CAS MAS-II Syllabus
MAS-II is the second CAS modern statistics exam. The official outline centers the exam on credibility, mixed models, statistical learning, and time series.
CAS Exam MAS-II
Current MAS-II page and 2026 outline are mapped for format, domain weights, assumed knowledge, tables, and the reading list that drives credibility, mixed models, statistical learning, and time series preparation.
What the official PDFs establish
- Appointment length
- 4.5-hour appointment with a 4-hour exam duration.
- Scheduled break
- The appointment includes a scheduled 15-minute break plus tutorial/confidentiality/survey time.
- Assumed knowledge
- Calculus, probability, linear algebra concepts at the regression-prerequisite level, and mastery of MAS-I concepts are assumed.
Topic and domain coverage
| Topic | Weight | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Credibility | 15-25% | |
| Linear Mixed Models | 10-20% | |
| Statistical Learning | 40-50% | |
| Time Series with Constant Variance | 15-25% | |
| Cognitive level: Remember | 5-10% | |
| Cognitive level: Understand and Apply | 55-60% | |
| Cognitive level: Analyze and Evaluate | 35-40% | |
| Cognitive level: Create | 0-5% |
Chapter and reading intelligence
- Tse
Credibility work is assigned from Nonlife Actuarial Models, covering classical, Buhlmann, Buhlmann-Straub, and Bayesian credibility sections in chapters 6-9.
- West
Linear Mixed Models: A Practical Guide Using Statistical Software is assigned across all chapters, excluding coding examples, with shrinkage notes called out separately.
- James et al., Salis, and GLM Monograph
Statistical learning is anchored to ISLR chapters 2.2, 4.4.2, 8, 10, and 12, Salis chapters 3 and 10, and Chapter 7 of Generalized Linear Models for Insurance Rating.
- Cowpertwait and Metcalfe
Time series preparation uses Introductory Time Series with R chapters 1-5 excluding selected sections, plus chapter 6 and sections 7.1-7.3.
Official files used by the map
- CAS content outlinecontent-outline
Primary source for domain weights, exam format, assumed knowledge, and official reading assignments.
Source: MAS-II Content Outline 2026
Quick Answer
MAS-II follows MAS-I in the CAS ACAS sequence. The current CAS exam page links a 2026 content outline and a MAS-II tables packet, and the outline assumes calculus, probability, regression-prerequisite linear algebra, and mastery of MAS-I concepts.
The exam is not a generic machine-learning survey. It is a property-casualty statistics exam where credibility, shrinkage, predictive model comparison, and time-dependent data all have to be read in actuarial context.
Current Format
The current outline describes a 4.5-hour appointment with a 4-hour exam duration and a scheduled break. MAS-II uses the CAS item-type family rather than plain multiple choice only.
That format matters for preparation. Candidates should drill interpretation of tables, output, definitions, and short calculations, because a point-and-click or fill-in-the-blank item punishes vague knowledge quickly.
Domain Weights
Statistical learning is the largest domain. Credibility and time series are each large enough to shape the exam, while linear mixed models create a separate output-reading lane.
- Introduction to Credibility: 15-25%.
- Linear Mixed Models: 10-20%.
- Statistical Learning: 40-50%.
- Time Series with Constant Variance: 15-25%.
- Cognitive level mix: mostly understand/apply and analyze/evaluate, with a small create band.
Reading Map
Tse supports the credibility domain, including classical, Buhlmann, Buhlmann-Straub, and Bayesian credibility. West supports linear mixed models. James et al. supports the statistical-learning block, while insurance rating readings support predictive performance and GLM evaluation language. Cowpertwait and Metcalfe supports time series.
Use the reading map to classify mistakes. A credibility miss is usually a variance-component or shrinkage miss. A mixed-model miss is usually a hierarchy or output-interpretation miss. A statistical-learning miss is often a validation, tuning, or model-comparison miss. A time-series miss is usually an autocorrelation or stationarity miss.
Study Priority
Build the exam in four passes. First, repair MAS-I GLM and inference assumptions. Second, learn credibility and mixed models as related shrinkage ideas. Third, spend the largest block on statistical learning. Fourth, keep time series separate enough that autocorrelation, stationarity, and forecast error do not blur into generic regression habits.
For final practice, mix domains. MAS-II questions can feel easy when grouped by chapter and much harder when a candidate has to decide whether a prompt is really asking for credibility, mixed-model structure, validation, or a time-series diagnostic.