Hi, Is it just me or has anybody been in the frustrating situation when the 2 assessors tell you to do different things? I don't mean different ways to model/calculate the same thing, but 2 ways where one way is technically wrong. I've just sat CA2 and had the most horrible experience where I was trying to answer the first question and asked the assessor(#1) if I had got my starting point right, and she launched into telling me I was technically wrong and insisted I should be doing something else. She made it all sound really complicated and was convincing so I concluded I was being stupid and was clearly missing something (!) I spent some time trying to understand what she was trying to get at but gave up and did what she said. Then when I asked for someone to check again, I had the 2nd person (the staff actuary, #2) come around and she had a proper look at what I was doing and told me it was wrong, I was jumping too many steps ahead, and that what I was doing in the first place was right. Frustrated, I had to re-do everything and when I asked for someone to check again, I had the assessor (#1)come round to again tell me I was not doing the right thing and 'gave up' on me to the point of being patronising and saying 'look, this is the way it is, if you think about it. it just is'. At that point, I was flustered, confused and had no idea what it is I was meant to be doing after all. So I changed my model to do what she (#1) wanted me to. Then when the staff actuary (#2) came round, she again said I was right in the first place and what I did before was right and answered the question (!!!!!). At lunch I felt like walking out. I knew CA2 focusses on the audit trail and summary but I didn't even have a sensible base model yet because I wasted my whole morning being confused between differing advice. And I could not write an audit trail and summary when I didn't even have a base model to write about! What's the point of being told again and again to ask for help when the help I was given, if anything, was more of a hindrance? After lunch I went along with what #2 thought (what I had been doing at 10am originally). I tried finishing my model as fast as possible, but doing the model work, writing the audit trail and summary all in 3 hours was impossible and I barely started my summary before time ran out. I know for definite I have failed CA2. My question is, has anyone been in a similar situation before? If yes, has anybody provided any feedback/complained to the Institute? I don't mind sitting the 'exam' again. What is really really frustrating is I have waited 8 months to get on this course, and then this happens And don't mind rebooking it on my own account, but no dates are available until Jan/Feb. It is even more frustrating to think I can potentially qualify this year, but because of not getting CA2 out of the way this year, I may miss out on around £6k because my employer reviews salary every 6 months. DEPRESSING!!
My immediate question was why did you feel the need to check? You need to have faith in your own ability. After all, if it were a written exam you would only have your instincts to go on. So long as you can get to a conclusion and leave a good audit trail, finishing by presenting your findings well, that should get you a pass assuming you are not way off track in how what you've done. So next time, maybe check once if you are really unsure but then plough ahead otherwise you will put yourself under too much time pressure.
Yes I know, I do feel like kicking myself for having asked for guidance and wish I hadn't. But surely the point of CA2 is not to encourage people to be ignorant and stick with something they're not sure about just so they can write an audit trail and summary? I appreciate your comment that if it were a written exam, I would have acted differently. But CA2 is more practical and about explaining your work to different audiences. If asked to produce something at work, is it not better clarifying with your manager the questions asked and checking you're on the right track rather than produce some irrelevant piece of analysis and stick a summary under his nose and say 'These are my conclusions and this is what I've done.' when it's not what they wanted you to do to start with? Anyway, enough crying over spilt milk.
I agree in reality you would ask once or perhaps twice but the aim of the game is to pass and I'd keep office and exam seperate -- whatever exam you're doing!
Procrastinator, I found out recently that I passed CA2. The first two times, I got on with it and didn't ask if I was going in the right direction, so I got stuck in the afternoon and wasted a lot of time. The third time, I almost monopolised the guy for day 2. I passed. So I wouldn't feel too bad about asking him / her and it's probably better to make sure you're going in the right direction. I'm not saying that just asking lots made me pass, but it stopped me from wasting time with an incorrect spreadsheet. Also the third time, this made sure I had more time than my previous attempts for the summary and audit trail. Hope that helps and good luck.
Did you complain to the profession and ask for a refund? As what you describe sounds completely unacceptable.
