Course 8 before Course 7???

[Fortal]

Is it common to take Course 8 before Course 7?
Is it possible at all?
Are there drawbacks?
:-?
Thanks for any comments!!!

[Me]

Not common.
Definitely possible.
No drawbacks I can think of. Timing-wise, I would do whatever works out best for you.

[FIOB]

It makes perfect sense to take Course 8 first. Course 8 is the major hurdle, and it's only given once a year. You can take Course 7 whenever you feel like it. If you can squeeze it in before Course 8, go ahead. Otherwise, do it after Course 8. I don't know anyone who has taken Course 7 first. Taking 8 first is almost forced upon you if you pass 5 and then fail 6.

[In England]

I am taking Course 8 before Course 7. I don't want to take Course 7 first because then I would have nothing to do for a while and I want to get it over with. Plus, what if I fail Course 8?

You will want to take Course 7 first though if you are worried about getting kicked off the study program. The pass rate is MUCH higher (80%?).

This is all assuming you have passed Courses 1 - 6.

[FoxtrotFool]

8 before 7 is very reasonable. I wouldn't take 7 until I have a sitting that I am not taking anything else. If you have a choice between 7 and 8 for the Fall, it's a no brainer to take 8. You can take course 7 anytime.

I suppose if being in the student program is an issue, then it's a small consideration. But think about it this way, you are an ASA, can probably find a job anywhere. Why would any company deny you study time, just so you can develop a gripe and start considering leaving the firm? Just tell your manager that you want your study time, and you probably will get it.

(and don't tell me that money matters, if you can't afford paying for studying material and exam fees, then you are probably not earning enough)

[exams-suck]

I'm writing course 8 before course 7 as I failed course 6 in May. I don't know if it's better but I have no choice as I don't have any other exams to write other than 8. :shake:

[Oliver Klozov]

You can write Course 7 without having Courses 1-6. You need to apply for an exemption. When applying, be sure to mention your work experience and familiarity with the software packages.

[Phil]

Has anyone written a standard letter requesting exemption, that they would sell for $25?

(I think that would be a good business!)

[dascfen]

I think sitting for Course 8 is an excellent idea. I haven't really thought about doing it that way. I agree that it can save time. The only drawback is that you need to choose a specialty and you may not want to lock yourself in.

Course 7 isn't necessarilly a speedy process. You need to take both a pretest and a seminar and it can take up to 6 months depending on when courses are offered.

Regarding the question on exemption from Course 6 to take 7, I did this last year and the process is straightforward (or at least for me it was). You can send an email to the Ombudsperson and attach a resume-like document describing your work experience and exams and explain that are seeking a waiver of the prerequisites for Course 7 (you need 4+ years of work experience).

[exams-suck]

I didn't know that we could write 7 without 1-6. Thanks for the info.

:P

[Mathgod]

FYI, in 2001 I took the Course 7 pre-test in April, then Course 8I in November, followed by the Course 7 seminar in December. Passed all 3 so it is possible.

The only thing I was concerned about was the study time for the pre-test (about 100 hours) taking away from study time on Course 8. April was a perfect time for the pre-test and didn't interfere. Taking the pre-test closer to June thru November can hurt your time on Course 8. The seminar came after Course 8 and only required about 25 hours prep time but was an exhausting week.

So I say go for it!

FYI, I did get the exemption on Course 7 while waiting for Course 5 results. Ended up not needing it anyway.

[exams-suck]

What if I take course 7 after course 8? Would there be enough time? Do they offer in Novmeber/December?

Thanks for any information!

:P

[Viking]

You can do that too. The pre-test can be done every two months, on the first Friday of the month. It takes 4 weeks to get the results and after that you can register for the seminar. This year, there was one in march/april/june/august/december, but space is limited so if when you get the pre-test result you're close to a seminar date, you may end up waiting for a later one as it would be closed.

So my advice would be to take the pre-test right away in december, which would mean starting studying right after exam 8...

But I'm sure it's possible (I'm going to the seminar in december and am writing 8I in november so I hope it's possible...), as the material is quite different and not required for course 8.

[exams-suck]

Thanks very much for the information. Happy Studying!!! :wink:

[exams-suck]

Does anyone know how long it will take to get a response from the society? I'm thinking of signing up for the pre-test in December. If I submit a request now, will I get enough time to sign up for the pre-test?

Do I have to write a formal request or I can just attach my resume and ask for an exemption? Do they usually allow you to do it? I read it somewhere that says you must have 1 to 6 in order to attend the seminar, is it correct?

[FIOB]

The catalog does say that you must pass 1 through 6 before you attend the seminar, but it also says you may apply for a prerequisite waiver if you've passed five of six as well as the Course 7 pre-test and you have 4 years of experience.

I'm going to take the pre-test in December, and if I pass that and fail Course 5 I will request a waiver. There's not much point in requesting a waiver otherwise. I can not believe that they would refuse to give me a waiver, since they already told me that I could request one. I mean, when they outline what is required to request a waiver they imply that the request would be granted if the requirements are met.