Frequently Asked Questions
FAP Course
Pricing and Refunds
Modules |
$540 |
Final Assessment (each attempt) |
$1,290 |
Each additional End-of-Module Assessment attempt |
$100 |
One-time, 1-year Module Extension* |
$100 |
*Extensions are only available to candidates who registered for FAP on or before January 31, 2025*
No. Candidates receive a different Final Assessment for each attempt, so the full registration fee applies to each attempt.
Applicants may cancel their FAP registration before logging into the course by doing either of the following:
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- Go to soa.org, click on “My Account” and select Order History. After login, select the order you wish to cancel from your order summary and click the “Request Cancellation” button. Complete the form to submit your request.
- E-mail the request to customerservice@soa.org and specify “FAP Course” in the subject line.
- The SOA will refund the registration fee, minus a cancellation fee of $100 (U.S.). You will receive your refund (less the cancellation fee) in 2-4 weeks in the manner in which the original payment was made.
- No refunds will be considered for the applicants who fail to correctly cancel online or send a written or e-mailed cancellation request and do not specify “FAP ”
No refunds will be issued for any candidate who has logged in to the FAP course for any reason.
Registration
No, but it is strongly encouraged that candidates complete the Pre-Actuarial Foundations (PAF) and Actuarial Science Foundations (ASF) modules prior to FAP registration. Most candidates also have credit for one or more of the associateship examinations (P, FM, FAM, ALTAM or ASTAM, SRM, PA, ATPA) before registering for FAP.
A detailed syllabus is not available, however a FAP book list is available online. A complete list of readings is also located in the “Resources” section in the FAP modules.
The SOA does not supply the textbooks. Candidates may refer to online book distributors for purchase.
Candidates can register for the modules and assessments online or by submitting an application on the FAP Course homepage.
Your e-Learning session may be in cache mode. To generate a new session, log out of the e-Learning system and login again. Upon login you should be able to view all recent module purchases.
Expirations and Extensions
Extensions are only available to candidates who registered for FAP on or before January 30, 2025. No extensions are available for candidates who registered beginning on January 31, 2025.
To purchase an extension:
- Log in to soa.org
- Click Learning Summary at the top of the page
- Locate the FAP modules and select “Purchase ”
Note: You will only be able to purchase an extension online once your modules have expired, 24 months after your purchase date. Extensions are valid for one year from the original course expiration date.
To purchase an extension in advance of course expiration, submit an FAP application form found on the FAP Course Page.
Candidates will need to repurchase FAP and complete all course requirements.
Candidates who registered for FAP Modules 1-8 prior to January 31, 2022, and did not complete the course before their expiration date will need to start over. All credit will be forfeited except for Final Assessment credit, which will be retained.
Candidates who registered for the FAP course on or after February 1, 2022, will retain all credit upon course expiration.
No. You must have access to the FAP modules to submit your assessments.
Yes. Your assessments will be graded as long as they were submitted before your FAP course expiration date.
Yes. The expiration date of your other courses is based upon the original purchase date of those courses.
Grading and Transcripts
A status of “Completed” has a different meaning depending on the module or assessment you are taking. Refer to the specific instructions for your module or assessment to ensure that you have taken all the necessary steps to complete your work. Your online transcript will be updated when you have officially received credit for a module or assessment.
Technical Issues
Contact elearn@soa.org for assistance.
Send an email with the module, section and page number and a description of the error to elearn@soa.org for review.
Getting Help
The SOA recommends downloading the Learning Companion app to discuss your questions with other candidates.
Discipline
Yes. Candidates who are found to have plagiarized will be subject to disciplinary action.
Information regarding disciplinary action can be found in the SOA Terms and Conditions Agreement for Online Candidates.
Submit possible violations using the Infraction Report Form.
FAP End-of-Module Assessments
General
The FAP End-of-Module Assessments are designed to assess understanding and application of key concepts in each of the FAP modules. The EMAs help candidates prepare for the Final Assessment. Candidates will have access to each EMA after registering and then completing the required module content.
Each End-of-Module Assessment consists of one to two questions that encourage additional practice of communication skills and application of new concepts and techniques to on-the-job activities.
No. For more information refer to the SOA Terms and Conditions Agreement for Online Candidates regarding collaboration on End-of-Module Assessments.
Time Allotment
Candidates have 96 hours to complete each FAP End-of-Module Assessment. Candidates may login and read the instructions and FAQs prior to beginning their assessment clock. The clock does not begin until a candidate reaches the download page. Several warnings will be issued in advance of that happening. Candidates who do not complete the submission process by the end of the 96 hours will be graded as not having met minimum requirements (failed) and will need to purchase another attempt.
The clock begins when you download the assessment. Several warnings will be issued in advance of the clock starting.
Yes. You can access the assignment tasks, solution files and supporting spreadsheets at any time from the Working Page.
No. Candidates must complete the submission process by entering their email address to attest that the work is their own, and that they have not discussed or distributed the assessment materials. Candidates are responsible for completing this process before their assessment clock runs out. Candidates will receive a confirmation page when they have successfully completed this step.
File Submission
During planned system outages the candidate is solely responsible for scheduling the download and upload of the End-of-Module Assessments so that it does not conflict with the planned outage. Consequently, candidates who do not upload their End-of-Module Assessments within the 96-hour time frame due to the planned outage will be graded as “Does Not Meet Minimum Requirements.” All planned outages are posted in advance in the Recent Announcements portion of the e-Learning system.
In the event the e-Learning system is not available due to an unscheduled outage, thereby preventing candidates from uploading their End-of-Module Assessment files, contact elearn@soa.org.
No. Once files are uploaded, they cannot be replaced. Candidates are responsible for ensuring that they are submitting the correct file(s) to the system.
Grading and Transcripts
End-of-Module Assessments are graded as meets or does not meet minimum requirements. Submissions not meeting minimum requirements are graded by two independent graders. All grades are final.
Approximately five weeks after submission.
Results are emailed to candidates on a weekly basis. Results will also be displayed on the End-of-Module Assessment screen of the e-Learning system. Assessment credit will be posted to a candidate’s online transcript within 48 hours after the grade is finalized.
Due to technical reasons beyond our control, some candidates may not receive emails from the e-Learning website. In such cases, candidates may also return to the Final Assessment page where Assessment results are displayed or refer to their online transcript. Candidates may also email elearn@soa.org to receive another copy of the result email.
You will need to register for another attempt at the Assessment for that module. You may either register online or submit the appropriate registration form found on the FAP Course homepage.
Yes. Candidates will be provided with feedback in the form of predefined, categorical statements highlighting the qualities of their responses in most need of improvement. Individualized feedback is not available.
No. You may advance to the next module after you have submitted an End-of-Module Assessment.
End-of-Module Assessment Retakes
To access retake attempts:
- Log in to soa.org
- Click Learning Summary at the top of the page
- From there, choose the End-of-Module Assessment link for the Assessment attempt
While this may look like your previous End-of-Module Assessment, once you select it and choose “Resume”, you will then have access to the next attempt.
If you are not routed to your next attempt, contact elearn@soa.org for troubleshooting.
FAP Final Assessment
General
The FAP Final Assessment is a measure of your understanding and application of the key concepts presented throughout the FAP course. You must register in advance of taking the Final Assessment. You may not access the Final Assessment until you have successfully submitted each FAP End-of-Module Assessment. Once you are registered and eligible, the FAP Final Assessment will be available to you.
No. Candidates may take the Final Assessment when eligible and after registration has been processed. Review the Final Assessment Schedule for more information on submission deadlines and grade release timing.
You may discuss the assessment with others who are taking it or who have already taken the Final Assessment. You are allowed to discuss concepts related to the assessment, ideas for how to effectively respond, strategies that you might employ to address the questions, and other aspects of the assessment in general terms. However, you are not permitted to share the specifics of how you will communicate your response or confirm the results of any numeric calculations. As an example, in the context of a task that asks to document risks, you would be permitted to discuss how to decide whether a risk applies to a particular situation and what questions you would consider in making that decision. However, you would not be permitted to then discuss which risks you will ultimately document in your submission and how you will describe them. Candidates are also encouraged to form study groups via the Learning Companion to coordinate the timing of the download of your Final Assessment with others. For more information about the Learning Companion or to download the app, visit the Learning Companion page on soa.org.
Your final submitted files must be your work and your work only. Having another person(s) write, review or edit your submission, or plagiarizing another person’s work, including model solutions, is strictly prohibited.
No. The assessment and associated materials are the intellectual property of the SOA and may not be shared. Your submission files are also considered confidential and are not to be shared with others. Failure to control your work product may lead to disciplinary action.
Registration
Candidates can register in advance or after completing the Monitoring Results module.
Candidates may register for the Final Assessment on the Exam Registration page or by submitting an application on the FAP Course page. The registration link is also available in the Monitoring Results module. Candidates are encouraged to register for the Final Assessment while working on the Monitoring Results module.
No. Candidates must submit all End-of-Module Assessments prior to accessing the Final Assessment.
Yes. Candidates may take the Final Assessment before passing all End-of- Module Assessments.
Time Allotment
The Final Assessment must be uploaded within 96 hours, or before the grading submission deadline for that particular version of the Final Assessment. Candidates may login and read the instructions and FAQs prior to beginning their assessment clock. The clock does not begin until a candidate reaches the download page. Several warnings will be issued in advance of that happening. Candidates who do not complete the submission process by the end of the 96 hours will need to purchase another attempt.
The Final Assessment must be uploaded prior to course expiration, regardless of the time left on the clock. For example, if a candidate downloads the Final Assessment on January 29, with a course expiration of January 31, the Final Assessment must be uploaded by 11:59 pm Central Time, U.S. on January 31. Although the Final Assessment clock will still show more time is left, a candidate must have course access to upload the Final Assessment.
The clock will begin when you access a screen entitled “Download Page.” You will receive a warning several times before activating the assessment clock.
Yes. You can access the assignment tasks, solution files and supporting spreadsheets at any time from the Working Page.
The assessment has been designed so that a well-prepared candidate – one who has learned the key concepts, completed all FAP case studies and module exercises – will spend approximately 25 hours completing assignments. Twenty-five hours is an estimate based on the experience of candidates, to date. Actual time will vary depending on candidate experience, expertise, working style, etc.
An assessment clock is displayed on the assessment window of the e-Learning system and can be refreshed during the 96-hour period. All candidates have 96 hours to complete the assessment, regardless of the submission deadline or course expiration date. All candidates must submit their Final Assessment before the submission deadline and before course expiration, regardless of the time remaining on their assessment clock.
No. Candidates must complete the submission process by attesting that the work is their own, and that they have not distributed the assessment materials. Candidates are responsible for completing this process before their assessment clock runs out.
Candidates will receive a confirmation page when they have successfully completed this step.
File Submission
The following instructions are also provided on the assessment screens:
Step 1: Download the files.
Step 2: Complete the Final Assessment by doing the following:
- Read all
- Complete the tasks assigned to Use the solutions completed by your fictional assistant to help guide you.
- Review your
Step 3: Attach all of your Final Assessment files and submit them for grading.
Step 4: Complete the upload attestation.
Your assessment will be graded as does not meet minimum requirements. You will need to register for the next administration of the Final Assessment if you want to attempt it again.
During planned system outages, the candidate is solely responsible for scheduling the download and upload of the Final Assessment so that it does not conflict with the planned outage. Consequently, candidates who do not upload their Final Assessment within 96 hours due to the planned outage will be graded as “Does Not Meet Minimum Requirements.” Candidates will then be required to purchase another attempt for the Final Assessment. No exceptions will be made. All planned outage schedules are posted in advance in the “Recent Announcements” portion of the e-Learning website.
If the e-Learning system is not available due to an unscheduled outage thereby preventing candidates from uploading their Final Assessment files within 96 hours, contact elearn@soa.org.
No. Once files are uploaded, they cannot be replaced.
Grading and Transcripts
Assessment results are released three times a year. Review the FAP Final Assessment Schedule for specific dates.
Due to technical reasons beyond our control, some candidates may not receive emails from the e-Learning system. In such cases, candidates may also view their results on their Final Assessment page or their online transcript. You may also email elearn@soa.org to receive another copy of the result email.
You will need to purchase another Final Assessment attempt for $1,290 by registering online or submitting the registration form on the FAP Course page. You will have access to the Final Assessment immediately after receiving confirmation that your application has been processed. You will have access to the Final Assessment immediately after receiving confirmation that your application has been processed.
No. A Final Assessment model solution is published after candidate results are released. The model solution is intended to help candidates self-assess their work and to prepare for their next attempt. The solution presented will represent a solution that covers all key points and clearly meets minimum requirements.
Additional Attempts
To access your next attempt:
- Log in to soa.org
- Click Learning Summary at the top of the page
- From there, choose the Final Assessment link
While this may look like your previous Final Assessment, once you click on it and choose “Resume”, you will have access to the next attempt.
If you are not routed to your next attempt, contact elearn@soa.org for troubleshooting.
Final Assessment Refunds
Final Assessment applicants may cancel their Final Assessment registration before logging into the Final Assessment by doing either of the following:
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- On the SOA website, select “My Account” and then select “Order ” Upon login, from your Order Summary select the order you wish to cancel. Select “Request Cancellation” and complete the form to submit your request.
- Email Customer Service and specify “Final ”
- The SOA will refund the registration fee, minus a cancellation fee of $100 (U.S.). You will receive your refund (less the administration fee) in 2-4 weeks in the manner in which the original payment was made.
- No refunds will be considered for the Final Assessment applicants who fail to correctly cancel online or send a written or e-mailed cancellation request and do not specify “Final Assessment.”
- If candidates do not submit their Assessment within the 96-hour timeframe, or by the submission deadline, the Assessment will NOT be accepted, and a refund will not be issued.