Exam MAS-I

Exam MAS-I

Everything You Need to Pass

Coaching Actuaries gives you the tools to study smarter and pass the Modern Actuarial Statistics I Exam.

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Meet our team of expert coaches who will guide you through
Exam MAS-I.

Terence Chow, ASA, CFA

Exam MAS-I Product Manager
Pursuing FSA via the QFI Track

I graduated from Drake University in 2012 and have been working at Coaching Actuaries ever since. I'm equal parts actuary, math geek, amateur baker, and Harry Potter nerd, not necessarily in that order. I love answering questions about how to prepare for an exam or which exam to take next!

Exam MAS-I Overview

What To Expect

Exam Details

45 Multiple-Choice Questions, Paper-and-Pencil test Format

Registration Deadline

March 8, 2019 (Midnight CST)

Exam Duration

4 Hours

Next Available Sitting

April 23, 2019

Before the Exam

  • Exams You Should Pass First

    Exams P, FM, and IFM. Exam MAS-I is the first exam on the CAS track. If you have not decided which path to go, pass these three exams first before planning to take this one.

  • Exam MAS-I Offerings

    MAS-I is offered 2 times per year, once in the spring and once in the fall.

  • How Do I Register?

    1. Visit the CAS website's Exam Registration page.
    2. Register online before the registration deadline (you'll need to create a user account if you do not have one already).
    3. Alternatively, you can register by paper by filling out the form and mailing it to the CAS before the registration deadline.
    4. Choose your exam location from the CAS' list of available cities.

  • Highest-Weighted Concepts

    Questions related to these concepts will appear the most on the exam.

    1. Generalized Linear Models
    2. Poisson Processes
    3. Hypothesis Testing

Day of Exam

  • What to Bring:

    • A government-issued photo ID that includes a signature
    • #2 pencils and an eraser
    • Recommended Calculator: TI-30XS MultiView
      (See Other Options)
    • Optional: A self-addressed, stamped envelope for your examination booklet and scrap papers.

  • CAS Policy: Guessing Adjustment

    CAS exams like MAS-I have a 'guessing adjustment' that will deduct one-quarter of the point for incorrect answers, unlike the SOA. There is no penalty for leaving a question blank.

  • When to Try Guessing

    • You have eliminated at least one possible answer choice.
    • You don't feel confident with how you're performing on other questions.

  • When to Avoid Guessing

    • You cannot eliminate at least one possible answer choice.
    • No one answer choice seems better than the others.
    • You feel confident you're performing well on other questions.

  • Tip from Coach Baron

    “MAS-I's answer choices are in ranges, not exact values. If your answer is greater than one interval away from the smallest or largest answer choice, you know there is probably something wrong.”

  • Tip #1 from Coach Terence

    "Don't be afraid to skip questions. 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."

  • Tip from Coach Larry

    "Make sure you can do all the easy questions, and at least half of the intermediate questions. You can pass the exam without ever worrying about an advanced question you haven't seen before."

  • Tip #2 from Coach Terence

    "If you wish to have your own examination booklet and scrap paper mailed to you after the exam, bring a self-addressed envelope to the exam ($2.87 minimum postage for U.S. domestic mail). This will allow you to grade your exam when the CAS publishes the preliminary answer key, which is usually long before exam results are officially released."

After the Exam

  • Getting Your Exam Results

    You’ll receive your official final score approximately 8 weeks after your exam.

    Passing candidate numbers will be emailed out between 2 PM to 3 PM Eastern Time on the day that they become available.

    Several days after the email is distributed to candidates, a link to the list of passing candidates will be posted on the CAS website and candidates will receive the result in mail.

  • Next Steps

    Exam MAS-II is the logical next step after passing MAS-I. MAS-II doesn't officially require you to pass MAS-I first, but the exam does assume you've mastered the material covered in MAS-I.

MAS-I Product Updates

Adapt+Learn Coming Soon

We anticipate Adapt+Learn options for Exam MAS-I to become available later this year. Check this section in the future for updates as they come.

Study Plans

Finding The Right Answer