All we ask is that you have taken some calculus prior to taking this course. More specifically, we assume that you can do rudimentary differentiation and integration. We provide the necessary statistical background in our extra (early) chapters to bring you up to speed if you have never taken a statistics class.
It sure is. The Society of Actuaries carefully vetted our course and formally approved it on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. Our school code is 9947 on the SOA website, under Alternate VEE Options.
Nope. The only evaluation will be your performance on a 2½ hour multiple choice assessment (exam), administered online at your convenience: where you want, when you want. And 2 exam attempts are automatically included in your course fee.
Of course. You may conveniently reach Dr. Adamic directly at the following email address: peter@academicactuary.com. You can expect an answer within a few business days, depending on question volume.
For sure. You can view a few sample lessons from different topics, view a sample chapter (with exercises), and see a sample assessment that will be similar in style to the one you will take. Just go to the Course Page (link is in the header above).
You can take the test whenever you are ready. Just send us an email at peter@academicactuary.com. Within a few business days, we will send you a link to sign up for the test.
You will need a device with a camera to take the test. The test will be proctored online using Quilgo (or possibly an alternate platform if necessary). We recommend taking the test in a quiet area and at a time of day when you expect little disturbance.
The Society of Actuaries requires that you get a B- or greater to receive VEE credit. Don't worry, if you don't pass the assessment on any attempt, we will not send that grade to the SOA. Only your passing grade will be sent to the SOA.
Your assessment will be out of 40. If you obtain 30 or more out of 40 on your assessment you will pass the course and get the VEE credit.
Yes. The assessment is out 40 and you will know your score (out of 40) immediately upon submitting your assessment. Quilgo won't show the corresponding letter grade. In the course outline there is a mapping of scores out of 40 to the corresponding letter grade. If you score at least 30 out of 40 you will have at least a B- and will therefore gain your VEE credit.
You may use a non-programmable calculator (not the one on your phone), pen/pencils, 1 hand-written formula sheet consisting of at most 30 equations (no worked-out solutions allowed), and 10 sheets of blank paper for scrap work when doing the online assessment.
No, we will provide excerpts of the Normal, T, and Chi-Square tables as needed for each question when you do the online test.
We will allow you to take the assessment a third time, and even a fourth time if necessary, for an additional fee each time. The current fee is only $50 for the third attempt and only $30 for the fourth attempt, if needed. However, note that all students, to date, who have ever enrolled in our course have passed by the second attempt. The overwhelming majority of students passed the course on the first attempt.
You will have access to the course for two years.
Academic Actuary will submit the grade to the SOA directly. Please note that we will only send grades to the SOA that are B- or higher. A grade below a B- will not be sent to the SOA and will not appear on your official SOA transcript.