CTEP Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 6 Content Areas

Why the Six CTEP Domains Matter More Than You Think

The Chartered Trust and Estate Planner (CTEP) exam, delivered by AAFM India under the AAFM/GAFM framework, is not a loosely organized test of general financial planning knowledge. It is built around six clearly defined content areas, each with a fixed percentage weight. Once you know how those weights map onto the 75-question, 150-mark exam, your entire preparation strategy changes - you stop treating every topic equally and start allocating hours in proportion to what will actually appear on screen.

This matters because the CTEP exam format is unusual. It is a 115-minute, online multiple-choice test structured in three tiers: 30 questions worth one mark each, 30 questions worth two marks each, and 15 application-style questions worth four marks each. The four-mark tier is where domain knowledge gets tested in scenario form - you are not just recalling a definition, you are applying succession or trust rules to a fact pattern. If you want a full breakdown of that scoring structure and what 75/150 actually requires, see our CTEP Passing Score guide, and for a broader walkthrough of the exam experience, our CTEP difficulty guide is a useful companion to this one.

Domain 1: Introduction to Estate Planning (7%)

This is the foundational domain and, at 7% of the exam, the smallest by weight. It sets up the vocabulary and conceptual framework used throughout the rest of the test - what estate planning actually covers, the roles of the planner, and how estate planning differs from generic financial or retirement planning.

Because this domain is small, it is tempting to skim it. Resist that urge - the definitions introduced here reappear inside four-mark application questions in later domains, so getting the terminology wrong at this stage compounds errors elsewhere.

Domain 2: Laws Affecting Estate Planning (13%)

Domain 2 builds the legal scaffolding around estate planning in India. This is where candidates learn how tax law, property law, and regulatory frameworks intersect with an individual's estate.

At 13%, this domain is worth roughly 10 questions in exam terms. It is a natural companion to Domain 3, since many legal principles here directly inform how succession laws are applied.

Domain 3: Personal & Intestate Succession Laws in India (27%)

This is the domain that decides whether most candidates pass or fail. At 27% - more than a quarter of the entire exam - Personal & Intestate Succession Laws in India is by far the largest content area, and it deserves the largest share of your study calendar.

Because this single domain represents roughly 20 of the 75 questions, weak preparation here is mathematically very difficult to overcome even with strong performance elsewhere. Our CTEP Study Guide goes deeper into how to structure a multi-week plan specifically around this domain's weight.

Domain 4: Testamentary Succession (21%)

Testamentary Succession picks up where intestate succession leaves off: what happens when a valid will exists. At 21% of the exam, this domain is nearly as important as Domain 3, and the two are frequently tested together in application-style questions that ask you to distinguish testate from intestate scenarios.

Given that Domains 3 and 4 together represent 48% of the exam, candidates who master succession law - both with and without a will - put themselves in a strong position to clear the passing threshold even before touching the remaining four domains.

Domain 5: Trust Planning in India (21%)

Trust Planning in India ties for second-largest weight at 21%, and it is arguably the most "practitioner-facing" domain - this is the content area most directly connected to the day-to-day work of trust and estate professionals after certification.

This domain also connects most directly to career outcomes. If you're weighing whether the certification translates into real employment demand, our CTEP Jobs overview outlines the kinds of roles - family office analysts, trust administrators, wealth advisory teams - where Trust Planning knowledge is applied daily.

Domain 6: International Estate Planning (12%)

The final domain, at 12%, expands the scope beyond Indian succession and trust law into cross-border estate planning issues - increasingly relevant given the number of NRI clients and globally mobile families that trust and estate professionals now serve.

Notably, this domain is also relevant to the exam's own structure: AAFM India runs a separate overseas/NRI registration track (USD 1,000 registration plus a USD 100 exam fee, versus the resident-India Rs. 47,200 plus GST registration and Rs. 5,000 plus GST exam fee). If you're comparing these figures against total cost of certification, our CTEP Certification Cost breakdown lays out every fee, including the USD 100 post-pass certification fee and annual renewal costs.

How the Tiered Question Format Tests Each Domain

Domain weighting tells you what proportion of the 75 questions come from each area, but it doesn't tell you how those questions feel while you're answering them. The CTEP exam uses three distinct question tiers, and understanding how they map to domain content helps you prepare more precisely.

• 30 one-mark questions: Direct recall - definitions, statutory provisions, and terminology, often drawn from Domains 1, 2, and 6.
• 30 two-mark questions: Applied recognition - identifying which rule or provision applies to a short scenario, common across Domains 3, 4, and 5.
• 15 four-mark questions: Full application scenarios - multi-step fact patterns that often blend two domains, such as an intestate succession case that also raises a trust or will validity question.

Because the four-mark tier is worth 60 of the 150 total marks despite being only 15 questions, these application questions carry outsized influence on your final score. They disproportionately draw from the heaviest domains - 3, 4, and 5 - which reinforces why those three areas deserve the bulk of your preparation time.

Domain Weighting at a Glance

Keep a copy of this table handy during revision - or better, print the condensed version in our CTEP Cheat Sheet, which distills each domain's must-know facts onto a single page for last-week review.

Mapping a Study Timeline to Domain Weight

Generic study techniques - timed review blocks, spaced repetition, active recall - only help if they're pointed at the right material. Since scheduling opens 60 days after registration and you have a 12-month access window to sit the exam, most candidates have room to build a deliberate, domain-weighted schedule rather than cramming.

For a more detailed week-by-week plan, including how to layer in full-length timed practice, see our complete CTEP Study Guide.

Who Hires for These Domains

The six domains aren't just an exam construct - they reflect the actual skill set employers expect from a Chartered Trust and Estate Planner. Wealth management firms, family offices, private banks, and independent estate planning practices look for professionals who can move fluidly between intestate succession rules, will drafting and probate, and trust structuring, particularly for clients with cross-border assets. If you're still deciding whether the designation fits your career path, start with What Is CTEP? for the fundamentals, then review CTEP Requirements to confirm eligibility - candidates can enroll after 10+2, but graduation in any stream is required before the designation is actually awarded.

You can also run full domain-weighted mock exams on our CTEP practice test platform to see exactly how these six areas feel under real exam conditions, and revisit the practice test homepage whenever you want a fresh timed attempt before exam day.

Frequently Asked Questions