Campus Club ambassador Jenna Itwaru shares how failing Exam FM on her first attempt became a turning point. See how it helped her rethink burnout, her study habits, and what it really takes to come back stronger!
I recently received my preliminary pass for Exam FM in February 2026. However, I think it is important to talk about exam failures to remind ourselves that we should not let setbacks deter us. It is just as important to learn from disappointments rather than let them define us.
[We should] talk about exam failures to remind ourselves that we should not let setbacks deter us.
Failure on My First Attempt
I first took the exam in October 2025 and unfortunately failed. Many students can relate to being constantly busy during the semester, which often leads to stress. Various obligations demanded a lot of my time and energy, and at one point, it became really hard to balance everything.
During the week of my October exam sitting, I had projects, assignments, and multiple midterm exams. I was struggling to study while balancing classes, work, and time to rest. By the time the exam came around, I was not as prepared as I should have been because the quality of my study hours had diminished due to burnout.
At first, I took the failure hard because it felt like I had wasted all my time and effort studying, and I dreaded having to pay to register again. I was glad that Coaching Actuaries has a pass guarantee, because it was one less thing to stress about while facing that failure.
What is important is learning from what we can control.
Setting Myself Up for Success
I realized how much harm came from trying to do more than I could handle, so I decided to retake the exam in February to avoid repeating similar conflicts with the semester’s exam season.
I used my entire winter break to study without the outside stressors of a hectic semester, and I was able to feel more at ease with a less daunting study schedule. I loved the structure and support of the Coaching Actuaries study schedule, which helped me feel confident about my second attempt.
I understand that in the future, we will not always be able to predict when the “right” and “wrong” times in our lives will line up with an exam sitting. External personal events and stressors may come up, and sometimes things we cannot plan for will set us back. What is important is learning from what we can control.
About the Author
Jenna Itwaru is a junior at the University at Buffalo, majoring in mathematics with an actuarial concentration. She has passed Exam P and Exam FM and looks forward to returning to CNA this summer for the second year of her internship in P&C. She serves as vice president of her university’s actuarial sciences club and has helped grow the club from the ground up to more than 50 members. Outside of academics, she enjoys exploring, hiking, and practicing photography.