The course consists of: (1) ActEd notes (2) 2 textbooks (3) additional notes I am just wondering what role (2) and (3) play. Are they just to help understand (1)? Which materials are examinable? Is it entirely necessary to read (2) if they are just an understanding tool? thanks
Everything you've mentioned is core reading as far as I recall.. The ActEd notes are a summary of the textbooks but don't necessarily contain everything examinable from them. I spent most of my time on the ActEd notes when I sat ST9. I used the books and additional notes every so often but I think the ActEd notes are very good in this case. I didn't read the books cover to cover, but I was studying from July-September so I didn't have a whole lot of time to spend. I wouldn't say that is the best way to study, it's possible that I got lucky with the exam I sat..
The IFoA course comprises: 1) the syllabus 2) the Core Reading 3) specific sections of the two texts as detailed in the CR 4) two papers of additional reading 2, 3 and 4 are examinable. The ActEd notes include 1) the syllabus 2) all the CR (the bits in arial bold type) 4) included in the CMP, but easily downloaded from the Internet and a summary of 3) the textbooks The notes themselves are not examinable - they are designed to help you understand the material, summarise key points, provide illustrations and examples etc. They navigate through the CR in what is hopefully a sensible way. Many students rely heavily (even exclusively) on the ActEd notes. However we strongly encourage students to study the relevant sections of the textbooks.
Thanks for replies. I wish this whole area was more transparent. If sticking to the ActEd notes gives me a good chance of passing then i would probably stick to them. Studying ActEd notes for soo long (I have all the other exams) has probably conditioned me - i like how they are written. The way they are written is different. Even just starting reading through the textbooks the style is very different. Also the ActEd notes are (only!) a full folder - this is perfectly manageable especially after CA1. However throwing in 2 textbooks (of how much i need to refer to i am not sure) makes studying ST9 very daunting. This could triple the reading material - chapters can take weeks rather than days. For all my other exams i always rip through the notes to get a feel for the subject before actually studying it - that isn't really an option considering the volume including textbooks. Surely there should be some advice on different possible study techniques for this atypical exam??? thanks again for reading
Use the Acted course notes to learn, then towards the exam make sure you go through the core reading and textbooks. Examiners look at the textbooks and core reading when setting the exam. It may help to prepare for their exam by rehearsing the same things they look at when examining you. Looking at the acted course notes alone, you may miss what's important and directly examinable. Like i did and i got a question from a section i thought was just an Acted example when it was part of the summary of the books. But then again, if you rehearse all the course notes and never look at the books, you will pass with probably 1.
