The actual amount of time each student needs to spend on a particular subject will vary from student to student. Quality of study time is far more important than quantity of study time. However, the following guidelines are suggested:

Core Technical subjects (CT1-CT8)
Between 125 and 150 hours depending on the subject and an individual student’s past educational background in the subject.

Business Awareness Module (CT9)
30 hours plus two-day course

Actuarial Risk Management (CA1)
400 hours

Model Documentation, Analysis and Reporting (CA2)
20 hours (this assumes that some of the preparation for this module forms part of Work-based skills) plus two-day course

Communications (CA3) course based exam
50 hours plus two-day course

Communications (CA3) written exam
50 hours

Specialist Technical subjects
200 hours

Specialist Applications subjects
300 hours

Specialist Applications subjects taken with UK Practice Modules
320 hours

It is therefore suggested that a reasonable workload for any one study session from September to April might be:

• three Core Technical subjects
• Actuarial Risk Management
• two Specialist Technical subjects
• one Specialist Technical subject and the chosen Specialist Applications subject with the relevant UK Practice Module
• some other comparable combination

The study session from May to September is shorter and so it may be difficult for a student to study at the same rate during this time. A student who studies every session with no failures could be expected to attain Associateship within two years, or Fellowship within three years.