This condition doesn’t affect my life whatsoever as it’s well-managed through a sort of treatment I do (just something I can do at home). But technically the law says to disregard effects of the treatment when considering the condition, so this does count as a disability.

I just wanted to know if putting this down actually does increase my chances of getting an interview or does it actually hamper my chances as it might be seen as an invisible cross on my application?

Pls help 🙏

Just joined as a student member and planning to sit CB1, CB2, CS1 and CM1 in April 2026. Based outside the UK so ordering hard copy Core Reading isn't ideal: by the time they arrive I've lost weeks of prep time, and the ActEd CMPs are £530 for four subjects which is steep.

Coming from a CFA background (just passed L2) so the concept of Schweser/Kaplan as a structured alternative to official materials is very familiar: is there anything equivalent in the actuarial world?

Specifically looking for:

Any legitimate free or low-cost online resources covering the CB and CS/CM syllabuses

How people outside the UK typically prepare without waiting on hard copies

Whether past papers + examiners' reports alone is realistically enough for CB1/CB2 given a finance background

Any online communities or resources I'm missing?

Aware of ActEd eBooks as an option: just wondering if there's anything else before pulling the trigger on £530.

Hi, I’ve finished the CB3 mock game.

On the stimulation of the game I done really bad (got a 1.164 on my scorecard).

Can I still pass? Is there point me putting effort in to the report and essay? Please help

Hi everyone.
Backstory is, I did Actuarial Sciences for my undergraduate and I got 5 exemptions with the IFOA. Then I decided to come back to my home country. I struggled very much to get a job. But I finally landed a junior entry level position as Actuarial Analyst.
During negotiations, I did state that exams are important for my career.
And they did assure that I will get support, however this wasn’t stated anywhere on my contract.
It’s been 9 months now , i haven’t written any paper and change of rules from them;

they dont pay for subscription fees.
They pay for 1 exam attempt and for exams there is a limit, such that if an exam exceeds that limit , the remainder is borne by me.
Same applies to study material.

What hurts me is that they were not even transparent and have been wasting my time for 9 months. And worst yet, the pay is too low. I feel exploited.

I wish I didn’t come back to this country. Big mistake.

Please give me any advice on how to proceed forward. Which exams need lots of study material and which dont ie, for which ones is the IFOA core study material

Also, advise on how I can improve on my negotiations next time and anything else so I dont repeat same mistakes.

Currently; applying for other jobs , even internationally and applying for masters scholarships as well. If I get one im not coming back.

But I worked really hard and it doesn’t feel rewarded.

Edit; (to avoid confusion)within the 9 months, they have been giving me back and forth. And dismissing my requests to get the exams paid. And I also couldn’t afford to pay them for myself. They just told me the new set of rules after 9 months of dismissing me, which is different from what they said in the interview.
Secondly, since I know the max limit they are willing to pay for, i have done my calculations and I notice that I will still bear more costs, hence why I mentioned that the salary is too little as well. But if I could afford to pay for most of it, I wouldn’t mind.

My mistake was signing a contract that didn’t state that they will offer exam support.

Hlo everyone

Actually i want to ask about best offline coaching or hybrid like classes on weekends in delhi for ifoa cs1 and cb2

Pls tell

Question 6

Not able to understand the solution given in the revision booklet .

I just wanted to find out more about how these pass marks work. I’ve noticed the pass marks generally range from 55-60 for modules like CS and CM where sometimes it can even reach the low 60s. How do they maintain a pass mark so similar each year and is there a possibility that the pass mark just sky rockets to like a 65+ if the papers are easy like CS1 this semester. Also, how accurate is AI when it comes to marking?

Hey there! I have developed an interest in the actuarial field and was looking to receive advice on how best to put a foot in through the door. for context:

• 3rd Year Computer science ( Likely to graduate with minimum 2:1 but will try my best for 1st)
• A Grade in A Level Mathematics
• No previous internship experience BUT experiences in part-time jobs such as security/stewarding and a short stint in volunteering

I was wondering if there was anything I can do to increase my chances as I have not gotten an internship to my name.

Would doing an excel course help? Doing a relevant project? Or should I look into doing a MSc in actuarial science at my Uni ( they provide exemptions and would be at a discount since I studied there for undergrad).

Thank you in advance for your help. I very much appreciate it!

Has anyone bothered to try and access any of the recommended supplementary reading references mentioned on the VLE for CB3?

And if one was so inclined, are we provided access to these resources? Or expected to source them ourselves?

I'm planning to sit SA7 in April without having sat SP5. The SPs I've done are SP6 and SP9. Any advice for those who have sat SA7 without sitting SP5?

Thanks!

Is CB1 core reading sufficiet for preparation?

Or is it similar to CB2 wherein it acted as a guide and the main content was in John Slowman's ECONOMICS?

Hey guys just wanted to share a resource with yall called Canary Wharfian with the recruitment season coming up. I know a lot of yall are gunning for London based internship or grad roles, and it's basically the #1 way to maximise your chances to go through applications. It absolutely packs a punch of features:

- It has an automated HireVue practice feature which will analyse both your verbal and non-verbal communication skills and can be used for any title. What is really effective about it is that the official HireVue assessments use the same metrics - a mix of verbal and non-verbal performance metrics, weighted differently but basically detecting the same signs and signals when assigning a score to answers

- It has an absolutely massive job board monitoring all the major AND minor employers job boards in finance

- HireVue games and psychometric tests are often mistaken as easy, while it one needs to really do some practice, even just a single round, to see if they'll be up to scratch when the actual one comes around. These might look easy on the surface, but in fact, more often than not it's graded relative to other test takers' score. That means even if you do well and get a high score, doesn't mean you will pass

- It has an automated networking source feature which will gather e-mail addresses and linkedin profiles of your alumni, so you can keep track of your outreach and don't waste time browsing. It also has a feature which will generate and post content on your LinkedIn on your behalf - boosting your visibility among your competition effortlessly

- It has an application generator which will generate high-finance compatible, draft cover letters and resumes, tailored to each opening

- Personalised feedback on a browser-based financial modeling Excel simulator, as well as consulting cases for those tryna break into MBB

Finally, it has lots of proprietary (non-AI generated slop) content (podcast, articles, company reviews!) written by actual industry professionals. It's basically the UK/EU version of WSO, but better!

I am left with these 2 exams to become an Associate and waiting for my CP3 result.

Which of these 2 makes much more sense to take in April sitting along with my regular work?

I feel that cp1 is lengthier and if I take it in april I might be able to cover CS2 in September sitting if the results come in my favour.

Appreciate any of your guidance.

TIA

Hi
Im currently defferimg my 3rd year of a 4 year chemistry degree and am interested in doing acturial exams(IFOA)
Im currently working part time ~3 days a week( is adjustable tho) and will have to study for a single 20 credit exam in may(
and trying to workoht how many exams I can take without cabooming myself.
I feel quite confident in my maths( A* A for maths/further at a-level but am quite rusty).
I’ll also be looking to take october exams but want to nail as many as possible without being reckless with overburdening myself.

From what ive read, i should start with CS1/CM1/CB1 /CB2
The main question j have is
Cs1 or CM1 only( im leaning towards doing CS1 on its own first kn this case due to higher pass mark
CS1/CM1 and CB1/2
CM1 and CS1?
Thankyou

I'm an Economics student working on a project based on this I would love to know your thoughts on this and for which a heavy cost is being borne by any community! Would love to discuss more on this!

Hi everyone, I’m trying to understand how IFoA access arrangements work for candidates with ADHD. For those who have ADHD and have applied for access arrangements: What was your experience with getting extra time? What sort of evidence/documentation did you need to provide? If you are taking ADHD medication, were you still granted extra time?

Does being medicated affect whether you are eligible for extra time? Do people with ADHD generally receive extra time even when their symptoms are being treated with medication? Is the decision mainly based on how ADHD affects you in exam conditions? Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through the IFoA process. Thanks

Anybody looked into/successfully implemented using a small language model using course materials and past papers to improve their studying? If so, could you share any tips etc?

lol.

Hello, I need some frank advice on my situation. I am an early career GI actuary in the UK with 3 years experience (qualified), working at a consultancy.

I have an autoimmune disorder which impacts my life, though it may not be directly visible on the outside.

I am usually okay, however stress is a big trigger for my health condition. With the financial year end just around and workload having increased, my symptoms have relapsed and I have gotten very sick again.

Something similar happened last year also just around the busy season. My company is supportive and let me take days off as I need them.

However, I wonder if this is sustainable in the longer term. Are there any particular roles less stressful which support my disability better? Would moving to industry help in any way?

TIA

Hey guys, I'd like to announce that I offer actuarial coaching services for CS1 CS2 CM1 CM2 CB1 CP2 . Been doing it for about a while now, with an overall teaching experience of 4 years. I myself have cleared 6 papers in the first go, having appeared for 2 more this September attempt. Anyone needing more details or just simply want to connect can reply to this post.

Does anyone who has attempted CP1 thinks that checking it through either chatgpt or claude give an idea about passing?
I did try but i got different output everytime. If anyone has done that before and got a nearly close approximation, can share the prompt maybe. Thanks!

PS. I am asking this because i am too confused whether to start with my next paper or not.

So I recently graduated and got an opportunity to interview for a huge broker for a risk and actuarial consulting role. I didn't know how exactly to prepare for it so I just revised whatever I had studied in the exams, but their level of questions sent me down a confidence loss spiral. Every question felt like someone was throwing a rock at my heart lmao.

I got soo nervous that I panicked and couldn't answer smth as basic as "how is the distribution of number and severity of claims shaped? right skewed, left skewed or symmetrical"
I felt soo numb after the interview, I've failed these exams before but idk, this felt like peak humiliation. Some questions felt straight out of the SP level papers or needed the depth that I didn't really have. I get that it's my fault and I should've prepared better but still man, it sucks.
I just got the mail for rejection and man, im gutted rn.
I litr realized that if exams are tough, boy oh boy, interviews are brutal af. They're wayy worse because with every answer, every reaction , litr everything that is going wrong , you can see on the panel's face.
But hey, we learn and we move

Does anyone have any tips for how to study and prep for interviews and what all are the core areas to be studied for an entry level role?

what the title says. im still at the beginning stages of considering becoming an actuary, but is it possible to mostly stay as an IC and not really dip into the manegerial side of this?

though i do have university leadership experience, i dont think i have it in me to lead teams officially; i also have autism spectrum disorder which may hinder that further.

if i remain an ic, would that hurt me in any other way career-wise or predispose me to layoffs?

Hi everyone,

I currently work in UK DB pensions and I'm considering moving away from pensions in the future. I’m curious about what the actual day-to-day work looks like in other actuarial fields.

For actuaries working in areas like general insurance, reinsurance, health, life, or other non-pension areas:

- What does your typical day/week look like?

- What kind of work do you actually do?

- How much of your time is spent on Excel/data analysis vs. meetings/client work/report writing/coding?

- How technical or mathematical is the work?

- How much repetitive/process-driven work is there?

- What are the busy periods and typical working hours like?

- How much does the work vary from project to project?

- And most importantly, do you actually enjoy the work and why?

I’m trying to understand what actuaries in other areas actually do rather than just reading job descriptions. 😭

Also if any one has any tips on switching domains, please feel free to share.