Merely taking the corresponding math courses is NOT enough to prepare you for the exams. You may also want to study for an exam before taking the math course – it is totally doable. So what study material should I use?

How to Study for An Exam?

You can find a lot of exam prepping material online, which varies in format and pricing. In general, there are 2 steps in preparing for an exam: Learning Phase and Practicing Phase. Usually, candidates learn the material 2-3 months before the exam. They then spend 2-3 weeks before the exam doing practice tests.

Learning Phase

For the Learning Phase, we compared 3 mainstream options:

Other options:

• ACTEX: Similar to a/s/m, but the writer does not have experience with this material. Please contact Prof. Bradley Waller for Ohio State student free trials on some of their products.
• Free Study Manual for P and FM (latest version see Dr. Marcel B. Finan’s website)
• Study guides by Howard C. Mahler, FCAS, MAAA (see his website) (Contact OSU alumnus Brandon Armao for his experience)

Practicing Phase

Doing enough practice tests before the real exam is critical. We recommend using ADAPT from Coaching Actuaries. Ohio State students are eligible for 20% off ADAPT subscription*. This is 5% higher than the standard student discount.

* Please inquire with the club president for the discount code. The discount code applies to ADAPT subscription only – it does not apply to ADAPT+Learn subscription.