- Which CPC This Sheet Covers
- The Numbers at a Glance
- Prerequisites and the Path to the Credential
- Exam Format and Testing Rules
- Scoring, Grades and Superscoring
- The Eight Final-Exam Sections
- High-Value Topics to Drill
- Module Assessments vs. the Final Exam
- Scheduling Your Review by Weight
- Keeping the Credential Active
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The final exam is a live-online-proctored essay and short-answer test: 4 hours 30 minutes, eight sections, 1,000 points.
- Plan design carries the most weight at 18%; Correction programs and ethics carries the least at 8%.
- Grades 7, 8 and 9 pass; grades 5 and 6 can be superscored across two sittings within 19 months.
- The final costs $560, and the required education bundle costs $1,150 separately.
Which CPC This Sheet Covers
"CPC" is a crowded acronym. This cheat sheet is about the Certified Pension Consultant credential issued by the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA), the retirement-plan administration designation that sits on the path toward plan consulting and design work. It is not a medical-coding credential, and it is not a single CPC module assessment. Everything below refers to the full credential and its final examination.
If you are still orienting yourself, the explainer pages What Is CPC Certification? and What Does CPC Stand For? cover the basics. This page assumes you already know you are pursuing the ASPPA credential and want the facts compressed onto one screen.
The Numbers at a Glance
Here is the one-page reference. Memorize the format facts early so exam day holds no surprises.
| Item | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Issuer | American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) |
| Final exam fee | $560 |
| Education bundle | $1,150, purchased separately; membership dues are additional |
| Format | Live-online-proctored essay and short-answer |
| Working time | 4 hours 30 minutes |
| Structure | Eight multi-question sections, 1,000 available points |
| Frequency | Offered twice annually |
| Passing grades | 7, 8, 9 (reported grades) |
| Failing grades | 5, 6, N |
| Superscoring | Eligible grades of 5 or 6 across two exams within 19 months; 700+ of 1,000 points earns an S grade |
| Maintenance | Annual membership renewal and 40 CE hours per two-calendar-year cycle (two in ethics) |
One detail worth flagging: the reviewed sources do not publish a fixed total question count, so do not trust anyone who quotes you one. What is published is the section structure, the point total and the time allowance. For a deeper cost walk-through, see CPC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Prerequisites and the Path to the Credential
The credential is built from several components, and the order in which you assemble them matters for planning. You need to satisfy a prerequisite examination track, complete the CPC modules, pass the final, submit the credential application, meet conduct requirements and hold credentialed membership.
Prerequisite alternatives
There are two accepted routes:
- The QKA-1, QKA-2, QKC and QPA examinations, or
- The QKA-1, QKA-2, CBS and QKC examinations plus the DB-A Certificate.
The current FAQ and the detailed handbook tracks support these alternatives. Be aware that the handbook's summary page inconsistently lists all of the prerequisite examinations together, which can make it look as though every one is required. Treat the FAQ and the detailed tracks as the more reliable guide, and confirm your specific path with ASPPA before paying for anything.
Modules: four core, two elective
The credential requires four core and two elective CPC modules. Each module has its own assessment, covered in the module section below. For a full eligibility rundown, read CPC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Exam Format and Testing Rules
The final is not multiple choice. Expect to write: essay responses and short-answer computations and explanations spread across eight multi-question sections. That changes how you study. Recognizing the right answer is not enough; you must produce it, show your reasoning and apply rules to fact patterns.
- Closed book. No reference materials during the final.
- Calculator: only the permitted browser-based or Windows on-screen calculator. Handheld calculators are prohibited.
- Scratch paper: prohibited. Plan to work inside the testing interface.
- Breaks: two optional 15-minute breaks, which sit outside the 4-hour-30-minute working allowance.
- Delivery: live online proctoring, offered twice annually.
The no-scratch-paper rule deserves attention. If your habit is to sketch contribution limits or testing grids on paper, you need to retrain yourself to work through calculations on screen. Practice with an on-screen calculator well before exam day. Scheduling specifics are covered in CPC Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Scoring, Grades and Superscoring
ASPPA reports grades rather than percentages. The cheat-sheet version:
- Pass: grades 7, 8 and 9.
- Fail: grades 5, 6 and N.
- Superscore: if you earn an eligible grade of 5 or 6, you can combine results across two examinations completed within 19 months. The highest score for each section is taken, and a combined total of at least 700 of 1,000 points earns a passing S grade.
ASPPA does not release individual raw scores or exam pass percentages, so any pass-rate figure you see quoted should be treated skeptically. For the evidence-based view, see CPC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows, and for the scoring mechanics in detail, CPC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
The Eight Final-Exam Sections
These are the formal section headings and published weights of the final exam, not a suggested study allocation. Weights are your map for prioritizing, but remember that a weak section can sink a grade regardless of its percentage.
| Section | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1. Business entities and related groups | 10% |
| 2. Coverage and nondiscrimination | 15% |
| 3. 401(k) plans | 15% |
| 4. Defined benefit plans | 13% |
| 5. Distributions and loans | 10% |
| 6. Fiduciary responsibilities, including ERISA 404(c) | 11% |
| 7. Correction programs and ethics | 8% |
| 8. Plan design | 18% |
Plan design at 18% is the heaviest section, followed by Coverage and nondiscrimination and 401(k) plans at 15% each. Together those three represent nearly half the exam. For a section-by-section breakdown, see CPC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 8 Content Areas.
High-Value Topics to Drill
Use the following as a recall checklist per section. These are the concepts a plan consultant is expected to apply, framed as prompts you should be able to answer from memory.
Business entities and related groups (10%)
Who counts as the employer matters before any plan rule applies.
- How controlled groups and affiliated service groups combine employers for plan purposes
- How entity type (corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship) affects owner treatment and compensation
- Why aggregation changes coverage and limit analysis
Coverage and nondiscrimination (15%)
The testing backbone of plan administration.
- Minimum coverage concepts and how excludable employees are handled
- Identifying highly compensated and key employees
- General testing of contributions and benefits, and when a safe harbor design avoids testing
401(k) plans (15%)
Deferrals, matches and the tests that police them.
- Elective deferral mechanics, catch-up contributions and Roth treatment
- ADP and ACP testing logic, and corrective distributions for failures
- Safe harbor and automatic-enrollment design features
Defined benefit plans (13%)
Benefit formulas and the funding concepts behind them.
- Benefit accrual formulas and normal retirement age
- Limits on benefits and how they interact with other plans
- Basic funding and actuarial concepts a consultant must explain to a client
Distributions and loans (10%)
When money may leave a plan, and what it costs.
- Distribution events, rollovers and required minimum distribution concepts
- Withholding and early-distribution consequences
- Participant loan limits, repayment requirements and default treatment
Fiduciary responsibilities, including ERISA 404(c) (11%)
Who is responsible, for what, and how liability can be limited.
- Fiduciary standards and the identification of named and functional fiduciaries
- ERISA 404(c) conditions for participant-directed investments
- Prohibited-transaction concepts and basic bonding and documentation duties
Correction programs and ethics (8%)
The smallest section, and the one candidates under-study.
- Which correction program fits which kind of plan failure
- Why timely identification of errors affects the available remedy
- Professional conduct expectations for practitioners
Plan design (18%)
The synthesis section, where you recommend rather than recite.
- Matching a client's goals to plan type and contribution formula
- Weighing cost, testing risk and owner versus staff allocations
- Combining plan types and explaining trade-offs in plain language
Because the exam is essay and short-answer, practice explaining each of these in complete sentences, not only recognizing them. Our CPC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt walks through how to turn this checklist into a working plan.
Module Assessments vs. the Final Exam
Candidates often blur the line between the two, so keep it sharp. Each CPC module assessment has its own rules:
- 20 multiple-choice questions
- Untimed
- Repeat attempts allowed
- 70% required to pass
None of those specifications apply to the final exam, and the modules are not additional final-exam domains. The final is the live-proctored essay and short-answer test described above. Passing every module with comfortable scores does not guarantee a comfortable final, because the question style is fundamentally different: choose-an-answer versus construct-an-answer.
Key Takeaway
Do not let easy, repeatable module quizzes lull you into thinking you are exam-ready. Treat the final as a separate skill: timed writing, on-screen calculations and no reference materials. Train under those conditions.
To gauge how demanding that skill gap really is, read How Hard Is the CPC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026, and use the CPC Exam Prep practice tests to rehearse recall under pressure.
Scheduling Your Review by Weight
Generic study advice is everywhere; what is useful here is assigning your calendar to the eight sections intelligently. The logic: front-load the heavy, interlocking material, then use the final stretch for the synthesis section that depends on everything else. Adjust the pacing to your own timeline.
Foundations: entities and coverage
- Business entities and related groups, because aggregation feeds every later test
- Coverage and nondiscrimination basics (15%)
The 401(k) engine
- Deferrals, matching, ADP/ACP logic and safe harbor designs (15%)
- Work calculations on an on-screen calculator only
Defined benefit and money movement
- Defined benefit formulas and limits (13%)
- Distributions and loans (10%)
Fiduciary, correction and ethics
- Fiduciary duties and ERISA 404(c) (11%)
- Correction programs and ethics (8%), which is small but easy to bank
Plan design and full-length simulation
- Plan design (18%): practice recommending designs from client scenarios
- One timed, closed-book, 4.5-hour write-through
Plan design comes last on purpose: it asks you to draw on coverage testing, 401(k) mechanics, defined benefit rules and fiduciary considerations at once. Starting there before the building blocks are solid is the most common sequencing mistake.
Keeping the Credential Active
Earning the credential is not the end of the obligation. To maintain it you must:
- Renew ASPPA membership every year
- Complete 40 continuing education hours per two-calendar-year cycle
- Include two ethics hours within those 40
Factor the ongoing membership dues and CE costs into your long-term budget, since dues are additional to the exam and education fees. Whether those recurring costs pay off is the subject of Is the CPC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026, and for the earnings side, CPC Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a live-online-proctored essay and short-answer examination with eight multi-question sections and 1,000 available points. You have 4 hours 30 minutes of working time, and the exam is closed book. ASPPA administers it twice annually.
The final examination costs $560. The required education bundle is $1,150 and is purchased separately, and credentialed membership dues are additional. Confirm current pricing with ASPPA before budgeting.
Plan design is the largest at 18%. Coverage and nondiscrimination and 401(k) plans follow at 15% each, then Defined benefit plans at 13%, Fiduciary responsibilities at 11%, Business entities and Distributions and loans at 10% each, and Correction programs and ethics at 8%.
Grades 5 and 6 are failing, but they may be eligible for superscoring. If you complete two examinations within 19 months, the highest score in each section is combined, and a total of at least 700 of 1,000 points earns a passing S grade.
No handheld calculators and no scratch paper are allowed. You may use the permitted browser-based or Windows on-screen calculator. Practice your calculations in that environment ahead of time so the interface does not slow you down.
Keep this sheet handy as a quick-reference companion to your longer study materials, and when you are ready to test your recall, head to the CPC Exam Prep practice test library. For the latest on this page's topic and related guides, return to the CPC Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts as exam season approaches.