[Pri]

Hey everyone! Just passed SDM at the April 2022 sitting – on my 3rd attempt.

When I didn’t pass this enigma of an exam on my 2nd attempt last year, I was super deflated. I didn’t know what else needed to change in my prep. At that point, I reached out to a colleague who had passed the exam, for ANY possible pointers/advice. And she only had one: get XPActuarial.

I was skeptical. I had only heard about PAK until then, and this was new. But I decided to take a leap of faith because ‘If you want different results, do not do the same things.’

So here’s what I appreciated most amongst the gamut of things Steve at XP offered: individual focus, rigorous practice, quality mock questions (emphasis on quality. Because SO much thought goes into them), case study insight, and feedback on my attempts at the mock papers.

Above all, he helped me get into the right mindset. This proved to be instrumental because I had an exam experience from hell. For starters, I was running a high fever on the D-day. Then at the prometric center, the computer refused to load the SOA exam. As the clock ticked away, the admin was having no luck with getting it to work, and they told me that if it doesn’t work in the next 3 hours, they’ll have to reschedule me(!). Thankfully, they resolved it after 2 hours and 10 minutes of tinkering. And then it was go-time. What got me through that nightmare was my confidence, bolstered by all the prep Steve provided; it really helped me navigate all the curveballs the universe was throwing at me.

For all the future SDM exam takers out there, this one is a toughie but it can be conquered. Keep faith, you got this!

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