Question: Under the new ASA requirements, I can use Course 7 towards ASA. How can I attend a Course 7 seminar if I don’t have credit for Courses 1-6?

Answer: The original prerequisites of having credit for Courses 1-6 and the Course 7 Pre-test still apply for current ASAs working towards their FSA designation. Effective May 1, candidates may also register for a Course 7 seminar if:

1. The candidate has credit for Courses 1-4 and any two of Courses 5, 6 or 8 and passes the Course 7 Pre-test or
2. The candidate has credit for Courses 1-4 and any one of Courses 5, 6, or 8 and is able to demonstrate a minimum of four years of responsible actuarial experience. Candidates wishing to apply for this experience waiver must submit a written request to ombudsperson@soa.org. Once a candidate receives approval, he or she must also pass the Course 7 pre-test prior to registering for a seminar.

Question: Don’t these changes add requirements to the ASA by requiring PD? What can I do to complete the ASA requirements if I don’t want to complete PD at this stage in my studies?

Answer: Candidates may still satisfy the ASA requirements by passing Courses 1-6 and completing the APC. PD is not an additional requirement for the ASA, but is a substitute for Course 5 or 6 for candidates choosing that option.

Question: There are limited Course 7 seminars offered throughout the year. Will the SOA be adding sessions to accommodate the increased demand?

Answer: Candidates taking Course 7 to satisfy FSA requirements will take precedence over candidates electing to use Course 7 to satisfy ASA requirements. Efforts will be made to meet the increased demand for the seminar, but where there are insufficient openings available, the FSA candidate will be selected over the ASA candidate.

Question: I earned credit for Course 7 via the 2000 education system conversion. Am I still prohibited from using the PD component to complete my ASA requirements?

Answer: A candidate who has Course 7 (or PD) through the 2000 conversion will be permitted to use PD (or Course 7) to satisfy ASA requirements. Similarly, candidates with conversion credit for both Course 7 and PD will be permitted to apply both to satisfying the ASA requirements. No other candidates may use both Course 7 and PD toward ASA requirements.

Question: When I can sign up to take the APC?

Answer: Candidates may register for any available APC session as soon as they have earned credit for any five of the six required elements for Associateship.

Question: If I complete my PD plan for Associateship and that plan has a focus in the life specialty track but my job focus changes while I’m preparing for Fellowship, could I take the Course 8 Finance or Course 8 Investment or Course 8 Health exams as well as submit my FSA PD plan with another specialty track focus?

Answer: Candidates may take any Course 8 they wish in fulfillment of the FSA requirements, regardless of the focus of the PD plan they submitted for the ASA. If PD is used for ASA, it might be difficult to integrate elements of that ASA plan for the FSA level PD if the specialty focus has changed, but candidates are encouraged to complete PD plans that are useful