RICP® — RICP Companion Prep Study Plan
A practical RICP® study plan for American College RICP Companion Prep candidates, with 7-day, 14-day, 30-day, and 60/90-day schedules.
Study Plan orientation
This Study Plan is for candidates preparing for the American College RICP Companion Prep exam path for RICP®. It is designed for working finance professionals who need to turn limited study time into a structured review schedule.
Use this plan alongside your American College materials, notes, and practice questions. The goal is not to reread everything. The goal is to build exam-ready judgment across retirement income scenarios, client facts, product distinctions, tax and distribution logic, insurance coverage issues, suitability, disclosure, and calculations when they appear in your materials.
This page is independent study planning and original practice support. It is not affiliated with American College.
Which plan should you use?
| Time until exam | Best plan | Weekly study load | Main objective | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days | Final review plan | 10-18 hours total | Confirm readiness, fix highest-risk gaps, practice timed recall | You have already completed most content |
| 14 days | Focused plan | 10-15 hours per week | Rebuild weak areas quickly and complete mixed practice | You know the material but need structure |
| 30 days | Balanced plan | 7-12 hours per week | Cover all major areas, add drills, complete mock review cycles | You have some prior exposure but need a full review |
| 60 days | Full preparation path | 5-8 hours per week | Learn, drill, review, and test under timed conditions | You are starting early or restarting |
| 90 days | Extended full path | 4-6 hours per week | Build mastery with spaced repetition and steady practice | You prefer a lighter weekly load or have a demanding schedule |
If you are unsure, choose the shorter plan only if you have already finished the core American College RICP Companion Prep materials. If you have not, use the 30-day or 60/90-day path.
Start with a 60-minute setup session
Before choosing daily assignments, complete this setup session.
| Step | Time | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Gather materials | 10 min | Put course notes, summaries, formulas, flashcards, and question banks in one place |
| Build a topic checklist | 10 min | List the retirement income topics covered in your current materials |
| Take a diagnostic set | 25-30 min | Answer 25-40 mixed questions without notes |
| Review misses | 10-15 min | Tag each miss by topic and error type |
| Calendar your plan | 5 min | Assign study blocks to actual days and protect mock exam time |
Do not skip the diagnostic. Your study plan should be driven by missed questions, not by the chapter order alone.
Core topic rotation for RICP® preparation
Use your current American College materials as the controlling source. The categories below give you a practical way to rotate review and avoid overstudying only the topics you already like.
| Topic area | What to practice | Common exam-prep mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Client retirement income profile | Goals, spending needs, time horizon, risk tolerance, family facts, health, liquidity, legacy intent | Answering before identifying the client’s primary need |
| Retirement income risks | Longevity, inflation, sequence of returns, market risk, interest-rate risk, health care risk | Treating all risks as solved by the same product or strategy |
| Income sources | Social Security concepts, pensions, retirement accounts, taxable accounts, employment income, annuity income | Ignoring timing, reliability, taxation, or survivor needs |
| Withdrawal and distribution strategy | Income gap, sustainable withdrawals, account sequencing, required distributions if relevant to your materials | Memorizing a rule without applying client facts |
| Tax-aware planning | Taxable vs tax-deferred vs tax-free logic, distribution timing, basis concepts, income characterization | Choosing a strategy without considering tax impact |
| Insurance and longevity tools | Annuities, life insurance, long-term care planning, health coverage distinctions | Confusing product guarantees, riders, liquidity, and suitability |
| Investment strategy in retirement | Asset allocation, income stability, total return, bucket concepts, rebalancing | Applying accumulation-stage thinking without retirement income constraints |
| Estate and beneficiary considerations | Beneficiary designations, survivor income, legacy goals, titling and coordination issues | Forgetting that beneficiary and survivor facts can change the best answer |
| Compliance and professional responsibility | Disclosure, documentation, suitability, client communication, conflicts | Choosing the technically possible answer instead of the most suitable one |
Daily practice rhythm
Use the same rhythm whether you are studying for 45 minutes or two hours. The sequence matters: recall first, then review, then practice.
| Study block | 45-minute day | 75-minute day | 2-hour day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retrieval warm-up | 5 min | 10 min | 10 min |
| Focused content review | 15 min | 20 min | 30 min |
| Topic drills | 15 min | 25 min | 40 min |
| Missed-question review | 7 min | 15 min | 25 min |
| Summary and next assignment | 3 min | 5 min | 15 min |
Daily rules
- Answer practice questions before opening notes whenever possible.
- Review every explanation, including questions you answered correctly by guessing.
- Keep a written error log. Do not rely on memory.
- End each session by writing 3-5 rules, distinctions, or decision cues.
- Revisit missed questions after 24 hours, then again after several days.
- Mix topics at least twice per week so you do not become dependent on chapter context.
Missed-question review method
A missed question is useful only if you convert it into a repeatable rule.
Error log columns
| Column | What to record |
|---|---|
| Date | When you missed it |
| Topic | Example: withdrawal order, annuity suitability, Social Security timing, long-term care, tax treatment |
| Error type | Concept gap, terminology, client-fact miss, calculation setup, product confusion, compliance judgment, pacing |
| Why the right answer is right | One sentence in your own words |
| Why your answer was wrong | The exact trap you fell into |
| Rule to remember | A short decision rule or distinction |
| Retest date | 24 hours, 3 days, or 7 days later |
Use the 4-pass review
- Re-answer without notes. Try the missed question again before reading the explanation.
- Explain the client fact. Identify the fact that should have changed your answer.
- Write the rule. Create a short rule, not a long paragraph.
- Retest later. Put the question or concept back into rotation.
Examples of useful rules:
- “If the question emphasizes liquidity, do not choose an illiquid solution unless the client has other liquid reserves.”
- “If survivor income is central, evaluate what happens after the first death, not just the first-year income.”
- “If the question asks for suitability, the best answer must fit the client facts, not merely describe a valid product.”
How to use practice questions
| Practice type | When to use it | How to review it |
|---|---|---|
| Topic drills | After each content block | Review immediately and tag every miss |
| Mixed sets | After you have reviewed several topics | Look for cross-topic traps and repeated weak areas |
| Free practice exams | Early diagnostic or light extra exposure | Do not overvalue repeated scores from questions you have memorized |
| Timed sets | Final half of your plan | Review pacing, confidence, and accuracy |
| Full mock exams | 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day plans; limited use in 7/14-day plans | Spend at least as long reviewing as you spent testing |
Do not burn through all practice questions too early. Save enough unseen mixed questions for the final week.
7-day final review plan
Use this plan if your exam is one week away and you have already completed most of the American College RICP Companion Prep content.
| Day | Main task | Practice target | Review focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diagnostic and triage | 40-60 mixed questions | Identify top 3 weak areas and build the final-week checklist |
| 2 | Client facts and retirement risks | 30-50 topic questions | Longevity, inflation, sequence risk, liquidity, health, survivor needs |
| 3 | Income sources and product distinctions | 30-50 topic questions | Social Security concepts, pensions, annuities, retirement accounts, income reliability |
| 4 | Withdrawal, tax, and calculation review | 30-50 questions plus formula practice | Income gap, distribution logic, tax-aware sequencing, calculation setup |
| 5 | Insurance, estate, compliance, suitability | 30-50 scenario questions | Long-term care, beneficiary issues, disclosure, documentation, conflicts |
| 6 | Timed mixed mock or two timed sets | 75-150 questions, depending on available time | Review every miss and every lucky guess |
| 7 | Light final review | 15-25 confidence questions only | Error log, formulas, decision rules, logistics |
7-day rules
- Stop adding new resources after Day 2.
- Stop learning brand-new topics after Day 5 unless the topic is repeatedly causing missed questions.
- Use Day 6 for timed performance, not passive reading.
- Use Day 7 for confidence and recall, not cramming.
- If you are scoring inconsistently in practice, prioritize explanation review over more questions.
14-day focused plan
Use this plan if you know the material but need a disciplined two-week push.
| Day | Assignment | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take a diagnostic mixed set and review explanations | Ranked weak-area list |
| 2 | Review client discovery, goals, retirement risks, and needs analysis | 1-page client-fact checklist |
| 3 | Drill retirement income risks and suitability scenarios | Error log entries and decision rules |
| 4 | Review income sources and timing concepts | Income-source comparison notes |
| 5 | Drill Social Security, pension, account, and annuity-style scenarios as covered in your materials | Product and income-source distinction table |
| 6 | Review withdrawal strategy, taxation, and account sequencing logic | Formula and process sheet |
| 7 | Timed mini-mock | Pacing notes and weak-area reset |
| 8 | Review health care, long-term care, insurance, and longevity planning | Coverage and suitability checklist |
| 9 | Review investment strategy in retirement | Risk and withdrawal interaction notes |
| 10 | Review estate, beneficiary, survivor, and legacy issues | Survivor-needs checklist |
| 11 | Review compliance, disclosure, documentation, and professional judgment | Suitability and documentation rules |
| 12 | Mixed timed sets | Updated error log; top 2 remaining gaps |
| 13 | Full mock or longest timed mixed set available | Full explanation review |
| 14 | Final review and taper | Error log, formulas, vocabulary, exam logistics |
If you fall behind in the 14-day plan
Do not try to compress all missed reading into the final two days. Instead:
- Complete one timed mixed set.
- Identify the highest-frequency weak topic.
- Review only that topic’s core rules.
- Drill 20-30 targeted questions.
- Repeat with the next weak topic.
30-day balanced plan
Use this plan if you can study consistently for about one month. This is the best default path for many working professionals.
| Phase | Days | Focus | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup and diagnostic | 1-3 | Organize materials, take diagnostic, create topic map | 40-60 mixed questions |
| Core review cycle 1 | 4-10 | Client facts, retirement risks, income sources, insurance and longevity tools | Topic drills after each review block |
| Core review cycle 2 | 11-17 | Withdrawals, tax logic, investment strategy, estate and survivor issues, compliance | Topic drills plus short mixed sets |
| First timed integration | 18 | Timed mock or long timed set | Full explanation review |
| Remediation | 19-23 | Rebuild the weakest 3-4 areas | Targeted drills and error-log retests |
| Second timed integration | 24-26 | Mixed timed sets or second mock | Pacing, endurance, scenario judgment |
| Final consolidation | 27-29 | Formula sheet, product distinctions, client-fact triggers, compliance rules | Light-to-moderate mixed practice |
| Taper | 30 | Final review and logistics | Short confidence set only |
30-day weekly pattern
| Week | Content goal | Practice goal | Mock use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Build the map and fix obvious gaps | Mostly topic drills | No full mock unless diagnostic only |
| Week 2 | Complete broad content review | Topic drills plus mixed sets | Optional timed mini-mock |
| Week 3 | Shift from learning to application | Mixed timed sets | First full mock or longest timed set |
| Week 4 | Finalize readiness | Error-log retests and mixed practice | Final mock early in the week, not the day before exam |
30-day time allocation
| Activity | Suggested share |
|---|---|
| Content review | 35% |
| Practice questions | 35% |
| Explanation review | 20% |
| Formula, vocabulary, and final notes | 10% |
If you notice that content review is taking more than half your time after Day 15, shift toward questions and explanations. Exam readiness comes from applying rules to scenarios, not only recognizing notes.
60/90-day full preparation path
Use this path if you are starting earlier or have not completed the core RICP Companion Prep materials.
| Phase | 60-day timing | 90-day timing | Objective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orientation and diagnostic | Days 1-3 | Week 1 | Understand the exam scope and establish baseline |
| First content pass | Days 4-21 | Weeks 2-4 | Complete core reading or lectures with light drills |
| Second content pass | Days 22-35 | Weeks 5-8 | Revisit weak areas and build comparison charts |
| Applied scenario practice | Days 36-45 | Weeks 9-10 | Shift from topic recall to client-based decisions |
| Timed integration | Days 46-53 | Weeks 11-12 | Complete timed sets and at least one mock cycle |
| Final review | Days 54-60 | Final week | Error log, formulas, vocabulary, and confidence practice |
60-day weekly structure
| Week | Focus | Assignments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Setup and retirement income framework | Diagnostic, topic map, first content blocks |
| 2 | Client facts and retirement risks | Notes, drills, scenario review |
| 3 | Income sources and product distinctions | Comparison charts and topic drills |
| 4 | Withdrawal, tax, and distribution logic | Calculation setup and applied questions |
| 5 | Insurance, health care, longevity, survivor needs | Scenario drills and documentation notes |
| 6 | Investments, estate, compliance, integration | Mixed sets and weak-area repair |
| 7 | Timed practice | Mock or long timed sets with full review |
| 8 | Final review | Error log, formulas, vocabulary, light practice |
90-day weekly structure
| Month | Focus | How to study |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Learn the framework | Complete first-pass content and light topic drills |
| Month 2 | Build applied judgment | Create comparison tables, drill weak topics, begin mixed sets |
| Month 3 | Convert knowledge into exam performance | Timed mocks, error-log retests, final review, pacing control |
For a 90-day plan, avoid making the first month passive. Every week should include at least one practice set and one error-log review session.
Calculation and formula practice
RICP® preparation is not only calculation work, but retirement income questions can require numerical discipline. Practice calculations the same way every time.
Calculation review checklist
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Identify what the question is asking for before using numbers |
| 2 | Write the known client facts: income need, assets, time horizon, tax status, or risk constraint |
| 3 | Select the correct process or formula from your materials |
| 4 | Estimate the answer before calculating, if possible |
| 5 | Check whether the result makes sense for the client scenario |
| 6 | Review whether the question is asking for the mathematically correct answer or the most suitable recommendation |
Build a one-page formula and process sheet
Include only items that appear in your American College materials and practice questions. Common categories to track include:
- Retirement income gap
- Withdrawal rate or distribution percentage logic
- Taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free account distinctions
- Annuity income and guarantee concepts, if covered
- Inflation-adjusted spending concepts
- Survivor income or replacement income logic
- Required distribution concepts, if included in your materials
Do not memorize numbers, limits, or effective dates from outside sources unless they are part of your current exam materials.
When to use timed mock exams
Timed mocks are most useful after you have enough content knowledge to learn from the result. Taking too many too early can waste good questions.
| Plan | Best mock timing | What to do afterward |
|---|---|---|
| 7-day plan | Day 6, or two shorter timed mixed sets | Review the same day; do not leave explanations for later |
| 14-day plan | Day 7 mini-mock and Day 13 longer mock | Use Day 8 and Day 14 to repair only the highest-value gaps |
| 30-day plan | Around Day 18 and Day 24-26 | Compare error patterns between mocks |
| 60-day plan | Weeks 6, 7, and final week if enough questions remain | Use each mock to drive remediation |
| 90-day plan | End of Month 2, mid-Month 3, and final review period | Track pacing, accuracy, and recurring scenario traps |
Mock review protocol
After each mock or long timed set:
- Mark every question as confident correct, uncertain correct, missed, or rushed.
- Review uncertain correct answers first. These are hidden weaknesses.
- Categorize misses by topic and error type.
- Write 5-10 rules that would have prevented the largest number of errors.
- Build the next two study sessions from those rules.
Final-week rules
The final week should be controlled and practical.
| Rule | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Stop adding new resources | New materials create confusion and dilute review time |
| Do not reread entire chapters unless a weak area demands it | Targeted review beats broad passive reading |
| Prioritize missed-question explanations | Explanations reveal the exam logic you are missing |
| Keep practice mixed and timed | You need to switch topics under pressure |
| Review product distinctions daily | Many finance questions turn on small suitability differences |
| Keep a short formula/process sheet | Calculation errors often come from setup, not arithmetic |
| Sleep and logistics matter | Fatigue causes client-fact misses and careless reading |
A practical stopping point for new material is 48-72 hours before the exam. After that, use your error log, formula sheet, comparison charts, and light mixed practice.
Exam-readiness checks
You do not need perfection. You need stable, explainable performance.
| Readiness check | You are in good shape when… |
|---|---|
| Topic coverage | You have reviewed every major topic in your current materials at least once |
| Explanation quality | You can explain why the right answer is right and why the tempting answer is wrong |
| Scenario judgment | You consistently identify the controlling client fact |
| Product distinctions | You can compare income, liquidity, guarantee, tax, and suitability features |
| Calculation setup | You know which values matter before calculating |
| Timed pacing | You finish timed sets without rushing the final questions |
| Error pattern | Your misses are scattered, not concentrated in the same topic |
| Final review | Your error log is shrinking and repeat misses are rare |
If you are not ready, do not respond by reading more pages at random. Choose the weakest tested topic, review the core rules, complete a targeted drill, and update the error log.
Practical next step
Start now with a 25-40 question diagnostic set under quiet, no-notes conditions. Review every explanation, rank your weakest topics, then choose the 7-day, 14-day, 30-day, or 60/90-day path that matches your calendar.