Passing the exams of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) or the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) is essential to attaining an internship or an entry level actuarial position. We recommend that students have at least one exam passed by the fall of their junior year and at least two exams passed by the fall of their senior year. Our most competitive students have 1 or 2 exams passed when looking for internships and 3 exams passed when looking for full-time jobs. In addition to professional examination success, employers require students to have good grades and the ability to communicate to varied audiences.
Detailed official information on certification and exams is available from the SOA and CAS websites. See the links in the sidebar for information on UT classes to prepare for the preliminary exams and attain Validation by Educational Experience (VEE) credit.
The exams are quite challenging and students typically must prepare for 300 hours to master the material well enough to pass. Students completing exams demonstrate to employers that they are intelligent and can work hard.
Will you pass actuarial exams? We will see - it is up to your effort.