Perfect scores on exams

[NoMoreExams]

Really? Is that typical of most companies hiring actuaries? I mean given all else is equal you would have no preference for someone with higher scores versus lower ones?

I would interview both and see how their studying styles differed. We want is people to pass and do their job but we also want the person to fit in. I'm sure some companies promote and encourage perfect papers (not sure where) but my boss and everyone around him is of the opinion that a pass is a pass.

Many actuaries will tell you that 6 or a 7 is a perfect score since you studied the "perfect" amount of time but no one knows what that is and obviously it will differ from person to person. So if you are asking me if I had 2 candidates that studied the same way and all else was equal but one had a 6 and one had a 10... it would be a toss-up really. I would give no preference to the perfect score consciously.

[Iact]

I would interview both and see how their studying styles differed. We want is people to pass and do their job but we also want the person to fit in. I'm sure some companies promote and encourage perfect papers (not sure where) but my boss and everyone around him is of the opinion that a pass is a pass.

Many actuaries will tell you that 6 or a 7 is a perfect score since you studied the "perfect" amount of time but no one knows what that is and obviously it will differ from person to person. So if you are asking me if I had 2 candidates that studied the same way and all else was equal but one had a 6 and one had a 10... it would be a toss-up really. I would give no preference to the perfect score consciously.

That a 6 or 7 could be considered the best score is slightly disturbing (If I studied my balls off it will be held against me? Should I be throwing questions on purpose to reduce my score?).

I can see an argument for being indifferent to passing scores though. That makes some sense. I got a 10 on P/1, but to be honest I consider 2 - 3 points of that to be basically due to test taking strategy and the other points to understanding the material. It's not like companies are going to be hiring me for my ability to solve a math problem in sub 6 minutes...

[NoMoreExams]

That a 6 or 7 could be considered the best score is slightly disturbing (If I studied my balls off it will be held against me? Should I be throwing questions on purpose to reduce my score?).

I can see an argument for being indifferent to passing scores though. That makes some sense. I got a 10 on P/1, but to be honest I consider 2 - 3 points of that to be basically due to test taking strategy and the other points to understanding the material. It's not like companies are going to be hiring me for my ability to solve a math problem in sub 6 minutes...

No, of course not. The 6 or 7 being a perfect score is just a way of saying that you studied "just enough" and was able to dedicate your time to other things. That's not meant to imply that it's bad to "overstudy" or meant to fault people that studied as much as humanly possible and "only" got a 6. There's a saying I kept hearing: "study for a 10, hopefully pass with a 6".

[Irish Blues]

That a 6 or 7 could be considered the best score is slightly disturbing (If I studied my balls off it will be held against me? Should I be throwing questions on purpose to reduce my score?).

Don't confuse "best" with "optimal from the employer's POV." Numerical scores are only something you see on the joint preliminary exams [P, FM, C, MFE, and the SOA's MLC] and then whatever SOA exams there are. The CAS only says "PASS" if you pass, so there you'll never know what your real score was; the only way you sort of know is if you get a grade slip with a number on it - and if that happens, it's because you didn't pass.

[JMO Fan]

Not many employers care; SoA won't tell the scores, so nobody knows if you don't tell. Telling them you got a '10' sets you and them up for disappointment if you "only" get a 6 on the next exam. After you get ASA/FSA, virtually nobody asks about exams.