CTEP Exam Information and Outline
Chartered Trust & Estate Planner
CTEP Exam Syllabus & Study Guide
Before you start practicing with our exam simulator, it is essential to understand the
official CTEP exam objectives. This course outline serves as your roadmap.
The information below reflects the 2026 syllabus defined by
AAFM.
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
Exam Code: CTEP
Exam Name: AAFM Chartered Trust & Estate Planner (CTEP)
Duration: Typically 2–3 hours (varies by testing provider).
Passing Score: Usually around 70%–75% (subject to AAFM guidelines).
Format: Multiple-choice questions- case studies- and/or essay-based assessments (varies by provider).
- Fundamentals of Estate Planning
- Testate vs. Intestate (dying with/without a will)
- Probate (legal validation of a will)
- Grantor/Settlor (creator of a trust)
- Beneficiary (individual receiving assets)
- Executor/Administrator (person managing the estate)
- Guardianship (care of minors/dependents)
- Wills & Trusts
- Types of Wills:
- Simple Will
- Holographic Will
- Pour-Over Will
- Living Will.
- Trust Structures:
- Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts
- Living Trusts (created during lifetime)
- Testamentary Trusts (created via will)
- Special Needs Trusts (for disabled beneficiaries)
- Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRT)
- Trustee (manager of the trust)
- Fiduciary Duty (legal responsibility to act in beneficiary’s best interest)
- Per Stirpes vs. Per Capita (inheritance distribution methods)
- Tax Planning & Wealth Transfer
- Estate Tax vs. Inheritance Tax
- Gift Tax (annual exclusions- lifetime exemptions)
- Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax (GSTT)
- Step-Up in Basis (tax adjustment on inherited assets)
- Portability (transfer of unused estate tax exemption between spouses)
- Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT)
- Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT)
- Probate & Estate Administration
- Probate Process: Steps- timelines- and costs.
- Small Estate Affidavit (simplified probate for small estates)
- Letters Testamentary (legal authority to administer an estate)
- Estate Inventory & Appraisals
- Creditor Claims & Debt Settlement
- Asset Protection & Risk Management
- Domestic Asset Protection Trusts (DAPT)
- Family Limited Partnerships (FLP)
- Limited Liability Companies (LLC) for Asset Protection
- Homestead Exemptions (protecting primary residence)
- Fraudulent Conveyance (illegal asset transfer to avoid creditors)
- International Estate Planning
- Foreign Trusts & Tax Compliance (e.g.- FATCA)
- Domicile vs. Residence (tax implications)
- Treaty Planning (avoiding double taxation)
- Offshore Asset Protection Trusts
- Business Succession Planning
- Buy-Sell Agreements (funded by life insurance)
- Key Person Insurance
- Family Business Transfers (e.g.- Installment Sales- FLPs)
- Valuation Methods (discounted cash flow- market comparables)
- Ethics & Professional Standards
- Fiduciary Responsibilities
- Conflicts of Interest
- Client Confidentiality
- AAFM Code of Ethics