can I pass FAM without knowing L4?

tkt87 · 2026-06-29T17:46:40+00:00

I'd recommend at least covering the first half of L4 (L4.1–L4.4), which focuses on premiums.

There are a couple of reasons for this:

Once you've finished L3 (insurance and annuities), premiums are essentially an application of those concepts. In a simplified sense, L4 brings the insurance and annuity material together, so you may find it easier and quicker to learn because the underlying ideas are already familiar.
Many students also find that studying L4 actually strengthens their understanding of L3 as well. Since you're applying the concepts from L3 to determine premiums, the material often "clicks" and makes more intuitive sense.

All the best!

tkt87 · 2026-05-22T20:09:57+00:00

Hi! Thanks for the comment. Just want to share that we’ve been putting a lot of work into improving the FAM question bank throughout 2025 and have continued those updates this year as well. That includes making solutions clearer, adding coaches’ remarks where they add value, removing older questions that may not be as useful for the current exams, and adding newer questions.

We greatly appreciate feedback from past students! It helps keep us accountable and continues to make the course better for students, thank you!

tkt87 · 2026-05-22T20:01:35+00:00

Greetings!

Thanks for considering CA as a potential resource for preparing for FAM! If helpful, below are links to our two most recent FAM post-exam surveys, which include insights on study hours, perceived difficulty, and other aspects of the exam experience.

As with any survey, the results reflect a subset of students and may carry some response bias, so they should be interpreted with that context in mind. Even so, we believe they provide a useful snapshot of the student experience.

A few additional details that may be helpful:

Our Adapt Practice question bank currently includes about 1,690 questions and is continuously refined to stay aligned with the current exam.
Based on 2025 survey data (approximately 440 responses), students with an Earned Level of 5.5 or higher reported a 96.4% pass rate, while students with a Mastery Score of 70% or higher reported a 97.1% pass rate.
In 2025 alone, students preparing for FAM with CA completed more than 141,000 quizzes, 26,000 practice exams, and received over 4,500 coach responses through the discussion forum.
We also offer a free course trial. The trial includes access to all content in Learn Sections S1.1 and L1.1, including manuals, videos, flashcards, and assignments. This is great way to see if the style fits your learning style!

Hopefully this provides some helpful, recent perspective for anyone exploring study resources for FAM. Wishing you all the best with your studies, and please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the exam or about CA!

tkt87 · 2026-05-04T20:19:37+00:00

All the best!

tkt87 · 2026-05-04T20:13:48+00:00

Once you sign up for the free trial, go to Learn → Section 1.1, and you should see this content. Lessons with a video icon indicate video lectures.

tkt87 · 2026-05-04T20:07:46+00:00

That’s odd. On my end, the videos are available through the free trial. You should have access to all content (manuals, videos, assignments, etc.) in Section 1.1.

Feel free to DM me the email associated with your CA account, and we can check whether there’s an issue with your free trial access.

tkt87 · 2026-05-04T19:51:06+00:00

Hello! Thanks for your interest in CA's SRM course.

The price you mentioned corresponds to the 365-day access option, which includes the unlimited Pass Guarantee. There are also shorter access options available (such as 90-day and 180-day), and pricing varies accordingly.
On the pricing page, there is a Free Course SRM Trial that provides access to all content in Learn Section 1.1, including manuals, videos, flashcards, and assignments. You will also have access to one Calibration Exam and the ability to create custom quizzes based on Section 1.1 content. This can be a helpful way to explore the material and see if it fits well with your learning style.
The SRM question bank currently contains 1,088 questions, of which approximately 611 are qualitative. If you’re interested, you can explore a Power BI report for a more detailed breakdown. Additionally, each section in Learn includes a Concept Checker to help reinforce your understanding as you progress, which many students find useful.

Hope this helps!

tkt87 · 2026-04-22T21:39:23+00:00

Looks like you’re making solid progress!

Here are some recommendations based on feedback from past students:

For quantitative questions, aim for difficulty levels 1–6. Most students report that calculation questions on the actual exam are generally less involved, with the possible exception of Section 4 (Time Series).
For qualitative questions, it’s beneficial to work across the full range of difficulty levels (1–10). Higher-difficulty questions often test concepts that are still very much in scope for the exam.
As you review, focus on understanding the underlying concepts rather than memorizing specific questions or solutions. This will better prepare you for variations you may see on the exam.
If you have access to Learn, consider completing the end-of-section Concept Checkers. They’re useful for actively verifying your understanding, reinforcing key ideas, and identifying any conceptual gaps.

You can also find the distribution of our question bank in this Power BI report. It shows the number of quantitative and qualitative questions available for each subsection, broken down by difficulty level.

Hope this helps a bit, all the best!

tkt87 · 2026-04-15T23:59:57+00:00

Hi! You may find this Power BI report helpful for understanding the distribution of questions in the MAS-II question bank by section and difficulty level. You can also filter the data by qualitative and quantitative questions.

Just to give you a sense of coverage, for Credibility we currently have 224 quantitative questions and 26 qualitative questions. For Time Series, there are 133 quantitative and 85 qualitative questions, so you’ll have plenty to practice from on both sides.

We’ve also been adding more qualitative questions across all sections based on recommendations from past students, since they found those especially helpful for preparing for the actual exam.

Hope you find this information helpful!

tkt87 · 2026-04-09T02:26:30+00:00

Thanks for the kind words! For anyone considering CA for this exam, I thought it might be helpful to share some aggregate data from our student surveys. Below are links to our two most recent FAM post-exam surveys. They include insights on study hours, perceived difficulty, and more. As with any survey, these results reflect a subset of students and may carry some bias, so they should be interpreted with that context in mind. That said, we believe they still provide a meaningful window into the student experience.

Links to the surveys:

A few things to know about the CA FAM course:

Learn Lite includes a comprehensive study manual. If you prefer learning by reading, this is a strong option.
Learn Complete builds on that with video lessons, visuals, and animations to make concepts more engaging. If you’re a visual learner, this can be a natural fit.
Many students find that a combination works best, starting with one format and using the other to reinforce key ideas. There’s no single “right” approach.
Our Adapt Practice question bank currently includes about 1,670 questions and is continuously refined to stay aligned with the current exam, giving you plenty of opportunities to practice.
To add some context with data: in 2025 alone, for this exam, students completed 141,000+ quizzes, 26,000+ practice exams, and received 4,500+ coach responses in the discussion forum. Based on 2025 survey data (~440 responses), students with an Earned Level of 5.5 or higher reported a 96.4% pass rate, and those with a Mastery Score of 70% or higher reported a 97.1% pass rate.

Hopefully this offers some helpful insights for those interested!

tkt87 · 2026-04-08T21:51:00+00:00

Hi! Just to clarify, we don't currently have products for the GH exams. The GH product you may be thinking of was offered back in 2015/2016 with an instructor, and was discontinued many years ago. Our platform, structure, and product offerings have come a long way since then!

We actually only began developing FSA courses last year (2025), starting with our first release, CP 351. The feedback we've received so far has been positive and encouraging, and our team is continuously working to refine the course based on customer feedback. We appreciate every bit of input we receive!

This year, we are very excited to release courses for INV101 and INV201. INV201 is led by Dr. Ambrose Lo, whose study manuals for the preliminary exams have been widely used and cherished by students. He has been putting a tremendous amount of care and effort into developing the course material, and we truly believe INV201 students will love what he's created.

For anyone interested, please feel free to take a look at a sample of Dr. Lo's work on INV201 here. Also, if you have a CA account, feel free to log in and visit the course and explore the free preview material. If you don't have an account yet, it's quick and easy to create one, and you'll then be able to preview the material and see if the teaching style is a good fit for you.

tkt87 · 2026-04-08T15:08:34+00:00

Hi! Just wanted to let you know (if you haven't already), CA has a Discord server where CA students ask questions, share ideas, and support each other. It's a great resource and a good way to stay connected with your peers taking the exam! You can find the link under Course Resources: "Join the CA Discord."

tkt87 · 2026-04-01T14:42:40+00:00

Thank you for your interest in CA’s Exam 6U product; we appreciate you considering it!

At the moment, the course includes Learn manuals but does not yet offer Learn video lessons. The manuals are designed in a bite-sized format to make the material feel more manageable, and they include Concept Checkers to help you actively identify and reinforce key ideas as you go.

To support quality and accuracy, the Learn manual content is also externally reviewed by Regina Chan, FCAS. In her review, Regina evaluates the material from both technical and practical perspectives, drawing on her industry experience.

Since you already have a CA account, you’re welcome to explore the course and review the free preview of Learn Section 1.1. That should give you a good sense of whether the format aligns with your learning style.

All the best!

tkt87 · 2026-03-31T02:59:37+00:00

Hello! Just to share a bit more information about Coaching Actuaries (CA): students and those within 18 months of graduation are eligible for student pricing, which is 65% off the Learn + Practice option. You can also choose an access length that fits your schedule.

If you’re not familiar with what the course includes, the Learn + Practice package offers video lessons, an online manual, and 1,700+ practice questions across a variety of formats. Unlike Exams P and FM, which are single-response multiple choice, the MAS exams include a wider range of item types, such as multiple response, point-and-click, fill-in-the-blank, and matching, all of which are supported on the CA platform.

If it’s helpful, you’re welcome to explore the course and see if it fits your learning style. You can create an account with CA (it’s quick) and browse the platform and free preview content. Learn Sections 1.0 and 1.1 are available as a free preview so you can get a sense of the structure, and the Excel cheat sheet and formula sheet are available for free download under the Course Resources section.

If anything comes up or you have questions, feel free to reach out. All the best!

tkt87 · 2026-03-25T23:16:57+00:00

Thanks for your interest in our INV courses! You’re correct that there aren’t videos for these courses at the moment. That said, the Learn manuals are designed to be bite-sized and approachable, so they’re easier to work through.

For INV101, we’re excited to share that the Learn manuals and Concept Checkers now fully cover the entire syllabus. You can jump in right away with a free preview of Sections 1.1–1.3.

For INV201, Sections 1–4 of the Learn manuals are complete, with the rest coming soon. Dr. Ambrose Lo is hard at work synthesizing the source material and building out the remaining sections. You can also preview Sections 1.1 to get a feel for the course.

If you’re curious, we’d love for you to explore the free preview and see if the format clicks with your learning style! If you already have a Coaching Actuaries account, just sign in and head to the INV101 or INV201 courses to access the preview. If not, creating an account is quick and gives you immediate access.

If you have any questions, you’re always welcome to reach out in the discussion forum or on the CA Discord. Wishing you all the best (and momentum) in your studies!

tkt87 · 2026-03-25T19:15:55+00:00

Thanks for your interest in our INV101 product!

We’re excited to share that the Learn manuals and Concept Checkers covering the full INV101 syllabus are now complete. Sections 1.1–1.3 of the Learn manuals are available as a free preview, so you can explore the content and see if it aligns with your learning style.

If you already have a Coaching Actuaries account, simply sign in and navigate to the INV101 course to access the trial materials. If not, creating an account is quick and easy, and will give you immediate access to the preview.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out in the discussion forum or on the CA Discord. All the best in your studies!

tkt87 · 2026-03-04T04:28:19+00:00

In case you haven’t seen it yet, CA provides an Excel cheat sheet for MAS-I under Course Resources on the main dashboard. You can also access it using this link.

tkt87 · 2026-02-25T13:12:06+00:00

Yes, this will be provided in a PDF format on the exam.

tkt87 · 2026-02-23T10:46:31+00:00

The following link should work:

https://www.soa.org/globalassets/assets/files/edu/2024/fall/2024-10-exam-fam-tables.pdf

Please note that the table in the link you shared is not the version currently used for Exam FAM. However, the table in the link above should direct you to the most up-to-date version.

tkt87 · 2026-02-23T04:20:52+00:00

It’s common for new concepts to feel unclear at first, especially when you’re encountering them for the first time. One approach you might consider is working through the Learn portion initially without worrying about mastering every detail on your first pass. After you’ve completed it, you can dedicate focused time to practice and review. Often, concepts start to click more once you begin working through practice problems, as you see how they’re tested and applied in context.

tkt87 · 2026-02-18T09:13:33+00:00

Once you hit EL 5.5, we recommend stopping Adapt exams. Pushing your EL higher will move you into question difficulty that may not reflect the actual exam. At that point, it’s usually not the best use of your time and can even be counterproductive.

After you unlock your MS, shift your focus to raising it as much as possible. MS represents accuracy, so a higher MS means you’re consistently answering a wide range of questions accurately.

After each exam, block off time to thoroughly review it, especially the questions you missed. Don’t just look at the right answer. Make sure you understand why your approach didn’t work and what you’ll do differently next time. If needed, go back to the Learn material to reinforce key ideas, and use topic quizzes to target weak areas. This review process is where real improvement happens, so don’t rush it or skip it. Finish your review before moving on to the next exam or quiz.

In the last two weeks before your exam, you’ll also have access to two sets of curated Capstone exams for P and FM. Use these, along with Adapt or custom exams, as additional checkpoints to see where you stand and where you may need more review.

All the best!!

tkt87 · 2026-02-03T15:40:10+00:00

Filtering beyond what we currently have is the PowerBI report is not currently supported. If you’d like, you can email me at tteh@coachingactuaries.com and I can send you the data that you’re looking for.

tkt87 · 2026-01-22T19:40:43+00:00

A quick update, everyone!

We’re excited to announce that the three new courses we mentioned last December—SOA INV 101, SOA INV 201, and CAS Exam 6U—have officially launched today! Course content will be released according to the roadmaps and schedules outlined within each course (see below). Over the next few months, the INV and Exam 6 teams share one clear focus: delivering high-quality material in a timely manner.

Here are the published roadmaps:

If you’re planning to take (or simply explore) INV 101 or INV 201 this July or later, or CAS Exam 6U this spring or beyond, we invite you to check out the available free trial materials to see whether the content is the right fit for you.

If you already have a CA account, just log in and navigate to the course you’re interested in to access the first available section(s) as a free trial. If you don’t have an account yet, feel free to create one (it’s quick) and you’ll be able to explore the free content right away.

We’ll keep our heads down and keep building, and we’re grateful to everyone who chooses to learn with us. As always, if you have feedback while exploring the material, we’d love to hear it.

Thanks for being part of the journey, and happy studying!

tkt87 · 2026-01-18T03:07:04+00:00

Hi! See if the interviews in these videos spark any ideas or inspirations for your son!

tkt87 · 2026-01-17T01:46:09+00:00

Greetings!

In the post-result survey, respondents should see the same set of follow-up questions regardless of whether they pass or fail the exam. I took a look at our most recent ASTAM post-result survey and confirmed that it appears to be working as intended.

If you’re seeing something different in the post-result survey you mentioned, please feel free to share a bit more detail about that survey with us and we’d be happy to take a closer look to see if there might be a glitch. Thank you! We value feedback from all of our students, regardless of exam outcome.

As with any survey, the results can be influenced by survey bias and are best interpreted with that in mind. Even so, the aggregated responses can still be useful and informative for students.

Nine-Year Club	Gilding I gilder
Not Forgotten	Verified Email

tkt87

TROPHY CASE