Exam FAM Sample Questions
FAM sample questions are best used as pattern evidence. They show depth, wording, and topic blends, but public ActuaryPath practice should stay original.
SOA Exam FAM
Official FAM syllabus, tables, notation note, and sample-question materials are mapped for short-term and long-term topic coverage.
What the official PDFs establish
- Assumed knowledge
- Probability, financial mathematics, and mathematical statistics background are assumed.
Topic and domain coverage
| Topic | Weight | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Short-Term Insurance and Reinsurance Coverages | 5-10% | Source: Exam FAM syllabus, p. 2 |
| Severity, Frequency, and Aggregate Models | 12.5-17.5% | Source: Exam FAM syllabus, p. 2 |
| Parametric Estimation | 2.5-7.5% | Source: Exam FAM syllabus, p. 3 |
| Introduction to Credibility | 2.5-5% | Source: Exam FAM syllabus, p. 3 |
| Pricing and Reserving for Short-Term Coverages | 10-15% | Source: Exam FAM syllabus, p. 3 |
| Option Pricing Fundamentals | 2.5-7.5% | Source: Exam FAM syllabus, p. 4 |
| Long-Term Coverages and Retirement Programs | 2.5-5% | Source: Exam FAM syllabus, p. 4 |
| Mortality Models | 10-15% | Source: Exam FAM syllabus, p. 4 |
| Present Value Random Variables | 12.5-20% | Source: Exam FAM syllabus, p. 5 |
| Premium and Policy Value Calculation | 15-22.5% | Source: Exam FAM syllabus, p. 5 |
Chapter and reading intelligence
- FAM tables
Use the official tables for mortality, distribution, and exam-table dependencies; do not recreate tables unless source terms allow it.
Source: Exam FAM Tables - Notation and terminology note
Maps the public exam terminology for coverages, deductibles, policy limits, development factors, mortality notation, premiums, and policy values.
- Sample questions for Topics 1-6
Official released sample questions used for topic-pattern mapping; public practice must remain original.
- Sample questions for Topics 7-10
Official released sample questions used for topic-pattern mapping; public practice must remain original.
Official files used by the map
- Official syllabussyllabus
Primary source for topic weights and assumptions.
Source: Exam FAM - July 2026 Syllabus - Official tablestables
Reference for table-dependent examples and calculator checks.
Source: Exam FAM Tables - Notation notenotation
Primary source for FAM terminology and symbol choices.
- Topics 1-6 sample questionssample-questions
Use for topic tagging and practice design; do not republish question text.
- Topics 1-6 sample solutionssample-solutions
Use for answer-pattern review; do not republish solution text.
- Topics 7-10 sample questionssample-questions
Use for topic tagging and practice design; do not republish question text.
- Topics 7-10 sample solutionssample-solutions
Use for answer-pattern review; do not republish solution text.
Quick Answer
Use the official FAM sample materials after you have built the syllabus map. They are not a replacement for learning the readings, and their topic distribution is not intended to match the exam distribution.
ActuaryPath uses the official samples for topic tagging and answer-style planning. The public drills stay original: different numbers, different wording, and different assumptions.
Two Sample Stacks
The FAM sample materials are split by syllabus topics. Topics 1-6 cover the short-term side: coverages, severity, frequency, aggregate models, estimation, credibility, ratemaking, reserving, and option pricing. Topics 7-10 cover the long-term side: insurance products, mortality, present value random variables, premiums, and policy values.
That split is a study gift. If your short-term scores are weak, do not hide inside life-contingency practice. If your long-term scores are weak, do not hide inside Pareto and aggregate-loss drills.
What To Extract
For each missed official sample question, write down the skill family, not just the answer. Examples: identifying a distribution family, setting up a deductible payment variable, choosing a chain-ladder factor, computing a life-contingency APV, or selecting the correct policy-value formula.
Then write one original sibling problem with the same skill family but changed numbers and wording. This is the fastest way to turn sample exposure into transfer ability.
Do Not Memorize The Distribution
The official sample materials state that their distribution by topic is not intended to represent the distribution on FAM. Treat them as depth examples, not a frequency forecast.
The syllabus weights should drive time allocation. The sample questions should drive how hard each skill needs to be drilled before the exam.
ActuaryPath Practice Policy
Public practice on ActuaryPath should never republish official question or solution text. It should identify the topic pattern, write a new problem, expose the grading points, and link back to the relevant concept or exam page.
This protects the source value while giving candidates something more useful than a copied answer key: a reusable method.
Original Source-Backed Practice
4 questions built from syllabus outcomes and released-exam patterns. The prompts and answers are original, so they train the skill without copying official exam text.
FAM Source and Syllabus Planning Drill
Original checks for FAM topic weights, source-material use, notation-note boundaries, and sample-question workflow.
- Question 1/Flashcard
Short-term versus long-term split
What is the useful study split inside FAM, even though candidates now sit for the full exam?
Solution And Grading Points
FAM is one exam, but it still has a practical short-term side covering Topics 1-6 and a long-term side covering Topics 7-10. Study them as two toolkits, then mix them during final practice.
- States that FAM is one full exam.
- Identifies Topics 1-6 as the short-term side.
- Identifies Topics 7-10 as the long-term side.
- Question 2/Written Answer
How to use samples
How should a candidate use the official FAM sample questions without treating them as the exam distribution?
Solution And Grading Points
Use them to learn depth, wording, and skill patterns. The syllabus weights should drive time allocation, while the samples should drive targeted practice and error logs.
- Uses sample questions as pattern evidence.
- Does not treat sample distribution as the exam distribution.
- Connects misses to a targeted error log.
- Question 3/Flashcard
Notation note boundary
Name two kinds of FAM language clarified by the official notation and terminology note.
Solution And Grading Points
Good examples include deductible language, policy limit versus maximum covered loss, accident year and calendar year, force of mortality notation, future lifetime notation, premium notation, and policy value language.
- Names at least two terminology or notation categories.
- Includes at least one short-term or long-term example.
- Recognizes that the note controls exam wording.
- Question 4/Written Answer
Assumed knowledge
What background does FAM assume, and why does that matter for a study plan?
Solution And Grading Points
FAM assumes Probability, Financial Mathematics, and VEE Mathematical Statistics background. A candidate with weak prereqs should repair those gaps before doing timed FAM sets because FAM questions build on that material rather than reteaching it.
- Names P-style probability.
- Names FM-style financial mathematics.
- Names mathematical statistics background.
- Explains the consequence for study sequencing.