Exam PCPA Details

Below we’ll lay out everything you need to know for the PCPA requirement from registration details to both the exam and project portions, as well as what to do after you receive your results.

Prerequisites

Candidates are highly encouraged to pass MAS-I, MAS-II and Exam 5 prior to attempting PCPA.

Exam Offerings

The exam portion is offered on a continuous basis, year-round.

The project portion is offered four times a year, in March, June, September, and December (see upcoming windows below).

Candidates will be eligible to participate in the next project administration once they pass the exam portion. Candidates must pass the exam portion at least 3 weeks prior to the beginning of the project window.

Exam Format

The exam portion is a computer-based test administered by Pearson VUE and consists of 40 questions of the following types: multiple choice, multiple selection, matching, fill in the blank.

The project portion is an offline, independent activity where candidates will create a predictive analytics models to address a business problem and submit a technical report (<=1,250 words).

Exam Duration

Exam portion: 2 hours + 15-min scheduled break

Project portion: 15 calendar days

Registration Info

  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. CAS examination centers are listed on the Exam Registration page of the CAS website.


Upcoming exam windows and registration deadlines


  1. Dec 16, 2026

    Register by Dec 9, 2026

  2. Mar 16, 2027

    Register by Mar 9, 2027

  3. Jun 15, 2027

    Register by Jun 8, 2027

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

You’ll receive the result for the exam portion 2 weeks after your exam.

You’ll receive the result for the project portion 2 calendar months after the project submission deadline.

Passing the Exam

Exam 6 is the next suggested exam after passing PCPA. You will also need to complete 3 CAS Data and Insurance Series Courses (DISCs) (previously Online Courses) if you have not already.

Expert Tips: 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 Lendie Follett

    Don’t feel like you have to be able to visualize the whole solution from the start. Begin writing down what you know. Read the question carefully so that you understand what exactly the question is asking you and, equally important, what it is not asking you. Solving the wrong problem can lead to unnecessary computations and lost time.

    Photo of Lendie FollettLendie Follett Content Coach
  • Photo of Jon Lai

    While working on the project, there might be an urge to analyze and model the data to the minutest detail. Nothing really stops you from doing that, but remember that you ultimately have to report your work. The more things you investigate, the more challenging it will be to fit them in your report.

    Photo of Jon LaiJon Lai Product Manager

Course Offerings: Topics and weights

  1. 33%

    We begin by building up our foundations with R and RStudio. R is the primary statistical software used for our analyses, and RStudio is the interface we will be using to interact with it.

    • 14 Efficient, bite-sized Learning Manuals
    • 6 Assignment Questions
    • 103 Quiz and Exams questions
  2. 38%

    With our foundations in R, we may begin building generalized linear models. We will explore multiple models for both discrete and continuous response variables.

    • 25 Efficient, bite-sized Learning Manuals
    • 4 Assignment Questions
    • 135 Quiz and Exams questions
  3. 13%

    Now that we've built up our foundations for generalized linear models, we might like to know how they perform. We'll explore ways to do this for different model types.

    • 11 Efficient, bite-sized Learning Manuals
    • 1 Assignment Questions
    • 33 Quiz and Exams questions
  4. 18%

    Now that we've built and assessed our models, we need to convey our results. Here we'll take a look at some best practices for effective communication of results.

    • 4 Efficient, bite-sized Learning Manuals
    • 37 Quiz and Exams questions

Let's get to work

Your subscription to PCPA materials will begin as soon as you purchase. Choose the package that works for you.

Course Pricing