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Pass range for Fellowship Exams (SA's)

I

Imidinho

Member
Hi Tutors/On-line colleagues

Is there any indication of what the pass range eg. 55% to 60%, for the SA level exams are?

Thanks in advance.
 
The highly secretive IFoA won't say. Must wonder why all this secrecy is at play...
 
I've seen many, many very bright and hard-working people who've failed these SA exams over and over again.

They've studied to the point of having no social life or hobbies, with knowledge bursting out of their ears & work with this stuff on a day to day basis.

They put all they know down in 3 hours in a very structured way as advised by tutors and the IFoA yet the highly secretive IFoA don't allow them to pass.

These people are no mugs or strangers to exam technique since they've had a first time pass experience up to SA level.

They've paid the huge fees for exam counselling only to be told "you could have said this, you could have said that". Couldn't we all, folks? I bet those who passed could have said this and that too. Somehow they got to pass.

As gullible human beings we prefer not to think for ourselves but pretend that we are of course smarter than those the secretive IFoA persistently fail. And so it continues.
 
Finally, the IFoA will pull a line where it suits THEM. There is no pre-determined pass mark. It's not like they have a standard where you have to score 60% on their papers to be considered worthy of being called an Actuary. Therefore, must wonder what the qualification actually represents.

I do pity the tutors who always get asked this very reasonable question on pass marks, who then have to mumble some random number between 55 and 70% to fob off the students.
 
mpyan1 said:
I do pity the tutors who always get asked this very reasonable question on pass marks, who then have to mumble some random number between 55 and 70% to fob off the students.
Click to expand...

No we just say it's not public knowledge. ;)
 
The IFoA aren't as 'highly secretive' as you suggest here, Mpyan1.

Although they don't (yet) reveal the pass mark for an individual paper, they've often said in the past (publically), that 40% wouldn't be unreasonable for an SA paper. However, they've also said (publically) that they have been (and are continuing to do so) try to boost the pass marks up, as they are considering publishing the pass marks at some stage in the future. Last I heard, though, there was still no definite decision on this. Watch this space....

Edit: just found this (old) article: http://www.theactuary.com/archive/old-articles/part-5/richard-muckart-q-26a-3A-making-the-grade/
which suggests that 50% would "ensure a pass". So based on this, bearing in mind that for a relatively easy paper the pass mark would increase anyway, 40% doesn't seem unreasonable (subject to my comment above about boosting pass marks).
 
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Ian Senator said:
However, they've also said (publically) that they have been (and are continuing to do so) try to boost the pass marks up, as they are considering publishing the pass marks at some stage in the future. Last I heard, though, there was still no definite decision on this. Watch this space....
Click to expand...

That's as useful and trustworthy as a politician's promise. It's not gonna happen. They ARE secretive. Other professions reveal pass marks and/or how they are determined but the IFoA never have.
 
Ian Senator said:
which suggests that 50% would "ensure a pass". So based on this, bearing in mind that for a relatively easy paper the pass mark would increase anyway, 40% doesn't seem unreasonable (subject to my comment above about boosting pass marks).
Click to expand...

So all those people I know of who had 10-15 years work experience and sat these SA and communication exams several times, spewing all their knowledge in the structure advised in the 3 hour slot couldn't get 40-50% on such a paper? You really believe that?
 
Ian Senator said:
However, they've also said (publically) that they have been (and are continuing to do so) try to boost the pass marks up
Click to expand...

Go back in the history of this profession and you will find high fail rates in decades gone by. Back then also they vowed to improve things to get more people to pass. Nothing has really changed, high fail and dropout rates persist. Their promises are like politicians promises. Looks like they quite like loads of people failing and having to resit... kerching!
 
mpyan1 said:
So all those people I know of who had 10-15 years work experience and sat these SA and communication exams several times, spewing all their knowledge in the structure advised in the 3 hour slot couldn't get 40-50% on such a paper? You really believe that?
Click to expand...

I'm afraid it's true. I've been part of the examining process for SA3 for many many years and unfortunately most scripts fall below that score.
 
That's not a question I can answer of course, it's a question for the Profession.

However, I was at a conference held by the Profession some years ago, and somebody in the audience did ask why the marking schedules weren't published. The answer was along the lines of not giving the impression that there was only one correct way of answering a question, if I remember correctly.
 
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