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Two SA subjects One session

G

Geraldine

Member
Does anyone know if it's possible to take two SA exams at one session? I know they're all written at the same time - but perhaps, if you did request this, they'd be able to make an exception and sort of 'quarantine' you in order to write both exams, one after the other?

I'm repeating SA1 but if I don't pass, I'd like to repeat it along with SA3 next time (because, strangely, I've only ever worked in GI and I think I could have a reasonable chance with both of these).

So has anyone had any experience with this, or heard of anyone doing this?
 
Not sure if you're allowed to do both in the same sitting, given the exam timetables, but do you really feel like it's worth doing? Which ST/SP modules did you do? Appreciate that you've worked in GI, but for SA3, you're likely to need to know some of the material from SP7 & SP8, so depending on your background (pricing/reserving), you may need to have a look at these too.
 
Steve Parry said:
Not sure if you're allowed to do both in the same sitting, given the exam timetables, but do you really feel like it's worth doing? Which ST/SP modules did you do? Appreciate that you've worked in GI, but for SA3, you're likely to need to know some of the material from SP7 & SP8, so depending on your background (pricing/reserving), you may need to have a look at these too.
Click to expand...

Yep, I confirmed with the IFOA. I'm paraphrasing now, but their response was basically: "You're right - the exams ARE on the same day and at the same time. Therefore, you will not be able to take both."

Which was (unsurprisingly) maddening!

I mean, I asked whether it would be possible to make some sort of arrangement - with the thinking being that I'd be more than happy to be kept aside in some holding room or whatever, and write both exams on the same day. But they didn't really address that part of my email.

Also, I've passed a strange combination: ST8 (GI pricing) and ST1 (Healthcare) - I avoided ST7 because I find a lot of it uninteresting. And I seem to much prefer the healthcare material in general. I have however done some work in valuations and reserving in GI but most of my experience is in pricing. I have zero healthcare experience but I find it fairly intuitive and I guess it helps that I'm interested in the issues the subject involves. About to take the SA1 exam and hopefully the original post will just be a distant memory soon.
 
Steve Parry said:
Not sure if you're allowed to do both in the same sitting, given the exam timetables, but do you really feel like it's worth doing? Which ST/SP modules did you do? Appreciate that you've worked in GI, but for SA3, you're likely to need to know some of the material from SP7 & SP8, so depending on your background (pricing/reserving), you may need to have a look at these too.
Click to expand...

Oh wow, then the implications of this are broader than you think. Since the online component of CS and CM papers is in U.K. time (or is it GMT? It makes a difference because U.K. has daylight savings) and the written paper is in local time, it means that our fellow Indian and Singapore members will have many more clashes in exam timetable. For instance, my CS2B exam is from 4-5.45pm locally (assuming U.K. time), so had I wished to sit for the written paper on 8 April afternoon as well, there would be an issue...
 
Geraldine said:
Yep, I confirmed with the IFOA. I'm paraphrasing now, but their response was basically: "You're right - the exams ARE on the same day and at the same time. Therefore, you will not be able to take both."

Which was (unsurprisingly) maddening!

I mean, I asked whether it would be possible to make some sort of arrangement - with the thinking being that I'd be more than happy to be kept aside in some holding room or whatever, and write both exams on the same day. But they didn't really address that part of my email.
Click to expand...

Just for fun, before they auto-moderate all posts on this forum due to the exams themselves:

I was wondering if you didn't mind taking both SA1 and SA3 together (that is, you get both exam papers and two answer booklets at 2pm local time on 12 April, and try to respond to both of them within the same 3h 15min, without any additional time)... when it's difficult enough to complete one paper to passing standard within that time... then maybe they would let you take both papers... and by some miracle you manage to pass them both! :rolleyes: Must be insanity to actually go through something like that though.
 
Lol! That’s funny. Sometimes I think I run out of real ideas anyway. Might be tempting to pack it up and move on the second paper within the 3 hours :p
 
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