IAI CP1 study plan

IAI CP1 · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Actuarial practice / core technical application (domain names and weights not enumerated in the official source)

Map the CP1 syllabus into a personal checklist of every core technical topic, marking each as confident, shaky, or unknown
Reproduce from memory the key formulas for present values, reserves, and expected cashflows under the main life and general insurance benefit structures
Work through 15 short calculation drills on discounted cashflow and reserve logic, timing yourself at exam pace
Start an error log that records each mistake, its cause, and the correction rule you will apply

A one-page syllabus checklist with every topic rated and a first error-log entry for at least 10 calculation mistakes

Week 2

Derive profit signatures and emerging profit patterns for a simple without-profit contract, explaining each movement in words
Compare the treatment of reserves, asset shares, and surplus for unit-linked versus conventional business
Solve 10 past-paper-style questions on profit testing and cashflow projection under timed conditions
Rewrite your three weakest derivations from scratch without notes

A written comparison table of profit emergence across at least three contract types, plus a scored set of 10 timed questions

Week 3

Apply the actuarial control cycle to a named product, identifying each stage and the feedback loops
Explain how risk classification, underwriting, and pricing assumptions interact for life and health products
Analyse a capital and solvency scenario, distinguishing required capital from available capital and explaining the intervention points
Draft structured exam answers using a define-apply-conclude skeleton

Two full-length structured answers on control cycle and capital, each self-marked against the command verb in the question

Week 4

Consolidate the core technical material into a single condensed revision sheet of no more than four pages
Complete a half-length mock under strict time conditions and mark it honestly
Classify every lost mark as knowledge, application, or presentation failure
Re-teach the two weakest topics aloud as if explaining to a colleague

A marked half-mock with a mark breakdown by failure type and a prioritised list of the five topics to revisit

Week 5

Practise applying core technique to unfamiliar contexts such as new products, new markets, or regulatory change
Answer three questions where the scenario is deliberately ambiguous and justify your assumptions explicitly
Identify where examiners reward judgement and where they reward mechanical accuracy
Reduce your error log by reworking every unresolved item from weeks 1 to 4

Three scenario answers with an explicit assumptions paragraph and a closed-out error log

Week 6

Integrate professionalism, communication, and ethical judgement into technical answers where the question invites it
Practise explaining technical results to a non-actuarial audience in plain language
Complete a second half-length mock covering topics not tested in week 4
Review mark schemes and extract the recurring phrasing that earns credit

A second marked half-mock and a one-page list of recurring credit-earning phrases and structures

Week 7

Sit two full-length mocks on separate days under full exam conditions, including time and material restrictions
Mark both mocks against the scheme and compare performance trends with weeks 4 and 6
Target the three topics that still lose the most marks with focused re-derivation and drills
Rehearse time allocation per mark and per question type

Two completed full mocks with a trend table showing mark progression by topic and by failure type

Week 8

Revise only from your condensed sheet, error log, and credit-phrase list, avoiding new material
Re-sit the weakest sections of previous mocks until you reach a consistent pass standard
Rehearse exam-day logistics, timing plan, and a fallback strategy for questions you cannot start
Confirm you can state the core technical principles of each syllabus area in two sentences

A final self-assessment sheet confirming pass-level performance on every syllabus area, with any residual gaps flagged

Week 2: You can derive profit emergence for a simple contract unaided and have logged at least 10 corrected calculation errors

Week 4: Half-mock completed under time pressure with a mark breakdown by failure type and a clear top-five revision list

Week 6: Second half-mock shows improvement over week 4 and you can articulate technical results in plain language

Week 8: Two full mocks at or above your target pass standard, with residual gaps documented and no unresolved error-log items