Coronavirus effect on exams

[Podge]

Completely agree, I think the only sensible option is to cancel them. It will allow us to plan what to do in this time, in the grand scheme of things a six month delay to qualification etc is not the end of the world. I would like the ifoa to provide more clarity though as I still see no option but to continue studying until they actually cancel the examinations.

Also Agreed best option is to cancel written exams. If they hold them online, the people that do not "cheat" will be disadvantaged against the people that do. If they offer the choice between postponing or refund I will just take the refund and take exam in September. I don't want to repeat this whole uncertainty/stress etc in a month or 2 when we still won't know we are through this Corona disaster.

Obviously I wish exams could go on as normal and this Corona thing never happened but given the current situation, cancelling seems like the only moral and ethically responsible thing to do.

 

[PS15]

Also Agreed best option is to cancel written exams. If they hold them online, the people that do not "cheat" will be disadvantaged against the people that do. If they offer the choice between postponing or refund I will just take the refund and take exam in September. I don't want to repeat this whole uncertainty/stress etc in a month or 2 when we still won't know we are through this Corona disaster.

Obviously I wish exams could go on as normal and this Corona thing never happened but given the current situation, cancelling seems like the only moral and ethically responsible thing to do.

I also agree, and I wish that IFoA would not drag this on and understand how stressful this situation is and make a final decision. Playing a waiting game is not right. It is already a huge stress coping with exams... The IFoA need to acknowledge that there are students who are having to deal with high-risk elderly relatives, or being high-risk themselves, having children at home and now have to play the waiting game on whether these exams will go ahead or not - so that's added on stress under these circumstances.

 

[shdh]

Completely agree, I think the only sensible option is to cancel them. It will allow us to plan what to do in this time, in the grand scheme of things a six month delay to qualification etc is not the end of the world. I would like the ifoa to provide more clarity though as I still see no option but to continue studying until they actually cancel the examinations.

Actually saying these over here will be of little value. It is better to contact the institute and ask them for the same.

We need to have a strong voice all together to have the exams cancelled. But if you see the latest update on the institute's website, they have removed the option of exam cancellation. So cancellations are not going to happen. Better to work on something else now!

 

[AlexLky]

Actually saying these over here will be of little value. It is better to contact the institute and ask them for the same.

We need to have a strong voice all together to have the exams cancelled. But if you see the latest update on the institute's website, they have removed the option of exam cancellation. So cancellations are not going to happen. Better to work on something else now!

It's outrageous that they say "sometime next week" they'll let us know. Do they not understand how vital a week is when it comes to sitting exams, especially when they are so close? We are all in agreement that cancellation/postponement is the best course of action why are they continuing to mess around students and employers. All other actuarial bodies have been smart with this situation, why can't the IFoA do the same... deplorable...

 

[GOFS03]

Actually saying these over here will be of little value. It is better to contact the institute and ask them for the same.

We need to have a strong voice all together to have the exams cancelled. But if you see the latest update on the institute's website, they have removed the option of exam cancellation. So cancellations are not going to happen. Better to work on something else now!

I agree that emailing them with our concerns should be the best course 9f action, however I have emailed them and they simply respond with an almost exact copy of what their statement says. I just feel it is a poor response to say we might let you know next week.

 

[mavvj]

Also Agreed best option is to cancel written exams. If they hold them online, the people that do not "cheat" will be disadvantaged against the people that do.

If it is online it will have to be open book, the honour system can't be used.

 

[DM261]

I may be in the minority but I really hope the IFOA can devise a way for getting the April 2020 exams done online, as most universities have done. It would be really unfortunate if everyone's progression has to be delayed until September, given the work everyone has already put in. A postponement by a month or two may be an option, but that really eats into the September sitting and there's no real guarantee that the situation will even have improved by then.
My hope is that the IFOA will put the forthcoming exams online but then offer anyone who does not wish to sit exams next month for any reason the opportunity to defer their exams to a future sitting free of charge.

As always, the IFOA is absolutely in the right for putting the safety of candidates and staff first. Hopefully they manage to come up with a fair system that will allow everyone's progression not to be delayed, but of course if this is not possible then cancellation may be inevitable.

 

[Imy]

I may be in the minority but I really hope the IFOA can devise a way for getting the April 2020 exams done online, as most universities have done. It would be really unfortunate if everyone's progression has to be delayed until September, given the work everyone has already put in. A postponement by a month or two may be an option, but that really eats into the September sitting and there's no real guarantee that the situation will even have improved by then.

My hope is that the IFOA will put the forthcoming exams online but then offer anyone who does not wish to sit exams next month for any reason the opportunity to defer their exams to a future sitting free of charge.

As always, the IFOA is absolutely in the right for putting the safety of candidates and staff first. Hopefully they manage to come up with a fair system that will allow everyone's progression not to be delayed, but of course if this is not possible then cancellation may be inevitable.

I agree. I just want some sort of response so I know whether I'm wasting my time studying or not. It's a shame I spent the last few weekends indoors studying but what can you do. In the grand scheme of things I'm pretty lucky seeing as I still have a job and can stay indoors etc.

Although a postponement will eat into the September sitting it still may be better than having a horrible exam season in September (assuming you're still planning to do certain exams in September plus the April exams).

 

[Benoy Soman]

I just feel at the end of the day, the iFoA need to make a final decision ASAP.
This period of uncertainty is simply not fair on all of us.

Yes, I'm in the camp for wanting to still to do the exams but there are so many caveats:

- How do you ensure a fair and transparent system if it is all online?
- Have they invested in the online platform to be able to accommodate for an online sitting across all exams?
e.g. results page has crashed before, people have had issues submitting CP2/CP3 exams previously.

The American institute have made a call, various accounting bodies have made a call, CFA body has made a call - all cancelled.
Why can't the iFoA do the same? It is very disappointing and demotivating.

My call: accept the situation for what it is, there is no nice way out of this - cancel this sitting and move on. Offer students refunds without making that itself an issue.
Assess the situation for the September sitting and make a final call on that by the end of May/June.

Again, I like many others have studied for this sitting and I would love to have an attempt at the exam (CP1 - so you can imagine my mental anguish) - but I'm just being realistic rather than over-optimistic.

Speculation needs to stop and Action needs to be taken.

PS - @DM261 - most universities? Not criticising, but what is your source?

 

[Helloall]

I personally disagree.

To put it online would be grossly unfair.

Yes, we have all worked extremely hard but to possibly change the format at the last minute, where is the fairness... (would the exam be open book, would the questions change, would they require it to be typed or written, where are the IFoA ensuring people don't cheat).

Furthermore, where is the fairness on the people who passed in previous years? Many people may have sat certain exams over and over again and found them extremely difficult and proud of passing it. For the IFoA to just move the goal posts may rubbish their achievement.

Anything the IFoA now do will feel very rushed and not ideal and for that reason I think they have to postpone.

Their communication is also dreadful, I mean are we supposed to be expecting the exams to be going ahead and therefore still studying, should we be taking study days (and if the IFoA cancel the exams will they compensate our companies somehow), when will their announcement come (today or 5pm Friday).

 

[Benoy Soman]

I personally disagree.

To put it online would be grossly unfair.

Yes, we have all worked extremely hard but to possibly change the format at the last minute, where is the fairness... (would the exam be open book, would the questions change, would they require it to be typed or written, where are the IFoA ensuring people don't cheat).

Furthermore, where is the fairness on the people who passed in previous years? Many people may have sat certain exams over and over again and found them extremely difficult and proud of passing it. For the IFoA to just move the goal posts may rubbish their achievement.

Anything the IFoA now do will feel very rushed and not ideal and for that reason I think they have to postpone.

Their communication is also dreadful, I mean are we supposed to be expecting the exams to be going ahead and therefore still studying, should we be taking study days (and if the IFoA cancel the exams will they compensate our companies somehow), when will their announcement come (today or 5pm Friday).

I couldn't agree with you more.

Testing time like this are what we will all remember. Compared to other professional bodies, there is a clear lack of communication and decisive action.
For CP1, we are 4 weeks away from the exam. This is crunch time. This isn't a joke. This isn't the time to be sitting on the fence.
We need clear direction.

 

[DM261]

Definitely can't disagree with anything that's been said, I just really really want to avoid everyone's progress being delayed by six months, if it is at all possible to do that whilst still protecting the safety of all members. Let's hope we hear something tomorrow.

 

[AlexLky]

I now want cancellation, I have stopped studying SP6 and have now chose to focus on CP2 and CP3. We can't kid ourselves that in a matter of a few weeks the IFoA will have formulated some form of online system for every exam. What about people that don't have sound internet as they're being confined to their homes? Do they really expect some of the longwinded mathematics seen in subjects like SP6 to be done online, if not then do they think all candidates have access to scanners?

The issues with postponement have been outlined on this thread as well. They do really need to give everyone a sound answer because every day they don't is seriously detrimental to every student intending to sit an exam.

 

[Helloall]

I now want cancellation, I have stopped studying SP6 and have now chose to focus on CP2 and CP3. We can't kid ourselves that in a matter of a few weeks the IFoA will have formulated some form of online system for every exam. What about people that don't have sound internet as they're being confined to their homes? Do they really expect some of the longwinded mathematics seen in subjects like SP6 to be done online, if not then do they think all candidates have access to scanners?

The issues with postponement have been outlined on this thread as well. They do really need to give everyone a sound answer because every day they don't is seriously detrimental to every student intending to sit an exam.

I agree, i myself have stopped studying as well as many others at my office. The exams surely must be postponed or cancelled.

Postponed a few months so everyone can sit them under a fair system would be ideal. This would reward everyone's hard work.

Cancelled as postponement eats into next exam session too much.

 

[Imy]

I think we all just want an answer from the IFoA. If the exams were to go ahead, somehow, I think they should take this into consideration how we have all been messed about and many have stopped/unable to study.

 

[TurnipKing]

I feel like given that they're taking this long to come out with a statement, then online must be a serious consideration. If they were to go ahead as open book I feel like a lot of my study would be instantly made redundant, if anything it just benefits people who have not studied up till now.

 

[Marzipan]

Communication from Institute has been appalling. There has been so much flexibility from businesses, schools etc - everyone being understanding of peoples situations and clearly communicating how they are reacting to help people through this difficult time. It's in times like these we can quickly tell who the winners are - those who react to problems quickly and effectively. The Institute is not one of them. Disappointing given that that they expect actuaries to perform dynamic adaptable careers in fast changing environments. They are not being a good role model for this at all.

 

[Yellow_Tables]

To be honest it’s absolutely shambolic from the IFOA. How these exams haven’t already been cancelled / postponed is beyond me.

there is no reasonable, fair, or safe way to ensure these exams commence in online format as others have suggested.
Where is the fairness in all this?

And although everyone is entitled to their own opinion, anyone who is seriously concerned about a halt in their progression caused by cancellation/postponement of these exams I think need to have a reality check.
We are talking about a worldwide pandemic that is killing people all around us.
Everything has shut down, schools, shops, works, people’s livelihoods ruined, a couple of acty exams 6 months earlier than the next sitting in September is surely the lowest of importance in the grand scheme of things.

Hopefully we get an update from the IFOA tomorrow, as they are proving embarrassing at the minute.

 

[Learn2020]

To be expected to continue studying at the pace required a couple of weeks out from exams, all the while knowing that learning off the core reading is futile at this point, is outrageous. Given all of the upheaval we have all experienced in recent weeks, the exams should have been postponed well before now.

Tutorials and mock exams are being carried out this week in a pointless exercise as it will likely be months before the actual exams are sat.

I think it is especially difficult for those with children and elderly dependants, those in countries hardest hit, those with family members suffering from this illness and those working in the healthcare system to name a few being kept in limbo like this - although I suspect they have long put their priorities in order and stopped studying, devoting their time to the far more important things in life at a time like this.

I appreciate the IFoA are trying to accommodate everyone, but to move the exams online at such short notice would add further unnecessary stress to their students in these uncertain days and weeks ahead.

 

[Benoy Soman]

Given the PM's latest announcement, I really do hope the iFoA make an announcement tomorrow.

Even if they can make the exams online, what about the sheer emotional impact this pandemic has had on all of us?!
The situation is changing daily and there is no indication to the when it will start declining.
We are in the crunch period of exam studying - how can the iFoA expect its students to carry on like business as usual?

This has become a joke now and a serious lack of consideration to students.
I sympathethise with the iFoA that this is not an easy decision given the number of people it affects.
But they also need to consider the true gravity of the situation - this happens often once in a generation.
I am genuinely disappointed. Given the commitment we show (and the hefty fees incurred), we are forced to endure this unnecessary stress due to a lack of decisive action.

I respect of the opinion of everyone in this thread, but I genuinely feel the vast majority of students would share similar sentiment.
Exam progression V Global Pandemic..

 

[Yellow_Tables]

Well well well.

Big announcement from the PM tonight, only leave the house under 4 circumstances. UK on lockdown.

Only thing left is for the IFOA to make a decision on these April exams. I’ll be sitting waiting patiently (not) for the communication to arrive tomorrow.

I wonder if this changes things for the decision making process. As someone else mentioned, Global pandemic and safety v studying for an exam I could sit fairly in 6 months? Pretty even if you ask me....

I’ll expect a cheer of applause in this forum by 9.05am tomorrow seeing as the IFOA will be timely with their clear and obvious update on April exams....