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IFoA September exams - updated FAQs

J

Joe Hook

ActEd Tutor
Staff member
All,

Please see updated FAQs for the September exams issued by the institute on Friday: https://www.actuaries.org.uk/studying/exam-bookings/exam-dates-2020/exams-faqs.

In particular for CM1:

"Examiners have revised the format of September’s CS and CM ‘A Papers’ so that they can be completed using Word without the need for complex mathematical or specialist actuarial notation. Where sections require mathematical notation, a recommended notation sheet will be provided as a guide on standard keyboard symbols/notation that may be used in Word to present mathematical notation."

"The CM1A examination paper will contain a similar number and overall style of question to past papers."
 
This means we're now not expecting any multiple choice questions in Paper A. The FAQs page now contains a document containing guidance on how to type notation, so I recommend practising this in Word before exam day!
 
Lucy England said:
This means we're now not expecting any multiple choice questions in Paper A. The FAQs page now contains a document containing guidance on how to type notation, so I recommend practising this in Word before exam day!
Click to expand...
Good day. I have been practicing answering CM1 on word by inserting equation and symbols from the tools bar. I type way faster using insert equation function than using IFoA's notation guidelines. Noting that the list of guidelines isn't exhaustive, I'm not sure if using insert equation function is permitted. Anyone to help me clear my doubts?
 
The notation guidance says that sensible notation will be accepted and the Assessment Regulations (section 6 para 34) say that you're allowed to use any standard function available in Word (excluding Macros). This indicates that using the standard equation editor in Word is fine.
 
Lucy England said:
The notation guidance says that sensible notation will be accepted and the Assessment Regulations (section 6 para 34) say that you're allowed to use any standard function available in Word (excluding Macros). This indicates that using the standard equation editor in Word is fine.
Click to expand...
Thank you Lucy. Some students are claiming to have received communication from IFoA on banning of equation editor, I didn't receive the email though. Is there any difference between the standard equation function and equation editor? If there isn't then the information will be contradicting each other. I tried to contact the education team, they couldn't give me a clear answer but referred me to you.
 
I've been speaking to some other tutors about this and it appears that there's some confusion around this issue! It sounds as though the September 2020 exams are being written so that students can type up their answers "normally", ie without using any additional functions or add-ins within Word. I would say that using any external add-in that's not available as stanadard within Word is a bad idea, eg LaTeX or MathType would not be allowed. However, I'd thought that the equation editor was a standard thing in Word and so would fall under the "standard functions" referred to in the Assessment Regs - hence my previous response!

I think it boils down to the examiners being able to mark your script. If you're totally confident that someone with the most basic version of Word (with no add-ins) will be able to read what you've submitted, then you're probably OK. Personally, given the confusion, I would avoid using the equation editor. Typing your answers using the notation guidelines certainly seems to be the safest approach for now.

I'm a bit confused that the IFoA has referred you to ActEd - we don't write the rules and don't really get any info in excess of what's given to students. With that said, I'll report back here when/if I hear more!
 
Lucy England said:
The notation guidance says that sensible notation will be accepted and the Assessment Regulations (section 6 para 34) say that you're allowed to use any standard function available in Word (excluding Macros). This indicates that using the standard equation editor in Word is fine.
Click to expand...
There seems to be a difference in opinion on equation editor and insert equation. IFoA seem to be
Lucy England said:
Might be worth keeping an eye on this thread: https://www.acted.co.uk/forums/index.php?threads/sept-exam-cm1-and-cm2-microsoft-word.16676/

It's possible that the IFoA might say "no" to equation editor if they feel it gives some students an unfair advantage.
Click to expand...
Thank you.
 
Quite a lot of new info was added to the FAQs page yesterday. In particular, they've said more about the rules around plagiarism and using Excel to construct your answers in Paper A.
 
Hello

I've been reading the FAQ about Excel and I saw this:

"It should be noted however that any calculations have to be typed in full into your Word answer script to ensure you receive full marks. Calculations that are copied and pasted from Excel (or any other application) into your Word answer script will receive zero marks."

I was wondering whether they just mean that if you just copy and paste an answer to a calculation without workings you will get zero marks, which would be understandable, or is it saying that if you've done out a formula in Excel to do a calculation, you can't copy and paste from the formula bar, you have to type it out in Word i.e. literally no copying and pasting from Excel. That would seem counter intuitive because we've been told we can use Excel to build answers.

Apologies if I'm being too pedantic. The way I've been practicing involves a lot of copying from Excel to Word, but with workings. I'm just wondering whether I need to change my approach.

Thanks
 
I've spoken to some of the other tutors about this and our interpretation is that you can use Excel in place of a calculator, but you need to type the results into Word, as you would from a calculator screen. I expect that any calculations requiring lots of use of Excel will be saved for Paper B.

If you've been using Excel for your calculations, then I can't see a problem with, for example, working out the value of an annuity in Excel by typing "=(1-1.05^-10)/0.05" in the formula bar, then in your Word document having something like "a:<10> = (1-1.05^-10)/0.05" as a line of your workings, with the bit in red being exactly what you've typed into Excel to perform the calculation. What I wouldn't do is paste things from the formula bar with Excel formulae in, eg "=SUM(A2:A10)".

However, this is just the best advice I can give with the information currently available. Please do make sure you stay up to date with the latest advice! The IFoA is running webinars for students sitting the September exams on 10 and 17 September, so I expect there may be further clarifications coming out after these.
 
Lucy England said:
I've spoken to some of the other tutors about this and our interpretation is that you can use Excel in place of a calculator, but you need to type the results into Word, as you would from a calculator screen. I expect that any calculations requiring lots of use of Excel will be saved for Paper B.

If you've been using Excel for your calculations, then I can't see a problem with, for example, working out the value of an annuity in Excel by typing "=(1-1.05^-10)/0.05" in the formula bar, then in your Word document having something like "a:<10> = (1-1.05^-10)/0.05" as a line of your workings, with the bit in red being exactly what you've typed into Excel to perform the calculation. What I wouldn't do is paste things from the formula bar with Excel formulae in, eg "=SUM(A2:A10)".

However, this is just the best advice I can give with the information currently available. Please do make sure you stay up to date with the latest advice! The IFoA is running webinars for students sitting the September exams on 10 and 17 September, so I expect there may be further clarifications coming out after these.
Click to expand...

Hi Lucy

Thanks for your reply. The example with the annuity is pretty much exactly what I have been doing.

Thanks also for the tip about the webinars. I'll try and join those and ask the question to clarify.
 
Hi
I want to ask one thing that can we use in built function of calculate in word for the simple calculations in the quick access toolbar
So we can select the whole simple calculations and then and then click on the calculate button on the Quick access toolbar, so we gets our answer for that calculation.
We only have to select the calculations and then we will get our final answer. But it is only useful for the simple calculations not for the scientific one which includes the exponential and log functions
So please tell me that can we use that in built feature of word in our September 2020 Examination as soon as possible
Thank you
 
The Assessment Regulations say:

"Candidates are allowed to use any standard function available in Excel, Word and R but this excludes the use of Macros and the use of functions which are only available in versions of Microsoft Office released after 2010."​

So if the Calculate function is standard in Word, and it's available in all versions of Word from 2010 onwards, then it's fine to use.
 
Lucy England said:
The Assessment Regulations say:

"Candidates are allowed to use any standard function available in Excel, Word and R but this excludes the use of Macros and the use of functions which are only available in versions of Microsoft Office released after 2010."​

So if the Calculate function is standard in Word, and it's available in all versions of Word from 2010 onwards, then it's fine to use.
Click to expand...
Yes its there in microsoft word 2010 and there after all the versions of Microsoft. So thank you for your help. :):)
 
Also one thing I want to ask that will i be penalised if i mix typing using the equation editor and just normal writing using the notations given by your institute in word for September attempt 2020

Thank you
 
I don't think that would be a problem, provided what you've written up (either using equation editor or typing) is clear.
 
Hi,
I can't find a way to use Calculate in Word for Mac. Is it available? If so, could someone please advise on how I use it? If not (as I can't seem to find it), does that not mean it is not an allowed function to use?
I do not have access to a Windows machine to sit the exam on so worried that I might be losing some time compared to peers who might be sitting exam on a Windows machine! I know in the grand scheme of things, this isn't significant time, but with typing instead of writing I am finding past papers take a lot longer so am worried!
 
I'd have thought you'd still be able to use the calculate function on a Mac. It's not immediately obvious how to use it - I had to look it up a couple of days ago when it was first mentioned here! I found a website that tells you how to set it up.
 
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