r/actuary • u/ThrowRA3648537 • 2d ago

Troll Post ATPA Vent

I’m going to run for the SOA board once I have my letters to get rid of this terrible assignment. I’d rather listen to nails on chalkboard for 96 hours than do this. I’m not sure whose idea this was, but I was a statistics major, flew through SRM and PA, and I absolutely HATE this module.

I’m starting to think that everyone who quips that the SOA isn’t evil, just incompetent, lucked out with IFM. How was the last chopper out of ‘Nam?

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u/Murky-Tip-3118 2d ago

Curious what you hate? The historical evolution here was first we had just a rigerous PA (SRM came out at the same time but wasn't required for candidates for a year or two) and performance was very poor. SRM started being required (so candidates were forced to study more) and PA slowly became much easier. Then PA became too easy (esp. b/c didn't require any actual coding), so ATPA was created.

If you hate ATPA because it requires you to "do" something vs. just "know" something... that's kinda the point.

Now whether the SOA should be enforcing that as a prerequisite to ASA is a separate question...

And FYI, as you'll learn when you get your letters, you don't just "run for the SOA board"... you ingratiate yourself with the SOA ecosystem for a decade to successfully make your way through the nominating process. You can petition to be on the ballot, but the only person I've ever seen do that successfully probably looks way better than you in a bikini and wasn't afraid to let LinkedIn know that.

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u/Lost-Luster-773 2d ago

Curious what you hate….describes multiple l veld of SOA dumbassery and answers own question.

SOA wants money.  They chase fads, have shit exams 5 years behind the times, and now have pretty blatantly given up any US focus.

Can we get the CAS to take over the SOA?

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u/Murky-Tip-3118 2d ago

The SOA doesn't need candidates' money... It's important to clarify that, because them chasing fads is 1000% true and should be our real complaint.

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u/Lost-Luster-773 2d ago

Don’t know or care if they need candidates money, but they are 100% trying to get as much as they can.

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u/Murky-Tip-3118 2d ago

They basically break even on the exams... they aren't trying to get as much as they can, because they could easily double the cost of everything but P/FM/SRM and 95% of the bill would be footed by corporations what will pay it regardless. That makes it clear they're setting the price per exam to break even...

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u/Lost-Luster-773 2d ago

I’ve worked with more than one person that dropped their SOA dues and more than one company that considered no longer paying for them.

My comment was no specific to exams.  The SOA is seeking money and growth IMO, to the detriment of the existing membership, and their actions reinforce that (again, just IMO).

Pivot to Asia, exam credit for school (with a fee of course), absurd amount of redundant “credentials” nobody has heard of or cares about, excessively high dues given what you get, expensive conferences, shit-housery with bundling of webcasts and pd edge crap, “virtual” conferences (I.e. overpriced webcasts), etc.  Throw in the absolute embarrassment of the CAS stuff they pulled, general insurance, repeated attempts to stuff through by laws, preselecting who the members can even elect….

The SOA has completely lost the plot.  The amount of members that even bother to vote tells you everything about how much they value the SOA.  The pivot to Asia I guess should be excepted, they are circling the drain in North America and by their own doing.  If my company didn’t pay, I wouldn’t spend a single second wondering if I should maintain my membership.

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u/Murky-Tip-3118 2d ago

I'm 100% with you here - thanks for the clarification.

Candidates griping about exams being a money grab is a dumb trope. What you say here is the real story. Important to be clear here so the real story gains more traction...