In the final month of preparing for an actuarial exam, it feels like you’re studying all the time: taking practice exams, working through problems, drilling flashcards, and reviewing your trusty Exam Cookbook (right?). The stress of exam preparation and studying builds up until exam day. The day after the exam can feel like a sudden change as you finally get a chance to decompress. For me, the exhaustion of all that studying catches up quickly, and I find it hard to do anything productive for the next week.
It’s tempting to shove all your study materials into a corner and forget about them until exam results are released or until you muster the courage to look at the content outline for the next exam. But before you completely move on, you can do a few things in the month after an actuarial exam to set yourself up for success on the next one.
Here’s how to make the most of this post-exam period.
1. Do a Post-Exam Debrief
While the exam is still fresh in your mind, take some time to reflect on how it went. You might be tempted to bury the experience, but a post-exam debrief is a powerful tool for improving your future study strategies.
In the days after the exam, take some time (say 20-30 minutes) to sit down and ask yourself the following sets of questions:
How well the exam went
Did you feel fully prepared for the exam?
Did you make it through the exam in time? If not, do you need to improve your exam-taking strategy?
Did you spend too much time studying for obscure topics that never showed up and not enough time studying the important things?
How well studying went
What went well?
What types of studying (e.g. flashcards, practice problems, …) helped the most?
What types of studying weren’t helpful or a were actually a waste of time?
How well your study schedule worked
- Did you get enough study hours in?
- Was studying crammed towards the end?
- Did you procrastinate often?
- Did you maintain a good sleep and exercise schedule during exam season?
- How well were you able to balance studying with your personal life?
Write down your thoughts—it doesn’t have to be formal, just honest. This reflection will help you identify what worked and didn’t in your preparation process and how to improve your approach for your next exam.
Spending a small amount of time reflecting on how the last exam went will help you study more effectively in the future, making you more likely to pass your next exam without sacrificing your personal life.
2. Let Yourself Rest and Recharge
Studying for an actuarial exam is a marathon, not a sprint. By the time exam day rolls around, your brain is likely running on fumes. After you finish an exam, give yourself permission to rest.
Rest looks different for everyone, so figure out what helps you recharge. For some, that might mean catching up on sleep, binging a new TV series, or taking a mini-vacation. For others, it might mean diving back into hobbies you’ve put on hold, like reading for fun, exercising, or spending time with friends and family.
This downtime isn’t just about recovering from the exam—it’s also about maintaining balance in your life. Actuarial exams are important, but they’re only one piece of your life. Taking care of your physical and mental well-being will make you more effective when it’s time to start studying for your next actuarial exam.
Pro tip:
Don’t feel guilty for taking this time off! Think of it as an investment in yourself. Rest is productive, even if it doesn’t feel that way in the moment. Remember: the actuarial exam journey is long, so don’t burn yourself out by not getting enough rest between exams.
3. Look Ahead to the Next Exam
Once you’ve had at least a few weeks to rest, you’ll likely be thinking about what exam’s coming next. It may be too early to dive right back into studying, but the post-exam period is a great time to do some light planning for the next exam.
For the CAS exams, you may need to wait until exam results are out to know if you’ll be retaking an exam or studying for the next one. However, you can start to look ahead at the content outline for the next exam to get an idea of what topics it covers and what papers are on the exam. See if there are any topics that feel particularly intimidating or interesting. This initial review will give you a sense of what to expect and help you plan your study schedule when the time comes.
This is also a good time to start a free trial and check out the study materials for the next exam. At Rising Fellow, you can download our detailed study schedule from a free trial of our online courses. When you’re ready to get started, you can start an online course and always defer your enrollment to a future sitting if you need to retake the last exam.
Conclusion
The month after an exam is a great opportunity to reflect, recharge, and regroup. By doing a post-exam debrief, giving yourself time to rest, and planning your next steps, you can set yourself up for success—not just for the next actuarial exam, but to get through the rest of your CAS exams to earn your FCAS.
So, take a breath. Celebrate the fact that you made it through another exam, and trust that the effort you’re putting in now will pay off in the long run. You’ve got this!