Which: NEAS or ACTEX?

[MarsLasar]

I need to take the statisics part of the VEE and am not sure which to take, NEAS or ACTEX. What I can tell so far: NEAS has no real deadlines except for the final, NEAS has abysmal quality (don't expect to actually learn anything), NEAS has easy finals, NEAS requires a project....ACTEX has a longer session (by at least two weeks), grading divided into homework, quizzes, and final, strict dealines.
Anyone have any suggestions? I was leaning toward NEAS, but they are not approved through the SOA yet. I would take the ACTEX class if others found it to be a positive experience.

[Triangle Man]

Does the SOA accept the CAS VEE exam? If so, that's quickly becoming a good option. Only one exam for both Regression and Time Series, no assignments to turn in, and no project to do. You're on your own. If you're more than 90% sure you can pass the exam, I'd do it.

[twig93]

Yes, the SoA does accept the CAS exam. VEE credit is given jointly. So even though the SoA does not sponsor the CAS VEE exam, they will accept it. I don't feel like digging it up, but I remember Bruce or one of the other board members saying that if the VEE exams became a permanent fixture, it is likely that at some point they would become jointly sponsored as no one felt that it was fair for the CAS to shoulder that burden alone. I think if they get discontinued shortly as more alternative options become available then the SoA won't pick up the joint sponsorship. They're undoubtedly too busy with redesigning the upper level exams.

I think there's virtually no way to get VEE credit from one organization without simultaneously getting it from the other. The only thing I can think of is pre-2000 credits. I think there was a 2 hour SoA-only exam on Applied Stats that the SoA will count for VEE credit (they'd previously given you PD credits but now you have the choice of which way to use the credits). I don't know if the CAS accepts that. Similarly, if there was an old CAS exam on the material, I don't know that the SoA would accept it either. There's probably not very many people affected by that though. You'd have to have committed to an organization, taken and passed the right higher-level exam and then changed your mind, whilst not getting through the preliminary exams over a 5 year span. Come to think of it, it's quite possible that no one falls into that boat.