How much work is required to pass CP1? I see that the pass mark for it is not in the 30-40% is it really that difficult?
It doesn't seem like you are right. The pass rate for the April 2019 sitting was 39.9% and the pass rate for the September 2019 sitting was 33.9%.
Hi - did you mean 'now' rather than 'not'? And 'pass rate' rather than 'pass mark'? Since the pass marks have been published for CA1/CP1 (2016 onwards), they have been between 55 and 59 (inclusive). Pass rates have been in the range 34% to 44% over that same period. The course material for the subject is not particularly technically difficult - but there is a lot of it! And being able to generate enough ideas that are relevant to the given scenarios presented in the questions can also be challenging. So a combination of digesting the course material and repeated question practice is vital. The IFoA recommends 400 study hours for it, which is twice what it recommends for an SP subject: https://www.actuaries.org.uk/system/files/field/document/Curriculum 2019 recommended study hours.pdf So it does need to be taken seriously. For example, many students find that it is too much to study over the summer period (for a first sitting) and prefer to leave it for the slightly longer winter session. All the best with your studies.