CP2 & CP3 Tutorials

The Society welcomes the running of the tutorials outlined below. Though the Society is not directly involved in developing or reviewing the content of the tutorials, we believe that they will usefully extend the education opportunities available to our Student members.

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CP2 Tutorials

Online CP2 tutorials for the April 2024 exams will take place in Winter 2024, in February 2024.

Tutorials will be held online via Zoom.

The aim of the tutorials is to provide effective assistance to actuarial students who are studying to pass subject CP2 – the modelling practice examination of the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries.

The pass rate amongst the students who sat CP2 after attending previous tutorials for CA2/CP2 examinations has been exceptional. In recent years three consecutive cohorts achieved a 100% pass rate and the average pass rate since the inception of the tutorials eight years ago is greater than ninety percent.

Outline of Tutorials

  • Introduction – why is CP2 important
  • The principles of CP2
  • Theory
    • Data
    • Modelling
    • Audit trails
    • Summaries
  • Excel skills – exercises
  • Audit trail – exercises
  • Summary – exercises
  • Drafting skills
  • Review
  • Homework exercises – plus group feedback
  • Marked assignment – plus individual and group feedback
  • Marked mock exams – plus individual feedback

Course notes and materials are provided – no other materials are needed in order to be well prepared to pass.

Format (CP2): The February tutorials will be a full-day tutorial covering the theory behind CP2 on on Saturday 3rd and 10th February 2024. There will be a mock CP2 exam in March 2024. The tutorials also involve several individual feedback sessions and a general feedback session. Individual engagement with the tutor, on top of the group tuition, is flexible and is designed to meet the needs of the individual student. This typically ranges from 2 to 10 hours. 

Format aim: To effectively prepare students to pass CP2 in April 2024.

Tutor: Colm Fitzgerald

Dr. Colm Fitzgerald is an Assistant Professor in Actuarial Science in UCD and is a Fellow of the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) and the Society of Actuaries in Ireland. Colm has been involved in CP2/CA2 since the subject commenced and has experience as a staff actuary, lead assessor, moderator and lead examiner. He was the lead assessor (tutor) when there was the first 100% pass rate in a CA2 exam. He is involved in several different aspects of the IFoA educational system across a number of subjects. He is a member of the IFoA Board of Examiners, is the IFoA representative on the AAE Education Committee and Chair of the AAE Data Science Syllabus Task Force. Previously he was a member of the IFoA Education Board. He was the primary author of the IFoA Investment Fellowship subject, SA7, and was an original author of the IFoA Enterprise Risk Management subject, SP9. Before working in education, Colm had a successful career in investment, trading, life insurance and risk management.

Testimonials:
“I sat CP2 in April 2021 and passed at first attempt after attending Colm’s tutorials. Like most students, I thought of CP2 as “the modelling exam” and having worked extensively with spreadsheets I wasn’t fazed at the prospect before looking at the notes and seeing some past papers. Colm’s tutorial does a fantastic job of breaking down the exam into defined sections and explains the different approaches required to achieve high marks in each. He provides practical help in setting yourself up with the correct mindset, planning and language required, all of which I plan on using as part of preparation for my remaining exams. Attending the tutorial is not a quick fix to guaranteeing success, ultimately study is required and that is dependent on the individual but in terms of giving yourself the best chance of passing CP2 I cannot recommend attending Colm’s tutorial highly enough.” – David Buckley

“I attended the CP2 tutorial course and cannot recommend it highly enough. The tutorial provided me with excellent guidance on exam strategy and it helped me to develop a clear and effective approach to tackling the exam. Colm was incredibly comprehensive and approachable – providing me with actionable feedback that helped me improve my understanding of the subject and identify areas where I needed to focus my efforts. Colm’s positive attitude and enthusiasm for teaching made the learning process enjoyable and engaging.” – Evan Tuffy

“I sat Colm’s tutorials for the IFoA Modelling Practice exam (CP2) and found them very useful. I especially appreciated the practice work given along with marking and model solutions. These really helped me to gain a better understanding of the subject and achieve a pass.” – Max Moriarty

“I attended Colm’s CP2 Tutorial for the September 2022 exam session. Colm’s passion, knowledge of the subject matter, combined with his teaching principles serve to guide students to develop their own tools for both the exam preparation process and the exam itself. Colm’s commitment was evident from our first meeting, as he sought to understand each student’s needs and challenges. His care and attention helped me to get the most out of each session, allowing me to understand the nature of the exam and give me the confidence to tackle the unexpected head on, which paid dividends during my exam. If you are an open and engaged student, you will benefit from Colm’s individualised approach. Colm’s tutoring provides excellent academic instruction but his emphasis on character development and empowering students to reach their full potential, will have a lasting benefit for me for the remainder of my exams. I would be happy to recommend Colm as a dedicated and impactful tutor.” – Liam Fannon

“As an experienced examiner, Colm was able to clearly explain the structure of the exam, the marking process and the key study areas to focus on. Most importantly though, Colm used unique methods to prepare us for this challenging exam both physically and mentally. I strongly recommend CP2 tutorial with Colm for those looking to significantly increase their chances of passing the exam.” – Alex Afonin

“Having successfully completed a master thesis under Colm’s mentorship and taking part in his CP2 tutorials I can confidently vouch for his teaching values. As a past examiner and passionate educator Colm instils through his tutorial a tried and tested exam strategy which assisted me in developing an efficient approach to taking the CP2 exam. The tutorial offers genuinely useful feedback which allowed me to gain a better understanding of the subject as a whole, and helped to refine my focus on areas that most needed my attention. Colm’s enthusiasm for teaching and extensive experience makes me wholeheartedly recommend this tutorial to anyone seeking to significantly improve their chances of passing CP2.” – Alan O’Reilly

“I had found myself stuck on CP2 and Colm’s calm and thoughtful approach helped unlock it for me. The beauty of Colm’s approach is that he seeks to drive the change needed from the inside out and not the outside in, which ultimately is considerably more powerful. He also provided some valuable insights on how to pass the exam.” – Stephen O’Sullivan

How do I book? Your place can be reserved by emailing Colm Fitzgerald at cp2tutorial@gmail.com.

Closing date for applications: Thursday, 1st February 2024 for the February tutorials.

 

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CP3 (Communications Practice) Tutorials

CP3 tutorials run by an experienced tutor will take place in Dublin in February and March 2024. Tutorials will be held online via Zoom. The aim of the tutorials is to provide effective assistance to actuarial students who are studying for subject CP3 (Communications Practice) – the communications examination of the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries.

Tutor

Des O’Sullivan 

Des O’Sullivan lectured on the Graduate Certificate in Actuarial Applications programme at DCU, where he re-wrote the syllabus in 2009 and continued to develop the teaching programme in line with CA3 developments, and has lectured on the UCD Actuarial & Final Studies undergraduate programme. Des has an extensive background in the financial services industry, ranging from pension scheme documentation and trusteeship, to corporate advice, investment policy, product design and specialist client advice. He is a Fellow of the Irish Institute of Pension Management, a Revenue-approved Pensioner Trustee, and a Pensions Authority registered Trustee Trainer. Des has delivered talks at a number of Society of Actuaries’ events and has advised the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries on CA3 teaching and examining issues, and provided tutorials to students sitting CA3 online up to 2017 and CP3 thereafter.

Format (CP3) 

Four two-hour tutorials running on the 24th February and 2nd March 2024, with written assignments, individual feedback and general feedback, followed by additional individual feedback, and a review of progress prior to sitting CP3.

Format aim: to prepare students to sit CP3 in April 2024.

Outline of Tutorials

  • Overview of Institute and Faculty of Actuaries' expectations for CP3
  • Review of Syllabus
  • Defining ‘Communication’
  • Writing/business writing/ technical writing
  • The basic requirements of CP3
  • Dealing with Scenario Material
  • ‘Higher Order Skills’ requirement
  • Conventions of Business Writing
  • Approaching the reflective CP3 question (Question 2)
  • Use of charts, tables and visual aids
  • Information filtering
  • Terminology and jargon
  • Exam technique
  • How to deal with nerves, habits, under-confidence
  • Assessment of student progress

     

How do I book?

Your place can be reserved by emailing Des O’Sullivan at cp3tutorials@gmail.com.

Closing date for applications

22nd February 2024.

Alternative dates may also be available – please email cp3tutorials@gmail.com for information.

Students whose schedules do not fit the above dates and who wish to avail of CP3 tutorials should contact Des at cp3tutorials@gmail.com.

Individual tutorials, CP3 coaching and prep sessions are also available.

Students in the Munster region requiring tutorials/coaching can contact Des at cp3tutorials@gmail.com.