Portion of the Exam

[mochishans]

One question to ask:
Does anyone know how many questions are likely to be asked on each part of the content, i.e. discrete distribution, continuous distribution, joint, etc.

[egurpinar]

Actually, if someone can answer this question it would be a great help. I am taking this exam the first time and I am clueless about how many questions to expect from each section. Help!...please...

[vjvj]

Originally Posted by egurpinar

Actually, if someone can answer this question it would be a great help. I am taking this exam the first time and I am clueless about how many questions to expect from each section. Help!...please...

How will it help? Are you planning to skip studying certain sections? That's a bad idea.

I don't have a breakdown, but when I took the exam, all the major topics were covered. It seemed a little heavy on joint distributions and conditional probability.

Don't skip any sections.

[n00sh]

Originally Posted by vjvj

How will it help? Are you planning to skip studying certain sections? That's a bad idea.

I don't have a breakdown, but when I took the exam, all the major topics were covered. It seemed a little heavy on joint distributions and conditional probability.

Don't skip any sections.

Agreed. I think it seemed heavy on joint dist/cond prob because I didn't know them as well as I should have

[Bobby]

It depends on what the computer decides to test you on. No two tests are exactly the same. A couple of my friends got tests heavily on subjects that I was barely tested on. You need to know it all to be certain you'll pass.

[SandbagQueen]

Originally Posted by vjvj

How will it help? Are you planning to skip studying certain sections? That's a bad idea.

I don't have a breakdown, but when I took the exam, all the major topics were covered. It seemed a little heavy on joint distributions and conditional probability.

Don't skip any sections.

They basically test everything, but in the sense that you have to understand the earlier/easier material in order to understand the harder material. From my experience (and I am experienced with exam P as I underestimated my first sitting and didn't balance work with studying too well my second sitting) you are not likely to be tested on the more complicated distributions (Pareto, Gamma to a large extent, etc.) but the more you know and can remember of them for later, the better.

Also, they word a lot of the questions in terms of the insurance language, so be sure you understand how deductibles and other things affect the way you set up the problem.

Finally, be willing to skip a problem you don't know how to do and come back to it. And if you are using the Actex study manual, be sure you can consistently score in the 20s, preferably the mid to high 20s. If you are using ASM and you can score in the 20s at all (especially on KO's later exams), you should be good to go.

[mochishans]

Originally Posted by SandbagQueen

Finally, be willing to skip a problem you don't know how to do and come back to it. And if you are using the Actex study manual, be sure you can consistently score in the 20s, preferably the mid to high 20s. If you are using ASM and you can score in the 20s at all (especially on KO's later exams), you should be good to go.

Thank you very much, and this is what I am bothering right now. Just can't help to stop working on problems i can't solve...

[egurpinar]

Well I am not really skipping anything. I am just better on some subjects than others. I was just trying to get a feel for the exam. Thanks for all your input.

[Actuarialsuck]

Originally Posted by egurpinar

Well I am not really skipping anything. I am just better on some subjects than others. I was just trying to get a feel for the exam. Thanks for all your input.

Since P is such a broad exam, I woud say most topics have an equal chance of being tested. You probably won't see too many exotic distribution questions but you should spend at least some time on them. It won't be until MLC or C (and probably MFE) when you will see an author say "skip this topic since most likely it won't be tested".

[mochishans]

Originally Posted by egurpinar

Well I am not really skipping anything. I am just better on some subjects than others. I was just trying to get a feel for the exam. Thanks for all your input.

I am in the same situation...