Requirements to be a succesful actaury

[Hazel]

Do you have to be extremely skilled at maths(like a maths genius) or can you just be good at maths but willing to learn?I am really worried if i will be able to cope?i don't know too much about the course.

[wat]

Do you have to be extremely skilled at maths(like a maths genius) or can you just be good at maths but willing to learn?I am really worried if i will be able to cope?i don't know too much about the course.

There's nothing wrong in trying. Pick up some study materials (there's a bunch of companies that sell these, or pick up one of the recommended books from a bookstore) for Exam 1, and start studying. It's probably too late for you to take the test in May, but the next one will be offered in September, as a computer-based exam. In the course of studying for these exams, you will get a feel of what you'll need to know and understand for these exams, and at that point, it'll be your decision as to whether you'll want to put in the effort to study for these exams. For some, it comes easy - they can pass exams with relatively little study time. Mostly, for the rest of us, the exams are difficult and we pass with sheer effort and determination. So, my advice is to start studying for the September Exam 1, take it, and see how it goes.

[Ken]

I wouldn't say you need to be a genius but after all the studying you do you should be able to consider yourself to have very strong quantitative skills.

[Irish Blues]

I wouldn't say you need to be a genius but after all the studying you do you should be able to consider yourself to have very strong quantitative skills.

Personally, I think an even bigger key is to be able to think proactively. Yes, quantitiative skills are a must but being able to look ahead and see the train coming before it arrives is an even bigger plus. It shows that you don't wait for a problem to arise - you seek the problem out and find a solution to it before the problem gets even bigger.

If you're great at math but struggle to see the bigger picture, you'll do well but top out at a certain point. If you can see the bigger picture and understand how a change to one thing changes the big picture, you'll be much more likely to advance up through the ranks into upper management.