FAQs

The data is based exclusively on information released by the SOA and CAS since 2007. The data is available for download from their websites. We have compiled the information as a resource for prospective and current exam takers.

We update our system within a week after the information is released publicly, though usually we are able to update much faster than this. Visit the updates page to see the last exam data thath as been added to our site.

All dates are entered as the first day of the month in which the exam or designation was passed/issued.

Because there is no way to differentiate between people other than by their first and last name (their "Full Name"), duplicate names pose a problem for analyses that look at what exams people passed and how long it took to do so. Duplicate names fall into one of two categories:

Type 1 - Full Names that have passed the same exam more than once
Type 2 - Full Names that have passed exams in an incompatible order, for instance, receiving a designation before passing the required exams or becoming an ASA before an FSA.

Each time names are added to the database, duplicate names are checked for - both against the existing list of duplicate names and as a new duplicate name. If a new duplicate name is found, all records relating to that Full Name are flagged as duplicates. Analyses that ignore duplicate names will state exactly how many names were ignored. Type 1 duplicates account for approximately 95% of all duplicate names.

Excluding duplicate names improves the accuracy of certain analyses at the cost of reducing the data those analyses are based on. Specifically, duplicate names are ineligible for inclusion in the speed and difficulty ranking system, since travel time information related to them is unreliable and usually nonsensical.

A changed name is a phrase used to describe any Full Name that has at least one other 'relative' Full Name that is different but by all indications likely refers to the same person. Changing names come in three main varieties.

Type 1 - Names that differ because of a different middle name – eg. "D" - "D." - "D Jr." - "D II" - "David" or no middle name at all.
Type 2 - Names that change from marriage
Type 3 - Typos/French accents

Type 1 name changes account for at least 90% of all changed names. For the purposes of this discussion, a 'Middle Name' is considered to be all text after the first space in the 'First Name' column (which comes directly from the source data and a 'Full Name no Middle Name' is the entire name, less the 'Middle Name'.

Type 1 changing names are considered all 'Full Name no Middle Names' that have more than one different 'Middle Name'. Changed names are included in the speed and difficulty ranking system, since their inclusion does not skew results. Changed names may however, prevent some individuals from being included in the ranking systems since the ranking system requires all exams be completed by an indentical Full Name.

Changed names and their list of relative names are flagged and identifed for each individual. Exam writers can help reduce the prevalence of changed names by registering for all exams using the same name.

Non-duplicate names that have passed a sufficient number of exams are included in the percentile ranking system. The percentile ranking system attempts to measures the speed and difficulty of an individual's exam progress.

There are seven categories for exam speed.

SOA:
1) SOA Preliminary Exams - completing all SOA preliminary exams
2) ASA Designation - completing all preliminary exams and attaining the ASA designation
3) CERA Designation - completing all preliminary exams and the ERM exam and attaining the CERA designation (ASA not required)
4) FSA Designation - completing all preliminary exams and attaining the ASA and FSA designation.

CAS:
1) CAS Preliminary Exams - completing all CAS preliminary exams
2) ACAS Designation - completing all preliminary exams and attaining the ACAS designation
3) FCAS Designation - completing all preliminary exams and attaining the FCAS designation. (ACAS not required)

Each individual that completes a category is assigned a percentile based on their completion time relative to all others in the same category. The higher the percentile, the faster the completion time.

There are four categories for exam difficulty.

SOA:
1) SOA Preliminary Exams - identical requirements to the corresponding speed category
2) SOA Fellowship Exams - completing at least two non-preliminary SOA exams (regardless of how many preliminary exams were complete)

CAS:
1) CAS Preliminary Exams - identical requirements to the corresponding speed category
2) CAS Fellowship Exams - completing at least four non-preliminary CAS exams, excluding Online Courses 1 & 2 (regardless of how many preliminary exams were complete)

Percentiles for exam difficulty are based on the difficulty index, calculated as follows:
Difficulty Index = (sum of candidates exam pass rates) - (sum of corresponding historical average exam pass rates)
The difficulty index is an equal weighted index. All exams receive the same weight. The smaller the index, the more difficult the exam path.

Unfortunately, pass marks are not released by the SOA & CAS for all exams.