Final Announcement Regarding April/May 2024 Exam Sitting
On May 1, 2024, many candidates had a disrupted exam administration experience due to Pearson VUE technology issues. This included candidates who completed their exam but experienced technical issues, candidates who partially completed their exam with technical issues but who could not submit their final exam, and candidates who could not take their exam at all.
Understanding the importance of exam progress to our candidates and their employers, the CAS decided that all candidates scheduled to sit on May 1 would have the option to reschedule and sit for their exam.
As we close the April/May 2024 Exam sitting and look ahead to the October/November sitting, we understand that candidates have questions about how the results were analyzed and pass marks were set in light of these extraordinary circumstances.
- What information will be released regarding the April/May 2024 Exam sitting?
As is standard practice, the following information will be released for all candidates: number of exams taken, number of exams passed, raw pass ratio, and effective pass ratio.
- How were Pass Marks set for the exams?
The Pass Mark refers to the points required to receive a passing score on the exam form. Pass Marks for the April/May 2024 sitting were set in the same manner as previous exam sittings. CAS Pass Marks are set based on an established set of qualification standards and are not based on the proportion of candidates who will pass or fail. Details on the scoring of exams and determination of the Pass Mark can be found on pages 30-31 of the 2024 Syllabus of Basic Education.
Following the events of May 1, CAS Admissions leadership, which consists of volunteer senior actuaries with extensive experience in the CAS admissions process, worked with staff and psychometricians to conduct a thorough analysis of all data from the April/May 2024 exams. Their analysis included evaluating the best approach to maximize fairness for all candidates, with decisions based on this extensive work and specific to the facts of this situation.
As a result, the CAS Admissions Governance Committee, a standing sub-committee of the CAS Board of Directors, determined that all exam performances would be evaluated in the same manner, including consistent administrative processes and score interpretation.
Given the extreme circumstances of May 1, a priority consideration was to ensure that qualified candidates receive passing scores. We understand the anxiety and uncertainty that this unprecedented situation caused, and we want to assure stakeholders that every decision was made with the candidates in mind.
While we recognize that no approach regarding pass mark selection could have satisfied everyone, our decision was reached after careful consideration and extensive deliberation. It is crucial for the CAS to maintain clear and consistent standards across the board, ensuring that each candidate was evaluated fairly and objectively.
Our commitment to fairness and maintaining the rigor of the CAS examination process guided us throughout this challenging situation. We are confident that these principles have been upheld, ensuring that the integrity of the examination process remains intact.
- Why did CAS offer candidates who tested on May 1 an opportunity to retake the test?
The standard process for CAS exams is that candidates may take an exam once per testing window. If a candidate is not successful in their attempt, they may take the exam again during a later testing window. The disruption that occurred on May 1 was caused by a system error, and therefore, an exception was made for the affected candidates.
May 1 candidates experienced extraordinary circumstances, spending hours waiting for their exam to start, restart, or save their responses properly. Each candidate experienced different levels of disruption. Since the exam records cannot provide a complete picture of the respective experiences, it was decided to offer a retake opportunity. The experiences on May 1 did not provide candidates with a fair opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, and the retake provided candidates with this opportunity.
- How were grievances handled for April/May 2024 Exam candidates?
The CAS adhered to its standard grievance process for all April/May 2024 Exam candidates, including those who rescheduled their May 1 exam, as outlined on the grievances webpage.
With the close of the April/May 2024 Exam Sitting, all exam results are final and no further details about the exam sitting grading process will be released. Final exam statistics, the lists of passing candidates, and post exam summaries will be published by the end of August.
Registration for the October/November 2024 administration for CAS exams MAS-I, MAS-II, 5, 6-Canada, 6-International, 6-United States, and 8 is expected to open on August 5.
In closing, we are confident that our commitment to fairness and maintaining the rigor of the CAS examination process has been upheld, ensuring that the integrity of the examination process remains intact. Thank you to all of our candidates and stakeholders for your patience and support as we worked through this situation.
Sincerely,
Frank Chang, FCAS
CAS President
William Wilder, FCAS
CAS VP-Admissions
