2023 CAS Candidate Survey Summary

Candidate Survey Summary

The CAS conducted its third bi-annual Candidate Survey in July 2023. The survey was developed by volunteers and staff from the Candidate Advocate Working Group (CAWG) in partnership with Association Research, Inc. (ARI). The Candidate Survey provides a significant opportunity to obtain candidate input across the full range of CAS activities and gives voice to recommendations from one of our key stakeholders—the candidates.

The survey results provide the CAS leadership and staff with valuable feedback to understand the current cohort of candidates and improve the experience for future candidates.

Response Breakdown:

Sent to 5,052 Active Candidates

  • 1,020 Responses (20.2% Response Rate)
  • It is worth noting the increase in responses compared to 2021 when 8.8% of active candidates completed the survey.

30 Countries Represented

  • United States: 692 (68.2%)
  • Canada: 180 (17.7%)
  • China: 42 (4.1%)
  • Other: 106 (10%)

Certification Status

  • Candidate pursuing ACAS: 609 (59.7%)
  • ACAS pursuing FCAS: 370 (36.3%)
  • ACAS not pursuing FCAS: 41 (4%)

While the candidates’ rating of overall satisfaction with the CAS has remained fairly consistent with prior surveys, the exam and credentialing process continues to be an area of opportunity for increasing candidate satisfaction. The survey revealed that travel time is the biggest issue impacting candidate satisfaction with the CAS. Candidates also expressed concerns around exam changes and not releasing past exam questions with solutions.

A positive finding from the survey was that the vast majority of candidates pursuing an ACAS credential are planning to take exams until they receive the credential (90.7% strongly agree/agree), and more than three-quarters of candidates working toward an FCAS credential (77.7% strongly agree/agree) say the same.

The CAS Board of Directors reviewed and discussed the Candidate Survey results and key themes during its May meeting. Thank you to all the candidates who took the time to complete the survey last summer.

About the Candidate Advocate Working Group (CAWG)

The role of the CAWG is to serve as a direct point of contact for candidates to engage with the CAS and admissions working groups by sharing their thoughts and feedback. The CAWG advises candidates of resources available to them, serves as the voice of the candidates to the CAS and authors the quarterly Future Fellows newsletter to engage candidates and provide information on topics of importance.