How do you usually learn to play a video game?

Pick up the instruction manual, read about each control, read the game strategy guide, and then start playing?

I think we can agree that no one uses that approach – you just pick up the controller and start playing.

You learn from playing, not from reading about playing. The strategy guides and instruction manuals may play an important role as you refer to them when you get stuck, but you certainly don’t start with them.

There are plenty of skills we learn in this manner (riding a bike, driving a car, etc.). However, we take the exact opposite approach when studying for actuarial exams.

How do you typically approach studying from your exam manual?

Most of us take the traditional approach of reading through the section, then looking at the practice problems to test our understanding. But is this the best and only way to read through the manuals?

What if you did the opposite – start with the practice problems?

Let’s consider what it would look like to completely reverse our traditional approach – start with the practice problems before reading the section.

This may sound absurd – how are you supposed to answer the questions if you’ve never learned how to solve them? The same way that you learned to play your video game: trial and error.

In learning video games, you receive immediate feedback for the actions you take (e.g. lose the level if you fail to react in time). So, you adjust and try again.

Why not do the same for the practice problems, using the solution steps as your immediate feedback?

When you really get stuck, you can refer back to the reading as needed to fill in a specific knowledge gap.

This may sound like a decent theory, but is it valid? Does it actually work for actuarial exams? Let’s investigate two supporting arguments.

1. Pre-testing

There is some research about whether pre-testing (doing a quiz before actually learning the material) is beneficial for learning. In one study, students were divided into two groups: one received a list of learning objectives before the lesson, and the other received a quiz. ⁽¹⁾ An example of the learning objectives vs. pre-tests was:

• Group 1: “Be able to discuss the contributions of the following aviation pioneers… Octave Chanute, Samuel Langley…”

• Group 2: “Name the German engineer of the 1890’s who has been called the ‘father of glider’ experiments”

This is very relatable to many of our actuarial exam manuals. Many of the sections begin with a list of learning objectives similar to the first group in this study.

Not surprisingly, the second group (pre-testing) scored significantly better on the post-exams. This effect held true even if students answered the pre-test questions mostly wrong.

Guessing on pre-test questions engaged students more actively than reading the list of learning objectives.

Bringing this back your actuarial exam studying, you can give yourself a pre-test by starting with the practice problems before reading the section.

You also have the solutions available so you can get immediate feedback on the right answer after making your initial guesses.

When you eventually go back and read through the section, you now have more context for the information you read. You also have a clearer direction on what you need to learn from the reading, having already seen some of the questions you will be asked. (This pre-testing method works well with the “Reading Method” from Actuarial Exam Tactics).

Pre-testing is just one reason to use the practice problems as a primary learning tool instead of just a review tool.

2. The Language of Mathematics

Another reason to start with the practice problems is that they can directly teach you the key concepts from the section.

Math is a universal language; its principles are the same across all cultures.

When you read through the study manual, you are hearing the author’s own interpretation of the mathematical concepts, not the original concepts themselves.

This is like reading the Cliff notes version of a book (a secondhand source) instead of reading the book itself.

While the author’s explanation may be useful, you can also gain a new perspective by going directly to the source: the practice problems.

By following the practice problem solutions, you can see firsthand the logic used in the actuarial formulas and form your own interpretation of the concepts.

We are not suggesting that you should throw away the readings from your study manual and exclusively use practice problems. But you should view practice problems as a tool for initial learning, not just reviewing.

Even if you don’t skip to the practice problems right away, you can integrate them earlier in your study process (e.g. partway through your reading) rather than saving them for the end.

As with any study methods we discuss, you should experiment on your own and see which of these methods fits well with your own learning style.

The next time you study, consider taking the “Video Game Approach” and diving into the problems before fully reading the instructions.

Study Smart, Pass Fast, Live Life

Mike & Roy

⁽¹⁾ Vuma, Sehlule, Bidyadhar Sa, and Samuel Ramsewak. “Pre-testing as an indicator of performance in final examinations among third year medical students.” The Caribbean Teaching Scholar 5.1 (2015).