Core Study Materials

Combined Materials Pack

Overview

The Combined Materials Pack (CMP) is ideal if you are sitting a subject for the first time. The key elements of the CMP are:

CMPs are available in printed format or as an eBook (except PBOR, which is accessed via a VLE). EBooks can be purchased as an addition to the printed product or as a stand-alone product.

Subjects CB2, SP6 and SP9

In Subjects CB2, SP6 and SP9, the full-price CMP also includes the key textbooks referenced by the Core Reading. Printed textbooks are included with the printed CMP. The CMP eBook includes the relevant eTextbook(s) accessible only through VitalSource Bookshelf. More information about Bookshelf can be found here for more information about Bookshelf .

Correcting material

For those looking for corrections to the CMP for the current academic year, please refer to our Corrections page.

Study Guide

Study Guides are available in every subject and contain all the information you need to know before you start studying. Study Guides contain details of the study support available, assignment deadlines, advice on how to study efficiently and the full Syllabus for your subject.

We recommend that you download the Study Guide and read it carefully before deciding which subjects to study and ordering your course material.

Course Notes

The Course Notes, available in print or as an eBook, will help you develop the basic knowledge and understanding of principles needed to pass the exam. The Course Notes incorporate the complete Core Reading and include a full explanation of all the syllabus objectives, as well as practice questions at the end of each chapter to test and develop your understanding.

In Subjects CB2, SP6 and SP9, students are also required to read material in specified textbooks, which do not form part of the Course Notes.

Here are some samples:

Please note that our all our printed products are printed in greyscale and not in colour. The colour in the above samples will be visible in our eBooks only.

The sample chapters are in Adobe Acrobat format, and you will need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print it. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it here.

Download Acrobat

Core Reading

Overview

This item has been reproduced by permission of IFoA for the use of students who have purchased a Combined Materials Pack. In most subjects, ActEd's Course Notes include the complete Core Reading integrated with the ActEd text. In Subjects CB2, SP6 and SP9, students are also required to read material in specified textbooks, which do not form part of the Course Notes.

If you are a student member of the IFoA and have purchased the ActEd Combined Materials Pack in the same subject, then you may order a stand-alone copy of the Core Reading at a discounted price. All other orders for Core Reading should be made using the IFoA website.

Core Reading is produced by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. The purpose of Core Reading is to ensure that tutors, students and examiners have a clear, shared appreciation of the requirements of the Syllabus for the examinations. The Core Reading supports coverage of the Syllabus in helping to ensure that both depth and breadth are re-enforced. In examinations students are expected to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts in the Core Reading; these are based on the legislation, professional guidance etc that are in force when the Core Reading is published, ie on 31 May in the year preceding the examinations.

All aspects of the examination process (Syllabus, Core Reading, exam dates, exam entry, exam setting, exam marking, communication of exam results, and production of Examiners' Reports) are the direct responsibility of the IFoA. Full details of the examinations are given on the IFoA website.

Assignments

Series X Assignments

Series X Assignments are ideal for first-time sitters as they are co-ordinated with each part of the course to give you exam practice as you progress through the Course Notes.

Assignments can be purchased with or without marking.

CS1A 2 x 80 mark, 2 x 100 mark
CS2A 3 x 80 mark, 2 x 100 mark
CM1A 3 x 80 mark, 2 x 100 mark
CM2A 2 x 80 mark, 2 x 100 mark
CB1 3 x 100 mark
CB2 2 x 70 mark and 2 x 80 mark
CP1 3 x 80 mark, 3 x 100 mark
CP2 2 x 50 mark, 1 x 100 mark
CP3 3 x 100 mark
SP Subjects 3 x 80 mark, 3 x 100 mark
SA Subjects 6 x 100 mark

The Series X Assignments are included in the Combined Materials Pack.

Note: We typically send out full solutions with the Series X Assignments. However, if you order Series X Marking (which is not included in the price of the CMP or Assignments, please click here for price of the CMP or Assignments for price details) at the same time as you order the Series X Assignments, you can choose whether or not to receive a copy of the solutions in advance. If you choose not to receive them with the study material, you will be able to download the solutions via a secure link on the internet when your marked script is returned (or following the final deadline date if you do not submit a script). Solutions are always sent in advance to students who have not ordered marking or who are using Marking Vouchers.

Paper B Online Resources

The Paper B Online Resources (PBOR) are the final component of the CMP in the CM and CS Subjects. Delivered only through our VLE, which is called The Hub, you will have access to worked examples and practice questions to help you prepare for the computer-based paper. PBOR also includes the Y Assignments, two exam-style assignments, in each subject.

PBOR is accessed through our VLE. Access to PBOR will expire 13 months after purchase.

Assignments can be purchased with or without marking.

Series Y Assignments
CS1B 2 x 100 mark
CS2B 2 x 100 mark
CM1B 2 x 100 mark
CM2B 2 x 100 mark

The Series Y Assignments (in the CM and CS Subjects only) are included in the Combined Materials Pack.

Note: We typically send out full solutions with the Series Y Assignments (via the VLE for the Paper B exams). However, if you order Series Y Marking (which is not included in the price of the CMP or Assignments, please click here for price details for price details) at the same time as you order the Series Y Assignments, you can choose whether or not to receive a copy of the solutions in advance. If you choose not to receive them with the study material, you will be able to download the solutions via a secure link on the internet when your marked script is returned (or following the final deadline date if you do not submit a script). Solutions are always sent in advance to students who have not ordered marking or who are using Marking Vouchers.

Y assignment answer templates and data files

You need to produce your answers to the Y assignments in a Word document (CS) or Excel document (CM). If you wish to submit your assignments for marking then you need to start from a template document. For the CM subjects, the answer templates contain the data required for the assignment questions. These, together with the additional CS subject data files, are available in the PBOR materials courses on The Hub, but they are also provided here for convenience.

For CS subjects, approaches that can be taken to completing your answer template for questions involving the use of R can be found here for questions involving the use of R.

 

Subject Y1 Answer Template Y1 Data Files Y2 Answer Template Y2 Data Files
CS1 - -
CS2 Y1.3.surv.data.csv Y2.Claims.csv
Y2.SicknessCounts.csv
Subject Y1 Answer Template Y1 Data Files Y2 Answer Template Y2 Data Files
CM1 - -
CM2 - -

Submitting Assignments

We only accept the current version of assignments for marking, ie those published for the sessions leading to the 2025 exams. If you wish to submit your script for marking but only have an old version (in subjects with a one-to-one mapping to a new subject), then you can request the current assignments free of charge provided you meet the conditions below.

Assignments will be provided free of charge only if you have purchased the same paper in the same subject the previous year (ie sessions leading to the 2024 exams), and have purchased marking for the 2025 session.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that an assignment reaches us by the final deadline, although where possible we encourage you to work to the recommended submission dates. Please follow the instructions on each assignment.

Study Guide

Study Guides are available in subjects that have a Combined Materials Pack and contain all the information you need to know before you start studying. Study Guides contain details of the study support available, assignment deadlines, advice on how to study efficiently and the full Syllabus for your subject.

We recommend that you download the Study Guide and read it carefully before deciding which subjects to study and ordering your course material.

Study Guides are contained within the Combined Materials Pack.

You can download a 2025 Study Guide by clicking on the appropriate subject below.

Study Guides for the 2025 exams

* Please note that 2025 Study Guides for South African Exams will be available in a later date.

Core Principles Core Practices Specialist Principles Specialist Advanced South African Exams
CM1 CP1 SP1 SA1 A211
CM2 CP2 SP2 SA2 A213
CS1 CP3 SP4 SA3 A311
CS2 SP5 SA4 F102
CB1 SP6 SA7 F103
CB2 SP7 F105
SP8 F108
SP9

CMP Upgrade

CMP Upgrade

The CMP Upgrade enables you to amend your 2024 CMP to make it suitable for study for the 2025 exams. Where possible, it includes all significant changes to the Core Reading between 2024 and 2025. However, if a large proportion of the material has changed significantly, making it inappropriate to include all changes, the upgrade will only outline what has changed. In this case recommend you purchase a replacement CMP (printed copy or eBook) or Course Notes at a significantly reduced price. The CMP Upgrades are available free of charge for students who have previously purchased a CMP from ActEd.

IMPORTANT: If you download the CMP Upgrade from our website, please also download a copy of the study guide.

You will find below upgrades for 2021/2022, 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025.

CMP Upgrades for 2024/2025

Click on the relevant subject below to download the CMP Upgrade for 2024/2025.

Core Principles Core Practices Specialist Principles Specialist Advanced
CB1 CP1 SP1 SA1
CB2 CP2 SP2 SA2
CM1 CP3 SP4 SA3
CM2 SP5 SA4
CS2 SP6 SA7
SP7
SP9

CMP Upgrades for 2023/2024

Click on the relevant subject below to download the CMP Upgrade for 2023/2024.

Core Principles Core Practices Specialist Principles Specialist Advanced
CM1 CP1 SP1 SA1
CM2 CP2 SP2 SA2
CB1 CP3 SP4 SA3
CB2 SP5 SA4
CS1 SP6 SA7
CS2 SP7
SP8
SP9

CMP Upgrades for 2022/2023

Click on the relevant subject below to download the CMP Upgrade for 2022/2023.

Core Principles Core Practices Specialist Principles Specialist Advanced
CM1 CP1 SP1 SA1
CM2 CP2 SP2 SA2
CB1 SP4 SA3
CB2 SP5 SA4
CS1 SP6 SA7
CS2 SP7
SP8
SP9

CMP Upgrades for 2021/2022

Click on the relevant subject below to download the CMP Upgrade for 2021/2022.

Core Principles Core Practices Specialist Principles Specialist Advanced
CM1 CP1 SP1 SA1
CM2 CP2 SP2 SA2
CB1 CP3 SP4 SA3
CB2 SP5 SA4
CS1 SP6 SA7
CS2 SP7
SP8
SP9

Click on the appropriate subject to download the CMP Upgrade. The files are in Adobe Acrobat format, and you will need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Please note that some of these files are large and you may need to wait several minutes for the document to download fully. Approximate file sizes are shown for those files which are larger than 1MB.

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it here:

Download Acrobat

Corrections

Overview

If you find an error in the course whilst studying, please email an ActEd tutor with details of the problem. Details of how to send a comment or query to an ActEd tutor by email or fax are set out in the Study Guide for every subject.

Please also refer to Frequently Asked Questions.

You will find below corrections for 2023, 2024 and 2025 materials.

Corrections to 2025 materials

Core Principles Core Practices Specialist Principles Specialist Advanced
CS2
updated 16 September 2024
SA2
updated 15 Novemeber 2024
SA4
updated 30 October 2024

Corrections to 2024 materials

Core Principles Core Practices Specialist Principles Specialist Advanced
CM1
updated 21 August 2024
SP4
updated 08 May 2024
SA3
updated 07 November 2023
CM2
updated 04 December 2023
SA4
updated 08 May 2024

Corrections to 2023 materials

Core Principles Core Practices Specialist Principles Specialist Advanced
CM1
updated 29 June 2023
CP1
updated 16 January 2023
SP5
updated 5 January 2023
CM2
updated 23 January 2023
CP3
updated 15 November 2022
SP7
updated 15 September 2022
CS2
updated 14 Sept 2023
F105
updated 10 January 2023
CS1
updated 3 March 2023

The corrections are in Adobe Acrobat format, and you will need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print it. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it here.

Download Acrobat