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Seven Years Hard: A Review of the Examinations of the Institute of Actuaries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 August 2014

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Extract

Oh Cuckoo! shall I call thee bird

Or but a wandering voice?

State the alternative preferred

With reasons for your choice.

(F. H. Townsend, after Wordsworth)

Examinations have taken a central place in Institute life for the last 130 years—indeed, from its very foundation the Institute's function as an examining body was clearly recognized. Many members of the Institute have an interest in the examinations, and no doubt this interest is greatest amongst those still in the process of taking them. It is therefore perhaps surprising that, although there is no shortage of official material relating to the examinations, there has been very little attempt to open the subject to discussion by presentation of a general paper. Indeed, apart from Professor Pegler's provocative but slightly specialized paper (11) presented to the Society in December 1979, I can find no evidence of any. It seems probable that the topic has often been discussed but that, perhaps from an unnecessary fear of breaches of secrecy, few if any have committed their views to paper.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Institute of Actuaries Students' Society 1984

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References

REFERENCES AND OTHER RELEVANT ITEMS

(1) The Examinations Handbook of the Institute of Actuaries.Google Scholar
(2) The Year Book of the Institute of Actuaries (19821983 edn, pt III, pp. 6473).Google Scholar
(3) Cornwall Report (1975) ‘First Report of Committee to Review the Education and Training of Actuaries’.Google Scholar
(4) Cornwall Report (1976) ‘Second Report of Committee to Review the Education and Training of Actuaries’.Google Scholar
(5) Goddard, P. R. (Dec. 1977) ‘The Education and Examination of Actuaries’ (Ph.D. thesis submitted to The City University).Google Scholar
(6) Goddard, P. R. (1979) ‘The Education and Examination of ActuariesJ.I.A., 106, 201 (a summary of the previous item).Google Scholar
(7) Gray, J. R. (May 1972) ‘How Should Actuaries be Trained?’ (Heriot-Watt University Inaugural Lecture).Google Scholar
(8) Gray, J. R. and Wilkie, A. D. (1982) ‘Notes on Actuarial EducationT.F.A., 38, 127.Google Scholar
(9) Haycocks, H. W. (1965) ‘The Education of the ActuaryJ.S.S., 18, 16.Google Scholar
(10) Menzler, F. A. A. (1960) The First Fifty Years 1910–1960 (An Appreciation of the Institute of Actuaries Students' Society).Google Scholar
(11) Pegler, J. B. H. (Dec. 1979) ‘The Training and Examination of Actuarial Students with Special Reference to Compound Interest’ (presented to the Institute of Actuaries Students' Society).Google Scholar
(12) Rowell, A. H. (1946) ‘Presidential AddressJ.I.A., 73, 1.Google Scholar
(13) Simmonds, R. C. (1948) The Institute of Actuaries 1848–1948, see esp. pp. 215266.Google Scholar
(14) Tetley, H. (1964) ‘Presidential AddressJ.I.A., 91, 1.Google Scholar
(15) Truckle, W. W. (1982) ‘The Education and Training of ActuariesJ.I.A., 109, 145.Google Scholar
(16) Wood, C. F. (1959) ‘The Administration of the Institute of Actuaries’, J.I.A., 85, 49 (see esp. p. 56).Google Scholar
(17) (March 1970) ‘The Training of the ActuaryJ.I.A., 96, 289 (abstract of a discussion at the Institute).Google Scholar
(18) Robertson, E. S. and Sherlock, E. B. O. (1980) ‘The Training of the Actuary in Great Britain’ in National Reports to the 21st International Congress of Actuaries.Google Scholar