Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Administration (TGPC-1)
Registration online for:
TGPC-1 Syllabus
Certificate Program
Course Overview
Exam Details
Required and Supplementary Reading
Examination Waivers & Grandfathering rules
Study Guide Reference and Errata
Certificate Program
ASPPA has designed the Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Administration Certificate program to meet the needs of pension plan professionals. Successful completion of the certificate program also counts toward the requirements for the Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Consultant (TGPC) credential. The TGPC certificate program exam is administered online in open book multiple choice format. Upon successful completion of the TGPC-1 exam, ASPPA will automatically issue the Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Administration certificate.
Course Overview
The Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Administration (TGPC-1) course focuses on the administration and compliance requirements of 403(b), 457(b) and other plans maintained by tax-exempt and governmental entities. These issues include but are not limited to eligibility, vesting, contributions types and limits, nondiscrimination rules, allowable investments, contract exchanges, transfers and plan documents.
The TGPC-1 exam focuses on the administrative aspects of 403(b) and 457 plans. Topics covered include: 403(b) Plans, 457 (b) Plans, Compliance Requirements, Contributions: Allocation Formulas, Types and Limits, Governmental Plans, Reporting and Disclosure, and Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Please refer to the TGPC-1 syllabus for specific learning objectives, exam topic weightings, etc.
Exam Details
The TGPC-1 exam is an open-book online exam and consists of 75 multiple choice and true/false questions. Upon completion of the exam, you will receive an immediate score and feedback report. A score of 64 or more out of 75 is a passing score (85%).
Registration for the TGPC-1 exam will be open from January 15 to December 15. To register, a candidate must have an account with ASPPA, to set up an account click here. Candidates can register online or download the TGPC-1 registration form and send via mail or fax to 703.516.9308.
Once registered for the TGPC-1 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. The TGPC-1 exam must be submitted online by December 15, 2010 (midnight, EST).
Exam Fees - The non-refundable registration fee for the TGPC-1 exam is $170.
For information on the Examination Waivers & Grandfathering rules, please click here.
Required and Supplementary Reading
The TGPC-1 required reading is available for purchase from the online bookstore or you can download the publications order form. The required reading is:
- The Source: 403(b) and 457(b) Plans, Second Edition by Kristi Cook, JD and Ellie Lowder. St. Louis, MO: NTSAA.
Additional Required Reading (provided in the TGPC-1 syllabus):
- Time to Drop DROPs, Girard Miller, www.governing.com, June 4, 2009.
- The DROP Feature of Defined Benefit Plans, Leon F. Joyner, Jr., A.S.A., M.A.A.A., Government Employees Benefits Update, February 1996. Reprinted by permission of The Segal Group, Inc., parent of The Segal Company, 2009. All rights reserved.
- fyi: Pension Protection Act–Impact on Governmental Plans,Volume 29: Issue 65, September 8, 2006. Buck Consultants, an ACS company.
- ASPPA Code of Professional Conduct
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.
Study Guide References & Errata
For updates to ASPPA’s publications and examinations please click here. Stop by regularly as new updates may have been posted.