Free CISP Exam Prep
ABA Certified IRA Services Professional (CISP)
Prepare for the CISP exam without spending hundreds on expensive prep courses. Free study guides, practice questions, flashcards, and related exam resources.
Quick Facts
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CISP ABA Banking Certifications: Study Roadmap
Follow this path to organize your exam preparation
Phase 1: Portability and Distributions (40% of the outline)You are here
Work through transfers, 60-day rollovers, the one-rollover-per-year rule, conversions, recharacterizations, repayments, distribution taxation, withholding, RMDs, beneficiary payouts, and Section 72(t) exceptions.
Phase 2: IRA Contributions (16%)
Drill 2026 contribution limits, compensation rules, deductibility and Roth phase-outs, deadlines, and excess-contribution corrections with NIA.
Phase 3: Documentation, Disclosure, and Reporting (13%)
Master the 5305-series model forms, disclosure and revocation rules, beneficiary designations, and Forms 5498, 1099-R, 5329, and 8606 with their penalties.
Phase 4: Retirement Planning Considerations (11%)
Study beneficiary selection, see-through, conduit, and accumulation trusts, and the estate and income taxation of inherited IRAs.
Phase 5: Fees, Investments, and SEP/SIMPLE Plans (20%)
Finish with prohibited transactions and exemptions, collectibles and nontraditional assets, valuation and fee disclosure, and SEP and SIMPLE eligibility, contributions, tax benefits, and the 2-year rule.
Can You Take the CISP Exam?
Check if you meet the basic eligibility requirements
- •Purchase the exam and submit the completed ABA CISP application by the published due date (January 8, 2027 for the March 1-31, 2027 window)
- •Sign the ABA Professional Certifications Code of Ethics statement and disclose any covered convictions or liability findings
- •Meet the experience requirement with U.S.-based IRA experience by the time of the exam
CISP Quick Facts
Time to Get Licensed
8-12 weeks of focused study is typical for working bank IRA administrators preparing for the ABA testing window
From start to license in hand
Exam Provider
Meazure Learning test centers and live remote proctoring
Retake Policy
Candidates who do not pass may retake the exam in a window whose start date is at least 3 months after the start date of their previous window; the retake fee is $350, there is no limit on attempts, and the exam must be passed within 3 years of the first attempt or a new application and full fee are required.
Total Cost Breakdown
Free CISP Prep Tools
Reported exam pass rate: ABA does not publish a public CISP pass-rate statistic.. These figures describe exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep user outcomes. Check the exam sponsor’s website for published statistics.
100 Practice Questions
Bank-IRA practice on documentation, contributions, rollovers, distributions, RMDs, and Form 5498 and 1099-R reporting.
Bank IRA Scenarios
Detailed explanations for documentation, contribution, conversion, RMD, and beneficiary-distribution decisions.
2026 Updated
Includes SECURE 2.0 Roth catch-up effective 2026, the 2024 inherited-IRA final regulations, and current contribution and QCD limits.
Free Access
Practice the full bank-IRA blueprint at no cost before paying the ABA exam fee.
What You'll Study
13 chapters covering the exam topics in this guide
Introduction: The CISP Exam
1 sections
Chapter 1: IRA Documentation & Account Establishment
4 sections
Chapter 2: Traditional IRA Eligibility, Contributions & Deductibility
3 sections
Chapter 3: Roth IRA Eligibility, Contributions & Conversions
3 sections
Chapter 4: Retirement Plan Portability, Transfers & Rollovers
5 sections
Chapter 5: IRA Distributions, Premature Penalties & Withholding
4 sections
Chapter 6: Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) for Account Owners
3 sections
Chapter 7: Beneficiary Distributions & Inherited IRAs
4 sections
Chapter 8: Retirement Planning Considerations: Beneficiaries, Trusts, and Estate Taxation
3 sections
Chapter 9: Employer-Sponsored Plans: SEP IRAs
3 sections
Chapter 10: Employer-Sponsored Plans: SIMPLE IRAs
5 sections
Chapter 11: IRA Investments, Prohibited Transactions & Fiduciary Duties
4 sections
Chapter 12: IRS Reporting, Tax Forms & Regulatory Compliance
3 sections
CISP Exam Details
ABA Certified IRA Services Professional (CISP)
Administered by American Bankers Association (ABA)
Exam Content Breakdown
Based on the official American Bankers Association (ABA) content outline
Plan establishment and maintenance; IRA disclosure statements, notices, and delivery methods; beneficiary designation; and reporting with its associated penalties.
Contribution eligibility, limits, and deadlines; deductibility and other tax issues; and excess contribution rules and penalties.
Transfers, rollovers, conversions, recharacterizations, and other transactions such as repayments and recontributions.
Taxation and withholding rules, required minimum distributions, beneficiary distribution rules, and penalties and penalty exceptions.
Beneficiary selection, trusts as beneficiaries, and the estate and income taxation of IRAs.
Prohibited transactions, prohibited investments, and prohibited transaction exemptions; fees and disclosure rules; nontraditional investment issues; and account valuation requirements.
Eligibility, employer tax benefits, plan establishment and maintenance, contributions, portability, and distributions.
What's Included
13 Chapters
Complete exam coverage
Practice Quizzes
With detailed explanations
Free to Start
No credit card required
Quality Exam Prep Shouldn't Cost Hundreds
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What's Next After the CISP?
After passing the CISP, you can pursue these career paths
CRSP
Certified Retirement Services Professional, ABA's broader retirement-plan administrator credential covering qualified plans alongside IRAs.
CTFA
Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor, the ABA credential for trust officers and fiduciary advisors who manage IRA-funded trusts and estate accounts.
CISP Exam FAQ
Official American Bankers Association (ABA) Resources
Verify information with these official sources
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Ready to Start Your Free CISP Prep?
Review the study guide, practice key concepts, and use the free tools at your own pace.