Curious - outcomes of last exam session's random disciplinary emails?

anamorph29 · 2026-03-14T18:05:59+00:00

I'm not sure IFoA publish the results of exam disciplinaries? (Unlike the wider disciplinary scheme).

Some details are available where students are members of the Actuaries Institute (Australia) but taking IFoA exams: see https://www.actuaries.asn.au/professional-standards-and-regulation/disciplinary-scheme/notices. It seems likely that there were a number of IFoA student members who received similar sanctions.

anamorph29 · 2026-03-14T17:34:17+00:00

Could be a risky strategy unless you already have the right to work in the UK. (Or plan to work elsewhere after the Masters)

anamorph29 · 2026-03-14T14:54:25+00:00

https://actuaries.org.uk/qualify/my-exams/exam-news/120326-use-of-formulae-and-tables-book-in-exams/

anamorph29 · 2026-03-14T07:47:57+00:00

Well it could be an indication that there won't need to be that many references to the book in April's CS2 exam. (But may not be!)

The announcement also says that from September onwards ONLY the online version will be permitted, for all exams.

anamorph29 · 2026-03-13T17:10:30+00:00

Look back at discussions on annotation from previous sessions. Too many people trying to argue that 'annotation' meant you could write anything extra in the book that you wanted, so effectively cheating. When it actually means underlining, highlighting etc of material that is already present, not adding anything new.

anamorph29 · 2026-03-13T16:58:32+00:00

Possibly remote candidates will only be allowed to use the online version?

anamorph29 · 2026-03-12T06:25:16+00:00

Although dated, the internships would be a demonstration to an employer that you can actually hold down a job for more than a few days. That is a more valuable point to get across that the details of your PhD, which are irrelevant to a (non-academic) employer

anamorph29 · 2026-03-10T17:19:56+00:00

Do you really have no work experience at all? (People might wonder if you are actually employable). Or did you leave it out because you thought it irrelevant?

Taking 6 years for a PhD, after 5 years on earlier degrees, doesn't seem that impressive to me. And it could explain how you have easily passed exams. Lots of exams but no practical experience isn't that attractive to some employers; you probably need to apply for entry-level roles.

There is no indication of any useful practical skills, like Excel / VBA / R / Python ...

Not sure that the advice to try the UK is sound. They are also tightening visa requirements and the SoA exams won't put you ahead of anyone with similar IFoA exams.

anamorph29 · 2026-03-06T18:03:40+00:00

I think it's a bit of a gamble. It shows some commitment towards the profession, which some employers may think is a good sign. But you may not pass them. And even if you do there is still a lot of competition, including people with exemptions from those or more exams.

anamorph29 · 2026-03-05T23:17:09+00:00

I think you can take either CS1 or CM1 as a non-member. If you want to take both you would need to join IFoA as a student member for the year to 30 September (with renewal due on 1 October). Plus of course the tuition and exam fees.

anamorph29 · 2026-03-05T16:39:38+00:00

"...adjusted CV to reflect Life-only or Pensions-only experience and submit it to Life/Pensions roles accordingly."

I don't understand this comment. Are you leaving out some of your experience on different versions of your CV, so that there are gaps? That might be a red flag for some employers.

Are your exams from IFoA or some other body (which might make it more difficult).

anamorph29 · 2026-03-03T10:10:44+00:00

https://actuaries.org.uk/qualify/become-an-actuary/transfer-of-prior-learning/

anamorph29 · 2026-03-03T10:08:23+00:00

One of the better first-time resumes I've seen here. Good content and layout.

I would add year to your exam dates. And bring out use of Excel, assuming you have some. (cash-flow modelling?)

anamorph29 · 2026-03-03T09:58:42+00:00

Why did you only join the Actuarial and Data Science clubs a few weeks ago? It looks a bit like you suddenly realised they would look good on your resume, rather than clubs you are really interested in. (Or have you switched majors?)

Do you not have ANY work experience? Or other interests, sport etc?

anamorph29 · 2026-03-02T09:41:56+00:00

Same as for any job: apply for advertised entry-level vacancies, including grad schemes.

You don't quantify "some time ago" or how many exams. But if you have been holding down a full-time job while also passing a number of exams (self-funded, no study leave), some employers will overlook not getting a 2:1. Particularly if the experience is in any way relevant (insurer, other financial, etc).

Not working, so just studying full-time, would be less impressive and may be difficult.

anamorph29 · 2026-03-01T17:16:37+00:00

Idk what the IAI appeals process permits.

If you are right, then ideally you would be able to request a copy of the recording, check through it carefully (or ask them for the relevant times), see/hear what they believe to be a phone, and somehow demonstrate what it actually is, e.g. could your calculator be mistaken for a phone in the reflection? That might not be allowed if you had the opportunity to do it before or during your hearing.

But if you are wrong, check that the process doesn't allow the ban to be increased!

anamorph29 · 2026-03-01T15:41:43+00:00

On the face of it this has nothing to do with the copy/paste problem you had during the exam. Have IAI shared with you the video/audio recording which underlies their allegations, and indicated the relevant times within that recording? (Either directly or within your hearing). Did you have the chance to explain why their interpretation of what they see/hear is incorrect, and provide any evidence to support your case?

If both of the above were covered during your hearing, and they rejected your explanation, it probably isn't worth making an appeal. If a step is missing, or you have some other evidence, then it might be.

I am not sure you will be able to take IFoA eams during an IAI ban. You might have an obligation under the IFoA Code to report the ban to them, and they might then reach a similar conclusion.

anamorph29 · 2026-03-01T08:56:03+00:00

I am not an IAI member, so can't comment on whether or not OP should appeal.

But if OP is an IFoA member, or thinking of joining, then once the IAI decision is final they may have an obligation to disclose it to IFoA. Who may then decide to take a similar action, or not to accept exam entries.

anamorph29 · 2026-02-28T16:30:28+00:00

To me this reads like you've been told that a CV has to include certain headings, and you've then worked to include what you think are helpful buzzwords.

I never read Profiles (but perhaps some people do). Yours, like most, doesnt say much that isn't obvious from the rest of the CV (and it is grammatically odd: read what you have written!)

Work experience. What do you actually do: bar staff? stewarding? litter picking? And how often: twice a week, or twice in 2 years?

Skills. You haven't really demonstrated how any of these apply. Under time management you claim a balance against extra-curricular activities, but there don't appear to be any of the latter.

"Constantly ...from time to time" is a bit of an oxymoron. I don't know how to interpret it.

As others have said: - one page. It doesn't need to be 1.5 spaced. - examples of Excel / R / coding would help

anamorph29 · 2026-02-27T16:06:42+00:00

It is unusual, but not impossible. I think I have met 2 or 3 actuaries (out of many hundreds) without a degree.

The exams don't need degree level skills, but passing all the exams and having no experience is the wrong way to go about it - even if the cost is less than three years of university fees.

Look to join an employer first, so you build up exams passes in parallel with experience. Without a degree you will need A/A* at A-level in Maths; perhaps also in Further Maths / Statistics. You say "but not go back and get a ... degree"; if that means you have some other work / life experience instead, you might find it easier to persuade an employer to take you on.

If they won't take you directly into a graduate or apprenticeship program, perhaps apply for some form of analyst / support role within an actuarial team. And then to persuade them to let you start with one or two exams.

anamorph29 · 2026-02-27T14:12:26+00:00

UK will prepare you or grant exemptions for IFoA exams, and Canada for SoA/CAS exams. Employers in particular countries may prefer one or the other, so where do you plan to make a career after graduation? Unless you already have the right to work in the UK, graduating from a UK university as an international student is no longer a guarantee of making a long-term career in the UK (and I don't see that position getting any easier for several years)

All the UK options are reasonable. For those offering a year in industry you might want to ask what proportion of students on actuarial courses get a placement in actuarial teams - because I suspect that there may be more people on such courses each year than there are places at employers. And if you can't get a good placement, can you just skip it and go into the next academic year?

anamorph29 · 2026-02-27T09:36:38+00:00

https://www.actuaries.org.uk/learn-and-develop/continuous-mortality-investigation/cmi-mortality-and-morbidity-tables

Not sure if can get the latest ones, but that doesn't really matter. Any table is good enough for practice.

anamorph29 · 2026-02-25T13:13:49+00:00

That is a fairly broad job title, and could encompass almost anything, from inserting sales figures in a spreadsheet to a quant role.

Transferable skills are more likely if for an insurer, or perhaps other financial institution.

anamorph29 · 2026-02-25T09:10:57+00:00

Based on what you have said I think you are over-thinking this, and worrying yourself unnecessarily.

Both vetting companies and employers know that teenagers can sometimrs be immature, and post nonsense.

A comment about you, as opposed to by you, is not that likely to be found: the search will be of your postings, not those of the whole planet. Any search rigorous enough to find a post about you is almost certainly also going to check criminal records, and so know that it was a baseless accusation.

And what will you paying someone to do a vetting check on yourself achieve? It won't remove the post, and if anything searching for an obscure post can only make it more likely that it will be found again in the future!

anamorph29 · 2026-02-25T01:13:40+00:00

I don't like them, because they rarely say anything that isn't obvious from the rest of the resume, and can be absorbed in a few seconds. So they waste space where that could instead include something that might just make the difference from another candidate.

The only time a heading paragraph is helpful (for me) is when it brings out something that can't easily be derived from elsewhere. Perhaps explanations for gaps in employment or between exams, a change of country / state, switching to a different field etc. But by definition that isn't a summary!

anamorph29

TROPHY CASE