EA-1 - WTF?

[brandonwnw]

Seriously, WTF? I know this material backwards and forwards and just got screwed six ways to Sunday buy this thing. Definitely hurts after coming so close last year. I won't say there isn't a chance, but I will say that after being able to score > 70% on all the practice material I have looked at this did not feel good at all. I was able to answer maybe 1/2 the questions

I am considering going after Exams FM and M instead of this one. Anyone out there taken EA-1 and passed SOA 2 & 3 (now FM and M)?

[nuzz2377]

I thought the exam was a lot harder than the previous 4 exams. I felt pretty confident going into it, but left feeling pretty lousy. If by some miracle I passed, then great - but I will not take this exam again. I will take Cousre 3 (M?) and get credit for EA-1 that way.

[Q]

Holy Cow! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that. I have course 2 already, I'd rather take M in the fall if I failed this one.

[Buru Buru]

Seriously, WTF? I know this material backwards and forwards and just got screwed six ways to Sunday buy this thing. Definitely hurts after coming so close last year. I won't say there isn't a chance, but I will say that after being able to score > 70% on all the practice material I have looked at this did not feel good at all. I was able to answer maybe 1/2 the questions

I am considering going after Exams FM and M instead of this one. Anyone out there taken EA-1 and passed SOA 2 & 3 (now FM and M)?

I took EA-1 and failed it 3 times. I passed course 2 on the 1st attempt and course 3 on the 3rd attempt. I passed course 3 in 2001 though and from what I have heard, it has become significantly more difficult since then.

[brandonwnw]

Thanks for your feedback. I was feeling horrible yesterday. Today I'm feeling a bit better about the test, but it still feels like a 4 or 5 at best. It would take my best guessing to pull a 6.

It seems like the Joint Board decided that with the passing score leaping to 54 last year (from 50 - 51 in the three prior years) that they had to crack down on the slackers they were letting through.

Oh well, onward and upward.

B

[brandonwnw]

Alright, I know nobody else has responded here, but I thought that I would put this out there:

Anyone who has taken EA-1 and had a tough time in the last few years, please see the recently released SOA exam FM here: http://www.soa.org/STATIC/examinations.html

I believe this exam is far easier than the interest rate portion of EA-1. Give it a try.

After passing this exam, all that would remain to get EA-1 credit is course M. I am definitely going to switch to the SOA track. Besides, there seems to be higher job security and larger raises for SOA accredited actuaries anyway.

[Q]

I agree that the Interest Theory on the SOA exam is much easier. I passed Course 2 in Spring 2004. Bummer that they took off that Finance that gave ME such a headache. I'm planning on taking both EA1 and M next spring to cover my bases, but I'm going to focus on M. I'll take EA2A this fall because I know the EA1 material, whether or not I passed it.

[brandonwnw]

I passed EA-2A on my first try. If you have the interest theory exam and a good handle on your annuity factors, then its fairly straight forward to memorize the 412 and 404 funding rules, quarterly contribution requirements, and how to fill out the Schedule B.

I highly recommend Rick G.'s materials as his promblems for EA-2A are much harder and more detailed than the exam problems. If you can work his stuff, the exam should be very straight forward.

Have you taken SOA exam P (1)? If so, how did you fare and what materials did you use. I plan to take either exam P or M in the spring.

Good luck on 2A.

[Q]

I passed 100 and 110, Calc and Prob/Stats, a while back, so I don't have any useful information on how to pass. For both I took a review class in downtown Chicago at the CNA building. Passed both first try, Course 2 took 3 tries - darn Finance and Macro. I thought I was the Interest Theory Queen until I took EA1. :(