What is the F.O.C.U.S. system?

Our F.O.C.U.S. system ensures that you know which readings to prioritize during your studying.  When I study for fellowship exams, I often find myself feeling overwhelmed with the pages and pages of information that needs to be learned and memorized.  Especially as the exam gets closer and closer, I tend to panic about all the things that I don’t know inside and out.  That’s where the Etched Actuarial F.O.C.U.S. system comes in!

Our system shows you which readings are the most important to know based on how likely they are to be tested.  We assign each reading a color to help you manage how much time you spend on learning and memorizing each reading.

GREEN – These readings are highly tested – It would be in your best interest to know the information in these readings very well as it’s likely that questions relating to them will show up on the exam.

YELLOW – These readings are tested regularly – It would be wise for you to know these readings fairly well.

ORANGE – These readings have been tested in the past but very rarely – You’ll want to have an overall understanding of these readings but you probably don’t want to spend too much time bogged down in the details.

RED – These readings have never been tested since they’ve been on the syllabus (at least 3 sittings) – If you have plenty of time, you could look at these in detail but most students will chose to spend their time elsewhere. 

NO COLOR – At this time, the F.O.C.U.S. level of these readings is unknown as the readings haven’t been on the syllabus long enough to get an accurate reading – You should know these readings well since it’s very possible that they’ll be tested.

DISCLAIMER: I have no further knowledge with respect to which readings will be tested on the exam than any other candidate.  I have reviewed historical exams and solutions posted by the SOA and found trends in the tested readings according to the readings that the SOA references for each exam question.  If you have any questions regarding the F.O.C.U.S. system, please contact me at support@etchedactuarial.com – I usually respond within 12 hours.