Logan Wilbur double sat ALTAM and PA in one exam window—and he passed both! In this article, Logan breaks down his 70/30 study split, his problem-tracking system, and the lessons he'd apply next time.
This past Spring 2026 sitting, I sat for and passed both Exam ALTAM and Exam PA. Even though the months leading up to the exams were filled with long study days and doubts about my ability to pass both, the experience was incredibly rewarding once I learned how to appropriately manage my time.
Studying for two actuarial exams at once was challenging, and it definitely is not for everyone. But once I began to understand the scope of what the exams tested, the goal of passing both in the same month felt achievable with enough motivation.
Studying for two actuarial exams at once was challenging ... but passing both in the same month felt achievable with enough motivation.
The Decision to Double Sit
I knew that taking both exams was going to be a challenge. However, the timing made sense to me. I had recently passed SRM and FAM, so those concepts were still fresh.
PA builds on the material tested in SRM and focuses on applying and communicating these concepts in a written format. Much of the material on PA is identical to what is on SRM, with some exceptions (most notably that time series is not tested on PA). I viewed it as a natural continuation of SRM rather than a brand-new exam.
ALTAM, however, builds heavily on the long-term portion of FAM and introduces a lot of difficult (but interesting) material. It was clear that a significant amount of study time was necessary to pass this exam.
Additionally, I was a college student with a relatively light course load, so I had the flexibility to consistently dedicate time to studying for both exams while balancing my other commitments.
The most important lesson I learned while planning my study days was that double sitting does not mean splitting your time between the exams 50/50.
Planning My Study Schedule
ALTAM is a large exam with new and difficult material in a written format, and it requires significantly more time spent doing problems, improving the speed of solving problems, and practicing with Excel.
Naturally, I decided that I should spend more time on ALTAM and settled on a 70/30 split of my time between ALTAM and PA. To help me stay on track, I decided to track the hours I spent studying for each exam.
My Study Approach for PA and ALTAM
I started studying after receiving the fall FAM results, which gave me just over 3 months to prepare for both exams. Looking back, I would have given myself 4 months to study, which would have meant preparing while waiting for FAM results.
After hours solving computational ALTAM problems, switching to PA's more conceptual and writing-focused material provided a good change of pace.
After spending a couple of hours solving computational ALTAM problems, switching to PA's more conceptual and writing-focused material provided a good change of pace. Although I was studying for two exams, the variety actually made long study sessions feel more manageable.
Exam PA
Despite having somewhat recently taken SRM, I wanted to give myself a full review of the SRM material and anything else that was new on the PA syllabus. To do this, I went through the Coaching Actuaries Learn videos and took brief notes on key concepts and anything I struggled with so that I could revisit them later.
Additionally, I paid close attention to the task example videos because these questions closely resemble the kinds of questions that will be asked on the real exam. It was also helpful to revisit these videos later as the exam got closer.
After doing the above for about 1.5 months, I spent the next 1.5 months reviewing the Coaching Actuaries formula sheet and going through the past PA exams and Coaching Actuaries mock exams. Since the format of PA was different before 2023, I only practiced with the 2023 exams onward.
I chose not to take these mock exams and past exams under exam conditions (except the Coaching Actuaries grading service mock exam) but instead practiced a task and then reviewed the solution like they were practice questions while also grading myself. I felt this helped me learn best since I was able to obtain immediate feedback.
Looking back, I would probably attempt at least a couple more of the mock and past exams under exam conditions so that I could better gauge my exam speed.
Exam ALTAM
For ALTAM, I focused heavily on practice problems. I spent around 60 days doing practice problems after finishing the learning phase.
I began doing quiz problems in section 1, and I struggled with my first few problems. I could not solve them fully and I was spending way more time on them than I should have been. As I did more problems from each section, my speed improved and I was able to solve more parts of each problem.
As I did more problems from each section, my speed improved and I was able to solve more parts of each problem.
For every problem that I did, I would keep track of it in my own Excel sheet that documented the name of the problem, the source (SOA problem or CA problem), my own score, and the topics that I struggled with. This helped me because I could easily reference every single problem that I attempted in one place, and I could see which questions and topics I struggled with so that I could revisit them later.
I frequently referenced the Coaching Actuaries ALTAM formula sheet when first starting problems so that I at least had some idea of how to start the problems. As I got closer to the exam, I would attempt to solve most problems without referencing the formula sheet. I recommend frequently referencing the formula sheet so that you are familiar with every formula that can come up on the exam.
Dos and Don'ts for Future Candidates Considering Double Sitting
Do
- Create a study plan before you begin studying. Taking two exams in the same month does not leave a lot of room to waste time, so having a schedule and sticking to it is very important.
- Prioritize your study time based on each exam's difficulty for you. For me, this meant spending more time studying for ALTAM and less time on PA since I had a strong SRM foundation.
- Maximize partial credit. Both PA and ALTAM benefit from partial credit opportunities if you do not fully know the answer. Write as much down as you can and show as much work as possible so that you can earn as many points as possible from problems you may not know the answers to.
- Schedule your exams as far apart as possible within the exam window. If the schedule allows, maximize the time between the two exams. The extra days allow you to shift your focus to the exam that you still have left to tackle.
Don't
- Neglect studying for one exam while focusing on the other. It is important that you are consistently studying for both exams you are taking so you do not forget the exam content from one of the exams.
- Dwell on the first exam once it is over. Shift your focus to the second exam that you still have to take. What's done is done! Trust in your performance!
- Spend too much time trying to perfect every exam topic. With two exams to prepare for, mastering each and every topic is not an easy task. It is important to build a solid foundation across every topic on each syllabus rather than spending too much time mastering a few topics. Picking and choosing what topics to sacrifice is part of studying the most efficiently for both exams, and it will be up to you what those topics are.
Maximize partial credit. Both PA and ALTAM benefit from partial credit opportunities if you do not fully know the answer.
Final Thoughts
Double sitting Exam ALTAM and Exam PA was one of the most difficult yet rewarding experiences I have had. Double sitting exams is definitely not the right choice for everyone since we all have different priorities and schedules, but with enough time and a well-planned study schedule, passing two exams in the same month is very much achievable.
In the event that you pass only one of the two exams, you will have the foundation and knowledge necessary to tackle the failed exam in the next sitting while also having another exam pass under your belt!
Whether you are studying for Exam ALTAM, Exam PA, both, or any of the other exams, I wish you the best of luck in your studies!
About the Author
Logan Wilbur is a recent graduate of Rutgers University-New Brunswick with a degree in Actuarial Mathematics and minors in Statistics and Quantitative Economics. So far, he has passed Exam P, FM, SRM, FAM, PA, and ALTAM, and is close to obtaining his ASA. During his time at Rutgers, Logan served as President of the Rutgers Actuarial Club and as a Coaching Actuaries Ambassador for the university. He will begin his career at Aon as an actuarial specialist this summer after previously interning with the company.