Coronavirus effect on exams

[zair khan]

The IFoA said to ignore all joining instructions sent to you even if you cancelled the examinations. In 45 days, if you didn't hear from them, then you should contact them. This is explained in their FAQs

do you know about the CAA exam which were schedule for may are the postponed on not?

 

[Dar_Shan0209]

I didn't follow up on CAA exams. You may wish to contact CAA Global for that. Sorry.

 

[Studystuff]

Can anyone confirm whether ebooks are allowed to be used during the exam? do these fall under "personal notes"

 

[Dar_Shan0209]

Hi @Studystuff,
Please see below as mentioned by the IFoA. Trust the same assists.

I have seen on social media that these examinations may be ‘open-book’. What are the materials that I will be able to use during your online examinations?
Updated 17 April 2020

In line with our Assessment Regulations (March 2020), you are permitted to use personal course notes during our April online examinations. Personal course notes include electronic or hard copy Core Reading, tutorial materials, and supplementary materials such as notes you have prepared personally as part of your studies.

However, during your examinations, such notes may only be used for reference purposes, and you must not copy and paste content from any personal course notes into your answer script.

Our advice is that when referring to such materials, you need to remember that the skills you are required to demonstrate remain the same as in traditional examinations; namely to show understanding of the materials and their effective application to specific situations. You will, therefore, need to ensure you correctly balance your examination time between the use of your course notes and completion of the examination paper.

Use of any materials which do not constitute personal course notes are strictly prohibited. For the avoidance of doubt, these include (but are not limited to) materials/items specified in our Assessment Regulations (Section 7d - regulation 60), namely e-templates and any electronic files which contain pre-existing calculations.

You are reminded of your professional ethical obligations under the Actuaries’ Code, or as applicable, to uphold our Assessment Regulations, and you must not collude with other candidates and/or third parties.

Your answer script will be checked for originality to ensure it is your own work, there is no evidence of plagiarism, and that there are no similarities to the work of other candidates. We reserve the right to carry out such checks during marking and after the release of results - as outlined in our Contingency Statement. Any potential case of inappropriate conduct will be investigated in line with our Assessment Regulations, and results will be withheld until such investigations are complete.

 

[newkid]

On the notes question though - like if I've learned off bookwork and the question comes up and write it down word for word they way i've learned in, (without copy/paste), is there a chance they will think i cheated? Similarly someone who hasn't learned a thing and has the definitions open in front of them, if they just type (not copy/paste) the answer - we'll they be assumed to have cheated? Or is it only if someone is stupid enough to actually "copy and paste" on the assumption their software will be able to identify that is what happened?

 

[DM261]

On the notes question though - like if I've learned off bookwork and the question comes up and write it down word for word they way i've learned in, (without copy/paste), is there a chance they will think i cheated? Similarly someone who hasn't learned a thing and has the definitions open in front of them, if they just type (not copy/paste) the answer - we'll they be assumed to have cheated? Or is it only if someone is stupid enough to actually "copy and paste" on the assumption their software will be able to identify that is what happened?

Maybe just write the definitions in your own words rather than as they are in the notes?

 

[ProudActuary]

The IFoA will have a judgement call to make. As always, it's best to think about expressing things in your own words. I'd hazard a guess that you're very unlikely to be penalised unless you literally have just copied the core reading word for word - if you're writing from memory I'd say it's almost impossible to replicate the core reading word for word across a sufficient number of questions to draw any attention. If you are adopting the approach of typing word for word from the core reading then this may get flagged. In any case, this will waste so much time!

Most questions require an application of knowledge to a specific question context rather than blindly writing screeds of teniously linked material.

 

[shdh]

On the notes question though - like if I've learned off bookwork and the question comes up and write it down word for word they way i've learned in, (without copy/paste), is there a chance they will think i cheated? Similarly someone who hasn't learned a thing and has the definitions open in front of them, if they just type (not copy/paste) the answer - we'll they be assumed to have cheated? Or is it only if someone is stupid enough to actually "copy and paste" on the assumption their software will be able to identify that is what happened?

Hi newkid,
Can you tell me what information has been shared with you guys who are going for the online paper exam? Do you have to install any software, or go to the VLE and download paper, and upload a word document for your answers? How are they conducting the exam?

If they are having a software installed, then it is mostly possible that students will not be able to open any other application during the exam. If it is only a PDF download and word upload, then copy pasting will take place on a much larger extent among the students. The software on the other hand would clear your clipboard, and would not allow copy paste to work.

Can you let me know which one it is?

All the best for your paper!

Regards,
shyam

 

[DM261]

Hi newkid,
Can you tell me what information has been shared with you guys who are going for the online paper exam? Do you have to install any software, or go to the VLE and download paper, and upload a word document for your answers? How are they conducting the exam?

If they are having a software installed, then it is mostly possible that students will not be able to open any other application during the exam. If it is only a PDF download and word upload, then copy pasting will take place on a much larger extent among the students. The software on the other hand would clear your clipboard, and would not allow copy paste to work.

Can you let me know which one it is?

All the best for your paper!

Regards,
shyam

It's the latter, albeit using a newly established website as opposed to the usual VLE.

 

[User 1234]

Hi @Studystuff,
Please see below as mentioned by the IFoA. Trust the same assists.

I have seen on social media that these examinations may be ‘open-book’. What are the materials that I will be able to use during your online examinations?
Updated 17 April 2020

In line with our Assessment Regulations (March 2020), you are permitted to use personal course notes during our April online examinations. Personal course notes include electronic or hard copy Core Reading, tutorial materials, and supplementary materials such as notes you have prepared personally as part of your studies.

However, during your examinations, such notes may only be used for reference purposes, and you must not copy and paste content from any personal course notes into your answer script.

Our advice is that when referring to such materials, you need to remember that the skills you are required to demonstrate remain the same as in traditional examinations; namely to show understanding of the materials and their effective application to specific situations. You will, therefore, need to ensure you correctly balance your examination time between the use of your course notes and completion of the examination paper.

Use of any materials which do not constitute personal course notes are strictly prohibited. For the avoidance of doubt, these include (but are not limited to) materials/items specified in our Assessment Regulations (Section 7d - regulation 60), namely e-templates and any electronic files which contain pre-existing calculations.

You are reminded of your professional ethical obligations under the Actuaries’ Code, or as applicable, to uphold our Assessment Regulations, and you must not collude with other candidates and/or third parties.

Your answer script will be checked for originality to ensure it is your own work, there is no evidence of plagiarism, and that there are no similarities to the work of other candidates. We reserve the right to carry out such checks during marking and after the release of results - as outlined in our Contingency Statement. Any potential case of inappropriate conduct will be investigated in line with our Assessment Regulations, and results will be withheld until such investigations are complete.

"However, during your examinations, such notes may only be used for reference purposes, and you must not copy and paste content from any personal course notes into your answer script."

If I'v learnt the materials, and written it down in 'Word' using my own wordings before the exam, during the exam I just simply copy and paste my own wordings, is it allowed? Or is it treated as 'cheating"? If yes, does it mean that 'copy or paste' function is prohibited at all? (Sometimes it's difficult to not to use this function, just unconscious) Would examiner detect if I have used this function in the scripts?

 

[ProudActuary]

If I'v learnt the materials, and written it down in 'Word' using my own wordings before the exam, during the exam I just simply copy and paste my own wordings, is it allowed? Or is it treated as 'cheating"? If yes, does it mean that 'copy or paste' function is prohibited at all? (Sometimes it's difficult to not to use this function, just unconscious) Would examiner detect if I have used this function in the scripts?

The instructions state that copy and paste is NOT to be used. If you do this then you are not complying with the examination instructions and risk disciplinary action being taken against you by the IFoA. The FAQs section of the IFoA states what this could entail.

Would you get caught if you done this? I don't know - the IFoA may use software to detect plagiarism.

Is it a risk worth taking? No.

Is it in the spirit of the Actuaries Code? No.

I don't know how it's difficult to not copy and paste from one document to another. You have to consciously find the text, select the text, copy it and then paste in to the appropriate other document.

 

[QAli]

I just sat CP1 and used copy paste within the document (so my answer had a better flow). Guessing this is allowed but not sure about external documents. Maybe they have software that checks if other documents are open. Do your notes on Word count as 'e-templates' which are prohibited and so you can't copy and paste them...

Side note, make sure you read the instructions sent in the joining instructions email. Name your document correctly. I forgot to put my ARN in the header/footer and realised just before I submitted my answers. Word has a 'document created' and 'document last saved' date and time. I ended up adding in my ARN after the exam finished and saving the document at 11:47 (2 mins after we are supposed to stop writing)... will they think I continued to write? I hope not! Perhaps it would be more suspicious if the document was saved 10mins after the end time.

I would avoid copying and pasting from external documents. You can only use one electronic device for the exam so having another laptop next to you with your notes isn't allowed... but then it is clearly allowed if you print out your notes! Isn't it the same thing? There are so many unknowns since this is the first time we are sitting exams online.

That's just what I think, happy for anyone to correct anything I have misunderstood.

 

[almost_there]

I just sat CP1 and used copy paste within the document (so my answer had a better flow). Guessing this is allowed but not sure about external documents. Maybe they have software that checks if other documents are open. Do your notes on Word count as 'e-templates' which are prohibited and so you can't copy and paste them...

If they have such intrusive or spy software that collects such personal data then surely in accordance with GDPR they can't inflict this on anyone without their explicit permission.

I suspect that what's really happening is something akin to the TV license vans of years gone by, where certain posters on this forum are spreading fake news to scare people.

 

[Callum Cruickshank]

Hi all,
For those that chose to withdraw and take the exam refund, has anyone heard anything back from the IFoA? I've only had the automated reply after I sent my refund request email a few weeks back and nothing since. They said in their Q&A not to chase with follow up emails but I'm getting a bit concerned since my exam date has already passed...

 

[almost_there]

I cannot see any good reason for such a delay in providing refunds. I cannot see how it is an enforceable demand from them to tell students not to chase up refunds. You have every right to chase up a refund. Imagine going to a shop to return an item and they tell you we'll refund you when it's convenient for us. That would not be acceptable. Nor is this.

 

[ProudActuary]

I cannot see any good reason for such a delay in providing refunds. I cannot see how it is an enforceable demand from them to tell students not to chase up refunds. You have every right to chase up a refund. Imagine going to a shop to return an item and they tell you we'll refund you when it's convenient for us. That would not be acceptable. Nor is this.

I can, the IFoA will not have seen a situation in the past where such a large number of candidates will be due a refund. Shops are set up to provide refunds for a variety of reasons.

I guess the IFoA won't really have much reason for refunding exam fees other than due to illness, but these are unprecedented times. I'm sure the IFoA staff are doing as best they can to process the refunds.

Hopefully the vast majority of students have expensed their exam fees and therefore aren't out of pocket in the interim.

 

[almost_there]

Proud actuary, tell us the level of refund we are talking about here and let's discuss how much money IFoA will lose compared to a normal spring exam sitting. It's the sort of thing actuaries like to talk about.

 

[ProudActuary]

Proud actuary, tell us the level of refund we are talking about here and let's discuss how much money IFoA will lose compared to a normal spring exam sitting. It's the sort of thing actuaries like to talk about.

I'm sure you could work it out if you wanted to almost there! You'd just have to look at the historic number of candidates for each of the cancelled subjects and multiply by the exam fee (or make an assumption regarding how candidate numbers might change as the past may not be indicative of the future). You'd then have to look at average candidate numbers for the exams are running and make an assumption as to how many candidates elected not to sit the exam.

Hope that makes sense and let me know how you get on

 

[almost_there]

So you think they are going to change the format of the exams, with no warning or sample papers? It's only students assuming this.

In a document that was attached a few pages back, they said that they don't believe open books gives students any benefit
therefore as someone else said, they'll probably just increase the pass mark, but hard to know by how much - i think you would have to study pass examiners reports - to see what they usually say about book work questions, it might only push pass mark up 5/6%

The exam format has changed fundamentally. To qualify as an actuary previously students had to remember large number of lists. Even Acted sold products and suggested acronyms to help with this. Now it's not required. So the question is why is not now not required when previously it was? Doesn't this show it was a completely unnecessary requirements previously? People aren't qualifying with the same requirements. This doesn't just affect those who sit the exams this time but the integrity of the qualification itself.

Someone mentioned cheating. There are endless cheating possibilities that IFoA cannot possibly police with any credibility. Namely of being at home with internet, software and people around you or on the net to help vs invigilated in an exam room with just pen, paper and calculator. It should have been called off.

The idea that all this can be remedied by adjusting pass mark or warning people about complying with actuaries code is laughable.

 

[almost_there]

Your answer script will be checked for originality to ensure it is your own work, there is no evidence of plagiarism, and that there are no similarities to the work of other candidates. We reserve the right to carry out such checks during marking and after the release of results - as outlined in our Contingency Statement. Any potential case of inappropriate conduct will be investigated in line with our Assessment Regulations, and results will be withheld until such investigations are complete.

What a waste of money such an investigation would be, if that were done properly. Best to just cancel the exam.

How can you seriously punish someone for writing down a list with the same words as in the acted notes?! Proud actuary suggested use your own words. Why should you have to? What would that prove exactly? How many marks would you lose? Some people may remember it word for word, why should they lose marks? More importantly where has IFoA said anyone would lose marks for that.

Then where do you stand if IFoA have somehow determined your answers are too similar to what's in acted notes. Must you then try and defend yourself in some disciplinary process? Surely it's best not to bother with this exam sitting.

 

[almost_there]

I don't understand how they can say that people are expected not to use notes during the exam, yet say they will have to raise the grade boundaries when students use notes. Surely that just penalises those who don't use notes?

Exactly. Not fair at all. How would they even determine people have used notes they're not supposed to anyway? Impossible.