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[Irish Blues]

All is strange and vague ...
Are we dead, or is this Ohio?

[Irish Blues]

So ... anyone else for CAS 6 this fall? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

[Irish Blues]

So ... I guess since we're now to July 12 and no one else seems interested, I'll go it alone this time around.

[Ken]

I'm taking it too, but I won't be ready to discuss any exam topics until days before the exam.

[.Godspeed.]

How's it going?

[Irish Blues]

Computational stuff: going well. I've got a few things to nail down [Steeneck, Clark, Teng-Perkins, ... Ludwig is falling into place] but I'm confident of that.

Essay stuff? Yeech. I've got 3 weeks and a slew of notecards [and adding a few more every day] so I think I'll be ready - I think I've figured out that when in doubt, mention (a) large losses, (b) late reporting claims, (c) catastrophes, and (d) large line capacity. Depending on the question, one of those always fits for an answer.

I'll have 2 weekends to myself, one after reserving is done. I think I'll be ready - the goal is to get to 55/80, I think I can get there. [Of course, no MC questions this time around throws a loop into studying and I expect a few more "define the term" or "explain the difference between" questions this time.]

[Ace2415]

I realize this isn't the best place to ask this...but how much harder are the upper level CAS Exams compared to the upper level SOA Exams?

[.Godspeed.]

Computational stuff: going well. I've got a few things to nail down [Steeneck, Clark, Teng-Perkins, ... Ludwig is falling into place] but I'm confident of that.Yeah, you certainly don't want to give away Steeneck or Teng and Perkins points. If I recall correctly, most of those Steeneck ambivalence point questions were the same from year to year, with slight variations. And Teng/Perkins questions are usually 2-3 good points, too.


I think I've figured out that when in doubt, mention (a) large losses, (b) late reporting claims, (c) catastrophes, and (d) large line capacity. Depending on the question, one of those always fits for an answer.Indeed! You can never go wrong with those.

For those non-computational reinsurance questions, really know the advantages/disadvantages of all types of reinsurance the syllabus covered. On game day, you should be able to list how surplus share differs from excess of loss and the characteristics of finite reinsurance without thinking. This was very helpful in attacking those questions last year.

Keep up the good work. We both have around three weeks for our respective exams, so don't slack off. Go for the gold (read: at least a 6).

[Irish Blues]

We're thinking the Canadian version of the Steeneck problem could be up this year; it's certainly fair game - so it's on my list.


I realize this isn't the best place to ask this...but how much harder are the upper level CAS Exams compared to the upper level SOA Exams?
No idea, I've never taken an upper level SOA exam - but I have to think they're comparable in difficulty.

[.Godspeed.]

I see. One of my co-workers was adamant that I learn that for last year, but I felt it was so unlikely and never did. I did, though, prepare for a lot of not-yet-tested or very lightly tested concepts. I believe it's certainly best to be overprepared.

How's it going?

[Irish Blues]

I took the All-10 practice exams this weekend ... and I wasn't happy. I scored just over average, but my biggest issue with the exams is that they were nothing like what we'll see tomorrow. Lots of MC and T/F, so it's "all or none" on the scoring - whereas tomorrow there will be absolutely no multiple choice.

The other issue I had was the content of the questions themselves - if the actual questions look something like those practice exams, ... OOPS ON ME! I have about 250 notecards [whittled down to about 50 I don't have committed to memory] and many of the questions had content I don't even have on my notecards - probably because I don't see the exam having that content asked in an open-ended format and/or the content on those test exams seemed much more like minutae in places. So ... I'm skipping the rest of those, and going back to my plan: know high-level details, know the mathematics behind much of the stuff, be able to throw in a handful of standard answers where needed, and catch some list items that could show up.

I feel OK for this, better than I did in April with 5 - but IMO it's going to come down to being able to catch points on the essay questions. I should be able to get half the points without a lot of struggle, and my goal is to get to 70% ... so as long as I can pick up partial credit along the way, I think I'll be fine. We'll also have a clock in the room - something I didn't have for 5 - so I should be able to better gauge time and pick off problems accordingly; as long as the test ends up closer to 45 questions than 55, I think I'm good. I've got today and tonight to finish out DFA, if I can get half the points there I think I know enough on the rest to carry me through to a pass.


;) I'll let you know how it went this weekend after I've relaxed and caught some other stuff up at work and around the house.

[.Godspeed.]

;) I'll let you know how it went this weekend after I've relaxed and caught some other stuff up at work and around the house and watching the Patriots vs. Colts, etc.I fixed your post (I think!).

I wish you the best tomorrow, IB. Knock it out!

[Irish Blues]

OK ... so the verdict.

I feel pretty good about this - certainly better than I did after 5. I answered about 70 points, questions I didn't answer I wasn't going to answer no matter how much time I had. 47 questions in all, but I didn't think it was too long - the 15-minute reading period was a huge advantage for me this time, I had time to arrange papers and pick off the easier questions off the bat. I made steady progress throughout the exam, there were maybe 3 minutes of "wasted" time where I wasn't working on solving a problem ... that, "WTF - I have no idea" time that comes up every exam.

Things that did not get tested: Barnett-Zehnwirth, Steeneck, Kittel/Johnson, ASOP 9, CAS Reserving Principles. There was a tack-on part of a B-F question that involved Mack [explain how the B-F method could be refined ...], otherwise it wasn't tested; Brosius was only tested from the, "when is it / isn't suitable" standpoint. They hit the '''' out of Berquist-Sherman, though.

Last time, it was "... and if partial credit comes through, I think I might pass." Not this time - I think even if I '''''ed up a few of the 1-point questions, I'm in good shape. I had very little B.S. in the answers because I actually knew the answer or gave enough of an explanation that it should show I understood the concept being tested. I think the pass mark ends up around 52-53 because it's been around 51 and the CAS's goal is to get to 70% so they start in that direction, but don't make the leap there in one huge step; if I only get 75% of the points I answered, I'm at 52.5 and I think I ended up closer to 55 [which should be more than enough to pass].

Now back to 5 in a couple months, and hopefully a Christmas present from the CAS in December!

[Irish Blues]

ADD: I think we're going to file an appeal on one question (#41) - it's a Siewert question, and the information given is insufficient to really answer the question. I worked out a solution, but it's based on an assumption that probably doesn't hold in real life and certainly isn't supported by Siewert's paper.

[.Godspeed.]

Now back to 5 in a couple months, and hopefully a Christmas present from the CAS in December!Hope you had a Christmas present from the CAS.

[Irish Blues]

I feel pretty good about this - certainly better than I did after 5.

Now back to 5 in a couple months, and hopefully a Christmas present from the CAS in December!

And it'll be a great holiday this year. :D

[.Godspeed.]

I feel pretty good about this - certainly better than I did after 5.

Now back to 5 in a couple months, and hopefully a Christmas present from the CAS in December!

And it'll be a great holiday this year. :D
Congratulations, IB! I'm sure the IB household was happy for you.

[Irish Blues]

Mrs. IB was incredibly excited when we saw my candidate number; I sat there indifferently saying, "I told you I was going to pass," trying not to crack a smile. [Of course, it just pisses me off even more that I didn't get 5 last time - but that will be remedied this May.]

That means 9 next fall ... but that's next fall. Right now, I'm going to wrap up a VEE and finish those off for good, then move to 5 and start loosely looking at 7 [though I won't actually sit for it in 2008 - it'll be a head-start on preping for it in 2009].