Evaluation of Course/Experience Approval FAQs

If my university courses do not appear in the Directory of Approved VEE Courses, can I submit them for approval myself?
Yes. If you do not see a particular course(s) in the Directory, you may submit the course(s) for approval. You may need to contact the school for the necessary documentation.

Will my course be approved?
The VEE Administration Committee reviews course submissions and determines approvals based on the VEE guidelines for course approval. A careful review of course content and guidelines will help you determine which courses may qualify.

Can I use transferred courses for VEE credit?
Transferred courses may be used for VEE credit if the accepting university's courses have been approved for VEE credit. You must show a grade of a B– or better on a transcript from the original school as well as a transcript from the accepting university showing credit for the equivalent, VEE–approved course. If the transcript only lists a total number of transfer hours, it may be accompanied by a degree evaluation, course mapping or similar document that details specific course credits.

Can I combine more than one Course/Experience approval to complete one VEE topic requirement?
Yes. You may combine two approved courses/experiences to complete a VEE topic requirement in certain cases. For example, an approved microeconomics course from a university may be combined with an approved macroeconomics course from another school or online provider for VEE Economics credit. Likewise, an approved regression course may be combined with an approved time series course from two different providers. In these cases you should include approval codes from both approved courses on your Candidate Credit application form. Corporate finance courses must be completed in the combinations shown in the directory. No alternate combinations will be accepted without an additional course approval application process.

Why VEE?
Validation by educational experience (VEE) was added to the Associateship requirements beginning in 2005. The topics of economics, corporate finance, and applied statistics are not tested on the preliminary exams. These topics are validated through the VEE process. Validation through the VEE process is appropriate for topics that are either best learned in a classroom environment (applied statistics) or are considered important, but not core to actuarial work (economics and corporate finance). In addition, applied statistics requires the analysis of data and the ability to draw appropriate conclusions from those analyses. These skills are extremely difficult to verify with a traditional multiple-choice examination. Economics and corporate finance are sufficiently important building blocks to require some verification of learning.

Can courses from the pre-2000 system be used for VEE?
If you have credit for Course 2 and/or 4 earned prior to 2005, your SOA grade slips and transcripts will show credit for Course 2 and/or 4 only. The VEE credit earned as part of these courses is included in the Course 2 and/or 4 credit; it will not appear as a separate VEE credit.

Do I have to go back to school to get VEE credits?
No, other options such as standardized exams and online courses have been approved for VEE credit. Please see the Standardized Exams and Other Educational Experiences list.

I live outside North America and my university has a different grading structure. Can I use my classes for VEE credit?
Courses from universities outside of North America can be considered for VEE approval. The application form for the approval of courses/experiences includes a section about translating other grading structures to the A, B, C format. To receive credit for an approved course, a candidate must receive a grade of B- or better (or the equivalent of a B- or better for another grading structure).

Can an Independent Study course be used for VEE credit?
An independent study for a course that has received VEE approval is acceptable for VEE credit. The independent study course number must be the same as that of the actual approved course and a grade of B- or better must be documented. If the course number varies from that of the approved course, a separate course approval process will be required before credit can be applied.

Can a course be too old for VEE approval?
The Directory of Approved VEE Courses shows the dates for which courses are approved (e.g., 1991-2012). If you took an approved course during the time frame listed in the directory, then you may use it to apply for your individual VEE credit. If the course is not on the approved list and you are submitting it for approval yourself, it might still be approved if you or your school/organization is able to provide documentation (catalog description and syllabus) attesting to the level of the course at the time frame in question.

Do I have to wait until I have credit for two SOA or CAS exams before I can submit an application to evaluate a course or experience?
No, candidates whose courses are not listed in the Directory may apply to have their courses evaluated by the VEE Administration Committee at any time.