Superannuation and Retirement Applications (SRA)
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Cheat sheet
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ExploreCommon mistakes
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ExploreCase studies
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ExploreAbout this exam
The Superannuation and Retirement Applications (SRA) exam is a professional assessment for people who work with Australian superannuation and retirement outcomes - paraplanners, adviser support staff, fund administrators, and compliance officers moving into advice-facing roles. It tests whether you can apply the rules rather than merely recite them: how the regulatory architecture constrains a recommendation, how contributions and caps interact with a client's circumstances, how retirement income streams are structured and taxed, and how age pension entitlements respond to a given strategy. The seven domains are weighted unevenly, with retirement income streams and pensions carrying the largest share, followed by the accumulation phase, taxation, retirement planning application, and the framework, social security and compliance domains. Expect scenario-style multiple-choice items that require a calculation or a judgement, not just a definition. Preparation should be active: work through the primary legislation and regulator guidance, build a one-page summary of each cap and threshold with its current figure, and practise short case scenarios under time pressure. Because rates, thresholds and caps change regularly, always verify figures against the ATO and Services Australia before relying on them, and check the administering body's site for current exam logistics and registration details.
What you'll study
About Superannuation and Retirement Applications (SRA) preparation
What is the exam format?
It is delivered as multiple-choice questions covering the seven published domains. The administering body sets the current structure, including any sectional weighting and item style, so confirm the exact format on its official site before you register rather than relying on second-hand descriptions.
How difficult is the SRA?
Most candidates find the technical content manageable but the application-style items demanding. Questions often embed a short client scenario and ask which strategy or treatment applies, so surface knowledge of definitions is not enough. Comfort with contribution caps, preservation rules and pension minimums is assumed, not taught.
Where do I find the fee, duration and passing score?
Those details are set and published by the administering body and can change between sittings. Check its official website for the current fee, exam duration, number of items and passing standard. Do not rely on figures quoted in forums or older study guides, which are frequently out of date.
Can I retake the exam if I fail?
Retake rules, waiting periods and any additional fees are determined by the administering body. Consult its official candidate information for the current policy. In practice, candidates who fail usually do so on one or two weak domains, so request or infer your domain-level result and target revision there before rebooking.
How much time should I allow for preparation?
Plan for several weeks of consistent study rather than a cram. Weight your time by domain percentage: retirement income streams, accumulation and taxation together account for half the exam. Build a personal threshold sheet with current figures, then spend the final phase on timed scenario practice rather than rereading notes.
In what order should I study the domains?
Start with the regulatory framework and accumulation phase, because caps, preservation and contribution rules underpin everything later. Move to retirement income streams and taxation together, since pension treatment and tax interact. Then cover social security, and finish with retirement planning application and compliance, which draw on all the earlier material.
What are the most common failure modes?
Three recur: using out-of-date thresholds, confusing the treatment of different contribution types, and misreading a scenario so that the technically correct rule is applied to the wrong facts. A fourth is ignoring the interaction between superannuation and age pension entitlements when a question clearly turns on it.
Are the figures in study materials current?
Not necessarily. Contribution caps, concessional limits, pension minimum percentages and social security thresholds are indexed or legislated to change. Treat any number in a study guide as a prompt to verify it against the ATO or Services Australia, and learn the rule structure so you can adapt when a figure moves.
Does this page or its materials make me exam-ready on their own?
No. This page is independent introductory guidance and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the administering body or any regulator. Use it to orient your study, then rely on primary legislation, regulator guidance and the official candidate handbook for authoritative rules and logistics.