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American College HS330 Exam Overview:
| Certification Vendor: | The American College of Financial Services |
| Exam Name: | Fundamentals of Estate Planning |
| Exam Number: | HS330 |
| Real Exam Qty: | 85–100 |
| Available Languages: | English |
| Passing Score: | 700 out of 1000 (70%) |
| Exam Format: | Multiple-choice, Scenario-based questions |
| Exam Price: | $295 USD |
| Certificate Validity Period: | No expiration; course credit remains valid for designation completion |
| Related Certifications: | Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) CFP Certification Education |
| Exam Duration: | 120 minutes |
| Recommended Training: | HS 330 Official Study Materials |
| Exam Registration: | Pearson VUE Scheduling Official Course & Exam Registration |
| Sample Questions: | American College HS330 Sample Questions |
| Exam Way: | Computer-based proctored exam: onsite at Pearson VUE centers or online remote proctoring |
| Pre Condition: | No mandatory prerequisites; recommended prior knowledge of basic financial and tax concepts |
| Official Syllabus URL: | https://www.theamericancollege.edu/learn/courses/hs-330-fundamentals-estate-planning |
American College HS330 Exam Syllabus Topics:
| Section | Weight | Objectives |
|---|---|---|
| Topic 1: Advanced Planning Strategies | 15% | - Life insurance in estate planning - Planning for incapacity and special needs - Charitable giving techniques - Business succession planning & buy-sell agreements |
| Topic 2: Estate Planning Process & Legal Foundations | 20% | - Objectives and ethical considerations - Wills, powers of attorney, and advance directives - Property ownership forms and titling - Probate process and non-probate transfers |
| Topic 3: Federal Estate Tax System | 25% | - State death taxes and basis adjustments - Gross estate inclusion rules - Credits and tax computation - Marital and charitable deductions |
| Topic 4: Trusts & Fiduciary Arrangements | 20% | - Generation-skipping transfer tax (GSTT) - Revocable and irrevocable trusts - Specialized trust structures - Trust income taxation |
| Topic 5: Federal Gift Tax System | 20% | - Taxable gifts and filing requirements - Gift tax calculation and strategies - Exclusions, exemptions, and valuation rules |
American College Fundamentals of Estate Planning test Sample Questions:
1. An executor elects to value the assets of the estate at the alternative valuation date 6 months after death. Which of the following statements concerning the estate tax value of assets included in this estate is correct?
A) An annuity included in the gross estate that diminishes with the mere passage of time is includible at the date of death value.
B) Property that has increased in value since the date of death may be valued at the date of death if the executor so elects.
C) Property sold before the alternate valuation date is valued at the alternate valuation date.
D) Property distributed under the will before the alternate valuation date is valued at the date of death.
2. In which of the following situations will the grantor be taxed on income from trust property.
1.The grantor of a trust gives one of the trust beneficiaries the right to add or delete beneficiaries.
2.An adverse party to the grantor holds the power to determine the timing of trust distributions to the beneficiaries.
A) 1 only
B) Both 1 and 2
C) Neither 1 nor 2
D) 2 only
3. Which of the following factors is (are) used to make a choice between having an entity-purchase or cross-purchase partnership buy-sell agreement?
1.The cost basis of the partners' business interests.
2.The amount of the partners?individual personal net worths.
A) 1 only
B) Both 1 and 2
C) Neither 1 nor 2
D) 2 only
4. A taxable gift has been made in which of the following situations?
1.A father manages his disabled son's business for a year without compensation since a replacement manager would have cost $25,000.
2.A father verbally promises his 21-year-old daughter that he will give her his antique Mercedes when she graduates from college next year.
A) 1 only
B) Both 1 and 2
C) Neither 1 nor 2
D) 2 only
5. If a grantor establishes an irrevocable trust, the income of the trust will be taxed to the grantor if it is used to pay premiums for life insurance on the life of
A) the father of the grantor
B) a grandchild of the grantor
C) the spouse of the grantor
D) a child of the grantor
Solutions:
| Question # 1 Answer: A | Question # 2 Answer: C | Question # 3 Answer: A | Question # 4 Answer: C | Question # 5 Answer: C |
By Ziv
