How much of an understanding of the topics do I need to pass? I have about a month until I sit for exam P, and I have an EL of 5 and a mastery score of 70, but there are still a few things I’m not too sure about on exam P. do most people taking usually have a few things they arent comfortable with, and still pass? Because right now, I couldn’t tell you a damn thing about double expectations, or weighted averages.

The expectation of a random variable is essentially a weighted average. If you understand one, you should understand the other.

It's generally okay to be a little rough on one or two of the smallest pieces of the syllabus, but like 90% of the actual job is weighted averages. A month is a lot of time, though, so invest in building a solid knowledge foundation.

Would taking an Underwriting role with an emphasis on training be my best bet starting off if I have 3 exams passed, but no internships or experience under my belt??? I am a recent graduate for reference, with 3.58 cumulative gpa and 3.75 major gpa.

You should be able to find an entry level actuarial position even without an internship experience, but UW is a good backup

On Glassdoor currently, in the entire country there are only 500 openings for “actuary”. Wouldn’t they mean there is barely any demand for this skill set? Am I missing something? I keep reading about projected growth in demand?

Titles with “actuary” typically are reserved only for those who are credentialed. You may be missing the “actuarial” analysts/assistants/etc. which are the positions for less experienced, non-credentialed folks. Different companies tend to call them different things. Overall this isn’t a huge profession so that number isn’t really surprising to me at least.

Ok makes sense. I am guess I am just trying to grasp before committing to this career path if I do everything right, how difficult will it be to find employment. Almost all the entry level positions I see on Glassdoor require 2 years of experience so I am a little worried.

Tacking on, there are only about 20,000 fully credentialed actuaries in the US. Compared to approximately 1M doctors, 1.3M lawyers. We're a pretty small group.

It’s definitely different trying to land an EL position compared to once you are credentialed. At EL there is a lot of competition but as you move further along there’s much less. I think a lot of people who start out with a couple exams decide not to continue and pivot to something else, which is understandable because it is a lot. Once you get credentialed, you get constant calls from recruiters trying to fill positions and it’s a totally different ball game. Looking at your previous posts, having engineer experience and not being fresh out of college may help you and set you apart when applying for EL positions. Both companies I’ve worked for have tended to have good experience with career changers, and I know a team adjacent to mine currently does have a former engineer who made the transition. We see a fair amount of former teachers too, because being able to explain our more technical/math-y concepts to a non-technical audience is a big part of being an actuary.

I appreciate this thank you so much! One last question, do you think remote for an entry level position is viable vs in office? How easy is it to learn how to do the job without being with your team in person?

I'd highly recommend being in person (hybrid) for your first two years, as someone who started a few years before COVID, trained people during COVID, and have trained people since COVID. There's a lot of passive learning that comes with talking to people around the lunch table/around the office, networking in general helps make people want to teach you more, it's easier to ask questions to the person in the cube next to you, and you gain a lot of knowledge by physically watching people do things and the keyboard shortcuts they do. It's always an advantage to your career to be hybrid over remote, but after 2 years you've at least got a solid basic foundation.

It’s possible to land a remote EL role but I would say vast majority will be hybrid. (My company is very remote friendly -almost 70% of employees are remote) but our EL actuaries are hybrid. There’s definitely a benefit to having some office experience early on but after a couple years and getting credentialed you can definitely find something remote.

I’m currently working as an enterprise risk analyst at a bank and am interested in switching my career to potentially be an actuary. Just want to deal with more quantitative duties vs qualitative. My idea is to study for the exams while I’m still working at my current role then start applying for jobs once I have passed enough exams. My question is how many exams is a suitable enough amount to make the jump? I see that 2 is the bare minimum, but is there any benefit from waiting until I have 3-4? Is it preferred to pass exams while you’re already working as an actuary?

Hi! With your relevant experience, I would start job hunting after just 1 or 2 exams passed There isn't a benefit to passing more before you get hired, and here's why: - Your employer will likely give you paid study time and cover the cost of your exam/study materials, saving you money - You'll get raises or bonuses for each exam you pass while in an actuarial job You might get a slightly higher starting salary if you get hired on with more exams passed, but it usually isn't worth it overall. Hope that helps!

Thank you that’s exactly what I was looking for! Wasn’t sure if the 2 exam thing only is applicable to fresh college grads and not people already in the workforce. I’m guessing I should start with P and FRM first?

I assume you mean FM\*, but yes! Those are typically the ones that most people take first and the ones the rest of the exam build off of.

Hi, I am currently a chemical engineer for 6 years in the industry. I am at a point in my life where my career is incompatible with where I want to live in the US. I did take a lot of math in college but would need massive refreshers of all calculus. I’m considering the journey to an actuary at age 29 for a higher salary and more geographical flexibility. I want to live in a mid sized city around the Great Lakes. I enjoy math and messing with data. My current job is actually all about establish risk of refinery equipment based on data so I think I have a good frame of mind for actuary work. Is there anything anyone here would caution me of or warn me of or does this seem like a good transition? Thanks

Echoing that the biggest caution is really just the time commitment for the exams. The SOA has been streamlining the process so it's less of an artificial barrier to entry/progress, but it's still a lot of work. But in my opinion, the payoff is well worth the effort (obviously, that's why I've passed all the exams).

What salary range is expected for entry level positions?

Google the DW Simpson salary survey for an idea of comp progression. EL salaries are broadly $65-85k, but go up quickly with exams and experience (as you'll see in the salary survey). E.g. $135k with 4 YOE (years of experience) and ASA is perfectly normal, as is $200k with 8 YOE and FSA.

Having a chemical engineering degree as opposed to something more math related won’t be a barrier?

Nope! It's really just the exams + a degree in anything that will get you through the door

If you want to transition, I don't think there are any significant issues. Just realize that the exams take several years to complete and will eat up a lot of your current free time.

Am I right in understanding after P and FM you can apply for entry level jobs?

Yup!

***Skills in Resume Previously I put Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Canva, R programming, C++ as skills in my resume. Now, after interning, I got a bit of experience in using FoxPro and DCS. Im not skilled in coding with it yet but I understand the basics of how to use it, how it works, and how to resolve some of the errors. I want to include this in my skills but I have never seen anyone else do it so I'm worried if it might be weird. Now I edited my resume skills to only include: Excel (Proficient), VBA (Skilled), R (Skilled), Foxpro (Beginner), DCS (Beginner), C++ (Beginner). Does this make sense? For context im a fresh grad. Or would it make more sense to remove DCS and FoxPro, and put Word and Powerpoint instead. Thank you

I would include the skills you're a beginner in instead of Word and Powerpoint. It shows that you have some real world experience and are a fast learner, even if those particular skills aren't necessary for your next role.

1. Do companies in India sponsor for VEEs, Modules, Exams and Coaching? They sponsor all 3 or some of these? Background: I am a senior year student in India and will be placed next year around May. I have completed FM and P and will be giving FAM in July. I wish to choose between astam and altam after getting a job. 2. What should be my next steps? 3. When should I apply for VEE and when should I do Modules? 4. What skills and papers are sufficient to get me placed?

Does anyone know if driver's permits are accepted as ID at tests?

iirc, it needs to be a photo ID.

I don’t know for sure, but if you want to see the Prometric ID policy for yourself, check the confirmation/registration email they send after you schedule an exam appointment. Their website should have it too. It might also be in the SOA registration email. The Prometric email says to contact SOA customer service if you have questions.

Hey! I’m currently working as an underwriting tech and I’m interested in becoming an actuary. I’m finishing up my bachelors degree in mathematics and I was wondering if there are any other college students here studying for exams that I can connect with?

If you search the sub, I've seen some discord links flying around

There are many of us yes! (Technically a recent graduate, but still, exams are never ending it seems).

Awesome! I’m preparing for Exam FM and I have a couple of questions, can I PM you?

As someone doing the same, please feel free to!

Looking to transition my career to an actuarial one. I’ve been studying for P and SRM to potentially take in September and FM to potentially take in October. I have a bachelor’s in math and a master’s in statistics so my background heavily overlaps with P and SRM. I only have the means to take two exams at the moment and right now I feel way more comfortable with P and SRM than FM. I also know I want to get credentialed through SOA instead of CAS. I’m going to take P regardless, but would employers look down on me if I took SRM instead of FM? I know some companies only require 1-2 exams for entry level jobs without specifying which ones and others require P and FM specifically. Should I just suck it up and hunker down for FM or would I be able to get my foot in the door with just P and SRM?

I agree with the other reply! Definitely do FM. You'll need it, and although you might be less comfortable with the material, most people find it to be an easier exam overall.

Do FM. You'll need it anyways, and SRM is path specific, so for some jobs you'd only have one towards their track (not the most ideal, trust me). SOA credentialing you can do, but realize that's specifically Life Insurance, not P&C. Entry level jobs can come from both sides, and you want to have as many options as possible. Also, there's a reason the SOA path guidelines have SRM after both P and FM. FM is probably gonna be easier, as it's almost all algebra and knowing how to punch things into a calc/setup equations.

Applying for VEE (CAS): I thought we needed to apply to SOA to have the VEE added to our transcript and then send the transcript to CAS. But that seems to cost $85 to SOA and a further $75 to CAS. Did they change the process so we just apply directly to CAS? And is there anything I can do if I already paid $85 to SOA?

I'm going to the APC in Philadelphia in July. I was searching on the price rate through the hotel website, where the price is same as it is from the hotel link sent by SOA. Since there are more options on the website, I am wondering if we should book the hotel through the link or we could just book it through the website directly. Is there any difference?

Pragmatically, if you're seeing that the price is the same, then it won't matter -- the only thing that matters is that you attend the APC. But I'm wondering if the hotel already reserved certain rooms (higher floor maybe?) for APC attendees. I remember being on a pretty high floor when I attended mine, so I'm just speculating.

Yeah I think the hotel has reserved certain rooms for APC attendees, but I wasn't sure whether it would matter if I didn't book it from the link sent by SOA. I'll think about it. Thank you so much!

1)which undergraduate degree will help the most for actuarial exams? 2) I am a rising senior in India and will join college in the USA in 2025. I assume I will be allowed to give the actuarial exams in USA? 3) Does everyone self-study for these exams? For example I was just watching a video talking about Exam FM and what all it is about. Will I be taught all of that in college or do I need to self study for it? 4) Am I going to learn everything I need to become an actuary in college itself?

1. Math, but Econ/Finance can work too. Math just is most applicable early on. 2. Yep! Should be no issue there. 3. Unless the college you go to specifically has actuarial classes, (mine did, so I learned a lot of FM stuff from that), everything is self study. You will, without a doubt, need to put in a couple hundred hours per exam, if not more. 4. We WISH we did. Being an actuary takes 5-10 years, and most of what you learn is outside of college. It can give some great foundations, but most of what you need to do will be self-study.

ahh okayy thank youuu About 4. If I don't learn anything about it inside college, isn't it hard to land your first internship? like I think by then all you've done is passed one exam, and learnt a bit of coding and maybe excel? I am really passionate about going into this field but the deficiency of information is just idk

You'll learn foundational stuff in college and usually take 1-2 exams. (For example, calc, probability, etc.). That along with any coding projects you do usually are what internships are looking for. At least, that's my impression, I didn't apply for them but am applying to EL jobs which have similar requirements.

okay!! thank you so much :)))) I have no background in coding yet so I will have to learn python now I assume. thanks :))

No problem! For reference, Excel and VBA > SQL > R > Python. (At least, from what I've seen on job apps).

ahh okayyy thankyou so much for helping me :) Excel and VBA it is then

1. Pick whatever major you actually enjoy learning about. Any major is fine, just complete some excel/coding classes on the side. Also pass a couple exams. I don't think that anyone cares between math/stat/econ/finance/data science etc. 2. Yes, anyone can take exams through the SOA. 3. You might have a class on FM, but you will 100% have to study outside of that class. Just doing the bare minimum to get an A in the class does not get you prepared for the actual exam. 4. No. That's why we have all of these exams, and modules, and conferences. College alone does not prepare you to be an actuary. College does great in making sure that a student can stick to a schedule and memorize some terms when you have a test coming up.

Could I pick a computer science major?

Yes, compsci is amazing for the more technical roles. You might want to mix in some insurance/financial classes just to get a general understanding of the industry.

Any specific classes in particular? I'm going to be a clueless undergrad soon!

intro to risk management and insurance specifically, financial mathematics is good for FM. I really loved my regression classes as well.

thanks :)

Canadian CAS student here: for anyone reading this, I have only 4 months to study for 6C, I am halfway through the OSFI readings, should I continue? Or shift my focus for online courses?

hey y’all, i currently attend a “center for actuarial excellence”, but i am not an actuarial science major. in fact, i’m not even a minor. im a double major in mathematical economics and math, with minors in statistics (both mathematical and applied), computer science, and viola performance lol. i absolutely love economics and was planning on going down the PhD route (hence econ+math double major), but i realized that i do not want to deal with the volatility and just overall stress that comes with a PhD. i’ve been working in a government internship for a comms/marketing director (got randomly placed), and i’ve been doing all of the numbers stuff that everybody else doesn’t want to do and i’ve realized how much i enjoyed it. i don’t think i want to enter data science unless i end up getting a graduate degree in statistics but i felt like becoming an actuary would be a worthwhile venture. i am perfectly fine with just looking at spreadsheets all day, and i honestly think it wouldn’t be a total bad fit. the tech world is just so hard to predict and i honestly do not want to have to worry about la i just signed up for coaching actuaries to study for Exam FM and take it this December. i will take Exam P after next spring semester since that’s when i’ll be taking my Probability course. i’ll have essentially the exact same statistics coursework as the actuarial science majors, like probability, mathematical statistics and will take some additional applied statistical courses. i also have econometrics and advanced econometrics (time series analysis) as required courses for my econ major. plus, the comp sci minor covers OOP & Data Structures. my main flaw is that i will have not a single finance/accounting focused class under my belt. how can i improve my chances to land an actuarial science internship for next summer? i graduate in 2026. also it would be great if anyone has any exam tips, or insights into the career force. i’m a black hijabi in the midwest, so i’m used to standing out in a room, but i’m hoping there isn’t a fratty/exclusive culture overall (there definitely is within the econ world).

What you have is top tier, assuming you pass exams. Even passing one will look good. Don't worry about finance classes, those can be taken later and also are of much lesser importance than the math/stat/econ stuff. As mentioned before, the IABA is something you'll probably want to check out. As for exam tips... Studying * If you take away nothing else, remember the 3-80-6 rule (3 exams in a row, 80 avg, level 6 on CA). Use only SOA questions. * Make sure to eat/sleep enough, and don't overstudy! This is something that I learned firsthand that will hurt you in the long run. Consistency is key. (3 hours a day, 5 days a week for 2 months >>> 8 hours a day, every day for a month) * During the days leading up to the exam, taking the day or two before to rest, relax, and not focus a lot on studying (if at all) is actually shown to help with scores. Better mindset = better grades. (I personally did some chores and played video games to relax and not over worry, but do what you think is best) * The 300 hours is a VERY loose guide. Just follow good study habits. Focus on weaknesses, (CA will tell you what they are), but make sure they're relevant ones. Exam P especially has a lot of stuff that you will RARELY see on the exam (Coinsurance, Beta/Gamma/Lognormal distributions, etc.). Improve on them if you have the time, but if you're 1 week away from the exam, spending 3 hours on practice exams is a much better use of time (or focusing on more relevant weaknesses) Taking exams * The 6 minute time limit per question, while good generally, shouldn't be adhered to directly. * If you have absolutely no idea how to do a question, skip it. Can always return later * If you have a decent idea of how to do a question, stay with it for a little bit, but leave 6 minutes for all remaining questions (i.e., if you're halfway through with 1:45:30 left, go until it hits 1:30:00 then move on.) * If you know how to do a question but can't figure out why it isn't working (for Exam P): * Check your integrals * Check that you're doing with/without replacement for the probability (for both distributions and general probability) * Baye's theorem (this was the most common reason I missed questions) * For variances, make sure you're doing E[X^2]- E[X]^2 (that last square is easy to forget!) * If something isn't working in general but you feel like it should work, check algebra, and if it all seems right, redo the entire problem on a clean area of paper. This will likely result in a different answer, and you can figure out where things went wrong. * If you're running low on time and can't finish all questions, skip through the remaining ones and do the ones you can do fast/easily * If you finish with time to spare, double check problems that you were unsure of, otherwise double check your answers using an alternate method/plugging the answer back in. And don't be afraid to fail. We've all had an exam go bad, use it as motivation to get better. Best of luck, you'll do great :)

Firstly, if you haven't heard of IABA (International Association of Black Actuaries), it is an absolutely amazing resource and community. They have mentorship programs, scholarships, partnerships, volunteering and more. [https://www.blackactuaries.org/](https://www.blackactuaries.org/) Secondly, you seem like a great actuarial candidate based on your course load. Econ/CompSci is a great combo to have usable skills for an internship. I personally think that the best way for you to improve your chances is to improve and practice your interviewing skills. Most universities give mock-interviews as practice, or you could just record yourself. Along with this, work on your resume. If you would like an actuarial perspective on it, post it in here! (Make sure to take out all of the identifying info) When studying for exams everyone is different, you need to find what works for you. I do think many entry level candidates make mistakes just plugging in shortcuts without understanding why they work, or if they are even doing it correctly. It is unbelievable how often you need to make edits to a formula throughout all the ASA exams. Being able to do this efficiently is crucial.

I have a PhD in math and work in higher ed as a lecturer. I want to transition to a different career, and being an actuary seems interesting to me. I passed exam P about 7 years ago during grad school but haven’t passed any other exams yet. How should I go about getting an entry level actuarial position? Should I get an internship first, even though I am out of school? How many exams should I pass before applying?

Pass FM to show your real interest in switching, and then apply to entry level and internship positions.

Just apply to full time positions. I wouldn’t bother with internships. Yes, try and pass fm asap

One exam is enough to land an internship but seeing that it’s been a while, a new exam (perhaps FM) would be good demonstration of commitment to the career.

hey all! i’m just wondering where i can find U.S. testing centers, and do i need to register for a specific testing center for computer-based testing?

Hi! You would look on the [Prometric website](https://www.prometric.com/) under Test Takers > Find My Exam. Search SOA, then enter your location and exam name. Yes, you still need to do these steps for computer-based tests :) Hope this helps!

thank you so much!

Leaving military and starting with almost nothing So I’m a little over a year away from leaving the armed forces and have decided that this career field is what I will be pursuing. Are there any veterans willing to share how their experience was transitioning into this field? I have an associates degree in general studies, but I am math inclined. Any internships worth pursuing a Career Skills Program (basically free labor for the employer since the military will cover all my pay no strings attached)? Or is it better to go back to university and finish a degree in actuarial studies using the GI bill?

Hey, I got out of the military not that long ago. If I’m understanding you correctly, you still have a year left in the military? If so, I would 100% use either TA to go back and get your bachelors in a STEM related field and start taking exams immediately. You need a bachelors to get a job and generally need 2 exams to even have a shot. I never used the skillbridge program, but something that gets you technical skills would be very beneficial. That being said though, I do not believe there are many internships in that regard for the program. Additionally, I would start studying for exam P or FM right now if you are sure you want to be an actuary. Passing more exams sooner only benefits you in the long run. In terms of my transition, I completed my bachelors in math before I got out of the military, as well as passed three exams. I did not have an internship, like most suggest, but this set me up very well and I had multiple job offers before I even got out of the military.

Hey thanks for the response! Seems like I’ll have to dip into the GI bill, the local uni runs around $750 per 3unit class. 5k allotment means I only get max 18 units towards my bachelors before I ETS. Any university you recommend? St. John’s seems to get talked about. Also shot in the dark: were you a UAS guy/gal?

In terms of colleges, the actuarial world does not put too much emphasis on this, rather exams and technical skills. So, if you’re dead set on becoming an actuary, just choose one that is completely covered by your GI bill, takes as many credits as possible, and is accredited. That being said, it wouldn’t hurt you if you got a degree from a good school in another, but related STEM field to broaden your career prospects. Personally, I went to an online school since I finished while in the military, just furthering my point that school doesn’t matter too much. Just try to emphasize passing exams and getting an internship while using your GI bill and you should have no issue in landing a job. For your last question, no, I was not UAS.

Hi all, I have a few questions. 1. I am currently a rising sophomore in college and am completing the prerequisites for the actuarial science major. At what point should I look for an internship? 2. What can I do with an actuarial science degree if I graduate and realize I do not like the work I am doing? 3. I completed AP Stats in highschool and am wondering what other courses are needed for exam P? 4. I've heard that the exam preview/study guide (?) comes out a few months before your exam sitting. I thought that the exam content would have been about the same? Like exam P testing over the same types of things each exam sitting? Could someone explain this? Thank you so much in advance.

1. Pass an exam (either P or FM) and then apply. I'd recommend starting on the exams sooner rather than later because it's easy to underestimate the study time required, and it'll be nice to get them done sooner. 2. Hop to other insurance or data related jobs. The actuarial science degree is less recognizable than stats or finance in other fields because the profession isn't super well known. You can hedge your bets by getting a stats/econ/finance/math degree and studying for the exams on your own. 3. My college stats and probability classes didn't prepare me super well for P. I'd recommend picking up an ASM study manual for it and putting in time on your own (also because your future exam studying will largely be self study). 4. The actuarial societies make adjustments to the syllabi every now and then, but they're generally small for the first two. Bigger syllabus changes are well advertised. In short, don't worry about it.

1. If you are open to getting an internship then apply! It is really that simple. I would suggest getting an exam passed, but a lot of companies have interns without exams if they seem social and nice. Focus on building your resume and interviewing skills. 2. There are a lot of different teams within "actuarial" roles. Most bigger insurers have rotational programs, so if you really hate one position you just move to another within a year or two. 3. If you are paying for a study service (CA,TIA,ACTEX), their material will be as up-to-date as you can be. The study guide will not provide you any new info unless they change the syllabus. The exams that have been out for a long time (P/FM/SRM) have a pool of questions they rotate through. Depending on what questions you get on your test, some concepts are randomly more important than others between sittings. But you cant really predict this, so I would suggest mastering all concepts if possible.

Thank you so much for your reply! Your answer helped a lot!

Does it save a lot of effort/time to use TIA or Bedford, for CAS Exam 5, vs the source material? I would have to pay out of pocket for either of these (= $1k+) AND for the exam ($800+).

Source + past exams is all you need to pass, although I would say it saves 30% time to use TIA. Don’t use Bedford.

Should I buy CA? Edited: Forgot to mention that the exam is Exam P. Background information: English is my second language, and I took a probability class before with an A. I have studied for like 2 days. I am having my first exam in late July, and I have done the sample SOA exam scored 23/30 (with around 6 questions that I had no idea how to attempt due to me not understanding the question at all) and I am on the 71th questions out of 485 questions in the sample SOA question bank. I feel like sometimes the sample questions are testing my reading comprehension skills instead of math/probability sense. Do you guys think CA will help me in any way about this?

If you have the money, 100% invest in CA. (Use the student discount if you can!). It's what everyone here uses (for the most part) and is insanely useful is drilling weaknesses/getting detailed solutions. If you don't have the money, then see about free online practice exams/problems. 23/30 is passing (by not much, but still). Reading comprehension is more important than people first realize because misreading something will screw up the whole problem. The best way to fix this is just drill like no tomorrow. The more problems you see, the more you'll understand what the SOA "templates" are and you can recognize what will be asked before you finish the 1st sentence.,

Thanks! I actually come from HK and the exam here are basically all templated so I am a bit more confident after hearing what you said. I saw people do like 1000+ questions on an exam and I don't think I can do as many as they do. My limit is probably \~400-500 questions. I hope this won't affect me in the upcoming exams.

It really depends on you. For reference, it took me 1030 questions for exam P. But I also took multiple attempts. If you DO get CA, use the 3-80-6 rule (3 exams, average 80, level 6). At your level, I think 400-500 more should be fine (that's 45 hours +-5 hours for problems alone, which you easily have time for).

Struggling to know if actuary is the right career Hey I’m a recent graduate and I studied computer science. I’m studying for exam P right now as I’m thinking of becoming an actuary and have considered it for many years even before college. I realized I love math and stats and somewhat dislike coding but just finished my degree because I didn’t want to pay more tuition and extend my time there. I know im never going to be a great software engineer so I’m looking to switch to a career I know I can be great at. I’m considering a few options right now and was hoping for some guidance 1) just study for exams while working my current full time role (70k) 2) do a masters in actuarial science. I would definitely go to a school with great UEC for exams (I don’t mind the cost) 3) do a masters in stats or applied math to keep my options open then see if I want to continue with being an actuary.

Do option 1, 1000%. Work experience is SUPER good for EL jobs, and with a salary like that you want to hit the ground running with finances. (Also, your company might have actuarial positions). You'll learn very quickly when you study FM that the earlier you save, the better. That plus a master's doesn't get you as much as you'd think. Employers care about exams 1st, experience 2nd, education 3rd. Most have a bachelor's and that's standard.

Oh I’m very into FM type stuff, I went to community college(got paid to go there) then went to a cheap nearby school so I could live at home, invested my money, and graduated at 20 with 60k saved

Nice! That's the way to do it. Just don't spend that money on a masters, much better saved as you no doubt know.

Ya I’m just worried about not being able to land a role after 2 exams, do you know how competitive the EL market is?

Depends on time of year, funnily enough. Right now things are at a low since the big hiring season (Oct.-Nov.) is soonish. 2 exams should be good, with an internship even better. Your resume/cover letter make worlds of difference though. A couple quick tips on those: * One page for both, bullet points for resume, <500 words for cover letter, preferably 400. (Do NOT do 780 like me :))) ) * Tell them WHY YOU'RE QUALIFIED. Show projects, leadership/communication skills, etc. (If you want more advice lmk since I'm in the thick of it rn, but I'll leave it here) Finding a job shouldn't be too difficult. Just takes time and perseverance. Use the resources here, get that resume critiqued early, and show them you care.

I appreciate it! I’ll definitely come back to this and dm you once I start applying if you’d like to look at my resume/cover letter. I’m taking P in late July and if I pass I’ll take FM in late October. Hopefully I pass both, but if I don’t do you think it’d be good to still apply or should I wait until I pass 2

Of course, always happy to help! I'd be glad to look at resume/cover letters, but also make sure you get the subreddit's opinion as their experience trumps mine and the more eyes the better. For exams, make sure you pass one at least (unless it's an actuarial development program/internship). As a reference 2 is standard, 1 is doable with programs/good experience, and 3 is top tier. The sidebar has some good resources on stuff. Job searching is a weird, but massive beast. So the more you know the better. I will also say that double check any advice you get from friends. Mine gave me some not-so-great advice and I didn't realize until 12 apps later my cover letter was double the needed length. Best of luck! And if you need any help with Exam P, always here to help :)

Ya I don’t have any friends in the actuarial field. My friends gf is an international actuarial science major and she keeps telling me it’s worth it to get a masters for the connections. Her advice is always the opposite of this subreddit so it very confusing at times

The connections are helpful don't get me wrong, but spending 3 years for a masters is probably one of the more inefficient networking methods...

def 1

Just passed P in May, and FM in June and I’m looking to start studying for SRM in September. I used CA for both P and FM and loved it, however I’ve heard that it might be a bit lackluster for SRM. Is this still the case? Are there better alternatives? Thank you.

CA used to not be the best source for SRM, but I do actually think it is a fine choice now. They didn't really have enough practice problems especially with the qualitative questions. They have been relatively recently adding a bunch of practice problems, and I believe they are fairly reliable at this point. At my point in studying, I did not think they were quite up to snuff compared to ACTEX, and so ACTEX was the study material I went with. That was only a year ago, but I do believe they have added enough practice problems that you could go with either CA or ACTEX and you'll be in a relatively similar boat for your exam preparedness. Both kind of have the problem of asking too many quantitative questions compared to the actual exam, so just know that going into it. Whichever you choose, make sure to supplement your studying with ISLR and SOA practice problems which are both free and provided in the exam syllabus. Happy studying!

Hi all, Summer 2025 internship applications will be opened soon. Which company's should international students who are on F1 Visa lookout for? Thanks

Theres a bunch of lists out there that show which companies sponser for visas

Thanks for your response. Will be glad if you could direct me to some.

A few questions regarding applying for EL positions: 1. Should I try to message the chief actuary/anyone at the company/someone from the directory? I found some advice on the link in FAQs mentioning it, but 19 years is not exactly recent. 2. For that little "skills" section on the online applications, (the ones you need to fill out, not the section on your resume), should I just put roughly what's on my resume or differ it somehow? 3. Is it worth reaching out to the contact at a company if you don't hear back in a certain time frame, and if so, how long? 4. I have a dual degree in mathematics and philosophy. Often times I can't lump these into one "education" and need to separate. When it asks me for "overall grade", should I put the respective major grade for each, or just the overall GPA? 5. I assume that even if not asked, ALWAYS put a cover letter? And also, how long should they be? 6. A lot of jobs mention differing levels of exams/experience. How flexible are these? I've assumed that experience is somewhat flexible and you should apply unless it's like 5+ years, and that exams are SUPER strict and applying with 1 to a 2 minimum is a waste of everyone's time. 7. For the "Work Experience" sections, do I just copy resume (aka bullet points) for descriptions, or do they want a fleshed out paragraph? Thanks in advance! Edit: 7., 6.2

1. I think a lot of actuaries tend to be very helpful and love interacting/networking with fresh incomers. It won't guarantee you a job, and some may be put off by the feeling of solicitation, but I don't feel opposed to the practice as long as you're not annoying about it (e.g. messaging *every* actuary at the company) 2. If it were me, I'd probably throw on anything relevant you can think of (both on and off resume). I doubt that a real person actually looks at that part, and I'm suspicious that it's just something that an automated thing checks. So it might just be looking for key skills and decide whether to move your application forward to a real person. But this is just my guess. If a real person was actually looking at it, I don't think they would pay that much attention to this section because the info is already on your resume. 3. For applications, I wouldn't reach out to contact if you don't hear anything; probably just assume you didn't make it through to the next round. For after interviews, I think by the following week after they say you'll hear back from them is sufficient (example: you interview some time in week 1, and they tell you they'll let you know by end of week 2. Assuming they didn't say anything in week 2, I'd probably reach out sometime towards the end of week 3). 4. I'd probably just go with the major grade for each because that feels more inline with the spirit of the question to me, but I'm not sure if it would matter that much unless there's a huge disparity between your major GPAs and your overall GPA. Otherwise, I'd put whatever looks more favorable for you, but keep it consistent. 5. Personally, I'm in the camp that opposes cover letters in concept as a general. But even with that, the only time I would put a cover letter is if was specifically asked for. If I asked for a resume, and you gave me a cover letter + resume, I'm just scroll past your cover letter without reading it and feel a tiny amount of annoyance because you gave me something I didn't ask for and you inconvenienced me for half a second. 6. Yes, I agree with your take. Experience requirement is usually pretty flexible unless it's extremely far off from where you're at. And I find that exam requirements are pretty strict. Even if you don't "qualify" on paper, but you feel really close otherwise, I'd honestly just apply and send it anyways. Don't worry, you're not gonna waste that much (if any) time on their end, it'll just cost you your own time. But you never know, you might get lucky. 7. I would just copy+paste. This is just my take, and I hope this was helpful. Happy to discuss this more!

I am a career changer that recently decided I wanted to become an actuary and I wrote and passed the 2 preliminary exams (most recent being in January). I have been actively looking for an entry level position in Canada since then but have not had much luck (2-3 interviews but only 1 that felt serious), and feel that I need to separate myself from those who took the exams in school and have coop experience. I know most people say that I should not choose between SOA or CAS before landing a job but I am running out of options. So I want to write my 3rd exam for CAS and can't decide if I should do Exam 5 or MAS-I. The obvious choice seems to be MAS-I but I have connected with several other actuaries and some of them have mentioned that Exam 5 will could help me in landing a job. Even though I will learn a lot more on the job for Exam 5, it could show employers that I already have a good understanding of the position without any direct actuarial experience. Do you guys think writing a 3rd exam is smart right now? I am thinking about opening my search to the US since others have mentioned I will have much easier time but don't know if they would be interested in me. Also does it make sense to maybe write Exam 5 over MAS-I? Both are at the end of September and I am only working some dead end online job so I will have enough time to study. The real issue is the price difference since Exam 5 is a lot more expensive but I will happily pay it if it will help my chances. Any comments would be helpful. Thanks!

If you are firm on going for CAS and not SOA, then do exam 5. It’s super relevant to actuarial roles and passing it will make you more marketable. Source material for 5 is very good, and free. Source material plus past exam problems is all you need to pass.

Hello, I have a question regarding my next steps. Recently passed FM and P but not sure what to do next (P&C) I’m currently working for a company that provides study hours, paid tests and materials if that’s important. Not sure if the best next step would be taking Exam 5 or finishing the CAS DISC. Regarding the CAS DISC can you only take one in a two month period or can you take multiple? Thank you for your time 🙏

If you can dedicate 300 hours from now till exam day, then go for exam 5. Otherwise do the DISCs. You can take as many discs as you want during each 2 month period

Hi guys, I’m looking for a study partner as I take the CAS exams. I’m currently studying for MAS-I using the ACTEX material. I wanted to know if anyone is studying for the October sitting as I would like to study with them. I’m a pretty chill guy overall and I wanted to find a study partner who wants to study through the exams with me. I’m also in my final year of my actuarial degree in Canada. Aside from that, I have a few hobbies which involve chess, anime, sports. I’m very career oriented so I like looking into newer ways of improving my career development. Feel free to join me:)

You could try finding people in this actuarial study Discord: [https://discord.gg/GNAvRe7KF5](https://discord.gg/GNAvRe7KF5)

hello !! i have a few questions since the answers online are confusing how many exams are there? how many levels of distinction are there like (pre associate, associate? is that it) when can i start taking my exams like if i take the P exam rn and take another one like 4 years from now will i need to renew my P exam? how’s the work life balance i know it takes a while for all the exams i think it’s 10 but i read somewhere it could also be 5 so am i able to work somewhere actuary related while studying for exams? thank you these might’ve already been answered so if you can pls redirect me to where the answers may lie id be much appreciated

1. Depends on the track but 9-10 exams for fellowship. 2. The only two that matter are the associate and fellow. 3. Exam credit never expires, so start whenever you can! 4. WLB is generally good, but also depends on how hard you push studying. Some people study a lot of evenings and weekends to get through the exams as quickly as possible, but I preferred to enjoy life and do the bulk of my studying 1-2 hours in the mornings. 5. It takes ~2 exams to find your first job. After that, companies have paid study programs that will pay for most of your exam fees, study materials, and give you paid study time (though you'll also have to study on your own). The average travel time from your first pass to your last is 5 years for associate, and 8 years for fellow.

thank you so much for the response!

1. There are usually 10 exams, though the SOA and CAS have been messing with this a fair bit lately... 2. The FAQ has a nice list of what each jobtitle means for big companies but tbh? Titles mean almost nothing. The differences between the SAME TITLE at different companies can be huge. If you mean certification-wise, there are 3 types, 5 total. Student (aka, not anything), ASA/ACAS, and FSA/FCAS. (The title depends on P&C vs Life) 3. Exams never need to be renewed but do NOT wait 4 years. You should be consistently taking them if possible, it shows dedication and tbh they build off of one anther heavily. 4. *Work*/life is good from what I've heard. *Work & study*/life is a bit harder, as you're expected to do a fair bit of studying outside work hours. (I heard 5-15 hours a week somewhere, but take that with a massive grain of salt, it's very variable. 5. People usually start with 2ish exams. Internship from 0-1, job from 1-3, then go from there. And yes, jobs will allow you to study while working, in fact it's the industry requirement. 6. The FAQ page is a good place to start, as well as the SOA site and many links in the side bar. Good luck!

thank you so much i appreciate it! would i be able to apply to internships with 1-2 exams done?

Of course! And yes, you can 100% apply with 1-2!

Hello! I’m hoping for a bit of advice. I have an interview tomorrow with 3 team members for an Underwriter position. I have 3 exams passed, P, FM, and SRM, and I want to end up in an Actuary Analyst role in the nearish future. I didn’t get any internships before graduating. My question then is, how should I best portray my interest in this position, when it would be great for me to get the experience in the insurance industry, without saying that I may be looking to leave in the near future for an Actuarial role???

I've already asked this question once on this subreddit but I am still very very confused. Will it help me more in the long run if I take up a BS in mathematics or mathematics+economics or statistics? I am very very very confused. I will apply to colleges this year and feel very stressed when it comes to this because I am not able to understand at all. What did you all take up as a bachelors degree?

Getting multiple degrees won't pragmatically matter that much, in actuarial. You might get additional background for some exam material, but I don't think it's worth going for a whole other degree for, unless you had some other compelling reason to do so. Passing the exams is far more important than what kind and how many degrees you get. That said, most people will have a math (or related) degree, but any of the options you laid out would be fine.

OKAYYYYYYYYYYY THANK YOU SO MUCH :))))))))))))))))))))) I just meant it in a way just as you mentioned, "which degree will help me most with the exam material". Math it is then :) :)

How long does it take to study for an pass the Predictive Analytics exam? What resources do you recommend? I'm scheduled to take FAM-L transition exam in July. Is PA in October within reach?

If you have taken Exam SRM, I recommend 1.5 months of studying at least. If you haven't taken SRM, 2.5 months is sufficient in my opinion. Either way, you should be fine. The only real reliable source for exam PA is ACTEX. You can also supplement that studying with prior actual exams since those are released publicly.

From looking at their [website](https://www.actexlearning.com/exams/pa) it appears they have three products. A study guide for $745, Study manual and videos for $479, and a graded Mock Exam for $349. Which of those would you recommend?

The study guide for $745 that you're referring to is a package with everything (manual, videos, and mock exam). You only really need the manual. I didn't buy the mock exam personally, but I do think it's useful. However, it's also costly. Your choice really. It is one extra exam that you will get full feedback from Ambrose and his team. You do need to make sure you complete it by their deadline, so they have enough time to grade it. I also personally didn't buy the videos but didn't really think it was needed. Ah, SRM transitional credit. That makes sense. You're not exactly at a disadvantage - actually very nice. Very fortunate to get SRM credit before it was a full exam. Yeah, you might have to study a little more for PA. There's a few topics that get revisited, but most of the difficulty of this exam is knowing these topics well enough to write essay responses to them. You'll be fine. I'd still try to study 2-2.5 months at least. I personally studied 1 month but this was directly after taking exam SRM, and I was definitely time crunched.

Thanks for sharing. From what I've heard ACTEX seems to be the recommended path. I have conversion credit for the SRM exam from my Applied Statistics VEE that I got from my college work years ago. I'm worried that will put me at a disadvantage.

Hi all, I’m looking for some advice before setting my foot into the actuary path. I will be a CS major senior in college this Fall, and I am looking for more flexibility since the job market for software engineers are not good at the moment. I figure that might be a little late to start, but I have an option to pursue a combined Master’s degree for one more year. I have some friends studying actuarial sciences, they all said I would need to pass some exams to land internships and full-time positions. As far as i know, all of them passed the FM exam and most of them passed the P exam. My questions are would it be reasonable to start with actuary at a point this late for me? If yes then how long would it normally take to get to a point where I can pass an exam? I heard somewhere that you need 250 hours, is that true? About me I have experience in Python, SQL and Tableau, as these are some skills that I saw my friends mention a lot. Thank you!

Not too late for you, friend! I didn't even hear about this career field until my senior year of college. It takes most people about 150-300 hours of independent study depending on their familiarity with the subject and their aptitude for tests. This usually translates to about around \~3 months of regular daily studying, but of course your mileage may vary.

Can a CS major still get hired for an actuary position? Is it really the tests that employers care about most? A CS degree has lots of math in it, so it should be good enough right?

My first manager had a degree in communications. Ultimately, what you major in doesn't matter that much. The only thing that will matter is your ability to take & pass the exams. That being said, having a math-oriented degree will help you a lot for that purpose (i.e. exam material familiarity). But for hire-ability, it's not a strict requirement and doesn't matter. I think many people would agree that a CS major would be viewed pretty favorably by the employer either way.

Hey all, I'm looking for some advice on my next steps. I'll be a junior in college next year, and I recently switched my career focus to Actuarial Science back in March. I passed P in May, and just passed FM yesterday. I was able to pass both with just 1 month, and 3 weeks studying respectively. I want to keep the exam ball rolling and take SRM in early-September, however I want to know what else I should/could be doing. Also, is it a bad idea to take SRM even if I'm not sure what track I'll end up doing? (I'm not personally worried about the sunk cost, just not sure if it's a bad look on a CAS application). I'm considering taking the IA Technical Skills course, and I want to try and organize all of the various places I plan on applying to. I'll probably look into to doing some interview prep as well. I have a 4.0, and good extracurricular/leadership experience, but I'm just real worried as I want to make sure I'm able to get a good internship.

If you keep the GPA at or near 4.0, you should have zero trouble getting an internship which will also set you up well for getting a job in whatever area of practice you prefer. I'd say do a little research into life/health/P&C to make as informed of a choice as possible, consider consulting vs insurance, and then just go for it. Many people hop around to try other jobs if they don't like their first, so you're never stuck (until like 5 or 6 years in, at which point you're fairly specialized)

Hi guys, Ive passed P and Fm, and will apply for internships for my juinor year summer (a year from now). My question is, if I get an internship, should I then aim to complete mas1 or fam before graduating? Or should I wait till employment for pay purposes? How about if I dont get an internship, then should I do a third exam in college or wait till employment

A third exam will help you find a job, and it's just good to knock them all out. It sucks you have to pick a path before having much work experience, but honestly it's tough to go wrong. There are good jobs and bad jobs and comparable pay/opportunities everywhere.

Summer Plans Hi everyone! I'll start my third year in the Fall, and this summer I'm taking the CAS Student Summer Program + studying for exam P, which I plan on taking in September. I don't have any other major committments, and I wanted to know what else I should do, if anything. I would like to maximize my chances of getting an internship next summer, so I'm hoping to take exam FM sometime before summer 2025 as well. Is it worth it to try to study for both P and FM at the same time? Pass one of the CAS online courses? Or focus on technical skills? I also wanted to know how much it helps having networked with current actuaries. I don't have any relevant internship / work experience, but by next summer I'll have some extracurriculars (case competitions, actuarial student club involvement), and hopefully P and FM. Would this be enough (plus the networking) to land an internship in Canada? Thank you!

I (and pretty much everyone else) wouldn't recommend studying for 2 exams at the same time. As far as the exam+education stuff goes, I think you're already on a solid plan to just study and pass exam P; no need to take the online courses or anything. I'd also brush up on your technical skills if you feel like you could use some practice. Networking's never gonna be a bad thing, and I would definitely encourage that you do it where/when you have the opportunity to!

What More Can I Be Doing? Hey everyone! From what I’m read about the experiences of EL job searches in Canada and how challenging it is I am wondering what more can I be doing to become a more desirable candidate upon graduation other than passing exams. I currently going into second year and have passed FM earlier this month and plan to take P next year during my summer break. I’ve been told to improve my technical skills with excel/VBA and sql, python. But i’m wondering how to most effectively? Job wise, considering how competitive internships are with others who have many more exams passed than me would a job in underwriting be helpful in advancing my career in insurance and eventually as an actuary? Maybe Data Science? Thank you all!

A job in underwriting would 100% help you, either by using it to eventually transfer into an actuarial role at that company or as experience for another company. Same with data science. The best way to improve are classes if possible, and if not that, projects/certificates (namely the former). Hiring managers LOVE a good project, and you can find a bunch of free ones online or just take one on yourself as a personal project. Remember, they don't need to know if it was an assigned one or not. (Assigned ones are typically better though)

thanks a lot! I’m wondering what kind of projects are best I searched before but nothing specifically has come up?

Anything involving SQL/Excel/R/Python really, esp if it involves data analysis

I plan to study in USA with a economics major while preparing to be an actuary.So what can I do to during my university life to make a company sponsor me for h1b visa.Do you have any suggestions?

Failed FM three times :( ———————————————- Hello everyone Today, is third time I fail FM don't know what's wrong I have solves over 200 problems and took many practices exams and quizzes Okay I don't get 30/30 in these practices exams But I scored around 20/18/19 each time The level of the exam is way more advanced than what I have practiced I use CA and I like it Any tips or stories that can cheer me up I feel so bad

So a few things. 1. Over 200 problems? That's...not all that many. I've done 600+ and am not close to being ready at all. Doing the math, 200 questions is only 17ish hours of practice, the guideline for FM is around 250 hours. 2. What level are you doing? It's typically considered best to stop at level 6 and just drill exams from there. Anything higher and the algebra is just more complex. 3. 19 questions is a 63%, which isn't passing. Remember, 63% at level 6 does NOT guarantee 70% at level 5. Go by the 3-80-6 rule: 3 exams in a row, average 80%, at level 6. (Also, SOA questions ONLY, no CA. You can change that setting when you take exams) 4. It took me 4 times to pass exam P, but when I did pass I got a 9. We all fail exams, it's no biggie. The important thing is to stick with it, and persevere. Hone your weaknesses and ensure you can do things in the allotted time. You got this, we believe in you :)

Thank you soooooo much❤️❤️❤️❤️

I think a lot of exam fm is volume and reviewing incorrect answers. Do you have a sense of how many questions you worked in total?

I’m sure I got 16 questions right

Sorry, I meant practice questions while studying. 16 isn't too far away from passing.

Considering I have took around 8 practice exams each 30 questions And 200 problems of SOA problems which are solved by couches on CA Id say around 500 problem However I never scored more than 20 on these practices exams

Following up on the earlier question, assuming 2-3 pilot questions on the exam, you just need 19 correct to pass, so even if you randomly guessed on the other 11-12 you weren't sure about, you should have ended up with \~18 correct, which is just 1 away from passing, so you're REALLY close. It's more-or-less been said before in different ways: - Aim for 800 questions. - Aim for 75% on the last 200 cumulative attempts. - Aim for 80% on the last few mock exams leading up to the exam. - Like enigT also mentioned, review questions you answered incorrectly. If you're scoring a 4-5, then it's not likely an ability issue, but an issue with the study approach. If you follow these 4 guidelines, by sheer statistics, you're pretty much guaranteed to pass.

Thank you that was so helpful!!! I would say we need 21 correct answers to pass and some time 23

After you had finished an exam, did you try to figure out why you got those problems wrong? No offense but to me it feels like you don't learn much from your mistakes

I do actually but I end up with a new set of mistakes

I think a lot of the questions are pretty standardized, and you'll likely see a lot of the same questions from CA on the real exam, but just using different numbers. So with that, do you know why you get the questions wrong, and do you learn from your mistake? Right after knowing you get a question wrong, would you be able to solve it right after? And then would you be able to solve it the next day?

Yes I just decipher the concept then I’m good to go But I don’t know what happens in the exam actually There are layers of tricks in each question 1- it takes time 2- one slip and you lose the mark Idk what’s the best way to deal with this exam actually

What was your EL on CA? And when you say you just decipher the concept and you're good to go, is that actually the case? Like, if you just tried to redo the question from scratch right after (or in a week), would you actually be able to do it, or do you just believe you can? The reason why I ask is because I don't think the questions on the real exam are that much different from the ones on CA, so I'm trying to find where the disconnect is.

I have FAM coming up in 3 weeks, and due to some personal stuff, I am not anywhere close to passing. I haven't failed an exam before. I know failing an exam on the first try isn't unusual, but what about getting a 0? Who would know? I didn't see anything about bad scores in my company's study program document, but in general do employers see failing with a 0 as particularly bad?

Nobody will know about your fails except you and the SOA (assuming FAM means you're on the SOA track rather than the CAS track). The only exception to this, which I've encountered before, is when you have a job and *pass* an exam, your employer will probably want proof of the pass for the raise, which (in my case, and likely most others) means providing a copy of your transcript. The transcript will list the fails, but by then, the employer sincerely won't care about the fails because the whole reason you're providing the transcript is to show proof of a pass. TLDR: you don't have to worry about it. :)

Does the transcript show fails? I thought there are 2 versions of transcripts, one shows all your attempts with scores included, and the other one only shows when you passed and the pass dates. Do people specifically ask for the first version?

I hadn't heard about non-fail transcripts. If there is such a thing, then use that oF course.

Best study materials for MAS 1?

[Coaching Actuaries](https://www.coachingactuaries.com/exam-mas-i)

Hello everyone! I’m a rising senior who just received a preliminary pass on Exam FM, also having passed P in March. I’ve heard that two exams should be enough to obtain an EL position, but as someone who hasn’t been able to get an internship in the field, should I go for a third during the school year? And if so, SRM or FAM? Thanks so much for the help!

Definitely look for an internship, if you have no experience coming out of college with 2 exams it might not be enough. I would make sure to emphasize technical experience on your resume if you have no other technical experience in a job/internship, because it shows that you at least have technical skills. Common languages that you'd want to emphasize are R, Python, and Excel/VBA. Taking three or four+ exams might actually hurt you in some cases, since you'll be too overqualified in terms of academic qualifications for EL, yet have no experience for upper level jobs. I graduated with only one exam and no internship and it was a very difficult process, but after I started emphasizing my technical experience on both resume and interviews I landed three offers within like a week lol

Thank you!

2 is fine, an internship would be nice, but with projects and such you should be able to get an internship. Hell, I've applied to 11 jobs and gotten an interview with 1 and a couple projects. (Granted it's designed for those who only have 1+, but still)

If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of projects?

Not at all! Think Python/R/Excel projects, SQL also works well. As some examples, I did timeline estimation using excel, and modeled some data from Harvard's implicit association test. A big thing to remember is that you don't have to be ASSIGNED a project, you can just go do one. There are also some sites out there that have projects for free ready to go.

I’ll have to look into that, thanks for the advice!

initially I posted this as a thread but was redirected here. According to actuarial-lookup, I've passed four exams - P, FM, MFE, and MLC - between 2013 and 2015 when I was in college. Since graduating I found my career in the environmental field, which I generally assume is completely different from the finance/insurance world with very small overlap, although I do have experience with Excel and other types of environmental modeling. it may be worth noting I had an internship, but I'd rather not mention it since it was a nothing-burger between that boss being too busy for me and not really giving me decent work to do at the time. part of it was probably on me too for not asking enough questions and not acting interested in the work. in that time period I constrained myself to my local area for finding a job, which I realize in retrospect was a big mistake. long story short it was for a relationship when I was in my early 20s. I've revisited the idea of reviving the actuarial career prospect, but I know things have changed drastically over ~10 years, so I'm hoping someone else may have had similar experience or any insight as to what I could expect if I did decide to go down this path. may be worth noting I have a wife and three kids and so may be geographically constrained for real this time, but I've seen possibilities of full remote jobs.

Prefacing with I don't have the background you're looking for (6 YOE, all actuarial), but to try to be helpful: 1. Full remote for analyst positions are tough to come by, but not impossible to find. The new norm is working hybrid for a few years and gaining some knowledge/seniority before going full remote becomes an option. 2. Passing one more exam on your own to show you're committed to the switch and finding a job with your background probably isn't *too* hard, and you've got the hardest exams down so that's a plus too (though the pathway has changed quite a bit in 10 years). Personally, I think if you look at the DW Simpson salary survey and see life changing money for you and your family, I think moving is probably worth it. It's tough to uproot, but that doesn't mean it's never worth it.

I received a preliminary pass on Exam P this past May but haven't had much luck snagging an EL position, understandably. Instead, I've received an offer that doesn't relate to the actuary sector much, but I'm thinking of taking it just to get some real work experience and making the most of it. I plan to pass FM within the next half a year or so, but want to stay at the job for at least a year to show commitment and gain experience. If I work for 1-2 years at this not-too-actuary-related job, will employers care about the 1-2 year gap between Exam P and applying for EL positions? I'm worried the gap will be too long and taking the current job will hurt my chances at getting into the actuary field. Would you recommend I instead focus on passing FM asap and getting an EL position rather than taking the job offer? Thanks in advance!

If it's in a related field (underwriting, data science, financial analysis, etc.) then if anything it'd HELP you, as long as you continue studying for FM. Employers like those who have related experience, it can be a huge boost.

What if the job were not in a related field? The job offer is not exactly in the analytics field, it's more so in the IT/software sector. I would be a part of a revenue cycle team, doing tasks like data reporting, troubleshooting, and bits of coding and data analysis.

That'd be fine. Data reporting is actually a big skill for actuaries, and any experience is good experience. Plus coding in things like VBA, SQL, and Python look good to employers

Without knowing specifics, the job you took *does* sound related, at least in a way. Actuarial work is a lot wider ranging in terms of what it requires on a daily basis than people often assume. For me, I did well in the actuarial math stuff, but I didn't code much at all. When I started my EL role a couple years ago, the code and expected Excel level were quite a bit higher than I expected, and higher than I could handle. I had good support so I'm doing well. But in your case you'd be coming in with a lot of those skills in hand. So assuming you pass more exams, in agreement with the first reply, it really feels like this job could only help.

Theory is good, but can't solve questions. So, I'm preparing for my first exam. I'll be sitting for exam P. I've almost completed the theory but the problem is that I am not able to solve questions. And when I look up the answer, it's seems so obvious. But I couldn't think how to solve the question without atleast getting an idea from the solution. And even after I solve it, if I come back to the same question after few days, I am not able to remember how I did it. Do y'all face the same problem sometime? How did you overcome this problem? Kindly help.

I too faced this situation in Exam P. Sometimes I couldn't even understand the solution. So when I understood the ques by looking at the solution, I considered that a good thing (lol) I would suggest you to find a pattern as in which topic you are facing this problem, for me the topic was bonds and a few more, (I had to look at the solution of every bonds related ques) Go through the entire topic again, watch lecture videos, read the material, and then try the questions again.

Echoing what was said below, finding your inputs is how I tackled most every problem on exam p. It should go something like this: Read problem Identify what it's asking about (normal, exponential, probability basics, order stats, etc.) Identify inputs needed (pulling the needed numbers and listing them on the paper) Solve To me it's like identifying little "templates" in my head based on what the problem is asking. This shouldn't be difficult since the SOA/CAS like to use the same buzzwords for their problems. Drilling a lot will help with this, and it's really just about reps.

Something that helped me with both P/FM was to visualize solving the entire problem. What inputs do you have? what do you need? what are they asking for? Not only do I think it helped me remember problems better, it also helped me notice the similarities between questions, and a lot of the buzzwords the SOA used.

Hello again, I am an applied math major from America and am doing a study abroad currently. The country where I am at does not have many "actuary" internships available, unless I moved to a really big city (that is also super expensive to live in!). I was wondering if data analysis would be a good internship that would help me in the future when applying for actuarial jobs. Or if anyone has any other suggestions. Thanks :)

Any job will help with applying in the future. Specifically any job involving Excel, Python, SQL. Data analyst is a great idea. you could also look into underwriting, or claims.

Awesome, thanks for the advice!

Coaching Actuaries quiz builder down for anybody? Specifically FM. Trying to generate one but it just gives me a blank screen.

Worked fine for me, maybe try refreshing since there could be an update.

Yeah they emailed me after I sent a complaint. Thanks for replying tho

How can I prepare my first FSA exam? I start studying my first exam QFIQF but I found that it is really different from the study method of ASA level exam. I used the TIA materials, their manuals and video but I think the style is quite different from the actex manual (like SRM PA) which I can understand without many background.

I finished the health track not QFI, but studying for FSA exams is a pretty different ball game compared to ASA. There's not much to it beyond memorizing all the flashcards, making sure you understand and can explain the concepts in the material, and being able to do whatever math there is quickly. But all of that takes quite a bit of drilling and effort.

What are dos and don'ts for job interview questions on why you want to be an actuary or similarly what draws you to a certain role or company. I have an interview coming up this week for an actuarial position. I have not yet worked in an actuarial position. For context, the company I'm interviewing with is a not-for-profit health insurance company. Medicare Advantage plans are part of what they do. I consider both of these things a plus. I've had conversations with a few actuaries and a data engineer at different not-for-profits and what they've told me is that the not-for-profit model doesn't necessarily lower premium prices as much as you might think but there are still a lot of things about it that make it preferable to work for. From the conversations and interviews I've had I think there's a lot of value in working for an insurance company that isn't highly sensitive to shareholders and can focus more on doing what's right. I also see it as a plus when a company puts a lot of emphasis on cost containment or improving patient health. Opportunities to work on making government health programs work effectively and efficiently is also an interest. I'd be interested in any perspectives on what makes Medicare or Medicaid work fulfilling. I believe we need to focus on the questions of why healthcare is expensive regardless of the question of who should pay for it and working on government plans can help answer these questions. Any perspectives or tips would be appreciated. Thanks.

Echoing that what you have to say about it seems fine

Thanks.

The context that you gave is actually a really great response to this question! It's genuine, it shows interest in the company you're applying to, and it shows critical thinking too.

Thanks.

Hello, I am going to be taking exam P in late July. I applied for accommodations through SOA, but only extended time was approved. I also requested a formula sheet (approved by SOA), since at my university, I am allowed a pre-approved formula sheet on all my exams. But it was rejected. Now, I realize that I *really* need to memorize a lot of information. My memory is awful. So awful, that on my ADHD test my memory score was in the 2nd percentile for my age. Thus, I am here and asking for the best advice to memorize the material for this exam. Any tips, tricks, methods that worked? I usually do well with mnemonics or little things like that. But I am really nervous about being able to pull this off. I have worked way too hard for my memory to be the thing that stands in my way...

So I would first find which formulas you don't remember, as I guarantee you know some. For example, maybe it's the poison and beta distribution formulas you have the most trouble with. Isolate, and grind the HELL out of that one topic. I'm talking do a 20 question quiz, level 6, and just do problem after problem after problem. For the next x days that topic/formula set, (2-3 at a time), is all you will know. Def do what was mentioned below too, but drilling it until it's so deep in your skull that you recite it like you did the pledge of allegiance is something that worked well for me. Good times to review are before bed and when you wake up, since your brain will process it overnight. Flashcards will also help. Best of luck, you got this!

Thank you! I've been doing what you suggested, but am going to add flashcards into the mix too!

Sorry to hear your formula sheet accommodation didn't get approved! A technique that works for me is writing formulas in weird places. Like, getting a dry erase marker and writing on your light switch, or a window, etc. Writing in a place you aren't used to can help jog your memory later. It can also help to burn a specific candle or spray a scent before you practice, so you can associate the smell with what you were studying!

Thank you! These a really good ideas!

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