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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: RICP Exam

3

Course Finals

Two required + one elective

100

Questions Per Final

American College RICP format

70%

Passing Grade

Final course grade

30/70

Grade Weighting

Coursework / final exam

$2,795

Three-Course Package

Current program pricing

3 yrs

Experience To Use Mark

American College requirement

RICP is not a single one-shot board exam. As of March 11, 2026, candidates complete three course finals: two required courses, RICP 353 and RICP 354, plus an elective choice of RICP 355 or HS 326. Each course uses a 100-question final exam, the final exam counts 70% of the course grade, and candidates need a final course grade of 70% or higher. The program starts at $1,025 per single course or $2,795 for the three-course package, and the American College says individual courses can be finished in as little as five weeks within the 10-week term structure.

About the RICP Exam

The RICP Retirement Income Certified Professional designation from The American College of Financial Services is a retirement-distribution specialization built around turning accumulated assets into sustainable lifetime income. The current program uses two required courses plus one elective, with each course ending in a 100-question final exam and overall course grades weighted 30% coursework and 70% final exam.

Assessment

Three course finals (100 questions each; two required courses plus one elective)

Time Limit

10-week course with scheduled final-exam window (official per-final clock not publicly stated)

Passing Score

70% final course grade

Exam Fee

Included in tuition ($1,025 per course / $2,795 three-course package) (The American College of Financial Services)

RICP Exam Content Outline

Required

RICP 353: Retirement Income Process, Strategies and Solutions

Retirement-income goals, expense and cash-flow analysis, retirement risks, withdrawal frameworks, client concerns, and turning income-planning recommendations into an actionable strategy.

Required

RICP 354: Sources of Retirement Income

Qualified plans, IRAs, Social Security, annuities, investment income, employer benefits, and comparing guaranteed versus market-based retirement-income sources.

Elective

RICP 355: Managing the Retirement Income Plan

Retirement-income portfolio management, distribution monitoring, Medicare and healthcare planning, long-term care, housing and home equity, and adapting the income plan over time.

Elective Option

HS 326: Planning for Retirement Needs

Employer-sponsored retirement plans, small-business and executive retirement strategies, accumulation-to-distribution planning, and retirement plan decision frameworks.

How to Pass the RICP Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70% final course grade
  • Assessment: Three course finals (100 questions each; two required courses plus one elective)
  • Time limit: 10-week course with scheduled final-exam window (official per-final clock not publicly stated)
  • Exam fee: Included in tuition ($1,025 per course / $2,795 three-course package)

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

RICP Study Tips from Top Performers

1Separate essential expenses from discretionary expenses before choosing any withdrawal strategy.
2Study Social Security, pension, annuity, and portfolio income as a coordinated system rather than as isolated topics.
3Practice tax-aware sequencing decisions, especially Roth conversions, RMD timing, QCD use, and IRMAA side effects.
4Memorize the practical differences among immediate annuities, deferred income annuities, QLACs, and variable-annuity living-benefit riders.
5Know Medicare enrollment windows, Medigap versus Medicare Advantage tradeoffs, and how healthcare inflation affects retirement cash flow.
6Use scenario practice to compare flooring, bucketing, guardrails, and total-return withdrawal approaches under different client constraints.
7Do not ignore housing decisions; downsizing, staying put, and home-equity strategies can materially change retirement-income sustainability.
8Review 2026 contribution-limit and benefits updates so your planning assumptions match current law.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the RICP a single comprehensive exam?

No. The active RICP curriculum is a three-course designation, not a one-day comprehensive board exam. Candidates complete two required courses, RICP 353 and RICP 354, plus one elective course, and each course has its own 100-question final exam.

What score do I need to pass the RICP program?

The American College states that each RICP course requires a final course grade of 70% or higher. Coursework counts 30% of the grade and the final exam counts 70%, so candidates need to perform consistently during the course and on the final.

What topics matter most for RICP preparation?

The highest-value topics are retirement cash-flow planning, Social Security claiming, annuity and pension income design, tax-efficient withdrawal sequencing, Medicare and healthcare costs, housing decisions, and ongoing retirement-income portfolio management. Those themes show up across the required courses even when the exact elective differs.

What 2026 rule changes should RICP candidates know?

For 2026 planning work, candidates should know the IRS raised the 401(k) elective deferral limit to $24,500 and the IRA contribution limit to $7,500, Social Security benefits received a 2.8% COLA for 2026, and CMS set the 2026 Medicare Part D annual out-of-pocket threshold at $2,100. Advisors also need to account for the Social Security Fairness Act repeal of WEP and GPO in client-income planning.

How long does it take to earn the RICP designation?

Most candidates spread the program across several months, but the American College says a single RICP course can be completed in as little as five weeks inside the 10-week course structure. In practice, many advisors finish the full designation in about three to six months depending on workload and whether they use the two-course pathway available to some prior designees.