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What is the point...communication or just testing your memory

M

Mike_Cy

Member
I am currently studying for my CA3 exam. I don't know if you share the same idea but reading through the notes I got the feeling that:

  1. You must not think as an actuary.
  2. All information and the solution to the question are explicitly stated in the definition of the problem.
  3. You must not treat these questions as statistical questions. Your actuarial knowledge is only required to make you understand what you are being asked.

Well, I personally disagree. There are basic but important calculations to be made which sometimes prevent you from showing that you are a good communicator as you have nothing to communicate when you have not understood the answer to be communicated. So what is the point...???

From the notes:

People fall the exam if they are not good communicators and do not prepares appropriately. Yes I agree but what happens if can communicate effectively but the question is weird and you cannot answer it?

This is bothers me and makes me spend more time in reading the technical aspect of the question instead of practicing the communication part. For me, as a result if this the objective of the subject which is to communicate collapses.

If you share the same idea and have managed to deal or have found a solution please advice

Thank you

Mike
 
Hi Mike,

I'd have to agree with you on that to a certain extent.

I find that some of the past papers have very easy technical content that any actuarial student should be familiar with, whilst others have content that is specific to one practice area and that not everyone may be familiar with.

I think where the latter is the case, someone not familiar with that practice area is at a disadvantage, as like you say, it takes them more time to figure out the technical content, which is not the point of the Communications exam.

Personally, I think that CA3 should either be practice area specific, or they should already give you the 'answer' in the exam question, so that all you have to do is communicate it. That would, in my opinion be a better test of communications skills.

I don't know whether the new course addresses some of these issues.
 
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