Institute FAIL (FD)

I really need to get this off my chest, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. We've just received our CA3 results and mine was a fail - 53% to be sure, when what I needed was 60%.

Anyway, that's not the issue. The issue stems from the fact that the VERY day we receive our results, I'm not only unable to book my next CA3 exam for the November sitting because it is fully allocated, but I'm also simply unable to book this exam PE-RI-OD. This is completely, utterly at odds with how the other exams can be taken twice a year. I mean, up to 1000 students can write two, 3-hour CA1 exams twice a year, and this exam is not even online.

And here's the thing. This exam was changed to an online format presumably to cater for the increasing demand. And what's worse, it actually appears to have taken a step back from when the exams were not conducted online because I'm almost sure you could write this exam twice a year back then.

But apart from the fact that it's at complete odds with how the other exams can be taken twice a year, it's incomprehensible how one subject (which, let's face it, is not going to drastically improve your actuarial skill) is now going to prevent many would-be, qualified actuaries from qualifying, and doing so for roughly, oh, I don't know, a year??? Staggering. And that terrible truth is compounded by the fact that you can't write CA3 until you have passed CA1.

But wait. Because that's not even the end of this anger. I sent an email to the institute asking whether this was indeed the case. I mean, surely there must be a mistake online. Surely other slots are going to open. Surely you can at least empathise with my utter disbelief as I painstakingly lay out all the points I made above? Well, folks, turns out that someone at the institute needs to take the CA3 exam because this is what I got:

"Dear [name]

Thank you for your email.


The CA3 exam session in November is fully booked.

Please keep checking the website and/or Twitter page for further information on the release of more CA3 exam dates


Kind Regards

[name]"

I mean, really. That's ALL you have to say? How is this okay? Unless it's just that you're tired of being bombarded by emails like the one I've sent - in which case, case rested.

 

ccc84, I'm really sorry about the results. Having failed thrice, I know how it feels to be in this position.
If it is of any help, the Institute has added a couple of spaces in the August Session to help people who have only CA3 left to qualify. If you're in this position, please call the Education Services Team asap.

 

I am having the same issue with regards to CA2. I raised the question with the institute as to why, particularly as it is a session based exam, other candidates are able to book the exam before the results of the most recent session has been released. I also got a unhelpful response from the institute.

Are there any student reps or tutors reading these forums able to raise this with the institute?

Right now I feel like I'm being ignored and held hostage by the institute who is preventing me from progressing at work

 

I feel your anger, ccc84. It is so ironic that the above reply you received from our institute is "acceptable" for addressing your concern, considering what we are required to produce under Communication exam. Yes, the staffs at the institute may not be actuaries, but still an embarrassment really on service quality...

 

It's also rather odd that the November session has CA3 slots at the beginning of the month, which is hardly a month after the written exams end Sept / start Oct, when acted marking expect you to submit all 5 assignments and mock paper by 2 weeks before the exam. Given the (quite reasonable) few days turnaround to get back marked scripts before you try the next one then it's just not possible to achieve that in 2 weeks. Therefore I don't understand why there are not more dates end of November for this exam instead? Obviously the later dates were all taken up first.

 

I am not aware of there being anywhere, which leaves everyone complaining by themselves to the Institute. There really should be somewhere where complaints can be properly lodged. These exams are not cheap & people reasonably expect high standards.

 

Write directly to the Profession. All contacts are on the web. Or call them and ask who is the best person to write concerns to. As already said, there are student body reps use them.