I failed Exam P yesterday and it is so depressing

[Funemployed]

The work you do will have little to nothing to do with the material you see on exams. So don't ever think your exam success/failure has any correlation to whether this is the right career for you. If you like living in spreadsheets all day and computer programming, go for it. If not, stay away. Very far away.

[sllagnire]

Originally Posted by Wasp

But failing the first exam is not a good sign. I passed the first one with a 10 without much studying at all. So ask yourself, do you really want to be in this profession with people like me? I didn't think so.

I failed the first exam twice, and I absolutely still want to be in this profession. I have to agree with smekta that failing twice and taking an exam enough times to pass are two different things. For me, it was more about learning the style of the exams rather than the material, which I knew very well. Just my $0.02.

[Arthur Kade]

Originally Posted by maram1

yea but these guys would've probably succeeded at anything else. If you take the MCAT enough you may also become credentialed doctor. Right? just devil advocate argument here.

That doesn't make any sense. The MCAT is only to get INTO medical school; you still have to survive 4 years of school, your medical board exams, and a residency.

[d123454321]

3 years ago I failed P, then retook a year later and scored a 10. Keep at it, I felt the same thing. Maybe try FM if you just don't like P, FM is easier to get into.

Also if you got a 4 or 5 you're close, so keep taking it while the material is fresh

[bdschobel]

Originally Posted by smekta

That would include a lot of credentialed actuaries.

Well, I said "maybe."

Bruce

[campbell]

Originally Posted by Maine-iac

Exam success does not correllate perfectly to actuarial career success. Yeah, the perfect exam taker gets the quick exam raises and gets early to credentials with the perqs that entails. But I've never met anyone who doesn't fail at something, and the perfect exam takers sometimes fail on the people skills, the communication issues, etc. and stall out after fellowship. The stars are the ones with the best balance of the technical knowledge and soft skills.

IIRC, James Washer never failed an exam (and a few of the other TIA people...not me, obviously.)

I wouldn't necessarily tell yourself that those who do well on the exams suck at something else -- it doesn't really help you. Everybody sucks at something, but it may be something that they (or you) don't really care about. For example, my dunking skills stink on ice.

[Guerilla poster]

I never failed an exam I properly prepared for.....whenever I failed it was my fault. You need to re-think your study strategy. Be positive, you can conquer it with enough effort. Obviously, the question is, do you really want to put in the effort? That is the million dollar question, that everyone who ever took an exam has to answer.

Figuring out a study method that works for you, is one of the keys. But ultimately, it is the time and energy committment. As someone once told me, taking actuarial exams is a lifestyle choice. You will have a pretty crappy five years while your friends are out having fun.

[bdschobel]

Originally Posted by Guerilla poster

...Be positive, you can conquer it with enough effort....

This may be instilling false confidence. I don't know the OP (or I don't think I do), but you can't just tell anybody -- a perfect stranger, in this case -- that "you can conquer it with enough effort." Some people can't pass the difficult actuarial exams no matter how hard they try. You must know that. Try flying out of a U.S. airport some time. Look at the cretins who work for the TSA and ask yourself: "Can they pass the actuarial exams if they just try really, really hard?" I don't think so.

Some people are just not cut out to be actuaries. The exams send those signals. It's a good idea to listen to what they are saying.

Bruce

[Anitha Desai]

^ Anyone who has some knowledge of probability and has taken some calculus courses in college should be able to pass these exams, especially exam P. Maybe not at the first try, not without putting in considerable effort, but they are doable.

As actuaries, we make assumptions. My assumption would be that anyone who attempts exam P has the mathematical bakground. Do most TSA employees have that? I don't think so. I would think this perfect stranger who has posted on this actuarial board after having attempted and failed exam P would have the mathematical background to be able to pass it. Either they have the willpower to stick to it, or they don't. And that is not determined with one attempt, IMHO.

To the OP: Just listen to Maine-iac. She's always got the sanest advice.

[Sloop John B]

Originally Posted by Anitha Desai

^ Anyone who has some knowledge of probability and has taken some calculus courses in college should be able to pass these exams, especially exam P. Maybe not at the first try, not without putting in considerable effort, but they are doable.

As actuaries, we make assumptions. My assumption would be that anyone who attempts exam P has the mathematical bakground. Do most TSA employees have that? I don't think so. I would think this perfect stranger who has posted on this actuarial board after having attempted and failed exam P would have the mathematical background to be able to pass it. Either they have the willpower to stick to it, or they don't. And that is not determined with one attempt, IMHO.

To the OP: Just listen to Maine-iac. She's always got the sanest advice.

There are some people, even with a mathematical background, who just aren't very good at math.

Those who had their hand held all throughout university and never saw a problem on an exam that wasn't already a homework question are the ones who won't be able to pass these things.