- What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
- The Five Preparation Modules at a Glance
- Exam Format: Part I, Part II, and the 75% Rule
- Fees, Registration and Membership Numbers
- Who Qualifies to Sit for the Credential
- Current-Law Traps: WEP, GPO and Outdated Study Material
- Exam-Day Logistics and Permitted Materials
- Sequencing Your Review Around the Modules
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The final exam is 120 questions over 4 hours: Part I has 80 questions, Part II has two 20-question case sets.
- Every threshold is 75%: 60/80 on Part I and 15/20 on each Part II case, with no averaging.
- Standard tuition is $3,395 including initial membership; standard enrollments on or after July 20, 2026 include one exam registration.
- WEP and GPO were repealed for benefits payable January 2024 onward, so never study them as current reductions.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
This page condenses the facts about the Registered Social Security Analyst (RSSA) credential, offered through the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts (NARSSA), into something you can review in a single sitting. It focuses on the numbers and rules candidates most often mix up: exam structure, passing thresholds, fees, eligibility routes, and the post-credential obligations that keep the designation active.
One scoping note matters before anything else. The five areas below are the preparation-module topics NARSSA publishes for the program. They are unweighted curriculum headings, not an official five-domain exam blueprint, and the detailed chapter contents of the program outline are not publicly exposed. Treat this sheet as an orientation layer, not a substitute for the program materials themselves. For a deeper walk through each content area, see our complete guide to all five RSSA content areas.
The Five Preparation Modules at a Glance
The program is organized into five modules, each followed by its own assessment. Current module titles take precedence over any legacy names you may find in older study notes or forum threads.
Domain 1: Foundations of Social Security
The base layer the rest of the program builds on.
- Core program structure and how benefit eligibility is established
- Fundamental claiming concepts you must know cold before tackling advanced material
- Part I of the final exam draws on Modules I-IV, so this foundation is tested directly
Domain 2: Mastery of Advanced Topics
Where candidates move from definitions to judgment.
- Nuanced claiming and benefit-interaction situations
- Edge cases that separate memorization from real analytical ability
- Questions here tend to reward careful reading of the scenario over recall of a single rule
Domain 3: Bridging Benefits Across Related Programs
Social Security rarely operates in isolation, and this module reflects that.
- How Social Security connects to related programs and benefit streams
- Recognizing when a client's situation crosses program boundaries
- Staying current: some older cross-program rules no longer apply (see the current-law section below)
Domain 4: Expert Practice & Client Communication
The professional-practice layer.
- Translating technical findings into plain-language client guidance
- Professional conduct expectations, which also carry into ongoing membership
- Framing recommendations responsibly rather than overpromising outcomes
Domain 5: Social Security Software Case Studies
The applied module, and the conceptual home of the Part II case work.
- Working through realistic client scenarios using analysis software logic
- Connecting inputs, assumptions, and outputs to a defensible recommendation
- Part II presents two RSSA Roadmap cases, so practice reading a case end to end
Because Part I is explicitly tied to Modules I-IV and Part II to case-based work, it helps to know where each skill will be tested. Our RSSA study guide maps these modules to a practical preparation plan.
Exam Format: Part I, Part II, and the 75% Rule
The final examination is administered and proctored online by College for Financial Planning, a Kaplan company, through the Kaplan Exam Portal. It has two parts with separate pass requirements, which is the single most misunderstood feature of the exam.
| Component | Questions | Time | To Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part I (Modules I-IV) | 80 multiple-choice | 2 hours | 60 of 80 correct (75%) |
| Part II, Case 1 (RSSA Roadmap) | 20 multiple-choice | 1 hour | 15 of 20 correct (75%) |
| Part II, Case 2 (RSSA Roadmap) | 20 multiple-choice | 1 hour | 15 of 20 correct (75%) |
| Total | 120 questions | 4 hours | Each threshold passed separately |
The four-hour total excludes the optional 10-minute break between parts.
The gating rules
- No averaging. A strong Part I score cannot offset a weak case. Each of the three thresholds must be met on its own.
- Failing Part I blocks Part II. You do not get to attempt the cases until Part I is passed.
- Failing Case 1 blocks Case 2. The cases are sequential gates, not independent attempts.
- Either case failure means retaking Part II. Plan for that as a full Part II retake rather than a single-case redo.
Candidates often ask about difficulty. The honest answer is that the structure, with separate gates and a uniform 75% bar, is a bigger challenge than any single question type. We cover this in how hard the RSSA exam is, and we deliberately avoid quoting pass-rate figures here because none are published in the program facts we rely on; see what the data does and doesn't show.
Module assessments are not the final exam
Each of the five modules has its own separate assessment: 40 questions, 75% required, open-book and untimed. These are prerequisites for final-exam access, not the proctored final. Passing them does not mean you are ready for the closed-book final, so do not let the open-book format lull you into under-preparing.
Fees, Registration and Membership Numbers
| Item | Amount / Rule |
|---|---|
| Standard program tuition | $3,395 USD, including initial membership |
| Final-exam registration (standard enrollments on/after July 20, 2026) | One registration included |
| Additional final-exam registration | $350 |
| Annual membership renewal | $479, every 12 months from original enrollment |
| Legacy-bundle complimentary retakes (pre-July 20 enrollments) | Expire October 31, 2026 |
Two cautions keep this table honest. First, the enrollment-specific terms govern over the generic $350 exam statement in the FAQ, so check which rules apply to your enrollment date. Second, enterprise and other enrollment channels have different exam-inclusion rules; do not assume every channel includes an exam or a retake. For the full picture, including what to budget beyond tuition, read our RSSA certification cost breakdown.
Access requirements for the final exam
- Active NARSSA membership
- Successful completion of all five modules, including each module assessment
If you are weighing whether the investment pays off, our ROI analysis and earnings overview discuss the question without relying on invented figures.
Who Qualifies to Sit for the Credential
Credential eligibility is broader than many candidates expect. Any one of the following qualifies:
- An accepted professional license or designation
- An insurance license
- FINRA registration or investment-adviser status
- An IRS PTIN
- Relevant experience approved by NARSSA
The dedicated eligibility page includes the experience-review route, which the narrower FAQ omits. If you work in a Social Security-adjacent role without a formal license, that route is worth investigating rather than assuming you are excluded. Our RSSA requirements guide walks through each pathway, and the overview of RSSA jobs shows which professional backgrounds commonly pursue the designation.
Keeping the credential active
- Membership: renews every 12 months from original enrollment at $479.
- Continuing education: four CE credits per year.
- Credential-award year: exempt from the CE requirement.
- No carryover: excess credits do not roll into the next year.
- Professional conduct: separate conduct requirements also apply.
Current-Law Traps: WEP, GPO and Outdated Study Material
This is the section most likely to save you from a wrong answer. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) were repealed for benefits payable January 2024 onward. They must not be studied or applied as current benefit reductions.
Key Takeaway
If an older book, forum post, or practice question describes a WEP or GPO reduction as current law, it is outdated. Verify against the Social Security Administration's page on the Social Security Fairness Act, and prioritize the program's 2026-updated materials over anything older.
The program was updated for 2026 (announced January 14, 2026), so the module titles and content you study should reflect that version. When third-party notes conflict with current module titles, the current titles win. This is also why we recommend pairing any outside review material with the official program content rather than relying on it alone.
Exam-Day Logistics and Permitted Materials
The proctored final is closed-book with narrow exceptions. Know the rules before you schedule, because a technical or environment problem is an avoidable way to lose an attempt.
Permitted
- The authorized Final Exam Reference Guide
- One blank scratch sheet
- Pen or pencil
- A basic four-function calculator
Technology and environment requirements
- Desktop or laptop with a single monitor
- Webcam, microphone, and speakers
- Reliable internet connection
- A private room
Run through the full setup well ahead of your slot, not the morning of. The official exam rules page is the authority on anything not listed here. For scheduling specifics and deadlines, see our guide to RSSA exam dates and scheduling.
Sequencing Your Review Around the Modules
You do not need a generic study system to use this sheet. A short RSSA-specific sequence is enough, built around how the exam is gated:
Lock in Foundations of Social Security
- Part I rests on Modules I-IV, and a shaky foundation undermines the advanced material
- Review the reference guide so you know what it contains before test day
Advanced Topics and Related Programs
- Work scenario-style questions on Mastery of Advanced Topics and Bridging Benefits Across Related Programs
- Flag and discard any outdated WEP/GPO reasoning as you go
Practice and Communication, then Case Work
- Review Expert Practice & Client Communication and conduct expectations
- Finish with Social Security Software Case Studies, practicing full 20-question case runs against a one-hour clock
Finishing on case work is deliberate: Part II is the stage that can force a retake, and it rewards fluency in reading a full scenario quickly. To rehearse that skill in an exam-style format, try the practice questions on our main practice test site, and use them to check your timing against the 1-hour case limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Part I requires 60 of 80, and each Part II case requires 15 of 20. All three thresholds are 75% and must be passed separately; a combined average cannot replace them.
Failing either case requires retaking Part II. Failing Case 1 also blocks you from attempting Case 2, and failing Part I blocks Part II entirely.
No. The module assessments are open-book and untimed, but the proctored final is closed-book except for the authorized Final Exam Reference Guide, a blank scratch sheet, pen or pencil, and a basic four-function calculator.
Do not study them as current reductions. Both were repealed for benefits payable January 2024 onward, and the program has been updated for 2026. Verify against the Social Security Administration source if any material contradicts this.
Membership renews every 12 months at $479, with four CE credits required annually (exempt in the year the credential is awarded, with no carryover of excess credits). See the full pricing breakdown for planning, and the overview of what the certification is if you are still deciding.