- What the 36 Modules Actually Are
- RPA 1: Domains 1-11, Plan Design and Structure
- RPA 2: Domains 12-23, Investing, Administration and Fiduciary Oversight
- GBA/RPA 3: Domains 24-36, Strategic Benefits Management
- The Three Integrated Case Studies
- Exam Format, Fees and Attempt Mechanics
- Sequencing Your Prep Around the Modules
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The 36 domains are unweighted curriculum modules from the 2026 U.S. CEBS Catalog, not official exam percentages.
- The designation requires three courses and exams: RPA 1 (Domains 1-11), RPA 2 (Domains 12-23), and GBA/RPA 3 (Domains 24-36).
- Each exam has 75-85 questions, a 90-minute timer, a 70% passing standard, and is closed book.
- Each exam costs USD 580 and includes two attempts sharing a 120-day access period.
What the 36 Modules Actually Are
The Retirement Plans Associate (RPA) designation is offered by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), with curriculum developed by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. To earn the U.S. designation, you complete three courses and pass the corresponding examinations: RPA 1-Directing Retirement Plans Part 1, RPA 2-Directing Retirement Plans Part 2, and GBA/RPA 3-Strategic Benefits Management. All three also count toward the CEBS designation.
The "36 domains" in this guide are the learning modules printed in the 2026 U.S. CEBS Catalog: Domains 1-11 reproduce the RPA 1 modules (printed page 17), Domains 12-23 the RPA 2 modules (page 19), and Domains 24-36 the GBA/RPA 3 modules (page 15). Each course's integrated case study is included.
If you are still orienting yourself on the credential itself, start with What Is RPA Certification? and RPA Requirements 2026. There are no entry prerequisites and no overall designation-completion deadline, so you can pace the three courses to fit your schedule.
RPA 1: Domains 1-11, Plan Design and Structure
RPA 1 builds the vocabulary and structural knowledge the rest of the designation depends on. Its second-edition study guide was updated in July 2024. The modules move from context, to plan types, to the specialized and small-employer vehicles, and finish with a case study.
Foundations: Domains 1-4
Domain 1: Private Retirement Plans: Background and Context
The framing module. Expect to understand why employers sponsor plans and how the private retirement system fits into the broader retirement landscape.
- Learn the vocabulary here first; every later module assumes it
- Connect this module to Domain 33 (Social Insurance) later in GBA/RPA 3
Domain 2: Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit Structures
The core contrast between plans that promise a benefit and plans that promise a contribution.
- Who bears investment risk under each design
- How each structure shapes funding and administration
Domain 3: Defined Benefit Approaches and Executive Plan Arrangements
Deeper treatment of defined benefit design variations and arrangements aimed at executives.
Domain 4: Overview of Defined Contribution Plan Structures and Stock Compensation Plans
A survey of defined contribution formats plus the stock-based compensation arrangements that sit alongside them.
Core Defined Contribution Plans: Domains 5-7
Domain 5 (Profit-Sharing and Money Purchase Plans) and Domain 6 (Foundations of 401(k) Plans) are where most candidates spend the most time, because the 401(k) is the plan type most practitioners actually touch. Domain 7 (Defined Contribution Practice Issues) shifts from how plans are built to the practical issues that arise in running them. Compare the plan types side by side as you study; exam questions often hinge on distinguishing one design from another.
Specialized and Individual Vehicles: Domains 8-10
- Domain 8: Special Purpose Plans: 403(b)s, 457s and ESOPs: arrangements tied to specific employer types or ownership structures.
- Domain 9: Small Employer Retirement Plan Alternatives: options designed for smaller sponsors.
- Domain 10: Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs): the individual-account vehicles that interact with employer plans.
Domain 11 is the first integrated case study and is covered in its own section below.
RPA 2: Domains 12-23, Investing, Administration and Fiduciary Oversight
RPA 2 (second-edition study guide updated January 2025) pivots from plan design to how plans are invested, run and governed. It is the most investment-heavy course in the sequence.
The Investment Sequence: Domains 12-18
Seven consecutive modules form a progression, and they reward being studied in order:
- Domain 12: Retirement Plan Investing: the setting and basic concepts.
- Domain 13: Balancing Risk and Return: the tradeoff that drives every later decision.
- Domain 14: Portfolio Theory: the conceptual framework for combining assets.
- Domain 15: Portfolio Selection and Asset Allocation: applying theory to actual portfolios.
- Domain 16: Investment Managers and Plan Intermediaries: the parties that implement investment decisions.
- Domain 17: Active and Passive Investment Strategies: the strategy debate and how it applies to plan menus.
- Domain 18: Insights From Behavioral Finance: how real participants deviate from textbook rationality.
Plan Operations and Governance: Domains 19-22
Domain 19: Hybrid Retirement Plan Approaches
Designs that blend features of defined benefit and defined contribution plans.
Domain 20: Plan Sponsor Administrative Responsibilities
What the sponsor must actually do to keep a plan running properly.
Domain 21: Participant Services
The services that connect participants to their plans.
Domain 22: Fiduciary Oversight and Plan Governance
Who is responsible for what, and how oversight is structured. This module feeds directly into the Domain 23 case study.
Domain 23 is the second integrated case study, focused on fiduciary concerns under threat of litigation.
GBA/RPA 3: Domains 24-36, Strategic Benefits Management
The third course is shared with the broader benefits curriculum, which is why it has the widest scope. Its second-edition study guide was updated in April 2022. Note that the catalog's module wording is retained here where the shorter course-page lists differ.
| Cluster | Domains | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Legal and industry framework | 24, 25, 26, 32 | ERISA Regulatory Framework; Benefits Industry; Plan Documentation Requirements; ERISA in Practice-Key Issues |
| Risk, audit and vendors | 27, 28, 29, 30 | Cybersecurity and Privacy Concerns; Overseeing and Managing Plan Audits; Issues in Vendor Management-Retirement; Analytics and Vendor Management-Health |
| Product and system context | 31, 33, 34, 35 | Impact of Financial Product Innovation on Retirement Plans; Social Insurance; Health Care Coverage in Retirement; Global Employee Benefits |
| Case study | 36 | Preparing for and Surviving an Employee Benefits Plan Data Breach |
Where candidates get surprised
Two things catch retirement-focused candidates off guard. First, Domain 30 (Analytics and Vendor Management-Health) and Domain 34 (Health Care Coverage in Retirement) bring health benefits into a designation otherwise centered on retirement plans, so do not skip them because the title says "Retirement Plans." Second, Domain 35 (Global Employee Benefits) widens the lens beyond the U.S. system; you are still on the U.S. designation track, not the separate Canadian curriculum.
The cluster of Domains 24, 26 and 32 is the legal spine of the course. Study ERISA's framework (Domain 24) before the documentation requirements (Domain 26) and the practical issues (Domain 32), because the latter two make far more sense once the framework is in place.
The Three Integrated Case Studies
Each course ends with an integrated case study module, and they are the best preview of how the material gets applied:
- Domain 11: Retirement Planning: Achieving Personal Goals for Plan Participants and Strategic Results for Senior Management (RPA 1). Balances the participant's perspective against the employer's.
- Domain 23: Assessing Fiduciary Concerns Under Threat of Litigation (RPA 2). Tests fiduciary reasoning under pressure.
- Domain 36: Preparing for and Surviving an Employee Benefits Plan Data Breach (GBA/RPA 3). Connects cybersecurity, vendor management, and governance.
Key Takeaway
Treat each case study as a synthesis exercise. After finishing the preceding modules, reread the case and note which earlier domains it draws on. For Domain 36, that means revisiting Domains 27 (cybersecurity), 29 (vendor management) and 22 (fiduciary oversight) together rather than in isolation.
Exam Format, Fees and Attempt Mechanics
Each course has its own comprehensive examination. IFEBP gives a range of 75-85 questions per course. Questions are multiple-choice and "all-except" style, so read each stem carefully for the word "except." The catalog specifies a 70% passing standard, and results are reported as pass/fail. No cohort pass rate is published, a point covered further in RPA Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows, and the standard itself is detailed in RPA Passing Score 2026.
Delivery and rules
- Since June 18, 2026, examinations are delivered exclusively through IFEBP's learning platform with Integrity Advocate virtual monitoring. Ignore any older instructions that reference a legacy testing provider or testing window.
- 90-minute timer per course examination.
- Closed book. A blank sheet of paper, pencil and nonprogrammable calculator are permitted.
- Government-issued photo ID, webcam, microphone and screen sharing are required.
- Virtual monitoring does not itself satisfy insurance-license continuing-education requirements for a proctored examination; an additional proctor may be required under the relevant state's rules.
For scheduling specifics, see RPA Exam Dates 2026.
Cost and attempts
| Item | U.S. price |
|---|---|
| Exam fee, per course (includes two attempts) | USD 580 |
| Three initial exam purchases (3 × USD 580) | USD 1,740, excluding learning materials |
| Study guide (each) | USD 280 |
| Textbook | USD 190 (RPA 1), USD 190 (RPA 2), USD 235 (GBA/RPA 3) |
| Optional instructor-supported study group, per course | USD 270 |
| Additional attempt (adds one attempt and 60 days) | USD 100 |
| Access extension (keeps remaining attempts, adds 60 days) | USD 150 |
The two attempts share a single 120-day access period that begins when registration is processed (or at the future study-group start date, when applicable). Unused attempts expire together. That 120-day clock is the single most important planning constraint, so do not buy an exam until you are ready to start studying that course. A full cost walk-through is in RPA Certification Cost 2026, and the value question is addressed in Is the RPA Certification Worth It?
Sequencing Your Prep Around the Modules
Because there is no official weighting, a sensible plan allocates time by dependency and by your own background, not by invented percentages. One way to map a single 120-day window for RPA 1 (adjust the same logic for the other two courses):
Structure first (Domains 1-4)
- Master defined benefit versus defined contribution before anything else
- Note which plan features you will compare repeatedly later
Plan types in depth (Domains 5-10)
- Spend the most time on Domain 6 (401(k)) and Domain 7 (practice issues)
- Build a comparison chart across profit-sharing, money purchase, 403(b), 457, ESOP, small-employer plans and IRAs
Case study and review (Domain 11)
- Work the case study, then trace each answer back to a module
- Revisit the weakest two domains before sitting the exam
For RPA 2, give the Domain 12-18 investment sequence the earliest and longest block, then turn to Domains 19-22 and the Domain 23 case. For GBA/RPA 3, study the ERISA framework (Domain 24) first, then the audit, vendor and cybersecurity cluster, and save Domain 36 for last as the capstone. Working through full question sets in the RPA practice test after each cluster helps you spot which modules are still soft. For broader preparation strategy, see the RPA Study Guide 2026, and keep the RPA Cheat Sheet handy for last-week review. If you are weighing how demanding the sequence is, How Hard Is the RPA Exam? gives a candid view.
Key Takeaway
Do not try to take all three exams at once. Buy one exam at a time so each 120-day access period is spent entirely on that course's modules, and use the closed-book format as a reason to practice recall, not just recognition.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. They are 36 unweighted learning modules from the 2026 U.S. CEBS Catalog, serving as a structural topic index. They are not an exhaustive exam blueprint and carry no official percentage allocations.
Three: RPA 1-Directing Retirement Plans Part 1, RPA 2-Directing Retirement Plans Part 2, and GBA/RPA 3-Strategic Benefits Management. Each has its own comprehensive examination of 75-85 questions and a 90-minute timer.
The catalog specifies a 70% passing standard. Results are reported as pass/fail, and IFEBP does not publish a cohort pass rate.
Each USD 580 exam purchase includes two attempts sharing a 120-day access period. An additional attempt costs USD 100 and adds one attempt and 60 days; an access extension costs USD 150 and adds 60 days while preserving remaining attempts.
There are no entry prerequisites and no overall designation-completion deadline, according to IFEBP's frequently asked questions. See RPA Requirements 2026 for details, and RPA Salary Guide 2026 and RPA Jobs for career context.