APA study plan
APA · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Pension Plan Administration
Map the full pension plan administration lifecycle from adoption through termination, listing each administrative action in sequence
Define key plan roles (plan administrator, trustee, actuary, recordkeeper, custodian) and state one core responsibility for each
Identify the plan document provisions that drive day-to-day administration (eligibility, vesting, benefit accrual, contribution formulas)
Explain how plan qualification requirements translate into routine administrative procedures
Your checkpoint
A one-page administration lifecycle flowchart with each stage annotated by the responsible party and governing document provision
Pension Plan Administration
Compute vesting percentages and accrued benefits under both defined benefit and defined contribution structures
Reconcile participant census data against eligibility and entry-date rules to flag administrative errors
Describe procedures for processing enrollments, beneficiary designations, and status changes accurately
Outline the annual administrative calendar including valuation, testing, and government filing deadlines
Your checkpoint
A worked problem set of 10 calculation exercises (vesting, accrual, entry dates) with step-by-step solutions and a documented error log
Qualified Plan Design and Compliance
Distinguish qualified plan types (DB, DC, hybrid) and match each to its coverage and nondiscrimination testing obligations
Apply coverage testing and minimum participation standards to hypothetical plan populations
Explain the mechanics of ADP/ADC and top-heavy testing and identify corrective options when tests fail
Interpret plan document language on eligibility, vesting schedules, and contribution limits for compliance accuracy
Your checkpoint
A comparison matrix of at least five plan types scored against coverage, nondiscrimination, top-heavy, and limit rules, plus two worked testing scenarios
Qualified Plan Design and Compliance & Pension Plan Administration
Diagnose common operational failures (late deposits, missed distributions, improper forfeitures) and select the appropriate correction method
Apply the EPCRS correction principles to at least three realistic failure scenarios
Integrate administration and design knowledge by tracing how a design change flows through testing, document amendment, and participant communication
Draft the amendment and notice steps required when a plan provision changes
Your checkpoint
A written operational-failure case analysis covering three scenarios with chosen correction methods, supporting rationale, and required notices
Distribution Rules and Taxation
Classify distribution events and identify the eligibility conditions and spousal consent requirements for each
Calculate required minimum distributions using the applicable tables and account for beneficiary designations
Determine the tax treatment of distributions including rollover eligibility, withholding rules, and early distribution penalties
Explain loan rules, hardship withdrawals, and their documentation requirements
Your checkpoint
A distribution decision tree plus five calculation problems covering RMDs, withholding, and rollover eligibility with full solutions
Distribution Rules and Taxation & Qualified Plan Design and Compliance
Apply the required beginning date, minimum distribution, and top-heavy rules together to a single participant fact pattern
Evaluate how plan design choices (distribution options, vesting, loan provisions) affect taxation outcomes
Identify prohibited transaction and assignment/alienation issues that arise in distribution processing
Construct compliant participant disclosure language for a distribution option
Your checkpoint
An integrated fact-pattern memo that resolves design, distribution, and tax questions for one hypothetical participant, with citations to the governing rules
Fiduciary and Reporting Requirements
Define fiduciary status and distinguish fiduciary from settlor functions in plan decision-making
Apply the privity and co-fiduciary duties to scenarios involving investment selection, fee monitoring, and delegation
Identify the required government filings and participant disclosures with their deadlines and content requirements
Explain the consequences of fiduciary breach and the role of fiduciary insurance and bonding
Your checkpoint
A fiduciary responsibility checklist mapped to each required filing and disclosure, with deadlines and the responsible party named for each item
Fiduciary and Reporting Requirements & Pension Plan Administration & Qualified Plan Design and Compliance & Distribution Rules and Taxation
Synthesize all four domains by resolving a full-scenario case that spans administration, design, distribution, and fiduciary duties
Audit your own weak areas from prior weeks and re-work the missed items until each is correct without notes
Complete a timed practice assessment under exam conditions and analyze error patterns by domain
Build a final one-page reference sheet of high-frequency rules and deadlines for last-week review
Your checkpoint
A timed practice assessment score report with a domain-by-domain error analysis and a completed one-page final review sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 80% on the vesting/accrual calculation set and correctly reconcile a 50-participant census against eligibility rules without reference notes
Week 4: Correctly select and justify the correction method for all three operational-failure scenarios and pass a 20-question mixed quiz on Domains 1 and 2 at 75% or higher
Week 6: Solve all five distribution calculations accurately and produce an integrated memo that a reviewer rates as internally consistent across design, tax, and administration conclusions
Week 8: Achieve 75% or higher on the timed full-length practice assessment with no single domain below 65% and a documented remediation list for any remaining gaps