X Assignments / Exam Questions

I have been working my way through this course, including all Q&A Bank questions and X Assignments up to X7 to date.

I'm attending one of the tutorials, where one of the techniques taught for answering exam questions is highlighting key words in the the question to come up with relevant points. This has been a very helpful technique in generating points to make.

What I've found with some of the questions asked (and I guess some of these are modelled on past exam questions) is that some of the time I come up with some of the same answers in the marking schedule, but other times I come up with other, I think perfectly reasonable points, which don't appear in the marking scheme at all. This seems to occur particularly in the longer questions where you need to think of ideas yourself rather than use much, if any, of the core reading.

Other questions, which obviously want you regurgitate a particular core reading list can occasionally be ambiguously worded so that even if you knew the core reading off by heart, you still might not think of writing down the "right" list.

I am not criticising the assignments / Q&A Bank as know they are only a reflection of what can be expected in the exam questions themselves, but just want to know:

1. Has anyone got any tips for dealing with such questions as to how you can maximise the matching between your answers and those on the markscheme? Another contributer elsewhere in this discussion forum has already suggested that it's the number of points you make that's important rather than the writing style, but if my points which are not on the markscheme are getting little credit, it would seem something of a lottery.

2. Has anyone who does the X assignments and got them marked discovered if they get credit for other relevant points, particularly when they've perhaps only briefly touched on any of the points in the markscheme.

3. Any additional tips from those that have passed this subject?

 

I too have been working through the Q&A Bank and the Assignments. I've also been sending off my assignments to be marked.

With regards to your 2nd question, what I've found is that the way my assignment is marked depends on the marker who marks it. Some markers are quite nice and have given me credit for valid points I've made which aren't on the mark scheme, or even if I've stated a point but not expanded on it. However I've also had a marker who's marked about 3 of the 6 assignments I've done, who's very very strict on the marking, and sometimes I've found that I haven't been given any marks at all for points I've made in an answer, which I've picked up on a tutorial, because these points weren't in the mark scheme. And I still haven't managed to get full marks from this marker on a single question, even when it's as simple as listing core reading stuff (which I've listed to the letter and still didn't manage to get the marks!!) And I'm not the only one who's experienced this - a friend of mine has experienced the same marker...

I presume we should be given marks for reasonable points made - at least that's what they tell us at tutorials! The one consolation is that someone who's taken lots of institute exams has told me that the markers of the exam aren't the same as the ActEd markers, so maybe there won't be such a huge difference in marking standards...

 

My understanding is that it depends a little on the exam you're sitting.

For example, if you're sitting an ST exam, the examiners will have a fair idea of what it is they're after (the important points). Once they've marked a sample of scripts, and guinea-pigged the exam, and updated their schedule accordingly, the chance of you coming up with something important that nobody else has thought of is pretty small; but if you do, I would hope that they would give you credit - so perhaps the scope for these 'bonus marks' is there but it's small. I would guess that for CT exams there is less scope for bonus marks, and for SA exams there must be much more. Thankfully, I've heard that actual exam scripts are at least double-marked to remove any inconsistencies between markers.

 

Maybe in the real exam, you'll be marked by a really strict examiner and then double marked by an even stricter marker!

Oh no! I hope this doesn't happen to me


To answer the original question, I think you can get marks for valid points, however, if you are making more than 2 or 3 valid points not on the marking scheme it is more likely you are mis-interpreting the question - that's what I've found with myself.

For one of my assignments (X2) I got a mark of 28% . My best mark so far is 56% (X3).

Will get X4 and X5 back any day now.

12 weeks to go and I have only just finished part 6 (includes Q&A + Assignments).

I think my problem is that I need to finish sooner. The solution to this problem is that I must work harder. But I will need to track my progress at all times. It is also important that I consider the likely questions in the exam in light of the current actuarial climate/environment. As a professional, I will also make sure my written answers are pitched at an appropriate level for the exam marker to comprehend.

 

Thanks for all your comments.

It would seem that there is room for more consistency between X Assignment markers.

It's also good to know that exam papers are double marked, something I only discovered in the last year or so. At least you know that, when you get your FA, all your points have been taken into account.