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CMP length

Did you study for about 400 hours in order to pass?

  • Yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I studied a lot more than 400 hours

    Votes: 2 100.0%

  • I studied a lot less

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    2
A

Anna147

Made first post
Hi all,

I am trying to plan my next exams but apart from recommended study hours it is difficult to find more information. Could you please let me know how long the CMP for CP1 is and what it comprises of? Is it just binders with course notes and questions and solutions as for CB1, for example? I don't have any experience with any of the CP or later exams. Could you please let me know how many binders/pages there are for CP1?

Also, someone told me that the reading is a bit dry. Is it really that bad? I'm considering studying for it over two study sessions. How much time did you study per week? For how many months?

Furthermore, how dependent is it on another subjects? I have not done CM2 and CPs yet. Would I be disadvantaged or is it not important to do them before CP1? For example, they say that CM1 uses some knowledge of CS2, but everything is so well explained in CM1 that no prior knowledge of CS2 is required in my view. So I don't know how much I should care about the prerequisites for CP1.

Thanks!
 
Hi Anna147

Some answers to your questions about studying CP1 …

It is a big course with 39 chapters, including a glossary at the end. Similar to the other subjects you'll have seen, the CMP comprises a study guide, the notes, and the questions for the six Series X Assignments; it's 1362 pages, but there are a fair number of blank pages and, as for other subjects, pages aren't solid text. Having said that, I'd recommend studying this for the first time for the April exams (if you're only going to be able to study it before one sitting).

Regarding the dryness and how much time students spend studying it each week, I'll let other students answer that. I don't think the materials are particularly dry ... but perhaps I'm a bit biased :). What I will say is that CP1 is about breadth not depth so nothing covered should be too complicated to understand. What's really being tested for the later subjects, starting with CP1, is your ability to apply the ideas in the course (and earlier courses) and to generate lots of ideas to answer questions. It's therefore even more important to not spend all your time reading the notes, and to devote a lot of time to practising answering questions to improve your idea generation and application of the course.

As per page 2 of the IFoA's syllabus for the 2024 examinations document (https://actuaries.org.uk/media/r0lb4pk5/cp1_syllabus_final.pdf), CP1 builds on most of the earlier subjects. The ActEd Course Notes are written on the assumption that you have covered these subjects; although key areas are revisited where they are needed. It may be best to have at least read the earlier subjects before attempting CP1 to maximise your chances of passing.

As well as the IFoA's syllabus document mentioned above, you may find the ActEd CP1 Study Guide (included in the CMP) useful: https://www.acted.co.uk/asset/Docs/2024/Study Guide/CP1 Study Guide 2024.pdf

Hopefully my response helps. Other students will be able to give more recent views on what it's like to study CP1.
 
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