View Full Version : Who's in?
Cauchemar
05-09-2007, 02:55 PM
All right, I'll start it off I guess... though I don't want to think too much about this with CSP looming!
I was thinking about starting around July 1. Thoughts?
The first FSA module is supposed to be released around there, too, so that might make things a bit trickier.
bluekayaker
05-09-2007, 03:44 PM
I'm in... for DP-Part A-Canada. Starting in June sometime....
Don't have to do the FSA modules as I have course 6.
When/where do we get study notes?
Kenny
05-09-2007, 04:59 PM
I haven't made up my mind yet, it will probably depend in part on my C7 results.
When/where do we get study notes?
This is my question also. Nothing is listed at the Actuarial Bookstore yet. I assume the Edge will have something, particiularly since my first glance says there is quite a bit of overlap with 8.
I would really like to see a study guide with a suggested study schedule to get a better idea of what it might really take to tackle this thing.
Bill Gates
05-09-2007, 05:20 PM
Im in.
DP-Part A-Canada.
Starting June 1.
bluekayaker
05-09-2007, 08:29 PM
I haven't made up my mind yet, it will probably depend in part on my C7 results.
This is my question also. Nothing is listed at the Actuarial Bookstore yet. I assume the Edge will have something, particiularly since my first glance says there is quite a bit of overlap with 8.
I would really like to see a study guide with a suggested study schedule to get a better idea of what it might really take to tackle this thing.
I had been wondering about both study manuals (i.e. Edge) and also the study notes as listed on the syllabus. Do we buy them from the SOA? I'm usually using hand-me-downs in my office so setting myself up is new.
Cauchemar
05-09-2007, 09:31 PM
I had been wondering about both study manuals (i.e. Edge) and also the study notes as listed on the syllabus. Do we buy them from the SOA? I'm usually using hand-me-downs in my office so setting myself up is new.
You do buy the study notes from the SOA. If CSP is to teach any lessons... the study notes arrived in 2 separate sets of shipments. I wish I could remember the timing for sure, but I do remember that the 2nd set of study notes came out way later than I would have preferred... like sometime in March. Even the first shipment of SOA study notes wasn't sent out until end of January/February I believe. Maybe some of the other CSPers can help me out with those dates.
I've been using the Edge stuff for CSP. I think that they did a pretty good job. I'll let you know for sure in about 8 weeks or so... :)
Kenny
05-09-2007, 10:08 PM
You do buy the study notes from the SOA. If CSP is to teach any lessons... the study notes arrived in 2 separate sets of shipments. I wish I could remember the timing for sure, but I do remember that the 2nd set of study notes came out way later than I would have preferred... like sometime in March. Even the first shipment of SOA study notes wasn't sent out until end of January/February I believe. Maybe some of the other CSPers can help me out with those dates.
I've been using the Edge stuff for CSP. I think that they did a pretty good job. I'll let you know for sure in about 8 weeks or so... :)
The study notes are ordered from the SOA. The delay for CSP was an unusual occurence, most likely due to the transition and the material not actually being ready when they should have been.Here (http://www.soa.org/files/pdf/Spring2007OrderForm2.pdf) is a link to the Spring 2007 order form. I would assume an updated order form will be published when the rest of the Fall Catalog is released. Just wait for the Study Note Information link on this (http://www.soa.org/education/course-catalog/fall-exam-session/2007/edu-fall07-cat-detail.aspx) page to become active.
There is still plenty of material that can be used to get started. The books are probably available via Amazon or B&N and the actuarial specific bookstores will probably update their websites relatively soon. If I'm not mistaken there were also several links to readings available online.
I'm in... and already dreading exam day. Not looking forward to writing 8R in the AM and 8P in the PM, but it will be nice to get both over with in one day.
Has anyone looked at the syllabus? No accounting, eh? And it looks like a fair number of new course readings. It seems like this is not exactly a Course 8 "equivalent". I get the feeling that the Course 8 material is being divided and expanded upon via CSP and DP...
I also think the Edge was fine for CSP, and will use the same for DP. According to the Actuarial Bookstore, the segment A manual will be available June 29th, with the segment B manual coming out a couple of weeks later.
Is anyone doing the US exam?
bluekayaker
05-16-2007, 09:07 PM
Canada for me...
benjamce
05-16-2007, 09:23 PM
Is anyone doing the US exam?
I am ... anyone like Actex for Course 8 or is Edge the way to go?
Cauchemar
05-17-2007, 08:26 AM
Is anyone doing the US exam?
Yes, I am. I should have mentioned that in the first place....
Tally McT
05-17-2007, 09:07 PM
US Here...At least the books seem to be the same as CSP.
well I am in the Caribbean so it shouldnt matter to me which one to do but i figure that doing the US would be more beneficial if one day i decide i want to work there (instead of doing Ca and then still having to do the EAs to work there) - i just heard that the EAs are a painand doing them adds an extra year to my journey to fellowship - any advice?
Kenny
05-21-2007, 09:23 AM
well I am in the Caribbean so it shouldnt matter to me which one to do but i figure that doing the US would be more beneficial if one day i decide i want to work there (instead of doing Ca and then still having to do the EAs to work there) - i just heard that the EAs are a painand doing them adds an extra year to my journey to fellowship - any advice?
The EA exams will do you no good if you don't ever work in the US. I doubt not having them would be a big barrier to entry, depending on your level when you try to make a transition (I would look at the pension job listings forum and/or talk to Claude to get a better idea).
My opinion is you can always get the designation later if you need it. Plus there is an experience requirement, the regs do not specifically require US experience but I do not know how the JBEA feels about 100% non-US experience.
Has anyone taken a close look at the syllabus yet? I started looking at it today, and guesstimate that there's about 2000 pages of material, with lots of 8R/CSP overlap. It looks like I've already seen about half of the material, which is comforting. Perhaps my many attempts at course 8 will actually come in handy...
bluekayaker
06-20-2007, 10:09 AM
I've been putting together a study schedule. I'm adding up all the pages of reading so I know how to pace myself. Right now I'm at 1220 unique pages (you'll notice certain learning outcomes repeat certain readings so I've only counted those once). I have not received my SOA study notes yet so those are all blank, but I'm sure will bring my page count up to 2000. Anyone know the total study note page count?
My 1220 is for the Canadian Part A, and includes the online readings, by the way.
bluekayaker - looks like we are doing the same thing. I also went through the text readings and on-line readings and came up with just over 1200 pages. I figure the study notes will add a good 800-900 pages. I'm thinking of digging out my 8R study notes from last year to get a better sense of the number of pages. (There's quite a few 8R study notes on DP.)
In checking out the other DP forums, it seems like some of the other streams are already knee-deep in studying. Perhaps the pension exam is a little smaller, but I'd still like to get going soon. Now if only I could convince my brain that it wants to read this sh!t again...
bluekayaker
06-21-2007, 09:29 AM
Newf, I hear ya. Glad you're participating in this thread as there's way less action going on here than the other DP tracks! I already have 8P so thankfully I'm only writing the Part A exam. I've never written a Course 8 exam before (aside from 8P) so I'm quite nervous. I haven't started studying yet... just organizing :) I keep procrasinating til I have all my study materials!!
Glad you're participating in this thread as there's way less action going on here than the other DP tracks!
I know! Where is everybody? The same thing happened in the CSP-Retirement discussion forum in the spring - you could hear crickets chirping over there. I get the feeling that there just aren't that many people on the pension track these days.
Oh, and I too am only in organization mode. Hoping to get the EDGE stuff in the next week or two. My plan is to be in full-fledged study mode by the first or second week of July. We shall see how that goes... so sunny outside... so much fun stuff to do...
Oh, one other thing - on the syllabus, some of the study notes are listed as "formerly" some numerical reference that is totally unfamiliar to me. For example, study note R-D105-07 is listed as "formerly 567-46-97". Does anyone know what this means? I feel like I must be missing something obvious... wouldn't be the first time...
Cauchemar
06-27-2007, 08:20 AM
Oh, one other thing - on the syllabus, some of the study notes are listed as "formerly" some numerical reference that is totally unfamiliar to me. For example, study note R-D105-07 is listed as "formerly 567-46-97". Does anyone know what this means? I feel like I must be missing something obvious... wouldn't be the first time...
Just a guess, but I'm assuming that's what the study note was called for some other exam... so they're trying to help you out in case you have it for something else. I'm sure someone else more knowledgeable about that can chime in.
My personal July 1 deadline for beginning is looming large. I also am not looking forward to diving back in. Hopefully those of us that took CSP can get a shot in the arm on July 20.
2000 pages... ugh. How much overlap would you say there is with CSP?
bluekayaker
06-27-2007, 01:10 PM
I just got my SOA study notes. The pack looks like it's about 500 pages, maybe more, double sided. That's on top of the 1220 pages I counted for all other readings. Yeouch!
Cauchemar
07-12-2007, 09:02 AM
2000 pages... ugh. How much overlap would you say there is with CSP?
I guess I'll answer my own question. I'd say that there is definetely some overlap with CSP. That makes some of our lives a little easier. I was literally reading parts of the material from learning outcome 1 and remembering the exact Edge notecard from CSP that the reading related to. Also, all the ASOPs were on CSP as well, so I've already studied those.
I must say, though, I got the Edge DP study materials the other day, and I feel really really sorry for the Canadian folks. I removed the Canadian only notecards from the pile and it was like 2/3 of them! Not to mention that doesn't even include the ones that are in "Segment B."
qwyjiboChu
07-15-2007, 11:49 AM
yeah but the Canadian folks don't have a pair of enrollment exams to deal with, so I think they'll live... ;)
vshchen
08-21-2007, 06:00 AM
I am in Retirement-US! I just started studying, and I know it's very late now. I plan to take DP and EA-2A. Do you think it's possible?
tricky
08-22-2007, 09:23 AM
yeah but the Canadian folks don't have a pair of enrollment exams to deal with, so I think they'll live... ;)
Yeah but we Canadians also have to write Part B of the exam and the PEC as well so that pretty much evens out the two EA exams. :) I just started studying too and am feeling a little overwhelmed. I might have to rely on the Edge study manuals instead of doing all of those readings. Anyone going to the Edge Seminar?
tricky
08-22-2007, 09:27 AM
I am in Retirement-US! I just started studying, and I know it's very late now. I plan to take DP and EA-2A. Do you think it's possible?
I don't know much about the EA exams since I'm Canadian but if it's anything like the 8P exams then it would be possible. A lot of my colleagues wrote 8RC and 8P last sitting and passed. I guess it depends on how familiar you are with the material.
qwyjiboChu
08-22-2007, 10:07 AM
I'll be at the Edge seminar. Who else is going?
bluekayaker
08-22-2007, 12:16 PM
tricky, what's your approach going to be for studying for the Canadian Part A? I'm doing all the readings once over (done in a few weeks). I'm understanding and following it as I read it but forgetting the details. I'll probably switch to Edge once I'm done the readings. Is anyone going to practice with old course 8 exams?
tricky
08-22-2007, 11:34 PM
tricky, what's your approach going to be for studying for the Canadian Part A? I'm doing all the readings once over (done in a few weeks). I'm understanding and following it as I read it but forgetting the details. I'll probably switch to Edge once I'm done the readings. Is anyone going to practice with old course 8 exams?
I've read the Edge summary and am trying to get as much reading for the sections that I'm a little unclear about (unfortunately it's more than I'd like to admit.) For now it's mainly reading and trying to get the general idea of everything. I'm going to the Edge seminar and hope it'll help. After the seminar, it'll be memorizing time and doing questions - planning on doing some old course 8 questions along with the Edge ones but it's tough to figure out which are relavant. I know that for CSP, the Edge guys gave a breakdown of which old course 8 exams to do. Let's hope that they can do that again for DP. What's your plan?
bluekayaker
08-23-2007, 01:40 PM
my plan is to finish the full, original readings in a couple of weeks, then start from the beginning again but using edge, making notes, and doing the cue cards til i've absorbed some more. i'll probably spend a month on that. i'll skim the topics i know well from my 5 years' work experience. after that month, i'll probably spend the last few weeks really just memorizing the cue cards and doing a couple of practice exams.
tricky
08-30-2007, 10:13 PM
Well with trying to get all my work finished up so that I can take next week off to go to the Edge seminar, I'm really behind in my studying. How's everyone else doing? It's so hard to get in the mood to study this stuff - especially all the PA and PARs stuff.
qwyjiboChu
08-30-2007, 11:02 PM
behind, as always. Two months left though! I studied far far less for CSP in May than I did for Course 8R last November, and got a 6 instead of a 5. It was weird but I'm grateful and apparently lucky. So hopefully, if I barely study at all this sitting, I'll get a 7? :)
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