I passed SDM in the fall 2022 sitting and would highly recommend XP. XP gives the best exam-specific instruction out of any other study material I’ve purchased. Steve has put together a study package that really is all-encompassing. SDM is unique as an exam and can be difficult to study for without something like XP. The best part of the study package is Steve’s personal touch; Steve will review practice exams and give focused feedback which is something I haven’t seen anywhere else.
Steve and XP are personally invested in your success. I had failed with a 5 four times and Steve definitely helped get me over the hump. I would recommend XP for SDM to anyone taking the exam: first attempt or Nth attempt.
I just passed SDM on my first try and would also highly recommend XP! Steve was always available for questions and what I found the most helpful was the personalize feedback after the practice exam which really helped me make sure my last stretch of studying was as effective as it could be. The overall study package with videos, study manual, and flashcards were all encompassing to help prepare no matter what your preferred study method is. I also found the practice problems and exams to be at a good level for preparing for the actual exam. Good luck to all those who sit in the future!
Just some stats on the Fall sitting:
49 writing SDM (all thinking they would pass because they have passed ERM and/or CFEFD)
20 pass =41% pass rate overall
XP students pass rate: 14/23 = 61% non-XP students pass rate: 6/26 = 23%
Almost 2.5x better odds of passing with XP than without
Regardless of whether you sign up for XP or not, know that SDM is a bigger challenge than ERM or CFEFD because you are up against much stronger students. Do not take this exam lightly!
I also used XP Actuarial and passed SDM on my first try. I used PAK for ERM and CFE. The biggest reason I decided to go with XP Actuarial for SDM is because of the extremely detailed, prompt feedback Steve provides on practice answers. Steve even provided detailed feedback on an entire practice exam I took. Steve specializes in this exam and his knowledge shows. I’m very happy with the support I got.
This exam is, to quote a knowledgeable source, “quite likely the most difficult professional exam in the world.”
Prior to working with Steve, I scored 760+ on the GMAT (99th percentile, graduate management admission test) twice; owned a tutoring company focused on standardized testing; and had little difficulty making the top 20% in speed to ASA on actuarial lookup.
You should know that in spite of all that and stellar career performance; I have only just passed SDM on my 9th attempt. (Yes, ninth.) Steve has a methodology and feedback process, which allowed me to turn this corner hard.
The April 2023 sitting was my first approach working with XP. This exam contains massive latitude for subjectivity. The candidate pool is probably smarter than you can honestly imagine. The combination of each makes it extremely potent in its ability to humble anyone.
Proceeding through this exam without strict attention and adherence to Steve’s advice will only delay your effective progression to the skill set necessary to pass the exam.
It isn’t about how smart you are, how much you know, or what you have done at work. It is entirely about answering exactly the question asked and Steve is the best resource available to ensure you know EXACTLY what that looks and feels like.
I just found out that I passed SDM on my first attempt and I could not possibly have done it without XP Actuarial. Steve is the most incredible instructor imaginable for this very challenging exam. I sent in several practice questions and exams for feedback, Steve would respond within the day, with a 30 minute video explaining different things I could improve and focus on. Steve helped me focus on answering skills and time management, more than just the material of the exam.
I truly could not have done this without Steve, and this really is a must use resource for anyone writing SDM.
I got my pass for Spring 2023 SDM yesterday (first attempt) and XP Actuarial in my eyes is THE choice for SDM.
Top reasons I would recommend XP Actuarial:
Engaging lectures. Steve isn’t interested in just reading the material to you, he offers so many new ways for you to look at things. SDM is not a conceptual exam; it’s an exam about how the concepts from reading are applied to companies in practice, so Steve’s approach is to say “hey here’s a real company that you’re familiar with that employs this strategy, and here’s how it looks” so you can see how everything connects together. This makes it way easier to recognize those strategies when one of the case study companies uses them on the exam.
Personalized feedback. The weekend before the exam, I submitted a practice exam to Steve, and within 12 hours he sent back very detailed feedback including a custom 20 min video going through my answers and recommending where to focus efforts in the last few days of studying (both in terms of knowledge and answering skills). Leading up to exams I emailed him several questions and he always responded very quickly with clarifications and explanations.
Study manual isn’t just a reprint of the books/notes. While you can’t get away with just the study manual (you actually have to do all the source reading), Steve is very good at summarizing the key points of the material so you can refresh your knowledge easily, and he also provides some great insights.
Other things I like:
Audio flashcards. I’m not huge on flashcards/memorization in general but these were great for a quick refresher while working or driving.
Attention given to answering skills. In my opinion, this is the thing I had overlooked most in my prior exam history so XP Actuarial’s focus on this was incredibly helpful.
Overall, can’t speak highly enough about XP Actuarial for SDM! Thanks Steve!
I just found out I passed the spring 2023 SDM and it’s in large part due to XP Actuarial. This is the only fellowship exam I passed on the first try and that’s because rather than just regurgitate the source material, Steve has taken the time to not only explain the material but also provide real world examples of the concepts to help with understanding. An invaluable part of the course is the feedback Steve provides on practice exams and questions. He responded with personalized video feedback within a day of submission and I believe that was the key to my success on the exam since it helped me focus on my weaker areas in the last weeks leading up to the exam. I was recommended XP Actuarial by a coworker and I will definitely be recommending it to anyone who is sitting for SDM in the future.
I just passed for the Spring 2023 sitting using XP Actuarial, and I could not do it without Steve’s help.
I chose XP because unlike a lot of other study packages that were available, Steve’s study notes were clearly put together with a lot of thoughts. His notes were fun to read. Instead of simply listing all the materials, XP notes read like the instructor was talking to me.
I passed all the other exams on my first attempt, except for SDM. I sat for Fall 2022, and got a 5. It was very different from all the other exams. I couldn’t understand why I failed, but when I read through Steve’s skills for passing SDM, I realized why. So when I studied again for Spring 2023 sitting, I timed the practice exam, and sent Steve my answers. He responded within 24 hours with a video feedback, going through my answers one by one, and pointing out which area I need to work on. I sincerely believe his feedbacks were the key for me to pass.
It was amazing to take an online course, with an instructor that’s always there to help. His guidance were customized for each student, and he was always there. I would recommend XP for SDM to anyone who is taking in the future.
I attempted SDM for the first time in Spring 2023. Thanks to diligent studying and note-taking, as well as XP Actuarial, it was my last time taking SDM. I actually received my best fellowship exam score ever - an 8 - after getting by with a few 6’s in my previous passes.
I found that the most helpful part of the XP product was the application questions and the special assignments for Business Dynamics and DMD. They forced me to practice digging through the case study and to think about my responses through the critical lens that is necessary for this exam. XP also has material on answering skills, which would have been valuable for my earlier written exams, but answering skills probably helped me get those extra points to pass comfortably on SDM.
I would never say that this exam was “easy” but knowing I had this fantastic product on my side going into exam day was a huge confidence boost and made it feel like a breeze. It felt like some hyperphysical force was guiding my hands and fingers to type the responses, when in reality it was just the quality of my preparation and answering skills thanks to XP.
Just got the pass today! I took the October 23’ sitting. I definitely recommend XP and using Steve’s services. He was always quick to answer questions, provide feedback, and do regular check-ins. My favorite part of the package was the exam answering skills which I know I’ll take to the next one. The way that the videos and study guide have analogies to different things also helped out a lot.
This exam is NOT easy. You will have to give it your all. It will take a lot of diligence. Steve’s program really was the perfect one to help push me along, and keep me focused. So a huge thank you to XP!
Passed the October 2023 sitting. I would highly recommend using XP Actuarial for SDM, it is well worth the cost. It definitely is a huge step up than other competitors in the CFE Track space.
Steve is an excellent instructor and provides tailored videos with great feedback, frequent check-ins and custom practice problems to help you prepare for the exam.
I felt prepared going into this exam due to the conciseness of the XP Actuarial manual + sheer amount of great custom problems that emulate exam style questions.
Thank you for helping me pass the exam. I tried several times before getting your help and not just failed, I could not even predict how I did on the exam when getting out of it. The attempts that I felt better about, I got worse marks. My main difficulty was to understand what is expected from me. Working with you finally gave me the clarity. Being able to ask someone questions and to have someone to give feedback for my answers on practice questions made all the difference. Don’t know what my grade is yet, but half of it is yours. Thank you.
Just got the result today and I passed. Thanks to Steve and his useful course. The practice exams are extremely useful especially when you get the feedbacks specifically for you.
Thanks again and good luck to everyone who is attempting.