RSSA Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

The Three 75% Thresholds

Most certification candidates ask a single question: "What score do I need?" For the Registered Social Security Analyst credential, the honest answer is that there is no single score. The final examination is built from three separately graded pieces, and each one carries its own 75% requirement.

The total assessment runs 120 questions over 4 hours, excluding the optional 10-minute break between parts. That arithmetic is easy to memorize, but the part that trips people up is the rule underneath it: a combined average cannot replace separate passes. If you score 70 of 80 on Part I and then 14 of 20 on a case, you have not passed that case, no matter how strong your overall percentage looks.

How the Final Exam Is Built

The final examination for the RSSA program is administered and proctored online by College for Financial Planning, a Kaplan company, through the Kaplan Exam Portal. Understanding the structure helps you translate the passing score into practical pacing.

Part I: The Knowledge Test

Part I covers the first four modules and asks 80 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours. That works out to 90 seconds per question, which is comfortable for recall items and tight for multi-step benefit calculations. To clear the bar, you can miss no more than 20 questions. Treat that number as a budget: every question you flag and return to is a chance to protect it.

Part II: The Roadmap Cases

Part II shifts from isolated knowledge to applied analysis. You work through two RSSA Roadmap cases, each with 20 multiple-choice questions and a 1-hour limit. Each case is graded on its own, so you can afford to miss only 5 questions per case. Because the questions within a case build on one client scenario, an early misreading of the facts can cascade across several items.

For a broader look at how demanding this format is in practice, see our guide on how hard the RSSA exam is.

Gating Rules: Why Order Matters

The sequence of the exam creates dependencies that change how you should think about risk:

• Failing Part I blocks Part II. You do not get to attempt the cases until the knowledge test is passed.
• Failing Case 1 blocks Case 2. The cases are sequential, not parallel.
• Failing either case requires retaking Part II. There is no partial credit that carries a passed case forward in the way candidates often assume, so plan on preparing for the whole of Part II again if one case goes wrong.

Passing Before the Final: Module Assessments

Long before you sit for the proctored exam, you must clear a different set of hurdles. Final-exam access requires active NARSSA membership and successful completion of all five modules. Each module has its own assessment with these characteristics:

• 40 questions
• 75% required to pass
• Open-book
• Untimed

These module assessments are not the proctored final, and it is a mistake to treat them as a rehearsal of final-exam conditions. Open-book, untimed questions reward looking things up; the final rewards knowing things cold, with only the authorized Final Exam Reference Guide to lean on. Use the module assessments to find your gaps, not to judge your readiness.

Eligibility for the credential itself is a separate question from exam access. Accepted routes include a professional license or designation, an insurance license, FINRA registration or investment-adviser status, an IRS PTIN, or relevant experience approved by NARSSA. Our overview of RSSA requirements and eligibility walks through each path.

Mapping the Five Domains to Your Score Targets

The five preparation-curriculum topics are unweighted, and they are not an official exam blueprint, so do not assume equal or proportional coverage on test day. What you can do is match each topic to the portion of the exam where it most likely matters. Part I draws on Modules I-IV, while the Roadmap cases test applied judgment, and the fifth topic centers on software-driven case work.

For a detailed walk through each area, read our complete guide to the RSSA exam domains.

A Domain-Aware Study Sequence

Generic study schedules ignore the exam's structure. A better approach is to sequence your preparation around the gating rules, because Part I is the gate everything else passes through.

Our RSSA study guide expands this into a fuller plan, and the practice tests on the main site let you rehearse the 60/80 and 15/20 thresholds under realistic timing.

Winning the Two RSSA Roadmap Cases

Because each case needs 15 of 20, and because a case failure forces a full Part II retake, the cases deserve more strategic attention than their 40-question total suggests. A few habits make a measurable difference.

1. Read the client facts before any question. Cases are built on a single scenario. Identify ages, work history, marital status, and goals first.
2. Note which facts are decision-relevant. Scenarios often include details that do not change the answer. Learning to ignore them saves time.
3. Treat each answer as dependent. If an early question depends on a fact you misread, later items may inherit the error. Re-verify before committing.
4. Watch for software-style reasoning. Domain 5 material rewards understanding why an output looks the way it does, not just what it says.

Retakes, Fees, and What a Failure Costs

Because the passing standard is strict, it is worth understanding the financial side of missing it. Standard program tuition is $3,395, which includes initial membership. Standard enrollments on or after July 20, 2026 include one final-exam registration, and additional registrations cost $350.

Several caveats matter here:

• Enterprise benefits differ from standard enrollments, so do not assume your employer arrangement mirrors the standard terms.
• Pre-July-20 legacy-bundle complimentary retakes expire October 31, 2026.
• Other enrollment channels have their own exam-inclusion rules; none should be assumed to include an exam or a retake.

Check your enrollment-specific terms rather than relying on a general statement. For the full picture, see our RSSA certification cost breakdown.

Exam-Day Logistics That Protect Your Score

A technical problem can erase a margin you spent weeks building. The exam is closed-book except for the authorized Final Exam Reference Guide. Permitted materials are limited to one blank scratch sheet, a pen or pencil, and a basic four-function calculator. Your setup must include:

• A desktop or laptop with one monitor
• A webcam, microphone, and speakers
• Reliable internet
• A private room

Use the optional 10-minute break between parts deliberately. It does not count against the 4 hours of testing, so it is free time to reset after Part I. Test your equipment well ahead of your sitting, and review the official exam rules on the NARSSA site so nothing about the proctoring process surprises you.

Current-Law Traps That Cost Points

One of the easiest ways to drop questions is studying outdated rules. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) were repealed for benefits payable January 2024 onward. They must not be treated as current benefit reductions. If older study materials teach them as live rules, cross-check against the Social Security Administration's own explanation of the Social Security Fairness Act before you commit anything to memory.

After You Pass: Membership and CE

Clearing the three thresholds earns the credential, but it also starts an ongoing obligation. Membership renews every 12 months from your original enrollment at $479. You must complete four annual CE credits, with an exemption in the credential-award year and no carryover of excess credits. Professional-conduct requirements also apply.

If you are weighing whether those recurring costs make sense, our analyses of whether the RSSA certification is worth it and the RSSA salary guide help frame the trade-off. If you are still orienting yourself to the credential, start with what RSSA certification is.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now that you know the exact numbers, put them into practice with timed questions on the main practice test site and keep our exam dates guide handy as you plan your sitting.