Short Answer / Essay

[punmanbowler]

Okay, I'm really struggling with some of the short answer questions on here. I know I haven't been looking at the material very long, but going over some of the past questions, I'm really wondering where they get the answers.

For instance, 2006 Q24 (example in TIA's packet). The question asks where Schedule P accounts for assumed proportional reinsurance and assumed non-proportional reinsurance. TIA's notes don't help. From the question, I'm thinking in the direction of "Part X section Y". But the answer given is very general: APR - accounted for in LOB it covers; ANR - mapped to property, liability or financial. WTF?

Maybe it's far too early, but these questions are already driving me nuts. They seem nonsensical and confusing. I've also seen way too many "trick" questions where it asks for an effect or a change, and there ends up being none or it ends up saying that that case doesn't require this blah blah blah.

Does anyone else feel like this or am I just out in the cold here?

[CaffeineJunky]

Maybe it's far too early, but these questions are already driving me nuts.

Welcome to Exam 7 my friend....

[punmanbowler]

Welcome to Exam 7 my friend....

Nooooooooooooo!

Not the answer I was hoping for. Oh well... I guess misery loves company.

[Freudian Slip]

I know its almost completely opposite of what most study schedules recommend, but I'm going through the material by learning objective. Doing A, B, C, and then D last. I couldn't get back into studying reading those Feldblum papers, but I didn't have any trouble reading AM Best, Brady, or any of the other law and regulation stuff. Might be a mistake, but I'm not going to start tackling the accounting stuff til mid-February.

If you want to get your confidence back up and you don't mind cheating on the TIA schedule, try reading and doing problems on Musulin. Its only about ten pages, isn't a bad read, and the questions asked from it have been pretty straightforward.

[MyKenk]

I know its almost completely opposite of what most study schedules recommend, but I'm going through the material by learning objective. Doing A, B, C, and then D last. I couldn't get back into studying reading those Feldblum papers, but I didn't have any trouble reading AM Best, Brady, or any of the other law and regulation stuff. Might be a mistake, but I'm not going to start tackling the accounting stuff til mid-February.

If you want to get your confidence back up and you don't mind cheating on the TIA schedule, try reading and doing problems on Musulin. Its only about ten pages, isn't a bad read, and the questions asked from it have been pretty straightforward.

:iatp:

I'm doing the same thing (ish)

[Aluan]

I know its almost completely opposite of what most study schedules recommend, but I'm going through the material by learning objective. Doing A, B, C, and then D last. I couldn't get back into studying reading those Feldblum papers, but I didn't have any trouble reading AM Best, Brady, or any of the other law and regulation stuff. Might be a mistake, but I'm not going to start tackling the accounting stuff til mid-February.

If you want to get your confidence back up and you don't mind cheating on the TIA schedule, try reading and doing problems on Musulin. Its only about ten pages, isn't a bad read, and the questions asked from it have been pretty straightforward.

Last sitting, I did the law/regulation first, and then the accounting, and I passed.

The most interesting/amusing paper has to be the Mallor paper, though.

[Cootie]

Kind of related to this...
I know a few people using All10, and their manuals seem to cover the accounting papers (don't know about the other topics) in way more detail than my TIA stuff. I'm the kind of person who reads the papers and gets nothing out of it unless I already understand the info ahead of time. (So yes, I admit I'm one of those people requiring spoon-feeding and that I overly-rely-upon my study manuals...). Anyone else worried they might be hosed if they just go by the TIA notes/videos this time around??????

(Sure hope Phile_de_cube isn't trolling lest I incite his wrath!)

[MyKenk]

From what I've gathered from Angelo's stuff in the past (for course 9), he really does boil down the papers to what's askable on the exam, he doesn't just include an outline of the entire paper as other manuals do.

Then again, I haven't looked at any of the accounting stuff for course 7, TIA or otherwise, so I guess it's hard for me to say with certainty.

[triplea]

IMO, the accounting outlines are too light. The other stuff, made by Ken, is awesome (granted, I only have seen the Mallor one, but I'm pretty sure the rest are as good). When I do my final review, I will rely on the TIA manuals for sections A, B & C, but for D, I will have to revisit the papers big time.

[MyKenk]

How are the accounting videos in supplementing the manual?

[triplea]

Good question. I have not gone through those yet...hopefully they would supplement the study manuals pretty well.

I realize now that I have to start thinking about making time for those videos!

[punmanbowler]

Last sitting, I did the law/regulation first, and then the accounting, and I passed.

The most interesting/amusing paper has to be the Mallor paper, though.

Mr. Dunphy?

[TOTEM]

Kind of related to this...
I know a few people using All10, and their manuals seem to cover the accounting papers (don't know about the other topics) in way more detail than my TIA stuff. I'm the kind of person who reads the papers and gets nothing out of it unless I already understand the info ahead of time. (So yes, I admit I'm one of those people requiring spoon-feeding and that I overly-rely-upon my study manuals...). Anyone else worried they might be hosed if they just go by the TIA notes/videos this time around??????

(Sure hope Phile_de_cube isn't trolling lest I incite his wrath!)

Of course it is way more detail in All10, they just copy and paste the entire paper in their outline. The problem I have with All10 is that they do not add anything valuable because they do not provide any additional guidance/explanation above and beyond the paper. I get real annoyed looking at the All10 manual and finding the same mistakes in the manual as the paper has. TIA, on the other hand, has less detail but provides a better explanation of the concepts in the paper.

[Jim Halpert]

If you've never seen the material before, I can't think of a better way to start than the TIA accounting videos and manual. Because they actually explain what's going on, you'll have a better fundamental understanding from the onset. That said, I think their material becomes less valuable as you revisit papers for a second and third time as some of the finer details have been omitted. Still, I can't think of a better "Step 1" in the process of mastering the material.

If you rely on manuals alone and know them well, I think you at least put yourself into the "borderline" category of passing/failing. Bottom line: if you want the exam to be a slam dunk, you'll need the papers.

[Aluan]

Mr. Dunphy?

That, and the getting hit by the same truck twice, and the Ford trunk lockdown.

Maybe I should have become a lawyer instead. :D