Exam SRM Details

Below we’ll lay out everything you need to know for your SRM exam from registration details to exam day to what to do after you receive your results.

Prerequisites

Exams P and FM. You should take these introductory exams before attempting a more advanced exam like SRM.

Exam SRM assumes prior knowledge of topics from Exam P and VEE Mathematical Statistics.

Exam Offerings

SRM is offered three times per year, with sittings in January, May, and September.

Exam Format

35 Computer-based, multiple-choice questions

Exam Duration

3.5 Hours

Registration Info

Register online at www.soa.org before the registration deadline.



Upcoming exam window and registration deadline


  1. Sep 3, 2024

    Register by Aug 6, 2024

Exam Day and Results: Things To Keep In Mind

Don't forget your must-haves for exam day! Know what to bring and what to do after you pass the exam

What to Bring

  • A government-issued photo ID that includes a signature
  • Recommended Calculator: TI-30XS MultiView
    (See Other Options)

Exam Results

As of the May 2024 sitting, you will receive a preliminary Pass-Fail result after you complete your exam. This is not your official final result.

After approximately 8 to 11 weeks, the SOA will release the list of passing candidates' ID numbers. A few days after this list has been published, you will be able to see your final score in your official SOA transcript when you log into the SOA website.

Passing the Exam

We recommend that you take FAM next, after which you will need to choose between ALTAM and ASTAM (unless you've already passed one of the now retired LTAM and STAM).

You will also need to take PA if you haven't already, obtain your VEE credits, complete your modules (Pre-Actuarial Foundations, Actuarial Science Foundations, FAP), and fulfill your APC requirement in order to attain your ASA designation.

Things To Keep In Mind: Helpful insights from our coaches

Our coaches know this exam inside and out. Check out their expert tips for achieving a passing score.

  • Photo of Terence Chow

    SRM is the least computationally intensive preliminary exam. A big chunk of its questions will test your comprehension of the concepts. If you're used to questions asking for a numerical answer, you'll need to change your strategy and make sure you have a good understanding of the big picture.

    Photo of Terence ChowTerence Chow VP of Product
  • Photo of Larry Saw

    Don't be afraid to skip questions. The CBT platform makes it easy for you to mark a question and come back to it later. Make sure to give yourself enough time to ace easy questions that may be at the end of your exam. Remember, easy questions are worth just as much as hard questions.

    Photo of Larry SawLarry Saw Content Coach
  • Photo of Terence Chow

    If you’ve taken a CBT exam before, the format won’t surprise you on exam day. However, if you’re taking this exam at a testing center different from the one you’re used to, make sure to make travel arrangements in advance and plan for possible delays.

    Photo of Terence ChowTerence Chow VP of Product

Course Offerings: Topics and weights

  1. 5%

    Statistical learning helps us study data to find answers and solve problems. You'll learn the difference between supervised and unsupervised learning, the difference between regression and classification, and how to assess model accuracy. You'll also learn basic ways to examine data numerically and graphically.

    • 15 Efficient, bite-sized Learning Manuals
    • 85 Minutes of high-quality Learning Videos
    • 9 Assignment Questions
    • 73 Quiz and Exams questions
  2. 30%

    We will begin our journey of statistical learning by looking at models where the response variable is normally distributed. We will focus on using ordinary least squares as our estimator in linear regression, and build upon this fundamental concept. Then, we will diagnose these models and determine if they are appropriate for the given dataset. Lastly, we will see how other similar, but different approaches compare to an ordinary least squares model.

    • 57 Efficient, bite-sized Learning Manuals
    • 395 Minutes of high-quality Learning Videos
    • 31 Assignment Questions
    • 309 Quiz and Exams questions
  3. 16%

    The next topic is generalized linear models, where the response variable can be modeled with a distribution other than normal. This involves learning about the linear exponential family of distributions and the use of maximum likelihood estimation. We will examine the similarities and differences compared to linear regression. In addition, we take a closer look at the results from modeling the response variable with Bernoulli and Poisson distributions.

    • 25 Efficient, bite-sized Learning Manuals
    • 142 Minutes of high-quality Learning Videos
    • 12 Assignment Questions
    • 159 Quiz and Exams questions
  4. 13%

    In this section, we will explore time series models and other important concepts related to time series, such as stationarity and autoregression. We will also learn how to model time series and forecast future observations.

    • 24 Efficient, bite-sized Learning Manuals
    • 132 Minutes of high-quality Learning Videos
    • 22 Assignment Questions
    • 152 Quiz and Exams questions
  5. 23%

    Most supervised learning methods discussed so far are parametric methods. Now, let's venture into decision trees, which are non-parametric. We will observe how decision trees work in both regression and classification settings, and explore other statistical concepts that can be applied to trees.

    • 21 Efficient, bite-sized Learning Manuals
    • 137 Minutes of high-quality Learning Videos
    • 17 Assignment Questions
    • 170 Quiz and Exams questions
  6. 13%

    You've learned a lot about supervised learning. Time to shift gears to learn about unsupervised learning. This section will cover two unsupervised learning methods, principal components analysis (PCA) and clustering analysis.

    • 18 Efficient, bite-sized Learning Manuals
    • 119 Minutes of high-quality Learning Videos
    • 13 Assignment Questions
    • 147 Quiz and Exams questions

We're just getting started

Now that you're armed with Exam SRM insights, let's get your studies started! From video lessons and manuals to practice exams and question bank, find everything you need to achieve a passing score.

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