CP3 Word count changes

Hi all, I just received an email from online_exams@actuaries.org.uk regarding to the below:

"CP3 Word count changes

We would also like to make you aware that the exam word count marking is changing. Marks are no longer awarded based on the number of words you use.

The question paper will give a suggested word count but no marks will specifically be allocated for it. You are advised to keep your answers as close to the suggested word count as possible to maximise your opportunity to be awarded marks for content and relevancy. A short answer may miss out on key points and marks cannot therefore not awarded. A long answer may cover too many irrelevant points and marks are not awarded for these. "

Please would someone be able to clarify? I am not clear regarding to the 5 marks on word count.

Please if there is no more mark on word count, how would the marks be redistributed to other areas?

Previously we have 5 marks on length (word count), 5 on objectives, 20 on languages, 20 on format and 40 marks on content for question 1.

For the Sep 18 sit (this Friday), would there still be 5 marks on length, based on missing out key points or too many irrelevant points? Or will the 5 marks be combined with other areas of the marking schedule?

Is there a new marking schedule please? thank you!

 

I don't think there's a new schedule as they just released this now. They have probably redistributed the 5 marks. Quite annoying I think!

 

It's very bad form sending that out this late, I can only assume it's to stop people getting 5% for free as that's what it was basically - you could have written anything and as long as it was within the word count you got 5%. As to where the 5% is going to go - that's anyone's guess. However I think they will end up getting a lot of emails on this, and will probably just have to give everyone 5% to compensate as it's in all the previous marking schedules and sample papers.

 

I feel bad for those who previously failed CA3/CP3 exam by a mark or two, having lost marks in this category that is now redundant.

 

Why? that has nothing to do with the topic, what happened to someone in the past is irrelevant.

Secondly anyone who sat this exam in the past basically got 5% for free for staying within in the word count, so failing by a mark or two would be, after getting 5% for free.

I don't know why you constantly get involved in these threads, given that you have already passed the exam, I rarely if ever see you helping out people who have questions on subjects you have passed - instead you always give out and tell people to PM you or complain to the institute.

 

No it's very relevant as shows it was never a genuine competence standard being tested.

 

So by your logic anyone that passed the exam within 5 marks, should feel very lucky as they should not have passed as they were given free marks?

Like I said, everyone knew before that if you wrote between x and y words that you got 5 marks, if anyone failed the exam because they didn't write enough words to get the free marks, that maybe they deserved to fail for failing to pick up free marks.

 

I don't think so, it was not a credible competence standard previously and now that the category has been removed this rather proves the point. I don't see why people qualifying between 20xx and 2017 had to demonstrate this competency but now no longer have to. These are the kind of questions that need to be put to IFoA.

 

Thanks for posting this here Black_bird ! Otherwise I would have never known of this as they never sent me any email ! I'm now worried if there are other CP3 emails that were not sent to me.

The only two emails I have received so far were the link to the online CP3 web platform & a reminder for equipment check. Did anyone here receive any other emails recently regarding CP3 exam? Please let me know!

 

A bit late in the day - but rising above that I don't think it really changes anything.
Before we needed to ensure we stay within the word count to avoid losing 5 marks.
Now the advice is to still stay close to the word count to avoid losing marks for relevance or content.
So a similar penalty probably exists, just more implicitly than explicitly.

So don't over-think or worry about it , just do what you were planning all along.

 

I think this is a bit of a joke to be honest.

Firstly - it is very unprofessional and unfair of them to change the mark scheme 2 days before an exam. Whatever the change is, that is not okay. People have practiced with past papers and mark schemes and to do that is ridiculous. We all have high stress jobs and revising at the same time is not easy, so a move like this is bad for people's mental health.

Secondly - to take the easiest 5 marks away from people is again unfair. People are rightly saying that these marks are kind of pointless in this exam but to take them out with no warning makes it that much harder for everyone, depending on how they allocate the missing 5 marks.

Thirdly - there has been no communication as to how this will affect the mark scheme. Will it be marked out of 95, with the pass mark 5 marks lower? Will those 5 marks be allocated to other areas of the mark scheme? Will they be allocated to a new area of the mark scheme? It is all ironic in the extreme when this is a Communications exam. It shows quite categorically how little this exam teaches anyone anything, given that those who administer it can't even get their act together enough to communicate why and how a change has happened.

 

I'm not saying that I like the way they are implementing this, I don't. But your goal is to pass the exam and the big picture is that all the work you have put in is still valuable and relevant and so stay positive.

They always say they wish to maintain standards, and so they may even change the pass mark which isn't set in stone.

One thing not in their favour is the unusually high pass rate last time. If it falls significantly everyone is going to blame this change. Perhaps if we raise this now, it's less likely to happen.

 

It is a joke! Changing the marking scheme 2 days before the exam and not ensuring that all those taking the CP3 exam are "communicated" about it is definitely a joke! And to say that this is a Communications exam...

 

Thanks for posting. I just read this minutes before the actual CP3 exam. And it makes me think the following:

- why is there change of rules just before an exam as opposed to when the exam syllabus and materials are issued for preparation.
- I didn't get this communication or missed it somehow.
- Some students would have known and some wouldn't. This leads to some problems. People who have known could explain things a little bit better without being penalised for exceeding the word count!

 

I found it more do-able within the time allocated than CA2, which was for me under extreme time pressure. I would in any realistic conditions (i.e. working at an insurance company) not have produced such bad "audit trail" and "summary report".

 

The paper was doable. Though I could hardly log into the online platform at both the start and beginning ...

 

I will be complaining to the institute about the technology though and would suggest everyone do the same. I don't understand how it is this difficult to do. There are maybe a few hundred people max doing this exam and they can't get a server which handles that. With all the money that we pay for exams they need to seriously look into this as it causes unbelievable amounts of stress. I didn't get a paper till about quarter past and couldn't upload it at the end. I have had no email confirming they have my paper either after I emailed it to them.

My friend is an accountant and they have thousands of people doing their exams online with no issues whatsoever.

 

The email that started this thread (I think) said they’d send an email at 1010 if the servers were down.

I emailed them just after to say I still couldn’t log on and hadn’t received an email....and still never got sent anything. Fortunately I was able to log on a few mins later.

They said that I had 3 hours from receipt of the paper, so once I had it I knew I had until 1315, bit why not just send the email out so that everyone can crack on?

Submitting my work was fine though.

Re the word count....you just have to deal with it. At one point today I didn’t think I was going to get to 500 words and ended up with 849!

 

My paper was also delayed, managed to log into the website at around quarter past 10...I was expecting an email at that stage and an extension to the exam time but neither was offered so I just submitted my script at 13:00 just to be safe. I don't know but it's a bit unfair of them I think those first 15 minutes are actually quite valuable and I felt a bit disappointed by the lack of communication. Was anyone else in the same boat?

 

Sorry to ask about this, but what is it like to sit for the computer-based iFoA exam? I am likely to have to sit for CS2 or CM2 in April 2019, is it that for the online component, I can go to any computer lab within NTU and simply do the exam there normally? Or are there restrictions about doing that? Also with regard to exam timing, if it says 10am on the exam schedule does it mean that said paper would start at 5pm in Singapore?