Ultimate Guide for

Passing Actuarial Exams

Sample study schedule, recommended study materials, and study tips from the world’s youngest actuary

Looking for tips to pass your actuarial exam? We’ve got you covered, from how to start (study schedule, recommended materials) all the way to exam day strategy.

We won’t teach you the material; we’ll show you how to teach yourself (i.e. learning how to learn).

Most people are left in the dark prepping for actuarial exams, struggling to find the best way to tackle these behemoths. Some never discover a strategy that works.

But you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We’ve put together this guide so you can fast-track your exam success.

These strategies helped Roy become the world’s youngest FSA, and they continue to help the thousands of students in our community. Now, we’re excited to share them with you.

We hope you enjoy this guide, and good luck on your exam!

Study Smart, Pass Fast, Live Life

Mike & Roy

Part I: Getting Started (first week)

Get started on the right track with the 3 steps below.

Study Materials

Which study manual is the best? Should you add video lessons? Which calculator should you use? What’s the most cost-effective way to pass?

There are overwhelming options for study materials. We’ve broken down our recommendations for each exam – click the button below for details.

Starting with the right study material is important, and it serves as the foundation for your study schedule.

Study Schedule (template)

“Failing to plan is planning to fail”

– Benjamin Franklin

Success starts with your study schedule. There’s too much material on these exams to wing it and hope that you cover everything by the exam date.

But as with any long-term planning, life gets in the way. Check out our study schedule template below for tips on how to build a flexible schedule to set yourself up for success.

Most study schedules focus on macro-level planning: blocking off 2-3 weeks for a final review period and scheduling which topics to read each week.

Our schedule also focuses on the micro. How should your daily study session look? How much time do you dedicate to reading vs. doing practice problems? How should you incorporate breaks to improve learning and focus?

Use the form below to access our template – we’ll make sure you don’t miss anything during this important planning phase.

Our articles related to scheduling study sessions:

» When is the best time of day to study?

» Where to study – how your environment affects your learning

» Taking breaks to improve learning

» Designing your study habit

» How do you start studying for an exam?

Our Study Schedule Template is available for free – just let us know where to send it.

Exam Syllabus

Download and read the exam syllabus from the SOA website. This sounds basic, but it’s almost always overlooked.

The exam writers use the syllabus to communicate their expectations. They lay out exactly what they want you to learn. Not only do they give you the main themes, but they assign a weighting to each section. Use the weightings to prioritize your time (especially in the final review weeks).

In a recent Q&A, Roy describes the key role that the syllabus plays when starting to study for a new exam.

The syllabus may look like a foreign language at first—that’s ok. In Actuarial Exam Tactics, we suggest frequently referring to the syllabus as you learn new concepts in the manual. This helps you build context for each topic. When is it used? How does it relate to the prior readings? And why would an actuary care?

Remember that the syllabus is the ultimate guide for what you need to know on exam day. Keep it handy, and refer to it often.

Part II: Study Tips & Techniques (learning the material)

Most of your study time will go toward learning the material. Whether that’s reading the manual or doing practice problems to test understanding.

Our goal isn’t to teach the material; it’s to help you teach yourself. Learning how to learn. You can save (literally) hundreds of hours over the course of your actuarial exams if you use the right study strategies. But even more importantly, the ability to quickly learn new material is one of the keys to success in your actuarial career.

Don’t confuse motion for progress. Make sure you apply your effort in the right direction before you dive into studying. Here are some resources to get started:

Comprehensive Resources

» Book: Actuarial Exam Tactics: Learn More, Study Less

» Free 5-Day Email Course: How to Pass Actuarial Exams

Part III: The Final Stretch (last couple weeks before exam)

After you’ve learned the material, you must spend time on mastery. This section focuses on your Final Review phase so you can be at your best on exam day.