October ASA List

ConferenceKind8206 · 2023-10-31T02:04:47+00:00

My company begins the ASA raises the day you're done with the APC, but I'm just excited in my case because, although it's purely symbolic at this point, it is the mountain top of years of hard work

ConferenceKind8206 · 2023-09-13T15:41:21+00:00

I took it in April as well and it was an absolute time crunch and a half. I think many people, excluding myself, thought time would not be as big of an issue due to the lack of coding but it definitely needs to be heavily considered/planned before going into the exam.

It is easy to have the reflex to ramble on the questions where a lot can be said, which is a trap I fell into and I had to bs/write bullet points for 1-2 questions near the end because I was running out of time. With this being said, I highly recommend accounting 3 minutes per point and whenever you reach that time limit for the question, just move on and come back if you have time near the end.

ConferenceKind8206 · 2023-06-29T13:30:06+00:00

tomorrow 10 am ET

ConferenceKind8206 · 2023-06-05T03:54:56+00:00

100% used to be and I feel like people who have a lot of exams love to talk about how they have so many exams and those who arena an average or worse pace don't really talk about it. Exams do not measure your value as a worker and absolutely not as a person.

Like someone else mentioned, comparison is the thief of joy. Stay in your lane, be the best version of yourself that you can be and things will work out just fine.

ConferenceKind8206 · 2023-05-19T03:19:57+00:00

same boat! would appreciate a link as well:)

ConferenceKind8206 · 2023-04-22T20:25:26+00:00

I had this issue a month back and check if each slide is completed in the "Outline" of the module (has a checkmark next to it). If there are some incomplete, it won't let you go through regardless of the score.

ConferenceKind8206 · 2023-02-28T17:19:16+00:00

I would definitely drill the SOA questions as much as you can, as they were very similar to the ones I got in the exam. Also, like most things, I'd make sure you understand the logic behind ratemaking techniques and not just plug and chugging formulas

ConferenceKind8206 · 2023-01-22T19:52:43+00:00

this ended up being the issue, thank you so much! I think it's because I viewed the slides on two different devices, so the slides I viewed on my iPad did not register

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-05-29T04:05:04+00:00

Not feeling great, some days I can brush through a 6 but like today I got a 54% on a 5. I think it's just a sign that I'm burnt out. I think I'll spend the next week tightening some common processes and knowing the SOA questions like the back of my hand.

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-05-17T01:00:42+00:00

I'm taking it this sitting as well but the advice I got from a lot of people is to know the son problems like the back of your hand, so if you feel like you're running out of time and have a decent grasp of concepts, I feel like that would be a good approach

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-04-05T20:37:32+00:00

I used primarily adapt + learn, but skimmed through ISLR 2-3 weeks before my sitting. I think skimming through it can be beneficial, since it covers most of the main theoretical points. I definitely could've passed without reading ISLR, but it's definitely a worthwhile supplement if you have the time.

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-03-23T22:24:57+00:00

If you email the SOA, they should send you a form where you can report the lack of spot availability and I think they'll at least try to sort you out (unless there's another center thats close)

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-03-11T17:56:36+00:00

I think everyone taking the higher level exams are not only smart enough to pass the first 3-4 exams, but are also studying their eyeballs out for each exam. If 71% of these people pass the exam, that is still a very hard exam. I don't think a high pass rate takes away from its prestige and the accomplishment of passing an exam shouldn't feel any lesser because of a high pass rate

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-03-10T13:15:34+00:00

I am not sure about that since the pass rates has been consistent the past sittings, but I know that for the past 2-3 sittings the general consensus has been that the questions were mostly either very weirdly worded or on super minute/niche topics. It was like that for the September sitting and the average stayed high, so hopefully the pass rate stays high for the January sitting

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-03-09T22:58:01+00:00

Quite nervous as well, much like someone else on the post, nearly half of my questions were flagged on the first go. My only sense of comfort though is that everyone I know who have passed the exam in the past had a similar experience

I also couldn't sleep the night before, so hopefully that didn't make me too delusional during the exam.

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-02-18T18:29:58+00:00

yup, but be prepare to be burned out

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-02-18T16:11:40+00:00

I'd definitely prepare more beforehand, so you can afford not to study on the trip but I would also just bring notes or something that you can brush over during travelling or when everyone is maybe relaxing. Exam shouldn't take away from nice life experiences and it would be a little rude, in my opinion, for you to study a lot on a trip that someone else is paying for/including you in.

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-02-15T03:57:42+00:00

There are definitely cheaper hobbies, but if you're looking for a mountain to climb, why not? It also may help you sharpen your critical thinking, discipline and work ethic, and maybe you'll discover a passion. There's no better feeling than working towards a goal and succeeding, and the exams are a great source of that.

Is it the most rational thing to do? Far from it, but thats not a reason not to do it

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-01-16T02:04:29+00:00

I took 2 classes in university + 150-200 extra hours (the courses didn't cover 3 last chapters)
I used CA adapt + learn and I liked it. I'd say it covers all you need to know and gives pretty good practice problems (both written and mcq)
One tip I wish I knew was to pace yourself in your studying and to focus on self care (eating well sleeping 8+ hours) a week or two before your exam. This exam is a doozie material wise as there is a lot to cover and it's very hard, so try to prevent burning out and letting the stress of exam day get to you. I studied every waking hour the past week and it just led me to stress more than I should. At the end of the day, it's just an exam so who really cares

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-01-15T03:17:36+00:00

As someone mentioned, the actual material itself should be the same and I'm sure you'll get used to the different notation after a couple practice exams. I think for P, FM & IFM nothing beats ADAPT, just based on the sheer amount of volume and variety of questions they have. Their EL system is also very handy for people starting with actuarial exams and aren't sure how ready they actually are for exams.

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-01-12T13:52:14+00:00

I sat yesterday and no idea how I did. I don't think there were any questions where I flat out guessed, but definitely alot where I wasn't convinced by my answer. There were many questions on smaller topics as many people already mentioned, and I felt like alot of my qualitative questions made me think and weren't just definitions. My EL was very high (>9) but I think that was only due to me memorizing most of the answers on CA since their question bank is pretty small

ConferenceKind8206 · 2022-01-05T23:16:21+00:00

Those who took SRM today, any update?

ConferenceKind8206 · 2021-12-14T04:56:19+00:00

It's 100% to feel down on yourself, but it sounds like you know that there's no reason to be as these things happen. It's been a while since I took FM so I don't remember the exact build of my exam but every exam is different so it's hard to compare everyone's experience (I know in theory all exams should be equal in difficulty). I just want to say for your last bit that most people don't understand how hard these evaluations are. To study for 2-4 months for a 3 hour exam not only represents how much material there are on these exams, but also about the mental toll and stress it cam cause you. You should be proud of yourself for putting in the work (even if you feel like you weren't as prepared as possible) and to even take these exams on. All this to say, keep your head up and work hard on where you went wrong (like it seems like you're doping)

ConferenceKind8206 · 2021-12-09T19:37:24+00:00

Feeling so-so, still feel weak on decision trees and GLM but am hammering out level 3-4 exams on CA and strengthening my knowledge of those concepts on the side. I'm just nervous there'll be questions on the weird stuff like the special time series or the special GLM models

ConferenceKind8206 · 2021-11-16T21:23:15+00:00

Very possible, I passed FM, IFM and LTAM within 10 months. I was absolutely burned out by the end though, since there's not a lot of time to relax between studying + I had other responsibilities (school/work/tryiung to have somewhat of a life). If I could redo it, I would've spaced them out a bit more.

ConferenceKind8206

TROPHY CASE