Should I take ST9? Some FAQs

Should I take ST9?

Many students are considering whether or not to take ST9. Here are some frequently asked questions and other thoughts to help you decide.

What resources are available?

ActEd have designed a course based around the three set textbooks intended to guide students through the textbooks, summarise the main points and provide a wide range of questions.

As for other subjects, there are a complete set of Course Notes, Q&A Bank and Series X Assignments. In due course there will also be a Mock Exam. Currently there are no other ActEd products available for ST9.

There are no past papers for ST9. There is only a specimen paper available from the Profession.

For those willing to do the research, there are lots of resources available online and plenty of other ERM books to read.

Is ST9 more or less work than other subjects?

The Profession designs the syllabuses for the ST subjects to be broadly comparable in terms of breadth and depth required. Therefore, we expect the work required for ST9 to be at least as much as for any other ST subject (although bear in mind that across the three text books, there’s certainly a lot to read).

How much maths is there?

Approximately one-third of the course contains a significant element of maths. The topics build on some of those introduced in Subjects CT3, CT6 and CT8. Some of the material overlaps with material in Subjects ST6 and SA3.

You need to be comfortable with studying applied mathematics. Topics covered include copulas, time-series, extreme value theory and complex probability distributions.

Does ST9 help my career prospects?

Only you can decide this. It depends on where you want to go.

Taking ST9 may be a sound second choice alongside a more specialised ST subject. What you learn in ST9 can be applied in any area of work.

Alternatively, you may want to take ST9 if you plan to follow a more generalist route or plan to work in risk management in future. If your ambition is to be a CRO, then ST9 is a good choice.

Will I get any other qualification?

It is expected (but not yet confirmed) that passing ST9 – in conjunction with the majority of the CTs and CAs – will lead to you gaining the globally recognised CERA qualification. This may be of interest to you if you wish to work in risk management in the future (or simply like collecting qualifications!).

Where can I find out more?

http://www.actuaries.org.uk/erm/topics/ST9_erm