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Certified Pension Consultant (CPC)

        
    
    CPC Exam Syllabus
    Course Overview
    Exam Details
    Required and Supplementary Reading
    Exam Waivers and Grandfathering Rules
    Study Guide References and Errata

Course Overview

As the culminating designation for the nonactuary ASPPA member, the Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) credential is intended as an opportunity for a successful candidate to demonstrate an ability to draw from his or her accumulated retirement plan knowledge and experience. 

To earn the CPC credential, candidates build upon a foundation of knowledge acquired by passing the examinations required for the QKA and QPA credentials. CPC candidates will demonstrate their knowledge and experience through the completion of specific core and elective online modules as well as a single comprehensive proctored CPC essay examination. Click here for more information about the online CPC modules.

The modules and proctored exam will provide opportunities for analyzing and solving consulting problems that might be encountered in real-life client situations. In professional practice, more than one statutory provision or retirement plan consideration often applies, and the pension consultant must be able to recognize and evaluate in depth each potential issue for his or her client.

Additionally, because ASPPA members are required to comply with ASPPA’s Code of Professional Conduct, the topic of ethical performance in one’s professional capacity forms an important part of the CPC course of study and ethics questions will be a part of each core module and the proctored exam.

All required and suggested reading material, in addition to learning objectives and topic weighting can be found in the CPC syllabus.

Exam Details

The CPC examination consists of 8 essay questions and candidates have four and a half (4 ½) hours to complete it. The questions cover the following topics:

  • Business Entities and Related Groups
  • Coverage and Nondiscrimination
  • 401(k) Plans
  • Defined Benefit Plans
  • Distributions and Loans
  • Fiduciary Responsibilities, Including ERISA 404(c)
  • Correction Programs and Ethics
  • Plan Design

The CPC exam is offered on one day each exam window - May 26, 2010 during the Spring exam window and November 11, 2010 during the Fall exam window. To register, a candidate must have an account with ASPPA, to create an account please click here. Candidates can register online or download the registration form and send via mail or fax to 703.516.9308.

Once registered, eligibility e-mails will be sent to candidates beginning approximately eight weeks prior to the opening of an exam window.  The eligibility e-mail has detailed instructions on scheduling your appointment with Prometric. It is the candidate’s responsibility to schedule an exam. We strongly recommend you schedule an appointment upon receipt of the confirmation letter as testing centers fill up quickly. To find a Prometric Testing Center visit http://www.2test.com.

Exam Fees - The registration fee is a non-refundable. 

  • To qualify for early registration, registration forms accompanied by the early registration fee of $279 for members and $310 for non-members must reach the ASPPA office no later than April 19 for the spring examinations and September 27 for the fall examinations.
  • To qualify for final registration, registration forms accompanied by the final registration fee of $345 for members and $380 for non-members must reach the ASPPA office no later than May 12 for the spring examinations and October 29 for the fall examinations.

For more information visit the Exam Schedule & Fees page.

Required and Supplementary Reading

All study materials can be ordered by using the online ASPPA Bookstore or downloading the Publications Order Form and following the instructions to phone, fax or mail your order form and payment. 

The required reading for the CPC exam is:

  • CPC Study Guide: Advanced Retirement Plan Consulting, 2009 Edition. Available for $265

Note: The 2009 Textbook is the required text for the 2010 exam. 

It is the candidate’s responsibility to review all of ASPPA’s exam policies and procedures which can be found in the ASPPA Program Catalog or on Candidate Corner. 

Transition Rules for Candidates Who Have Passed C-3 or C-4 Examinations

A candidate with a QPA achieved through the conventional ASPPA program will receive credit for the DOL Topics and Defined Benefit Topics modules since this knowledge was previously tested, and will therefore only have to complete four core modules and two of the three elective modules.

A candidate with a QPA achieved through the ASPPA program prior to 2009 who has passed the C-3 exam only (not C-4) will receive credit for the DOL Topics, Defined Benefit Topics, Investments, Distributions & Loans and Fiduciary Topics modules. These candidates will need to complete the Related Groups & Business Transactions module, two of the three elective modules and the proctored CPC examination.

A candidate with a QPA achieved through the ASPPA program prior to 2009 who has passed C-4 only (not C-3) will receive credit for the DOL Topics, Defined Benefit Topics, Related Groups & Business Transactions and the two elective modules. These candidates will need to complete the Investments, Distributions & Loans and Fiduciary Topics modules and the proctored CPC examination.

Study Guide References & Errata

For updates to ASPPA’s publications and examinations please click here. Stop by regularly as new updates are posted.


 

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