# Fall 2020 Exam 7 Sitting **URL:** \ **Category:** CAS Exam 7\ **Created:** [September 23, 2020, 12:05am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296 "2020-09-23T00:05:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 42
**Author:** ![act\_123](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/bbce88/32.png) [@act\_123](https://community.goactuary.com/u/act_123)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 2:54pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/973 "2021-01-27T14:54:20Z")
You must admit that this is different than in the past. In the past they gave us around a month notice when the release date is. If it is going to be next week, they should know by then. Although maybe it is in two weeks (or before February 15th) and early February needs to be read liberally. There seems like there is something preventing them from telling us when they will release grades. Maybe they have no idea because they are arguing over pass rates and no one is comfortable yet. Seems strange. ---
**Author:** ![resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/u/resact26)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/974 "2021-01-27T15:04:20Z")
Sounds like there are “objections to the certification of the count”. ---
**Author:** ![NormalDan](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/normaldan/32/1013_2.png) [@NormalDan](https://community.goactuary.com/u/NormalDan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/975 "2021-01-27T15:06:34Z")
Ted Cruz strikes again ---
**Author:** ![Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/vorian_atreides/32/65623_2.png) [@Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Vorian_Atreides)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/976 "2021-01-27T15:06:40Z")
It’s been mentioned elsewhere . . . and I think it’s been mentioned here as well (not going to search myself 🤷‍♂️) . . . This is the first time that the CBT was done for **all** upper level CAS exams. As a result, there is likely to be a lot more scrutiny being done on results to both understand what went on and to establish a baseline of what to look for in future sittings. On top of that, in the past, work on grading and reviewing exam results did not conflict with timing of when volunteers need to devote more time to their actual jobs (case in point, we’re currently going through year-end activities). And I think it is this latter dynamic as to why this time around the CAS isn’t giving a similar “definitive” time frame for releasing results because the volunteers aren’t going to “drop everything” just to meet that sort of deadline . . . and the CAS isn’t going to alienate their volunteers to make a bunch of candidates “happy”. The fact that the CAS **did** extend the testing window was a consideration given to the students. I think it’s only fair that the students reciprocate and allow the volunteers attend to their jobs when there is a very tight timeline for them to get their work done . . . and done professionally. ---
**Author:** ![resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/u/resact26)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:08pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/977 "2021-01-27T15:08:28Z")
> [@Vorian\_Atreides](#): > > On top of that, in the past, work on grading and reviewing exam results did not conflict with timing of when volunteers need to devote more time to their actual jobs (case in point, we’re currently going through year-end activities). They knew about this from almost 7 months ago and should have planned accordingly. Year-end work happens routinely at the beginning of every year. That shouldn’t have been a surprise. How about setting a target and finding the resources to meet that target? Contingency planning? Sounds actuarial to me. ---
**Author:** ![act\_123](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/bbce88/32.png) [@act\_123](https://community.goactuary.com/u/act_123)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:09pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/978 "2021-01-27T15:09:27Z")
I agree with everything you said. I still don’t think that addresses why they can’t give us a timeline. If they know it’s next week, they should say that. I find it hard to believe they won’t know until the day before it is released. The final meetings are scheduled in advance… I imagine it isn’t easy to get everyone in those meetings at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/u/resact26)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:10pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/979 "2021-01-27T15:10:25Z")
> [@Vorian\_Atreides](#): > > The fact that the CAS **did** extend the testing window was a consideration given to the students. I think it’s only fair that the students reciprocate and allow the volunteers attend to their jobs when there is a very tight timeline for them to get their work done . . . and done professionally. Again. Almost no one took exams on 12/31. The proportion of people who got pushed because of closures is not material. ---
**Author:** ![resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/u/resact26)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/980 "2021-01-27T15:14:48Z")
> [@act\_123](#): > > The final meetings are scheduled in advance… I imagine it isn’t easy to get everyone in those meetings at the same time. Still struggling to understand why these meetings are so hard to plan. When you’re working and you have a quarterly meeting that you know about in advance, what do you do? You put it on the calendar in advance. If you said, “maybe someone had to reschedule at the last minute” then I totally understand that. But again, they knew about this from 7 months ago. How is it “hard” to schedule a meeting and invite the people who need to be there? Those who aren’t available will decline and then you keep rescheduling till you get a time that works for everyone, just like you do on Microsoft Office. ---
**Author:** ![Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/vorian_atreides/32/65623_2.png) [@Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Vorian_Atreides)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:16pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/981 "2021-01-27T15:16:18Z")
7 months ago, the plan was doing the grading in Dec. Come late Nov, that changed. If you think it’s a simple matter of “there’s only a few more Exams to grade”, I’m sure that this isn’t the case based on my conversations with other graders. Considerable time is spent on reconciling scores for those who are on the cutoff for passing. And this isn’t done until after all exams are graded. So the review of results by the Exam Chair doesn’t take place until mid-Jan . . . with the Board review taking place, after this review . . . not to mention the back-and-forth. The CAS did give a timeline. It’s just not for a specific time. They’re working within the constraint of their volunteers and the volunteers (many at this point are AVP, VP, Chief Actuary, etc.) also do not have a solid timeframe for their work responsibilities as they’re also held accountable by company executives. ---
**Author:** ![Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/vorian_atreides/32/65623_2.png) [@Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Vorian_Atreides)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/982 "2021-01-27T15:17:58Z")
Let us not also forget that 2020 presented weird results due to COVID . . . and that is not something that is easily addressed in a single meeting. (This part I know from doing reserve work for my own company.) And this will add to the uncertainty of when the CAS volunteers work responsibilities are going to end. ---
**Author:** ![resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/u/resact26)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/983 "2021-01-27T15:18:16Z")
> [@Vorian\_Atreides](#): > > The CAS did give a timeline. It’s just not for a specific time. They’re working within the constraint of their volunteers and the volunteers (many at this point are AVP, VP, Chief Actuary, etc.) also do not have a solid timeframe for their work responsibilities as they’re also held accountable by company executives. Well then that’s on them. They need to find people who can make the time or pay for it or rethink their business model. ---
**Author:** ![NormalDan](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/normaldan/32/1013_2.png) [@NormalDan](https://community.goactuary.com/u/NormalDan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/984 "2021-01-27T15:19:12Z")
> [@resact26](#): > > They need to find people who can make the time or pay for it or rethink their business model. Where do you think the money to “pay for it” comes from? And business model… of a non-profit professional organization. ---
**Author:** ![resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/u/resact26)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:26pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/985 "2021-01-27T15:26:25Z")
I trust actuaries to be creative in finding ways to optimize funds. They’re more than qualified to do that but I think we can end the discussion here. They failed in their execution this time around as they have in the past. So be it. I’ll look out for results in a week or two. ---
**Author:** ![AgentF](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/agentf/32/2304_2.png) [@AgentF](https://community.goactuary.com/u/AgentF)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:27pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/986 "2021-01-27T15:27:24Z")
One clarifying comment to make; those of us who have our ACAS’s aren’t “candidates”. ---
**Author:** ![resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/u/resact26)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:27pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/987 "2021-01-27T15:27:39Z")
I simply can’t understand why the SOA doesn’t have any of the issues that the CAS does. Do they charge higher dues? ---
**Author:** ![resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@resact26](https://community.goactuary.com/u/resact26)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/988 "2021-01-27T15:28:06Z")
Yeh you know what I meant. People sitting for exams. ---
**Author:** ![NormalDan](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/normaldan/32/1013_2.png) [@NormalDan](https://community.goactuary.com/u/NormalDan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/989 "2021-01-27T15:28:57Z")
> [@resact26](#): > > Do they charge higher dues? Yes I believe so. They also don’t make the source material publicly available for free, as well as other funding schemes. ---
**Author:** ![NormalDan](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/normaldan/32/1013_2.png) [@NormalDan](https://community.goactuary.com/u/NormalDan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/990 "2021-01-27T15:29:12Z")
> [@resact26](#): > > SOA doesn’t have any of the issues that the CAS does Probably a bold assumption ---
**Author:** ![amp](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/amp/32/173_2.png) [@amp](https://community.goactuary.com/u/amp)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/991 "2021-01-27T15:29:36Z")
The SOA also takes around 12 weeks to publish exam results for the fellowship exams ---
**Author:** ![AgentF](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/agentf/32/2304_2.png) [@AgentF](https://community.goactuary.com/u/AgentF)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296/992 "2021-01-27T15:29:38Z")
I was replying more to VA. I think we exam sitters need to have some grace and understanding that those grading are volunteers. I also think this wait is ridiculous and if the CAS only thinks of us as “candidates” that’s disappointing. [Previous page](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296.md?page=41) [Next page](https://community.goactuary.com/t/fall-2020-exam-7-sitting/296.md?page=43)