| The Examination |
Introduction The examinations for admission to the Casualty Actuarial Society are designed to establish the qualifications of candidates. It should be realized that while the examination questions will be largely based upon the textual material cited, they will not necessarily be drawn directly therefrom. The examinations will test not only candidates’ knowledge of the subject matter, but also candidates’ ability to apply that knowledge. In the development of the Syllabus readings and the examination questions, it is assumed that candidates are familiar with the material covered in earlier parts. Therefore, it is recommended that candidates take the parts in numerical order.
Conduct of Examinations
The examinations are recorded exclusively in writing. Except as is noted in the following paragraphs, no books, papers, typewriters, slide rules, or electronic or mechanical aids for computation of any kind may be brought into the examination room by candidates, nor may any candidate communicate with, or obtain any assistance from, any other candidate during the examination.
Candidates must respond in English unless advance notice is given with the registration (see "Languages Other than English").
Examination answer sheets are not returned to candidates. A candidate wishing to obtain his or her own examination booklet and scrap paper subsequent to the examination must bring a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the examination center. The recommended minimum postage is $2.39 for domestic mail in the U.S. Copies of the examinations will not be available until they are released with sample solutions on July 30, 1999 for Spring Examinations, and January 31, 2000 for Fall Examinations.
Calculators
Electronic calculators will be allowed in the examination room for all examinations. For all examinations jointly administered by the Society of Actuaries (SoA) and the CAS (i.e., Parts 1, 2, 3A, and 3C), the only acceptable calculator is one which bears the official SoA logo. Candidates must order the official calculator from the SoA. No calculators will be shipped after January 15, 1999 for the February examinations, April 15, 1999 for the Spring Examinations, or October 1, 1999 for the Fall Examinations.
For examinations administered by the CAS (i.e., Parts 3B, 4-10), candidates may use the battery- or solar-powered models of the following Texas Instruments calculators: BA-35 (the official SoA/CAS calculator), TI-30X, or TI-30Xa. The CAS logo is not required on the calculator. Candidates may use more than one of the approved calculators during the CAS-administered examinations. For candidates who cannot locate the TI-30Xa model, the CAS Office will have the calculator available (see order form). Note: Any unauthorized calculator brought to the examination center will be confiscated for the duration of the examination.
It is the candidate’s responsibility to see that the calculator used during the examination is in good working order. Supervisors will have a spare approved calculator available for a candidate whose calculator may malfunction. It is not to be distributed to a candidate without a calculator or whose unauthorized calculator has been confiscated.
Examination Discipline
Candidates must not give or receive assistance of any kind during the examination. Any cheating, attempt to cheat, assisting others to cheat, participating therein, or engaging in such improper conduct as listed below, is a serious violation and will result in the CAS disqualifying the candidate’s paper, and other disciplinary action as may be deemed appropriate. Candidates have agreed in their applications for examination to be bound by the rules and regulations governing the examinations.
Examples of improper conduct include but are not limited to:
The CAS Examination Committee, or its designee, will investigate any irregularity or suspected violation of the rules involving the examination process, and a determination will be made regarding the matter. Where there is a determination to invoke a penalty, the candidate is advised by letter. In the case of a candidate who is a member of the CAS, the candidate’s conduct will be reported to the Actuarial Board for Counseling and Discipline (ABCD) or to the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA) if the final penalty invoked is more than disqualification of the examination.
Candidates for the CAS Examinations are expected to follow the rules and procedures included in this Syllabus, the Notice of Examinations, and the "Instructions to Candidates" printed on their examination booklets as well as announcements made by the supervisors at the examination locations. All candidates, on their applications for examinations, are required to read and sign the following statement: "I have read all the rules regarding the examination(s) for which I am applying, and agree to be bound thereby."
These standards may seem stricter than those which candidates are accustomed to in other examination environments. The CAS maintains these strict standards because the examinations are such a significant part of a candidate’s career. Therefore, the equitable administration of the examinations and enforcement of the highest standards of conduct cannot be emphasized too strongly.
Candidates who wish to obtain a copy of the full CAS Policy on Examination Discipline should make a request in writing to the CAS Office.
Multiple-Choice, Joint Examinations
Parts 1, 2, 3A, and 3C consist entirely of multiple-choice questions. For these examinations, each multiple-choice problem includes five answer choices identified by the letters A, B, C, D, and E; only one of which is correct. A separate answer sheet provides a row of five ovals for each problem, identified with the letters A, B, C, D, and E, corresponding to the five answer choices. After deciding which answer is correct, candidates should blacken the oval which has the same letter as the appropriate answer. Since the answer sheets are scored by optical scanning equipment, a Number 2 pencil must be used to blacken the ovals. It is important that only one oval be blackened for each question.
Guessing Adjustment
For Parts 1, 2, 3A, and 3C, no guessing adjustment is made to candidates’ scores. Therefore, candidates will maximize their scores on the joint examinations by answering every question.
On Parts 3B, 4-10, multiple-choice questions are scored in such a way that there is no advantage or disadvantage to be anticipated from guessing answers in a purely random fashion as compared with omitting the answers entirely. No additional points will be given for multiple-choice questions left blank, but one-quarter of the point value for each question will be deducted for each incorrect answer. On true/false questions, the point value of the question will be deducted for each incorrect answer.
Lost Examinations
The CAS is not responsible for lost or destroyed examinations. In the case where an examination is lost or destroyed, the examination fee will be refunded. The CAS and other organizations that jointly administer and/or jointly sponsor CAS Examinations will assume no other obligation and candidates must take the examinations with this knowledge.