This FPC cheat sheet boils PayrollOrg's Fundamental Payroll Certification down to a printable rundown of the facts the exam tests most. It's a premium cheat sheet built by Capital Prep — the one premium prep we trust — and it's yours free. Reinforce it with the rest of your free FPC toolkit: the practice test, study guide, and flashcards.
FPC exam at a glance
- Questions: 150 multiple-choice (125 scored + 25 unscored pretest)
- Time: 3 hours (computer-based at Pearson VUE or OnVUE)
- Passing score: Scaled 300 on a 0–500 scale (raw score equated across forms)
- Cost: $370 members / $480 non-members (Northern Americas; verify on-site)
- Certifying body: PayrollOrg (formerly the American Payroll Association)
- Recertification: Every 3 years — 60 RCHs of payroll education or re-exam
What’s on the FPC cheat sheet
- Core Payroll Concepts (29%) — worker classification, the FLSA, FICA and FUTA, and the forms (W-4, W-2, I-9, 1099-NEC) — the largest area.
- Calculation of the Paycheck (24%) — the gross-to-net order, overtime and the regular rate, withholding methods, and pre- vs post-tax deductions.
- Compliance / Research & Resources (17%) — EFTPS deposits, the lookback period, returns and due dates (941, 940, W-2), record retention, and penalties.
- Audits (8%) — internal controls, segregation of duties, reconciliation, and year-end tie-outs.
- Accounting (8%) — debits and credits, the payroll journal entry, and accruals under the matching principle.
- Payroll Process & Systems (7%) — the processing cycle, time and attendance, pay delivery, and system controls.
- Payroll Administration & Management (7%) — policies, confidentiality, metrics and KPIs, and outsourcing.
How to use it in your final week
- Memorize the content-area weights first — Core Payroll Concepts (29%) and Calculation of the Paycheck (24%) are over half the exam, so guard your review time for them.
- Drill the number facts cold: Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% with no cap, the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax over $200,000, and FUTA's net 0.6% on the first $7,000.
- Rehearse the gross-to-net order and the FLSA overtime rule (1.5× the regular rate over 40 hours in a workweek) until you can run a paycheck without hesitating.
- Pair each read-through with a short timed practice set (150 questions in 3 hours ≈ 72 seconds each) so your pacing feels automatic on exam day.
The cheat sheet is your review layer — your FPC practice test drives the exam-readiness ring at the top of this page. Download it, review, then take a full practice exam (or drill with the study guide and flashcards) to see where you stand.
FPC cheat sheet FAQ
Yes — the FPC cheat sheet is a free PDF download with no sign-up and no paywall. It sits alongside Career Employer's other free FPC tools: the practice test, the study guide, and the flashcards.
It compresses the highest-yield payroll facts into a fast reference: the seven content areas and their exam weights, current FICA and FUTA rates and wage bases, the FLSA overtime rule, the gross-to-net order, deposit schedules, and the key returns (941, 940, W-2) with due dates.
The rates and wage bases are built from the IRS, SSA, and PayrollOrg's current content outline, including the 2026 Social Security wage base. We review the sheet against those primary sources each cycle, since payroll figures change annually.
No — the sheet is a review and last-week cram aid, not a full course. The FPC is a 150-question exam scored on a 0–500 scale with a passing score of 300, so use the sheet to lock in facts and the practice test to prove your readiness.
Click the download button or the preview card at the top of this page to open the PDF instantly. Bookmark the page so it's easy to find again the week before your exam.
References
- 1.PayrollOrg. “Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).” payroll.org, 2026. ↑
- 2.PayrollOrg. “FPC Exam Content Outline.” payroll.org, 2026. ↑
- 3.Internal Revenue Service. “Topic No. 751, Social Security and Medicare Withholding Rates.” IRS.gov, 2026. ↑
- 4.U.S. Department of Labor. “Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA.” DOL, Wage and Hour Division, 2026. ↑
- 5.Social Security Administration. “Contribution and Benefit Base (2026).” SSA.gov, 2026. ↑
Career Employer
Career Employer is the ultimate resource to help you get started working the job of your dreams. We cover topics from general career information, career searching, exam preparation with free study materials, career interviewing, and becoming successful in your career of choice.
All PostsCareer Employer’s Editorial Process
Here at Career Employer, we focus a lot on providing factually accurate information that is always up to date. We strive to provide correct information using strict editorial processes, article editing, and fact-checking for all of the information found on our website. We only utilize trustworthy and relevant resources. To find out more, make sure to read our full editorial process page here.