Actuarial science study guide & practice tests
You require more than just reviewing the textbooks or memorizing the formulas to ace your actuarial exam. You must have an efficient study process, an understanding of the core concepts behind every computation, and ample confidence before you appear for the test.
Enrolling in an actuary exam prep can be the best way forward. You can find multiple platforms that offer these courses.
- Best Overall: Actuarial Exam Preparation – [AnalystPrep]
- Best for Beginners: Actuarial Exam Prep – [The Infinite Actuary]
- Best Guided Learning Program: Actuary Preparation – [Coaching Actuaries]
- Best One-to-One Live Option: Actuarial Exam Prep Course – [Actuary Exam Tutor]
- Direct Source But Not Interactive: Associate of The Society of Actuaries (Asa) – Society Of Actuaries
Best Overall Prep Course for Actuarial ExamActuarial Exam Preparation – [AnalystPrep]
Why this course: We chose this course because it is comprehensive with one of the most well-structured classes. Analyst Prep has over 25,000 satisfied students, and ninety-two percent recommend it to others.
What’s there to like?
- You will find top-quality exam-style questions that replicate the difficulty of the actual actuarial exam you are preparing for.
- 100s of practice questions and customizable quizzes for practice and assessment.
- Their support team for this actuarial science exam prep has qualified actuarial science experts. So, they are well-versed with the contents to guide you.
- The professionals take the time and effort to answer every question in only a few minutes.
- They have performance tracking tools that give you invaluable insight into your performance and track your strong and weak areas.
- There is an option to compare the results in the mock exam with over 20,000 users globally.
- You can get access to online and offline study notes.
- All resources come with lifetime access.
Things you may not like
1. There is no pass guarantee.
About the course
It is a detailed actuary exam prep course. Here, you will study the probability tools employed for assessing financial and insurance risk. The instructor will take you through calculus application to the problems you will find in your actuarial science exam.
Further, you will also learn the various kinds of distribution functions in a focal point.
In part II, you will study financial mathematics’ rudimentary aspects and the application of these theories in calculating the present and accumulated values in different financial instruments like interest rate swaps and bonds.
In the final part of this course, you will also study the corporate finance and financial models and the application of these models to financial risks and insurance. Herein, the focus is on the stock portfolio pricing, future contracts and forwards, and options.
Related: Best FRM Prep Providers
Reviews by Jose Gary
“I loved the up-to-date study materials and Question bank. If you wish to increase your chances of CFA exam success on your first attempt, I strongly recommend AnalystPrep.”
Best for Beginners Actuarial Exam Prep Course – [The Infinite Actuary]
Why this course: It is the best class for beginners. So, if you are starting from the basics, this can be an excellent prep course.
What’s there to like?
- They have the most intuitive and user-friendly platform and assume no former knowledge, which justifies their top enrolments.
- The diversity in study material format is commendable, given numerous video lessons, 1000s of practice problems with video solutions, and multiple full-length practice exams.
- They have a problem system you can use to track your results and fill the gaps in your knowledge.
- You get access to full-time instructor support via email and online course forums. So, you have the assistance anytime you have any confusion.
Things you may not like
- There is limited access to the study material in these actuary exam prep courses.
About the course
On Infinite Actuary, you can find three primary preparation courses, but beyond this, they offer a good range of additional study materials too.
Best Guided Learning ProgramActuary Preparation – [Coaching Actuaries]
Why this course: It is an excellent online class that will help you practice efficiently, study effectively, and builds the confidence required to excel in the exam in the step-by-step instruction format. Their dynamic content gets updated and refreshed when new things are added to the curriculum.
What’s there to like?
- There are video lectures with clear, concise explanations.
- You can learn at your pace in the short, digestible videos.
- Every concept is illustrated step-by-step for a detailed understanding.
- The videos have visuals that animate the concepts and keep you engaged.
- The fully featured video player gives you an option to adjust the speed to suit your learning pace.
- These actuary exam prep coursesfollow an exam-focused reading that gets straight to the point.
- You will find detailed examples that help you apply what you learn.
- The class has short quizzes at the end of every section for assessment.
- There are tailored practice exams that challenge you at every level.
- Coaching Actuaries follow an earned level system that measures your exam readiness on a 0-10 scale. Surveys suggest that ninety percent of users who earn a seven or higher score pass the actuarial exam.
- They offer section reports to assess to help you analyze your performance and identify weak areas.
- There is an active discussion forum where you can get assistance from your coaches.
- Coaching Actuaries offer a formula sheet in their course that gives a cumulative account of all the formulas in one place.
Things you may not like
- There are more affordable options available.
- It does not come with lifetime access.
About the course
This is a comprehensive class full of examples, practice papers, quizzes, and tracking parameters to assess your subject understanding. This course is unique in the sense it comes with a pass guarantee. So, if you do not pass the exam, you have an opportunity to renew the subscription for 180-days at no added cost.
Reviews by Lexi.
Coaching Actuaries video lessons helped prepare me for exam IFM by breaking down some of the harder concepts into smaller pieces that made it easier to understand.
Best One-to-One, Semigroup, Live OptionActuarial Science Exam Prep – [Actuary Exam Tutor]
Why this course?
We recommend this prep course because it is an entirely different format from the others mentioned. Unlike the other self-paced courses, this one is instructor-led. So, you will have an option to study with the tutor and clarify your doubts instantly.
What’s there to like?
- It has comprehensive and structured exam prep programs.
- You receive expert instruction, guidance, and coaching from top-qualified and experienced instructors.
- Instructors follow a personalized coaching and instruction format to cater to your learning needs.
- There are tracking tools to monitor your progress.
Things you may not like
1. You cannot learn at your own pace.
About the course
In this actuary exam prep course, the instructors help you master your understanding of the various exam syllabus topics at your pace. They assist you in getting well-versed with the approach. Hence, you know how to attack and solve problems. Since it is an instructor-led class, you receive guidance across the session.
Comparison Table
Factor | Analyst Prep | The Infinite Actuary | Coaching Actuaries | Actuary Exam Tutor |
Lifetime Access | Yes | No | No | No |
Practice Papers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pass Guarantee | No | No | Yes | No |
Quizzes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Tracking tools | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Reviews by Arthur E.
I worked with an outstanding coach, Dr. Apel, who demystified how to pass Exam P. He was able to simplify complex topics into easily digestible pieces. I passed both Exam P and FM on my first attempts with the help of Dr. Apel. Having passed the 2 tests, I was able to get my first job right after graduation. I owe my start to ActuaryExam Tutor.”
Direct Source (Honorary Mention)
Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) – Society of Actuaries
Why this course
This actuarial exam prep course is presented to you directly by the Society of Actuaries. So, you will have access to the most exam-relevant and authentic information.
What’s there to like?
1. You learn directly from the founders of actuarial science.
Things you may not like
It is not interactive and engaging. Everything there’s to learn is given in PDF format. Hence, students may lose interest somewhere in the middle.
About the course
In this actuary exam prep course, you will find learning materials for every section covered in the exam. You can also find the detailed guidelines and requirements list to excel in the actuarial science examination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ques 1. How long does it take to study for the actuary exam?
Ans. Actuarial exams are challenging and demand intensive hard work. Ideally, you should spend 100 hours of study and class time for every hour of exam time. So, if you appear for a three-hour exam, you must spare 300 hours of preparation time.
Ques 2. Are there any universities and colleges with Actuarial programs?
Ans. Yes, there are several universities and colleges with actuarial programs. You can find the entire list here at Society of Actuaries.
Ques 3. How many times can you take the actuary exam?
Ans. You can take the actuarial exam as many times as you like till you pass the exam.
Selection Criteria
1. Reviews and success rate
We scoured the reviews of the different actuarial preparation courses online and picked the ones with the highest positive reviews and a remarkable success rate. Naturally, if the provider has many satisfied students, it is easier to expect top-notch results.
2. Flexibility
Some students do not like being time-bound and enjoy studying on a fixed schedule. So, most options we picked for actuary exam prep courses allow self-paced, flexible learning.
3. Duration
You want to learn all contents associated with the examination in minimum time. So, we attempted to pick the classes that have almost zero fluff and teach you what you want to learn in minimum time.
4. Practice paper included or not?
Lastly, it is essential to feel confident before you appear for the exam. Hence, ample practice and insight into what an actual examination will feel like are vital. Thus, we picked the classes with quizzes, training questions, and mock papers for practice.
Final Word
So, these are top actuarial exam prep courses. They are all excellent picks. So, depending on your preferred selection criteria, you can make your choice. Happy Learning!