National Payroll Institute Payroll Fundamentals 1Exam - PF1 Exam Practice Test
Matt earns $10.10 per hour and works 37.5 hours per week. Calculate Matt's regular bi-weekly earnings.
Correct Answer:
$757.50
Explanation:
Regular earnings for an hourly employee are calculated as hourly rate × hours worked. Because "bi-weekly" means two weeks of work paid together, you calculate one week's regular earnings and then multiply by two (assuming the hours are the same each week and there is no overtime premium indicated).
Step 1: Weekly regular earnings:
$10.10 × 37.5 hours = $10.10 × 37 + $10.10 × 0.5
= $373.70 + $5.05
= $378.75.
Step 2: Bi-weekly regular earnings (2 weeks):
$378.75 × 2 = $757.50.
So Matt's regular bi-weekly earnings are $757.50.
In payroll documentation, "regular earnings" are the employee's base wages before statutory deductions (CPP
/QPP, EI, income tax) and before other deductions, and they exclude any separately calculated earnings like overtime premiums or taxable benefits unless stated. This approach (rate × hours, then adjust for pay period) is the standard method used to compute gross/regular pay for hourly employees before moving on to deductions and net pay.
Explanation:
Regular earnings for an hourly employee are calculated as hourly rate × hours worked. Because "bi-weekly" means two weeks of work paid together, you calculate one week's regular earnings and then multiply by two (assuming the hours are the same each week and there is no overtime premium indicated).
Step 1: Weekly regular earnings:
$10.10 × 37.5 hours = $10.10 × 37 + $10.10 × 0.5
= $373.70 + $5.05
= $378.75.
Step 2: Bi-weekly regular earnings (2 weeks):
$378.75 × 2 = $757.50.
So Matt's regular bi-weekly earnings are $757.50.
In payroll documentation, "regular earnings" are the employee's base wages before statutory deductions (CPP
/QPP, EI, income tax) and before other deductions, and they exclude any separately calculated earnings like overtime premiums or taxable benefits unless stated. This approach (rate × hours, then adjust for pay period) is the standard method used to compute gross/regular pay for hourly employees before moving on to deductions and net pay.
An employee in Ontario was paid a $25,000.00 retiring allowance. The eligible portion was $15,000.00 and was transferred to the employee's Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) by the employer. Calculate the income tax on the non-eligible portion.
Correct Answer: A
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Elodie is paid her commissions together with her bi-weekly salary of $1,000.00. This pay period her commissions are $4,300.00. Calculate her Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) contribution for this pay period.
Correct Answer:
$325.42
Explanation:
Because Elodie is subject to QPP, her pensionable earnings for the pay period include both salary and commissions (both are pensionable employment earnings, assuming no exemptions apply). First, determine total pensionable earnings for the bi-weekly pay:
$1,000.00 + $4,300.00 = $5,300.00.
For 2026, Revenu Quebec shows the QPP basic exemption is $3,500 annually and the (employee) QPP contribution rate on earnings up to the maximum pensionable earnings is 6.30%.
Payroll applies the exemption per pay period. For bi-weekly pay (26 pay periods):
$3,500 ÷ 26 = $134.62 (rounded to cents).
Pensionable earnings subject to QPP this pay:
$5,300.00 # $134.62 = $5,165.38.
QPP contribution:
$5,165.38 × 6.30% = $5,165.38 × 0.063 = $325.41894, which rounds to $325.42.
Explanation:
Because Elodie is subject to QPP, her pensionable earnings for the pay period include both salary and commissions (both are pensionable employment earnings, assuming no exemptions apply). First, determine total pensionable earnings for the bi-weekly pay:
$1,000.00 + $4,300.00 = $5,300.00.
For 2026, Revenu Quebec shows the QPP basic exemption is $3,500 annually and the (employee) QPP contribution rate on earnings up to the maximum pensionable earnings is 6.30%.
Payroll applies the exemption per pay period. For bi-weekly pay (26 pay periods):
$3,500 ÷ 26 = $134.62 (rounded to cents).
Pensionable earnings subject to QPP this pay:
$5,300.00 # $134.62 = $5,165.38.
QPP contribution:
$5,165.38 × 6.30% = $5,165.38 × 0.063 = $325.41894, which rounds to $325.42.
Which pension plan requires the services of an actuary to study and forecast future needs of the plan to ensure the plan remains sufficiently funded to provide employees with their retirement benefits?
Correct Answer: C
Michael is an employee in Alberta who is paid bi-weekly and earns $1,600.00 per pay period. He has a taxable meal allowance of $30.00 per pay period. His federal and provincial TD1s on file show a claim code
2. Michael already reached the annual maximum first and second Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions before this pay. Calculate his total federal and provincial income taxes.
2. Michael already reached the annual maximum first and second Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions before this pay. Calculate his total federal and provincial income taxes.
Correct Answer:
(total federal + Alberta tax): $173.48
Explanation:
Taxable gross for the period = $1,600.00 + $30.00 = $1,630.00 (a taxable allowance is included in income for tax withholding).
Using CRA T4032-AB (Biweekly, 26 pay periods) with claim code 2:
Federal tax at pay $1,630 falls in the $1,619-$1,635 range # CC2 = $107.35.
Alberta provincial tax at pay $1,630 falls in the $1,628-$1,644 range # CC2 = $46.55.
Subtotal tax from the tables = $107.35 + $46.55 = $153.90.
CRA notes these tax tables build in the tax credits for CPP/EI, so when CPP is not deducted (because annual max already reached), you must increase tax withholding accordingly.
CPP that would have been deducted this pay (using CRA rates/YBE):
Pensionable = $1,630 # ($3,500/26 = $134.62) = $1,495.38; CPP (4.95% + 1.00% = 5.95%) = $88.98.
Add back missing credits: Federal 14% × 88.98 = $12.46; Alberta 8% × 88.98 = $7.12 # total $19.58.
Final total tax = $153.90 + $19.58 = $173.48.
Explanation:
Taxable gross for the period = $1,600.00 + $30.00 = $1,630.00 (a taxable allowance is included in income for tax withholding).
Using CRA T4032-AB (Biweekly, 26 pay periods) with claim code 2:
Federal tax at pay $1,630 falls in the $1,619-$1,635 range # CC2 = $107.35.
Alberta provincial tax at pay $1,630 falls in the $1,628-$1,644 range # CC2 = $46.55.
Subtotal tax from the tables = $107.35 + $46.55 = $153.90.
CRA notes these tax tables build in the tax credits for CPP/EI, so when CPP is not deducted (because annual max already reached), you must increase tax withholding accordingly.
CPP that would have been deducted this pay (using CRA rates/YBE):
Pensionable = $1,630 # ($3,500/26 = $134.62) = $1,495.38; CPP (4.95% + 1.00% = 5.95%) = $88.98.
Add back missing credits: Federal 14% × 88.98 = $12.46; Alberta 8% × 88.98 = $7.12 # total $19.58.
Final total tax = $153.90 + $19.58 = $173.48.
Charmaine's employment was terminated by her employer on April 13 of the current year. Charmaine had worked for her employer for 3 years and was paid 3 weeks of legislated wages in lieu of notice and two weeks' vacation pay with her final pay. What date should be recorded in Block 11 on Charmaine's Record of Employment?
Correct Answer: D
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Ronda earns $12.50 per hour and worked 40 hours this week. Calculate her Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contribution for this weekly pay period.
Correct Answer:
$25.75
Explanation:
First calculate Ronda's pensionable earnings for the week. Her gross pay is:
$12.50 × 40 = $500.00.
CPP is calculated on pensionable earnings after subtracting the basic exemption (the Year's Basic Exemption, YBE), prorated to the pay period. The CRA confirms the YBE is $3,500 and the employee CPP contribution rate for 2026 is 5.95% for base CPP.
Weekly exemption = $3,500 ÷ 52 = $67.31 (rounded to cents).
Pensionable earnings subject to CPP this week = $500.00 # $67.31 = $432.69.
CPP contribution = $432.69 × 5.95% = $432.69 × 0.0595 = $25.745..., which rounds to $25.75.
This deduction continues each pay until the employee reaches the annual CPP maximum contribution for the year (at which point CPP stops for the remainder of the year).
Explanation:
First calculate Ronda's pensionable earnings for the week. Her gross pay is:
$12.50 × 40 = $500.00.
CPP is calculated on pensionable earnings after subtracting the basic exemption (the Year's Basic Exemption, YBE), prorated to the pay period. The CRA confirms the YBE is $3,500 and the employee CPP contribution rate for 2026 is 5.95% for base CPP.
Weekly exemption = $3,500 ÷ 52 = $67.31 (rounded to cents).
Pensionable earnings subject to CPP this week = $500.00 # $67.31 = $432.69.
CPP contribution = $432.69 × 5.95% = $432.69 × 0.0595 = $25.745..., which rounds to $25.75.
This deduction continues each pay until the employee reaches the annual CPP maximum contribution for the year (at which point CPP stops for the remainder of the year).
Which statutory deductions is salary continuance subject to?
Correct Answer: D
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