SA3 Sept '21 Marking 3(x) - Mileage-based-pricing

Discussion in 'SA3' started by Edwin Livesey, Jan 9, 2022.

  1. Edwin Livesey

    Edwin Livesey Member

    Hi all,

    I would like to understand why I did not get the marks I was expecting for this question.

    "Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a pricing approach where the premium varies directly based on the number of miles driven."

    My answer:
    I would consider all of these points to be true, relevant and not insignificant.

    I did consider that perhaps 5 & 6 unnecessarily relied on the assumption that pricing based on miles driven would mean that premiums would need to be paid monthly. However, the marking scheme makes the same assumption too, so clearly this is acceptable.

    [4] should read "properly captured". But aside from that, I don't understand why each of these points does not score marks.

    Can anyone help me?

    Marking scheme:
     
  2. Jammy

    Jammy Member

    Below are my thoughts:

    Advantages:
    - number of points is quite low
    - 2 & 3 seem more like fringe points, wouldn't make it to the most imp 10-15 ideas to discuss on this topic of "pricing approach"
    - 1 mark in total for advantages

    Disadvantages:
    - H (in marking scheme) seems quite important point to cover, but absent in your answer
    - J, K & L display practical thinking better than the disadvantages you have
    - How important is the point on credit risk? If 1 month's premium is not paid, would the cover pause next month until dues are received? If this is the case, this wouldn't be the most material issue, but still worth mentioning I reckon
    - I reckon you could be scored the full marks less 1 out of the total available marks on disadvantages. Less 1 to reflect missing out on H.
     
  3. Edwin Livesey

    Edwin Livesey Member

    Thanks Jammy for your response.

    I would argue that [3] is of significance, and that any regulator is likely to have a keen interest in insurers competing in the personal lines motor insurance market with such a simplified pricing approach. e.g.
    - in the UK, the FCA has intervened in the market with the Pricing Remedy
    - and have said that complex pricing techniques are unlikely to be consistent with their new Consumer Duty regulation
    - EC / EIOPA have proposals for regulating AI and there is a UK working party with this on the agenda
    A simplified approach to pricing where the premium varies directly based on the number of miles driven would appear to sit well with this aims of the regulator.

    In the UK, if a monthly premium is not paid, then I believe the insurer must give 7 days notice before cancelling the policy. But in practice, to avoid complaints / cancelling policies where the customer would catch up, the insurer will give some additional leeway. I think it's possible for there to exist exposure periods that have not been paid for - plus the administration required (e.g. MID submissions).

    For information, I was awarded 1 mark out of 6 for my answer. Given that [7] must surely pick up a mark as it is effectively , I'm reading that not a single other point was deemed worthy of a mark.
     
  4. Jammy

    Jammy Member

    Thanks Edwin.

    Noted on the other points. I fail to see any rationale for awarding 1 out of 6 marks for your solution. It leads me to believe that the only 1 point exactly on marking scheme has been marked, while rest not awarded as they were not present on the marking scheme.
    This approach to marking is only used for bookwork questions, as far as I understand. Would this one qualify as a bookwork question?
     
  5. Autodidactuary

    Autodidactuary Keen member

    Hi Edwin,

    Did both of your markers (including a third if it got to that stage) award you 1 out of 6?
     
  6. Edwin Livesey

    Edwin Livesey Member

    Hi Jammy,

    The General Comments section of examiner's report states: "Candidates who give well-reasoned points relevant to the specific question being asked, which are not in the marking schedule, are awarded marks for doing so." This would appear to cover all questions.

    However, at the bottom of most sections in the solutions there is often a comment such as "other relevant points [1]", which perhaps indicates marks are not to be awarded outside the marking scheme for question 3[x].
     
  7. Edwin Livesey

    Edwin Livesey Member

    Hi Autodidactuary,

    In total, marker 1 awarded 60, marker 2 awarded 69. The pass mark was 65, so it went for script review, which awarded 61.

    For 3(x), marker 1 awarded 1, marker 2 awarded 2 and script reviewer awarded 1.
     
    Autodidactuary likes this.

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