Exam Delivery Methods:
How are the exams administered?
All non–CBT exams are administered as paper and pencil. Please see the exam home page for exam center addresses and Rules and Regulations.
Address Changes:
How do I change my address for mailing purposes?
To change your address on our database, e–mail the correct information to the Customer Service Center at customerservice@soa.org and please put "Address Change" in the subject line of your e–mail. Include your full name, date of birth and/or your previous address for positive identification. You may notify the Customer Service Center directly at 888.697.3900.
Applications:
When is the registration deadline?
Your application(s) must be received on or before March 25 for the Spring session, and September 24 for the Fall session. Applications for all exams received after the deadline will not be accepted. You will be contacted by the SOA if your application is denied due to a late delivery. We encourage you to register online, by fax, or use an overnight delivery service. Applications are processed in the order they are received. Once your registration is processed, you will receive an e–mail notification which will serve as your Ticket of Admission. NO additional Ticket of Admission will be mailed or e–mailed for any exam.
Calculators:
What are the approved calculators and how can I obtain one?
You may use the battery or solar powered Texas Instruments BA–35 model calculator, BA II Plus, BA II Plus Professional Edition, TI–30Xa, or TI–30X II (IIS solar or IIB battery), or TI–30X MultiView (XS Solar or XB Battery). You may use more than one of the approved models during the examination. Upon entrance to the examination room, candidates must show the supervisor that the memory has been cleared for all of the calculators brought in. Calculator instructions are not allowed in the exam room. For the BA II Plus and the BA II Plus Professional Edition, clearing will reset the calculator to the factory default settings. Candidates are responsible for resetting their calculator. You can purchase calculators at any office supply store or directly from: Texas Instruments at Epsstore.ti.com.
For the Enrolled Actuaries (EA) examinations, candidates may use any model that meets the specifications of the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries as follows: "Candidates for the EA exams are permitted to use calculators which (1) have self–contained power sources; (2) are noiseless; and (3) do not have the capability to retain text."
Candidate Numbers:
I've misplaced my candidate number and want to check if I passed, what can I do?
If you have lost or misplaced your Acknowledgement Letter/Ticket of Admission indicating your candidate number, you can reprint it or contact the Customer Service Center at 888.697.3900. Please confirm your full name, date of birth and clearly indicate which exam you are requesting the number for.
Change of Center:
How do I request a change of center?
If you should require a change of center after the registration deadline date you must contact the Exam Department by phone at 847.706.3593 for approval or e–mail your request to Jeremy Webber including your full name, birth date, brief explanation including requested exam center and payment information. Center changes are contingent on availability at the new location requested. There is a non–refundable fee of $60 due at the time of the approved request. Candidates are not allowed to walk in to take an exam at a center where they have not registered.
Exam Fees:
How can I tell if my exam fees have been paid?
Can I still take exams with a balance due on my account?
Applications paid using a check take approximately two weeks to clear the bank, once they are received. At that time they are entered into our database. Credit card payments are charged on a first–come first–serve basis. Candidates who register online using a credit card are processed immediately.
Candidates who use a company check or corporate credit card to pay for their exams are encouraged to check with their employers to be sure that a payment was sent on their behalf well ahead of the deadline date.
If there is a balance due on your account due to insufficient funds or a declined charge transaction, an invoice will be sent to you.
A candidate taking exams in the Spring and Fall session may take an exam while having an outstanding balance. Every effort should be made to clear up exam fees prior to the exam date.
Candidates will not be allowed to register for a future exam until past due exam fees and administration fees for a cancellation are settled.
Exam Locations
Where can I find out the address of the exam center?
Do exam locations ever change prior to exam day?
For paper and pencil exams: The exact address of your exam can be found on the exam home page.
Exam locations can change from the time they are confirmed up until exam day. The candidate is responsible for checking for any changes up until exam day. No notices will be sent.
Exam Times:
What time do the exams start and how long are they?
For exact dates and times, please see the exam home page.
To avoid scheduling conflicts, please allow yourself enough time before and after the exam in the event of a delay.
Please note the following procedures for the timing of the exams:
Supervisors are asked to open the exam room one–half hour before the scheduled start time to allow for admission procedures.
Once check–in is completed or at the scheduled start time the supervisor should begin reading the exam instructions aloud.
Exam times listed do not include check–in, reading of instructions, or the collection of materials at the end of the exam. Essay exams have a designated read–through time prior to the start of the actual timing of the exam.
When all check–in procedures, verbal instructions and read–through times (if applicable) are completed, the supervisor will "re–set" the exam clock to the scheduled start time–the candidates will be instructed to begin work.
Candidates will be given the full amount of exam time according to the "re–set" clock to complete the exam.
Grades:
When can I expect to receive my examination results?
Grades are released approximately six to eight weeks after the examination date for the Spring and Fall exam sessions. On the day the grades are released, results are posted on the SOA exam results Web page. You will need your candidate number to obtain this information.
- Approximate dates for the release of results are:
- Spring Exams: released in the month of July.
- Fall Exams: released in January of the following year.
To access your grade, please go to our visit our SOA Exam Results Web page. You can then select Online Transcript Access and type in your user name and password. Select the exam and click on the Grade Slip. If you would like to view/print your full transcript, click on view transcript and print off the full transcript of all passed exams. Please contact the Customer Service Center by phone 888.697.3900 or by e–mail if you have any additional questions.
Final grade results for all examinations will be released to the online transcript facility only. Grade slips will not be mailed.
Refunds:
How do I obtain an examination refund?
If you have registered for but will not be taking the exam, you may cancel your order and request a refund. To cancel your order go to My Account, then select View Order History, enter your user name and password, and select the order you wish to cancel from your order summary. Click the cancellation button and complete the form to submit your refund request. There is an administrative fee applied to all cancellation/refunds and the balance will be refunded in two–to–four weeks. The cancellation button will only be available through the refund request deadline date. You may also request a refund by e–mail refund@soa.org by the deadline date set for each session.
A $100 administrative fee is assessed on all cancellation requests for each exam.
Note: The administrative fee will be charged even if payment has not been made. For example: if a credit card is declined and then the candidate cancels the exam, the candidate will still be responsible for paying the $100 administrative fee.
Refunds will be processed in the order in which they are received. Refunds will be returned in the payment form that accompanied the original exam application. If your employer paid your exam fee, the employer will receive the refund on your behalf.
Signature:
I have sent in a faxed application. Do I need to send in an original signature?
Signatures are valid if sent in by fax, online, or on an original application. There is no need to send in an additional application.
Special Arrangements for Candidates With Disabilities:
Whom should I contact?
To request special accommodations for the SOA exams a candidate must submit a written request and medical documentation by the registration deadline.
Additional documentation may be required depending on the nature of the disability and the arrangements requested.
For more information contact Jane Lesch.
Acknowledgement Letter/Ticket of Admission:
When can I expect Acknowledgement Letter/Ticket of Admission?
Your Acknowledgement Letter/Ticket of Admission will be e–mailed to you automatically once your application has been processed and it will include your candidate number and your exam center number. No other Ticket of Admission will be e–mailed or mailed to you. The Acknowledgement Letter/Ticket of Admission serves as your receipt.
Applications are processed in the order they are received. It may take a few weeks to enter your application due to the volume of applications being received.
If you receive an Acknowledgement Letter/Ticket of Admission that contains incorrect information, notify the Customer Service Center at 888.697.3900.
If you have not received or have misplaced your Acknowledgement Letter/Ticket of Admission, you can reprint one. Or contact the Customer Service Center at customerservice@soa.org for assistance.
E–mailed Acknowledgement Letters/Tickets of Admission should be printed and used for admittance into the exam, along with proper identification.
Transcripts:
How do I obtain an official transcript?
You can now obtain your transcript online from our SOA Web site. You will also find FAQ's specifically for the online transcripts from the link given.
Online Registration:
Can everyone who wants to take an exam register online?
Anyone with a credit card can use the online exam registration. However, candidates and members will need to register by mail if:
- they are not paying by credit card,
- they are applying for the international discount
- they are registering for an exam for which online registration is not offered.
How do I know if I have registered online successfully?
After you click the "Place My Order" button, an order confirmation page should appear. If it does not appear your order has not been accepted. Please contact the Customer Service Center at customerservice@soa.org for assistance.
I'm having a technical problem with online registration, what do I do?
If you're having technical problems you can contact the Customer Service Center at customerservice@soa.org.
- Hand scoring
What exactly is hand scoring?
I believe there may have been an error in the scoring of my answer sheet for my paper/pencil, multiple–choice exam, how can I go about having it scored again?
Hand scoring is a verification that the scan sheet that was received was scored correctly. It is not a verification of anything that was written in the exam booklet itself nor does this process transfer information from the exam book onto the scan sheet. It is solely a process of confirming that the multiple choice answer sheet was scored correctly.
Applications for hand scoring must be received within 60 days after the exam results are released. Click here for information regarding the hand scoring process and to send an application.
Do not request hand scoring services until you have checked your grade. If you should have any other questions regarding this process, please contact Candace Sheridan at csheridan@soa.org.