Hi people I'd be extremely grateful if someone could offer me some insight into the following two questions. Typically, how much of the exam comes from further reading? Also, roughly what proportion of these further reading marks would come from the recommended further reading lists? Thanks
There's no "typical" in this exam! It seems quite volatile. In some exams, further reading will barely help you at all. In others, I've seen up to, say, 20% of the material coming from further reading sources. But the examiners clearly favour students who show they have read around the subject, as they have mentioned it in the Examiners' Reports on more than one occassion. So far, not very much! But the recommended further reading list is vast, as it includes all GIRO papers (just a generic reference to them). Good luck.
Another Question on Further Reading In preparation for April's SA3 exam, I am beginning to read relevant papers, but am worried that I am just reading them and not taking anything in. I am also unsure how we are supposed to use the information from the papers in exam questions when answering. Can someone advise me on how much detail I should be remembering from papers, and how to show I know it in the exam?
You shouldn't memorise the material in the further reading. You haven't got time! Don't worry about feeling that you're not taking it all in. It's bound to feel like that as you haven't got a specific syllabus objective in mind when you're reading. Sometimes what you read will give you a big advantage in answering an exam question. For example, in 2000 there were questions on ART that weren't (at the time) covered in the Core Reading. The solution was based on material from some background reading (in that example, it was a Sigma report). Other times, you may just use your background reading knowledge to add strength to an answer by giving specific examples of topical events. Look in recent Examiners' Reports and you'll see things mentioned (and it really is just a mention) like Spitzer, or Berquist Sherman. Not covered by the Core Reading, but just gleaned from general background reading. And even if you don't use the background reading explicitly in any of your answers, simply reading around generally will boost your knowledge on what's important in the GI world at the moment, and what actuaries are currently thinking about. This should allow you to realise what's important when answering questions and perhaps take your answer in the right direction. Hope this helps with your studies! Ian
