Modern Actuarial Statistics I and II: New Exams for an Evolving Profession

“Well, there they go again…”

Any actuaries who have lived through a change in exam structure have probably said, heard, or at least sympathized with this sentiment. I suspect that students and faculty interested in actuarial science may be having similar thoughts right now. I recall struggling to comprehend the impact of exam changes during my own march (perhaps it could be more accurately described as a meander) toward Fellowship, followed later by helping employees and students sort out and interpret subsequent exam transitions.

But there is an important positive aspect of occasional exam changes: to the extent that they represent subject matter adjustments in response to the evolving skill set necessary for future actuaries, such changes reflect a nimble admissions structure keeping pace with a dynamic and growing profession.

In early January, the CAS announced two new exams, which I believe can best be understood in this positive context. Indeed, the recipe for this most recent exam change was robust anticipation of future needs – with a pinch of “necessity” thrown in.

Let’s explore the Whys, Wherefores, and the Reasons Thereof…

Why the Change?Question Photo.jpg
The “necessity” occurred a year or so ago, when the SOA notified the CAS that it was planning to
discontinue Exam C (which most candidates use to get credit for our Exam 4 requirement via waiver) after spring 2018. The CAS decided to use this development as an opportunity to review and update not just the Exam 4/C subject matter being lost, but also the largely related topics on CAS Exam S. In fact, while addressing Exams 4/C and S was the immediate and highest priority, we actually undertook a review of the CAS’s entire exam syllabus. Literally hundreds of people provided input to this effort to determine what skills and knowledge an “Actuary of the Future” should have. One of the main takeaways from this effort was a strong consensus that we need to test more statistics and predictive analytics material in our exams.

What are the Changes?
The result was the creation of two new CAS exams: Modern Actuarial Statistics I & II (MAS-I & MAS-II). These new exams will replace two existing exam requirements Exams S and 4/C, respectively) beginning in 2018. They have been designed to address the emerging subject matter needs of future actuaries, and to increase the general relevance of our basic education system with respect to statistical and analytics skills.

Basically, MAS-I modifies and updates our current Exam S – it’s similar to Exam S, but with more emphasis on applied modeling and generalized linear models. It will first be offered in the spring of 2018, and there’s a simple Exam S-equivalent transition rule. The draft syllabus and learning objectives for MAS-I are available on the CAS website.

What are the changes image.jpgNew Exam MAS-II covers some of the material in Exam C – primarily credibility theory – but also covers new statistics and analytics materials such as Linear Mixed Models, Bayesian Analysis & Markov Chain Monte Carlo, and Statistical Learning, all of which have become valuable and critical for casualty actuaries. This exam will first be offered in the fall of 2018, and the transition rule simply dovetails with the last scheduled offering of Exam C in the spring of 2018. The draft syllabus for MAS-II is available on the CAS website. Note that, although MAS-I is not a formal prerequisite for MAS-II, the latter exam will assume familiarity with the material on MAS-I.

Each of these exams will be a four-hour test, so there will be basically no increase in exam hours required for CAS credentials. They will have a multiple-choice format, and will initially be given as paper-and-pencil exams (although, in line with one of our strategic goals, we will consider evolving to a computer-based framework as these exams mature.) Both exams will be offered in both spring and fall, in the normal CAS timeframe, and will have sample questions available before the first offerings.

How Have Overall CAS Credentialing Requirements Changed?
The CAS Associateship designation will still require two VEEs, two online courses, a professionalism course, and seven exams. The difference is:

• Current ACAS Exam Requirements:
o Four preliminary exams: 1/P, 2/FM, 3F/MFE, and 4/C.
o Three associateship exams: S, 5, and 6.
• New ACAS Exam Requirements (2018):
o Three preliminary exams: 1/P, 2/FM, and 3F/IFM (modified MFE exam).
o Four associateship exams: MAS-I, MAS-II, 5, and 6.

See infographic depicting these changes. Fellowship requirements beyond the ACAS designation are unchanged.

How Should Students and Faculty Be Thinking About These Changes?How to communicate image.jpg
The impact of our basic education structure on actuarial students and faculty is hugely important to us at the CAS. Based on my experience from over a decade as director of the actuarial science program at the University of Illinois, I suggest that students and faculty consider and keep in mind the following:

1) The CAS has a duty to the actuarial profession, as well as our constituents and stakeholders, to help ensure that future actuaries are prepared to address the challenges of a rapidly changing world. These new exams demonstrate our commitment to providing education that’s uniquely relevant to property-casualty actuaries, so that we can continue to meet the emerging needs of future actuaries and their employers.

2) The new exam structure will benefit students because of its relevance. As mentioned above, the fact that Exam C was discontinued provided us an opportunity to create a replacement exam (and to enhance and upgrade another exam) that focuses on the modern statistics and analytics that actuaries are now using, and will certainly use more over time. This will increase the relevance of the CAS exam syllabus with respect to emerging statistical and analytics skills, with minimal changes to the overall exam structure.

3) These new exams replace existing exams, resulting in virtually no net increase in exam hours required for CAS credentials.

4) Finally, I think it’s very important to emphasize that students will not be disadvantaged by these changes. The vast majority of students do not take more than three exams in school (only about one in ten of them do), and for those top students that do take more than three, they will by then likely have already had internships and perhaps a full-time job opportunity in a specific practice area. Also, there is really no drawback to taking an “off-track” exam. No one will be disadvantaged in the recruitment process by taking an exam that ends up not “counting” toward a credential, and certainly any exposure to good mathematical or actuarial material is always a good thing. The CAS will continue to accept SOA Exams P, FM, and IFM (modified MFE exam) for our preliminary exam requirements. So while there will be one fewer SOA exam credit available via waiver, the vast majority of candidates will already be employed and on their (hopefully CAS!) exam track at the point that candidates would be sitting for their fourth exam.

In my view, these exam changes are good for everyone: our casualty actuarial profession, our CAS members, students (our future practitioners), and faculty. We are all participants in an exciting and evolving field, and we hope you will agree that the quality and relevance of our unique property-casualty actuarial education system will be enhanced by these changes!

We’d welcome your comments or feedback on this blog post, or questions you might have about these exam changes.


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The CAS Annual Meeting Through the Eyes of Trust Scholarship Recipients

One of the perks of being a CAS Trust Scholarship winner is getting to attend the CAS Annual Meeting, most recently held this November in Orlando, Florida. While the meeting is designed for property and casualty actuaries to learn about latest happenings in the actuarial field, earn continuing education credits, and network with peers and colleagues, what is it like to attend the meeting as an actuarial college student? Well we asked this year’s CAS Trust Scholarship recipients, $10,000 award winner, Chase Yetter of Lebanon Valley College, and $5,000 award winners, Chloe Marshinski of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Sarah Rumon of University of St. Thomas, to share insights from their experience.

Favorite Sessions or Presentations 

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Chase Yetter:

“THE UNDERWRITING CYCLE — IS IT ECONOMICS OR BEHAVIOR OR BOTH?” was my favorite session. We were able to hear from insurance executives on their thoughts regarding the predictability of the underwriting cycle, or lack thereof. I find this to be a really interesting topic and I always appreciate the opportunity to hear from industry leaders.

Chloe Marshinski:

I really enjoyed the keynote speaker, Simon Bailey. He was funny and engaging and it was interesting to hear about someone’s experiences in a field very different from actuarial. I also attended the break-out session on the new Predictive Analytics credential, which was very helpful for me as that is something I may consider pursuing in the future.

Sarah Rumon:

One of my favorite sessions was the general session that addressed the underwriting cycle and debated whether it is an economic phenomenon or simply a behavioral cycle. For those who are only beginning their actuarial careers, I have found that there is not always much emphasis on how business functions (such as underwriting) impact actuarial functions and vice versa, so this was a refreshing perspective. I also enjoyed the keynote speaker Simon T. Bailey, who spoke about leadership and influencing team members to achieve goals that ultimately benefit the entire organization.

Networking with CAS Members

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Chase:

I really enjoyed meeting members of the CAS and learning about their careers as well as the opportunities that are available to actuaries. They were very welcoming and provided great advice for students entering the field.

Chloe:

I really enjoyed meeting the CAS members during the meals and breaks. At breakfast and lunch, I sat with people from all different companies, and it was interesting to hear about all their experiences with the exam process and working as full time actuaries.

Sarah:

At the CAS meeting, there was such a wide variety of members—from actuaries that had just completed their ACAS, to chief actuaries who have been in the profession for years. It was incredibly motivating and encouraging to meet and network with so many actuaries who have each had unique career paths and experiences. There is something to learn from everyone!

Best Thing about the Annual Meeting

Chase:

Attending CAS meetings has shown me, through the wide variety of continuing education offered, that the CAS is ready to adapt to changes in the P&C profession. I’m excited to follow the development of new educational opportunities from iCAS.

Chloe:

The best parts of the meeting for me were the networking events. During both breakfast and lunch, I was able to reconnect with some of my coworkers at CNA as well as meet new people from other companies. I also enjoyed meeting and talking to the other two scholarship winners, Chase and Sarah…I am very excited to become a part of this community in the upcoming years and meet more people within the CAS.

Sarah:

By far, the highlight of the CAS Annual Meeting was the general excitement about the profession. All members were genuinely interested to learn from each other in a variety of sessions, and the ability to network with hundreds of actuaries was an amazing opportunity! Overall, I came away from the meeting more interested and excited to start a career in actuarial science.

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The deadline for the 2017-2018 CAS Trust Scholarship is March 1, 2017. Additional information is available at casact.org/trustscholarship. Winners will be invited to attend the CAS Annual Meeting in Austin, TX in November 2017


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