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Frequently Asked Questions
Education

  1. What courses should I take in college?

    To prepare for an actuarial career, you should take three semesters of calculus, two semesters of statistics, three semesters of economics, one semester of finance, business communications and a well-rounded group of liberal arts courses.

    These Web pages contain information about classes to take to prepare for an actuarial career:


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  2. What degrees are appropriate to an actuarial career? Are jobs in the actuarial field limited solely to individuals with an actuarial science/math/statistics degree?

    Actuarial science, math, statistics, economics, business and finance degrees are all good training for an actuarial career.

    Actuaries come from a variety of educational backgrounds. Actuaries may have majors in areas other than math, such as operations research, physics, engineering, and even fine arts. You would be surprised at the variety of backgrounds actuaries have. While majoring in actuarial science or math in college would benefit someone wanting to be an actuary, it is not a necessity. While certain skills are important, one does not need to major in math or statistics in order to be an actuary. It is the ability to pass actuarial exams that determines if one is eligible to enter the profession.

    If you are able to pass one of the preliminary exams, you will indicate to potential employers that you have the aptitude, interest, and commitment to be an actuary, regardless of your major.

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  3. Does it help me to have a graduate degree?

    Not necessarily; the time spent pursuing a graduate degree might be better applied to studying and passing the actuarial exams. Most actuaries earn a bachelor's degree, but do not pursue advanced degrees.

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  4. What types of scholarship opportunities are available for those interested in pursuing an actuarial degree?

    There are a number of scholarship opportunities for students pursuing a career in actuarial science. Scholarships are listed on the Scholarship Web page:

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  5. Where can I find a listing of colleges and universities that offer actuarial science programs and curriculum?

    The Actuarial College Listing of Actuarial Science Programs is located in the High School section and the College Section. These pages contain information on schools that offer actuarial science curriculum, with links to the schools' Web Sites.

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  6. Which university offers the best actuarial science program?

    We do not maintain a ranking of actuarial science programs. There is a list of schools that offer degrees in actuarial science, but they are not rated in any way. The list does include a lot of information about each school's program, which can help you make a decision on a school. See the section Actuarial College Listing of Actuarial Science Programs located in both the High School Section and the College Section of the Web Site.

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Exams

  1. What is the best way to prepare for taking your first exam?

    To prepare for your first exam, first review the Syllabus to get an understanding of what is covered on the exam and what you need to learn to be able to pass the exam. This information can be accessed through the Web page on Preliminary Actuarial Examinations. You should also download and review the sample exams.

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  2. When is the best time to start taking your first exam?

    It is best to begin taking the exams as soon as possible. The exams are offered on a regular basis throughout the year; see the Actuarial Exams section to access the examination schedule and application form.

    Companies that offer actuarial training programs usually require candidates to have passed at least one exam. If you have passed an exam, you have demonstrated that you have the aptitude, interest, and commitment to be an actuary.

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  3. How do companies support employees who are taking the actuarial exams?

    Most insurance companies and consulting firms that employ actuaries have established programs to pay for the exam fees for their employees and to provide time during the workday for their employees to study for exams. Often, raises are tied to exam progress.

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  4. Do you have to take preliminary exams in a particular order? For example, is Exam 1/P the first exam you must take? Or can you take the preliminary exams in any order?

    The exams can be taken in any order you wish. Most candidates choose to take Exam 1/P or 2/FM first because some of the content is likely to already be familiar. In addition, neither of these exams depends on the other. Exams 3 and M (both segments) rely heavily on both Exams 1/P and 2/FM. Exam 4/C relies heavily on Exam 1/P and to a smaller extent on Exams 3 and M (both segments).

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  5. Are there any third-party organizations that offer examination study guides or review seminars? What other resources are available to help those preparing for the actuarial examinations?

    Here are two sources of information on examination preparation courses and study guides available:

    Information on e-mail-based examination study groups can be found at http://www.casact.org/admissions/email.htm

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Choosing a Path

  1. How long does it take to become an Associate or Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society of the Society of Actuaries?

    We estimate it will take most candidates about four years to achieve their associateship and seven to eight years to achieve fellowship.

    Actuaries enter the profession by taking a series of examinations. See the "Actuarial Exams" Web page for more information on actuarial exams. It could take from 6-10 years to pass all of the exams, but you could begin a career as an actuary by passing the first two exams, and then taking subsequent exams while working as an actuarial assistant.

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  2. How do potential actuaries decide whether to pursue casualty or life and health actuarial work?

    Some may consider the different types of work but for most, it depends on practical considerations such as what jobs are available in the geographic area you want to live in.

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  3. What are the differences between property and casualty, life and health, and pension actuarial work? Is there a good resource on the different actuarial specialties?

    Here are some sources for information about actuarial specialties:

    • "Actuarial Specialties"
    • The On the Job section contains many profiles of actuaries and testimonials from actuaries about the work that they do.
    • The article "Your Choice", from the December 2000 issue of the Future Actuary newsletter, is about choosing an actuarial specialty.

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Where You'll Work

  1. Where are most of the actuarial jobs in North America located?

    Most actuaries live and work in urban areas where financial firms are located. In the U.S., the Northeast and the Midwest have the highest number of actuaries and in Canada, Toronto, Montreal and Quebec are the centers for actuarial work. See the page "Actuarial Jobs by Geographic Region" for more details.

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  2. What is the outlook for the actuarial job market over the next few years?

    We are very optimistic about the job market over the next few years. We see a continued high demand, especially for entry-level actuaries.

    Information on the employment outlook can be found at on the "Career Outlook for Actuaries" Web page.

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  3. Are there opportunities to work abroad?

    Yes, though they are limited for entry-level actuaries. Globalization is affecting the insurance industry so there are opportunities. See the page "Tips for Working Overseas" for more information.

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Getting Started

  1. How can I meet actual actuaries that live in my area?

    A list of local actuarial clubs is available on this Web site. The list includes contact information for actuaries.

  2. What’s the best way to stay informed on news that’s important to my actuarial pursuits?

    In addition to visiting this site, you can sign up to receive email announcements concerning actuarial scholarships, student programs, job opportunities, and other industry news here http://www.beanactuary.org/email.cfm.

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  3. Where can I find information on intersnhips or entry-level actuarial positions?

    There is general information on actuarial internships on the BeAnActuary Web site in the Finding a Job section. Also, I suggest you review the list of Actuarial Training Programs, which can also be accessed from the Finding a Job page. The list of training programs contains companies that hire actuarial trainees and interns. The list is sorted geographically. These lists should give you an idea of the companies to contact about job opportunities.

    The December 2001 issue of the Future Actuary has several useful articles about obtaining your first actuarial position.

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  4. I am currently employed as a [fill in the blank], and I am considering changing to an actuarial career. Please help me with how to get started.

    First, I suggest you read the Future Actuary article on changing careers to the actuarial profession.

    As you may already know, in order to work as an actuary, you must pass a series of actuarial exams. The advice we usually give a career changer is to take the first actuarial exam as soon as possible. If you are able to pass the first exam, you will indicate to potential employers that you have the aptitude, interest, and commitment to be an actuary.

    See the Actuarial Exams Web page for more information on taking the actuarial exams.

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Other Questions

  1. How much money will I make as an actuary?

    Neither the Casualty Actuarial Society nor the Society of Actuaries does regular salary surveys. However, there is a page on the Web Site with salary information. This page includes a link to an actuarial recruiter's Web site that contains a chart showing salary by exams passed.

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