CAS Continuing Education Frequently Asked Questions

You need to comply by December 31st of each year. If by February 1 of the following year you have still not attested, you will automatically be marked as “non-compliant” in the CAS Membership Directory and maybe subject to disciplinary action.

Attest Now

The qualification standard depends on where your actuarial services are used. Please select from our list of Recognized National Standards:

1. United States – AAA Qualification Standard

2. Canada – Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA)

3. United Kingdom – Institute and Faculty of Actuaries CPD Scheme

4. Australia – The Institute of Actuaries of Australia CPD Standard

5. Hong Kong – ASHK By-Law: Continuing Professional Development (Fellows with a Statutory Role in Hong Kong)

6. Malaysia - ASM Continuous Professional Development Handbook (Category 1 – Appointed Actuaries in Malaysia)

7. Mexico – Colegio National de Actuarios (CONAC)

8. Chinese Taipei – Actuarial Institute of Chinese Taipai (AICT)

9. None of the above – Choose the one most relevant to your practic

1. Go to the CAS Web Site home page

2. Click "MY Profile” (which is in the menu at the top of the page).

3. Log in (if you are already logged in, you will jump to the next step).

4. Click “Edit Profile”

5. On the next page, under the heading "CE Compliance Attestation", click Edit.

6. On the next page, click the small Add button at the top right.

7. In the new pop-up window, you will see three drop down menus.

8. Select:

• The year for which you are attesting for:
  • Be careful of the year. If you completed CE in 2023, so that you are qualified in 2024, attest for 2024.
• Whether or not you have complied with the Policy, or if you are not providing actuarial services
• The qualification standard method based on where your actuarial services are being used.
• Click Save, and you are finished.

You need to comply in the first full year following getting your ACAS under the CAS policy. However, many national standards including the AAA’s United States Qualification Standard require you to comply with enough CE credits in the year prior to issuing any statement of actuarial opinion. Since hours spent on basic education counts most new associates will only have to record hours they have already earned to comply with such national standards.

You are not required under the CAS policy to earn Continuing Education credit during the 2022 partial year after your completion of the ACAS requirements, unless required by your Recognized National Standard. You will first be expected to certify your compliance with the CAS Continuing Education Policy as of December 31, 2023 and annually thereafter. However, many national standards including the AAA U.S. Qualification Standard require you to comply with enough CE credits in the year prior to issuing any statement of actuarial opinion. Since hours spent on basic education counts most new associates will only have to record hours they have already earned to comply with such national standards.

No. If you provide actuarial services in the United States, you must comply with the AAA US Qualification Standard (USQS).

Yes. If you provide actuarial services in the United States, you must comply with the AAA US Qualification Standard (USQS) even if you are not a member of AAA.

All ACAS (including those still taking exams) and FCAS members who provide property and casualty actuarial services.

Education to maintain knowledge of applicable standards and principles in the area of actuarial practice of the Statement of Actuarial Opinion. If you sign Statements of Actuarial Opinion required by regulators listed in section 3, you must meet the specific requirements.

An educational activity should be organized (for example, have an agenda) and involve interaction with actuaries or other professionals working for different organizations to be considered “organized” under the AAA Qualification Standard. For example, if you attend a conference with actuaries from other companies. A conference within your company with a speaker from another company also counts.

Yes, provided that the speaker is from another company or actuaries from other companies attend the webinar. In addition, there needs to be the ability to interact with other actuaries, for example, asking questions or live text chat.

No, because there is no opportunity for interaction with actuaries and professionals from other companies.

Anything related to the Joint Code of Professional Conduct (United States), Rules of Professional Conduct (Canada), Actuarial Standards of Practice (“ASOP”), and other professionalism topics, such as ethics. For example, reading an ASOP, attending a session at a conference that reviews ASOPs, or listening to a webinar that discusses ASOP.

Topics not unique to the actuarial profession but improve personal effectiveness in and the ability to succeed in business. These topics may include business writing, presentation, people management, negotiation, persuasion, project management, and leadership skills.

Education that broadens or deepens an actuary’s understanding of one or more aspects of the work an actuary does, expands an actuary’s knowledge or practice in related disciplines that may bear directly on an actuary’s work, or facilitates an actuary’s entry into a new area of actuarial practice.

Yes, all self-study hours qualify as CE, but not as “organized” CE.

Yes, if you attend an interactive preparation seminar or webinar for the actuarial examinations with multiple attendees different companies that time qualifies for “organized” CE.

No, because you still need 3 hours of professionalism topic, 1 hour must be a bias topic, and at least 6 hours must be “organized” activities. However, if your self-study includes 3 hours of professionalism topics you have completed the general CE requirements. You may also need to fulfill the specific CE requirements, depending on your responsibilities.

Typically, no. CAS Town Hall meetings allow actuaries to ask any question and share comments with members of the CAS Board of Directors. If the questions and conversation concern knowledge of applicable standards and principles in the area of actuarial practice, then yes. But if the conversation is about the direction of the CAS or another such topic, then this time does not count.

It depends on the committee. Time spent learning and reading the ASOPs for the professionalism committee count and time spent reading papers on the exam committee counts. However, time spent on the Candidate Liaison Committee or the New Members Committee likely does not count. If the committee adds to your understanding of your job as an actuary, then the time spent counts. If the committee does not, then the time spent does not count. In general, all committees include some administrative time and you should only count the hours that were educational, not all the hours a committee met, no matter what the main topics discussed were.

Yes, hours of continuing education in excess of the annual requirement, including outs of organized activities, may be carried forward one year.

Yes, members must maintain a log of their CE activity to document that they have met the CE requirements of the CAS Continuing Education Policy. The CAS offers a sample CE log that members may use.

The tracker should be sufficient to demonstrate compliance. The following should be included:

• Date of the activity
• Brief description of activity
• Sponsoring organization
• Hours / credits earned
• organized or not
• Whether the credit was self-study or organized
• Subcategory for which credit applies (i.e., professionalism, bias, job-relevant topics, business and management skills)
• Logs should be maintained for a period of at least six years following the calendar year of activity
• Members may wish to retain the log beyond the six-year required period, dependent on specific external reporting requirements and circumstances unique to the actuarial services that were provided, of if required by the Recognized National Standard the member is utilizing.

Members can use the following online tools to keep track of their CE:

• CAS Sample CE Log for Appointed Actuaries spreadsheet
• Log on to www.MyTRACE.organd track your continuing education credits with TRACE.

6 Years

There is a chance that you will be reviewed, so it is important that you keep a tracker of your CE. The CAS randomly audits 1.0% of all CAS members plus the entire Executive Council and Board of Directors.

The CAS will reach out to the members that are randomly selected for the CE Record Review in early February. Members will be contacted at the email address listed on their CAS account.