather, an examination testing site closes on the day of the examination, the candidate can postpone the exam until the next cycle. To maintain the integrity of ASPPA’s examination program, examinations are given only on the dates scheduled.

Failure to Appear
If a candidate fails to appear for an ASPPA examination, the entire examination fee will be forfeited, postponement will not be allowed and the candidate is subject to a $60 fee.

Special Requirements
It is ASPPA’s intent to accommodate candidates who have physical, visual, hearing or other special needs. Specify any accommodations you require on the examination registration form and notify the Prometric testing center when scheduling your examination.

Examination Materials
Candidates may not take scrap paper or other materials from the examination location. Any attempt to remove such materials from the examination location will be grounds for disqualification of the candidate’s examination. The copying or reproduction of any examination questions or answers is expressly forbidden and may be grounds for the disqualification of the candidate’s examination. ASPPA further reserves the right to disqualify the examination of any applicant who fails to write out and sign the statement on the examination registration form whereby the applicant agrees to be bound by these regulations.

Lost Examinations
In the unlikely event of the loss or destruction of a completed examination, the examination fee will be refunded. ASPPA can assume no other obligation and candidates must take all examinations with this understanding.

Calculator Policy

The use of a calculator will be permitted for ASPPA examinations only if it conforms to the following specifications:
1) It has self-contained power source (i.e., batteries).
2) It is noiseless.
3) It has no text storage capability.

For example, HP-12C is an acceptable calculator. However, a palm pilot or similar device (PDA) could not be acceptable.

In questionable situations, Prometric will allow the candidate to take the examination using the calculator; however, the examination may be subject to disqualification if ASPPA determines that the calculator used does not fall within the permitted specifications. It is solely the candidate's decision to use a calculator; however, by doing so the candidate agrees to be bound by the above rules. It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure that the calculator is in good operating condition prior to the examination. Upon arrival at the examination test site, Prometric Testing Centers will ask you to present the calculator you intend to use for the examination.

Volunteer Opportunity – Publications Subcommittee

The Education and Examination (E&E) Committee is seeking volunteers for the E&E Publications Subcommittee. Acting in an editorial role, this position provides input and support to the Chair of ASPPA’s Publications Subcommittee, Technical Education Consultants (TECs) and other designated ASPPA staff. The Publications Subcommittee member is responsible for reviewing E&E publications to ensure that the publications are accurate and well-presented. Publications Subcommittee members edit, proofread, recommend changes and participate in discussion of the depth and breadth of topic coverage in publications designed for ASPPA exams and credential programs. A Publications Subcommittee member should anticipate a minimum two-year commitment to this effort. The most intensive period of work will take place in the summer and fall months. Click here for a full position description and application.

New! Enrolled Actuary (EA) Exam Candidate Web Page

ASPPA has created a new Web page for Enrolled Actuary (EA) exam candidates to be used as a resource tool. The Enrolled Actuary examinations are co-sponsored by ASPPA, the Society of Actuaries and the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries. Under the Education & Examination section of the ASPPA Web site we have added a new navigation link on the left-hand side called EA Exams & Review Courses. On this new Web page a candidate will find:

• Joint Board exam syllabus and suggested readings
• Study tips
• How to order EA exam readings
• How to register for the EA exams
• ASPPA Review Courses

MSPA and/or FSPA Members: Volunteers Needed

The EA-2A exam committee needs several volunteers to help with the preparation of questions for the November 2008 EA-2A examination. If you or someone you know is interested in this volunteer opportunity, please visit the ASPPA Web site or contact the EA-2A Committee Chairperson, Evelyn Vlasak, MSPA, at Evelyn.Vlasak@fldfs.com. Exam writers are eligible for up to 18 enrolled actuary continuing education credits (usually Core) for each three-year cycle.

ASPPA Examinations May Earn You College Credit

Effective November 2004, most ASPPA examinations were awarded college credit recommendations from the American Council on Education (ACE). What does this mean for you? If you pass an ASPPA examination, you may earn college credit for that examination. Twelve ASPPA exams have received college credit recommendations totaling 15 semester hours in the upper division baccalaureate degree category and three semester hours in the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category. The examinations awarded credit recommendations are: PA-1, PA-2, PA-3, DC-1, DC-2, DC-3, DB, C-3, C-4 and A-4. The C-1 and C-2(DC) examinations, which existed before the January 2004 restructuring, have also been awarded credit recommendations. Candidates may receive academic credit for any of these exams retroactively for ten years.

Candidates must note that the credits awarded to ASPPA exams are recommended credits. Institutions are not required to grant a candidate the credit recommended by ACE, nor are they limited to granting only the stated credit recommendations.

The Adult Learners page of the ACE Web site provides a list of cooperating colleges and universities. The institutions on this list generally accept the ACE college credit recommendations.

For more information about specific college credit recommendations for ASPPA exams or for transcript information, visit the ASPPA Web site or contact the Education Services Department by e-mail at educasppa@asppa.org. For more information on ACE, visit http://www.acenet.edu.

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 is 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.

2007/2008 E&E Calendar

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

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

For more information, please contact the ASPPA office at 703.516.9300