30 August 2024
After each exam session, we send out the Exam Experience Survey to all candidates from that most recent session to understand more about their learner journey throughout the exam process. This information helps us understand what we can do to enhance that experience in the future.
Following the April 2024 exams, we were delighted that 3069 candidates took the time to complete the survey, a 24.66% response rate, and we are very grateful for their engagement and the honesty given in the answers submitted.
The overall exam satisfaction score has risen to 7.48 out of 10, which is an increase of 0.33 on September 2023’s rating. This positivity was echoed in the members services satisfaction score, which has also increased by 0.6 to 8.76 out of 10 from September 2023.
When looking at access arrangements, 83.59% of responders did not feel they required this service and of those that did, 96.31% positively responded that access arrangements received were either very or somewhat suitable for their needs. This is a really positive takeaway from April 2024’s session but from additional comments received, we will be looking into how the application process itself might be simplified.
The responses received have also provided valuable insights to help us understand more about the average length of time taken to prepare for each exam as well as the popularity and usefulness of materials being used in that preparation; past examination papers, IFoA core reading and examination reports being the top 3 from April 2024’s session.
In terms of additional actuarial tuition support, for those curious to know, 36.37% of responders indicated they didn’t use any.
We know April’s session was not without its challenges and speaking specifically to those candidates who were taking the CM2A and the SP1 exams, thank you again for raising issues experienced at the time and subsequently giving additional feedback within your surveys.
Regarding the concerns raised about the CM2A exam paper and the accompanying syllabus, a full investigation was undertaken into the alignment of all questions, and an apology was released confirming issues within Questions 1 (ii) and (iii). The statement also explained what happens when an error or ambiguity is identified within a paper and how it would be taken into account during the marking process.
I do hope this addressed any remaining concerns and questions an impacted candidate may have had at the time and we will be looking into the process governing syllabus alignment.
A technical issue prevented SP1’s 09.00 am (GMT) cohort from downloading the exam paper. This issue was identified at approximately 09.02 am and steps were taken immediately to resolve it. This was successfully done by 09.30 am with communications sent out to affected candidates by 09.41 am. Advice was also given to candidates regarding mitigating circumstances. Additional checks were put in place for all remaining exams during April’s session.
In August, we released the latest version of the Examination Handbook which encompassed changes to directly address some of the feedback we had received. With its improved layout, clearer signposting and more concise guidance, we hope it will positively impact all candidate’s future preparation.
Enhancements include (but not exclusive to):
An important area of focus this year, following previous surveys, has been around the exam booking process and improving the candidate's experience. We were pleased to see that over 93% of responders were very satisfied or satisfied with their exam booking experience which maintains the rating given from the previous exam session. The email correspondence after booking satisfaction score rose to 89.2% from September 2023’s 86.11%.
We experienced high booking numbers for the April exam session, and even though the feedback score indicates an overall positive experience for candidates (as detailed above), we know that we need to make further improvements to user experience, platform resilience and exam result access. The team will be referring closely to your feedback when looking at those improvements.
As mentioned in our recent enhanced security measures statement, we are hoping to address many of our candidates’ current security concerns with the introduction of remote invigilation for the April 2025 session. Exams will continue to operate as they do now on the existing platform. Only the way candidates access the platform will change.
Further information and guidance will be released in the run-up to the change.
We’re also aware that candidates can sometimes find it difficult to keep track of all the information shared by IFoA in the lead-up to an exam, to address this we will be:
The views and opinions provided on the in-person /open book exam questions within the exam experience survey led to the creation of a dedicated consultation with Learners and key stakeholders to gain further insights which will inform future developments for how the IFoA will deliver exams.
This consultation consisted of 21 questions gathering opinions on Open Book/Open Web format exams, types of technology, and internet access. as well as views on exam test centres. The initial roll-out was completed by 4211 individuals with a second push currently sitting at 947, closing 30 August (at the time of writing).
Every response we receive to our surveys, consultations and additional communication touchpoints is incredibly important, and we would like to once again thank all those who take the time to engage with us and provided vital feedback to help us understand what is working well and how we can improve the experience of our future exam candidates.
To all those sitting exams in our upcoming September session, we wish you the very best of luck.
And finally, to the individual who asked us within their exam experience survey “Do you read this far?”, yes, we do and hello!