PD....Project or no project?

[Ham and Cheese]

Until recently, I was under the impression that if you did not have at least 15 units of PD upon conversion (1/2000) you would be required to complete the project portion of the PD. However, recently a colleague suggested her understanding of this rule was different.

She reads the PD requirements to say....that if Exam credit was used to fill the PD requirement (for example EA-2A&B would get you 25 PD credits) then those credits could be used to satisfy the project portion. In other words if you had 5 PD credits at transition, then took EA2A and EA2B, you would have 30 PD credits before submitting your PD plan. Since the project is viewed as the first 15 credits of this requirement, you would be exempt.

I'm a little pessimistic about her viewpoint, but would love it if she was right. My opinion is the SOA hasn't given a definitive answer in any of its publications.....I would be tempted to submit a PD plan without the project aspect and let them tell come back at me telling me that it's required. I give it a better than 50-50 that my plan would get approved.

Anyway, opinions about this subject are welcome, but anyone who has actually been in this boat and had a PD plan approved is what I'm really looking for.

[Brains&Beauty]

I believe if you have 15 conversion credits, you can use them to satisfy the project requirement, otherwise you'll need to do the project.

Why won't you instead of guessing call the SoA and ask about your specific situation?

[Ham and Cheese]

Because asking solidifies the answer! My experience with the SOA is that CERTAIN areas are not as clear with them as one might expect.

EXAMPLE: The latest story I've seen is one where an SOA staffer explaining (in writing) that both 8R and 8P were required, regardless of EA exams.....in reality, if you have EA-2A that is sufficient substitute for 8P. After taking and passing 8P, the candidate went back at the SOA for relief.....she was granted a waiver of completing the PD paperwork and the last 5 PD credits. It's all in what you can negotiate AND don't always believe what the staffers tell you.

If I can get a PD plan approved without mention of the project, regardless of whether my specific situation requires the project or not...........then I'm going down that road. I just wanted to see if there were any cases of people with approved PD's plans (without projects and without 15 PD credits at transition)

[Digby]

Ham --

I think you've got your hopes up a bit too high. :)

The latest course guide says on page 61:

"Candidates with 15 or more PD units from the CONVERSION of examination credit are exempted from the project requirement" (my emphasis added)

Although this might be interpreted as the value of taking additional course 8s or whatever, it's a pretty weak argument.

[Brains&Beauty]

... don't always believe what the staffers tell you. ...

It's like calling a consulting company to get an answer to your difficult actuarial question and be willing to accept what an entry-level student tells you. - You should expect some level of professionalism, but if you want the real answer, you should be willing to go higher up than a staffer level to get it. Just because somebody works for the SoA does not mean he/she knows enough about the conversion process - for all you know the person might have started a week ago.

[Ham and Cheese]

Well this is starting to be a thread drift, but....

B&B I agree with you, but I don't have a whose who at the SOA. The difference with a consulting company is the client knows who their contacts are and apprx what level they are. Now maybe I should try to research the SOA org chart further if I'm concerned, but for now I'm content with submitting my plan without the project.....and let them tell me I'm wrong. Worse case is the plan is rejected and I have to resubmit.

Thanks for the interesting discussion.

[golgo13]

One thing you have to be careful of is that Initial PD plans are now not reviewed unless the candidate/advisor explicitly asks for a review.

Unless you ask them to review the initial plan, there will then a chance that it might be your *final* plan that is disapproved.