Accredited Retirement Advisor (ARA)
The Accredited Retirement Advisor (ARA) credential recognizes professionals who have a thorough knowledge of topics relevant to retirement planning and special issues of senior citizens including tax planning and tax preparation for decedents, estates, and trusts; and applying your knowledge and skills in real-life situations when serving aging clients.
ABOUT THE EXAM
The ARA examination is a 100-question, multiple-choice exam that tests proficiency in the special issues of senior citizens including tax planning and tax preparation for decedents, estates, and trusts; and applying your knowledge and skills in real-life situations when serving aging clients.
The questions on the ARA exam are developed as the result of a Job Task Analysis that studies what retirement advisors do, how often they perform each task and how important they perceive the task to be.
Candidates are given 3 hours to complete each 100-question, multiple-choice exam. For a more detailed look at the individual topics covered, please see the ARA Exam Blueprint.
Candidates cannot earn certification without passing the certification examination. For the ARA, a passing grade is 70. Candidates will receive a letter from ACAT notifying them of their official and final test pass/fail results. Scores will be available 4-6 weeks after the end of the exam window scores are obtained through Scantron’s secure online portal. Test results are confidential and will not be released to anyone without your written permission. ACAT securely stores exam results indefinitely.
EXAM PREPARATION MATERIALS
ACAT partners with the National Society of Accountants to provide study materials for the ARA exam. The ARA Prep Course is written by leading CPAs, EAs, tax law, and ethics experts and published by the National Society of Accountants (NSA). This course covers topics relevant to retirement planning and special issues of senior citizens. Each chapter includes reference materials and review questions with answers and explanations.
Areas of study include tax planning and tax preparation for decedents, estates, and trusts, Federal Gift Tax, and more.
To view the course sample, click here.
For more information on all exam preparation materials available for you during your study process, please visit our Exam Preparation page.
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
To hold the ARA candidates must be at least 18 years of age. There are no other educational or experience requirements to take the ARA exam and/or to hold the ARA credential.
MAINTAINING YOUR CREDENTIAL
Individuals holding the Accredited Retirement Advisor (ARA) credential must earn 24 hours of CPE each year with at least 8 hours in elder-care issues (such as retirement, asset management, Social Security, Medicare, long-term care, or trusts and estates); plus 2 hours in ethics. The remaining hours can be in accounting, taxation, finance, technology, business law, or subjects that relate to your particular area of practice or employment.
CPE requirements are prorated for those who earn an ACAT credential after the start of a reporting cycle. For additional information, visit our CPE requirements page.
For a more detailed overview of all requirements needed to maintain your credential, please visit the page for Current Credential Holders.