If you wish to enter for the examinations, you must submit an entry application to the Examinations Team in Oxford by the specified closing date. All applications MUST be accompanied by the correct fee.

Students are asked to read and familiarise themselves with the following exam entry policies, together with the exam entry instructions and exam regulations found on our website, before submitting an application for exam entry.

Candidates are advised that in submitting an entry for the examinations, they confirm having read and understood the exam regulations and policies.

Submission of entry
It is the personal responsibility of candidates to ensure that their entry application and payment has been received before the closing date. This includes candidates that forward their forms to the company accounts department for payment. Candidates are advised to contact the Exams Team before the closing date to confirm receipt.

No allowance will be made for any errors or omissions by candidates, employer or other person, by the postal authorities or failure if transmission by fax or online. Forms received after the closing date will not be accepted.

Confirmation of entry
Candidates entering online may view their confirmation of entry in the ‘Transactions and Personal Information’ section in the members area. For those students that have submitted a form, an electronic confirmation will be sent to each student with a valid email address once the exam entry has been processed, although in some cases this may not be until after the exam entry closing date.

Entry permits
Candidates will receive an entry permit two weeks before the examination containing confirmation of their exam centre and candidate number. Candidates that have not received their entry permit should contact the Exams Team for a copy. Please allow two working days for such requests to be actioned at this busy time.

Candidates are strongly advised to visit the website to check for any important news or updates shortly before the examination sitting.

Fees
Candidates must pay the examination fee at the time of application. Candidates entering via the online service may only provide payment by credit card. Candidates paying by BACS must ensure that the amount arrives in our account BEFORE the exam entry closing date.

Exam entry applications will not be accepted unless the candidate has paid all entrance fees, subscription, tuition, exemption and examination fees that may be due, and has complied with the Examination Regulations and with the requirements of the Bye-Laws of the Faculty or Institute. Forms without a valid payment will not be processed.

Exam centres
Candidates MUST specify the centre at which they intend to sit. Candidates that wish to sit at a centre not listed in the entry instructions or online service are advised to contact the Exams Team before the closing date specified in the exam entry instructions. Requests made subsequently for an alternative centre cannot be considered. Applications indicating a centre not shown as available will not be processed unless this location has been agreed with the Exams Team in advance.

Not all centres are available for online entry. This includes restricted centres such as Horsham Lytham St Annes and York. If the centre you wish to sit at is not listed online, please contact the Exams Team for assistance.

Applications for entry at a full rate centre must include the full rate fee. Reduced rates are not available at full rate centres for any student.

Work Based Skills
If you joined the Profession as a student after 30 June 2004, to be able to transfer to Class of Fellow not only do you need to have completed all your examinations but you also need to have completed all the criteria for Work-Based Skills.

If you have not completed a supervisor form and returned this to us or informed us why you are deferring completion then you will not be able to enter for the examinations. If you need further assistance please contact wbs@actuaries.org.uk

Calculators
Candidates may use electronic calculators in all the examinations subject to certain conditions. 

• Current policy

Entry changes
Candidates must ensure that their entry application is completed with the correct examination(s) and centre location. Changes to exam entries will not be accepted after the closing date for any reason.

Number of attempts
Only two attempts at each subject are available at the reduced rate. Further sittings for that subject will be charged the full rate regardless of exam centre location.

All students have been granted two attempts at the reduced rate for subjects CT4 and CA1 from April 2007 regardless of the number of attempts prior to this date.

Negated attempt
If your attempt to sit an examination paper(s) is suspended, cancelled or otherwise nullified (whether before, during or after the examination sitting itself) the Profession will waive the fee for your next attempt at that paper(s). The Profession reserves the right to decide not to reschedule any examination or to provide any compensation.

Mitigating circumstances
With examination entries totalling approximately 11,000 at each examination session, we understand that some of you may sit examinations in difficult personal circumstances including:

• your own illness or that of close family members
• bereavement within your close circle of family/friends
• some other material facts

Candidates who believe that their examination performance has been affected by mitigating circumstances may notify the Exams Team if they want their circumstances in which they sat their exam taken into account when their script is being marked.

Candidates that have applied for special arrangements may not apply for mitigating circumstances for the same reason.

Applications must consist of a completed application form, an explanatory covering letter and supporting documentation such as a medical certificate or doctor’s note. All applications must be clearly titled ‘Mitigating Circumstances’ and must be sent separately to any other applications or correspondence.

• Application form

Examples of acceptable forms of supporting documentation are:

• Illness/injury – medical certificate or doctor’s note
• Incident/emergency – police or fire certificate
• Death of family member – death certificate or letter from employer
• Unexpected loss of job – letter from employer (termination of contract letter)

Applications must be sent to the following address within three weeks of the examination date:

Mitigating Circumstances Administrator (Exams)
The Institute of Actuaries
Napier House
4 Worcester Street
Oxford OX1 2AW

Applications will be acknowledged by the Exams Team in writing to confirm that the circumstances will be taken into consideration by the examiners prior to the examination results being released.

Special arrangements
We can make special facilities available for students where necessary due to conditions such as RSI, dyslexia, long term and short term injury, etc or if students are unable to sit exams on the scheduled date due to a religious holy day.

All special arrangement applications must consist of a completed application form, an explanatory covering letter and supporting documentation such as a medical certificate, doctor’s note or letter from religious leader. All applications must be clearly titled ‘Special Arrangements and must be sent separately to any other applications (except for exam entry applications) or correspondence.

• Application form

Applications must be returned to the following address:

Special Arrangements Administrator (Exams)
The Institute of Actuaries
Napier House
4 Worcester Street
Oxford OX1 2AW

We regret that the London exam centre cannot accommodate any special arrangements.

Candidates that wish to sit at an alternative venue, which could include their own offices,  because of their requirements must ensure this is stated in the application and each request will be reviewed. We regret that we are unable to provide a separate room at our standard exam centres.

Ongoing conditions: Candidates requiring special arrangements because of disability, dyslexia, RSI and long term injury must inform the Exams Team for each exam entry by providing a completed Special Arrangements application form.

Supporting documentation must be provided for new applications, such as a medical certificate or doctor’s report. Please ensure the supporting documentation is provided with the Special Arrangements application form and, in cases of dyslexia, also includes the recommendation given for extra time.

Whilst the usual closing date applies, we would ask students to submit their applications as soon as possible to allow us to set up appropriate arrangements in good time.

Applications will be kept on file and the same arrangements will be made for each subsequent entry as long as candidates indicate this is still required by submitting the Special Arrangements application form. If any changes to the current arrangements are required, candidates must inform the Exams Team and provide new supporting documentation.

The Profession reserves the right to contact those students requiring special arrangements on a periodic basis to obtain up to date medical information.

Single occasions: If special arrangements are required for a single occasion, i.e. broken hand, wrist, religious holy day etc. candidates are requested to inform us as soon as possible as we may still be able to make suitable arrangements.

The Special Arrangements application form and supporting documentation must be provided in all cases.

Exam entry refunds
Refunds of fees will only be granted to members of the Institute or Faculty of Actuaries (UK) that have paid the full fee and meet the criteria below.

Before the exam entry closing date: Refunds will only be given to those who pay the full fee and submit an application form to the Exams Team on or before the exam entry closing date.

• Application form

Candidates paying special overseas rate fees are not entitled to apply for a refund under any circumstances due to administrative costs.

After the exam entry closing date: Refunds will only be given to candidates who pay the full fee that are unable to sit the exam due to circumstances beyond their control, such as illness or accident. All refunds will incur an administration charge of 20% of the exam entry fee.

Candidates paying special overseas rate fees are not entitled to apply for a refund under any circumstances due to administrative costs.

Refund applications must consist of a completed application form, an explanatory covering letter and supporting documentation such as a medical certificate or doctor’s note. All applications must be clearly titled ‘Refund Request’ and must be sent separately to any other applications or correspondence.

• Application form

Examples of acceptable forms of supporting documentation are:

• Unexpected illness/injury – medical certificate or doctor’s note
• Incident/emergency – police or fire certificate
• Death of family member – death certificate or letter from employer
• Unexpected loss of job – letter from employer (termination of contract letter)

Please note that requests for refunds after the closing date are not automatically granted and each request is considered on an individual basis. The following situations are not acceptable grounds for a refund:

• Very busy at work/not enough time to study
• Not prepared for the exam
• Event on same day - wedding, holiday, business meeting, etc.
• Pre-existing medical condition
• Moving house
• Did not receive entry permit

Applications must be sent to the following address within three weeks of the examination date:

Refund Administrator (Exams)
The Institute of Actuaries
Napier House
4 Worcester Street
Oxford OX1 2AW

Refund requests will not be processed until four weeks after the exams have taken place and candidates will be informed of the outcome in writing.

No refund will be given if a candidate is present for the exam, regardless of whether any of the exam questions were attempted. If candidates feel that they were unable to complete the exam due to illness, it is recommended that they submit an application for mitigating circumstances.

Fees carried forward
Only members of the Actuarial Society of South Africa or the Institute of Actuaries of Australia may be entitled to fees carried forward. In this case, fees will only be carried forward where students have applied for exam entry through these organisations and not directly to the Institute or Faculty of Actuaries in the UK.

Fees will only be carried forward for candidates who pay the full fee that are unable to sit the exam due to circumstances beyond their control, such as illness or accident. All applications will incur an administration charge of 20% of the exam entry fee.

Fees Carried Forward applications must consist of a completed application form, an explanatory covering letter and supporting documentation such as a medical certificate or doctor’s note. Members of ASSA or IAA should contact their representatives directly regarding the application procedure and deadline. ASSA and IAA may set different deadlines so please contact them directly for information.

• Application form

Examples of acceptable forms of supporting documentation are:

• Unexpected ilness/injury – medical certificate or doctor’s note
• Incident/emergency – police or fire certificate
• Death of family member – death certificate or letter from employer
• Unexpected loss of job – letter from employer (termination of contract letter)

Please note that requests are not automatically granted and each application is considered on an individual basis. The following situations are not acceptable grounds for a request:

• Very busy at work/not enough time to study
• Not prepared for the exam
• Event on same day - wedding, holiday, business meeting, etc.
• Pre-existing medical condition
• Moving house
• Did not receive entry permit

Requests will not be processed until four weeks after the exams have taken place and candidates will be informed of the outcome in writing.

Fees will not be carried forward if a candidate is present for the exam, regardless of whether any of the exam questions were attempted. If candidates feel that they were unable to complete the exam due to illness, it is recommended that they submit an application for mitigating circumstances.

Fees carried forward can only be held for a maximum of two sessions. Students may use fees carried forward for any service provided by the profession during this time. If the amount of fees carried forward is not used within this time, the credit will be removed.