I have spoken before about lower exam pass rates outside the UK and our commitment to supporting these learners in their path to qualification.
I have spoken before about lower exam pass rates outside the UK and our commitment to supporting these learners in their path to qualification. The CP3 communications examination (previously CA3) has been a particular sticking point in this regard. With this in mind, our education team set off to South-East Asia in March for a pilot that saw 48 students across Kuala Lumpur and Singapore taking part in a one-day tutorial with an optional mock exam to see if a little extra support could narrow this gap.
Of these students, 42 went on to sit the examination in April 2018; those attending only the tutorial achieved a 71% pass rate, while those who took the additional opportunity of a mock exam had a pass rate of 82%. This compares to the UK pass rate of 70%. A small sample, but a significant increase nonetheless.
We are taking our time to analyse the pilot properly and will be considering the opportunities for a more scalable intervention in the near future. This is one more step to building a stronger support network for our learners to help get them through exams - while still maintaining the high standards you expect from IFoA qualifications.
Derek Cribb is the chief executive of the Institution and Faculty of Actuaries.