SOA Exam Deadlines 2025
Becoming an actuary is a challenging but rewarding journey, and staying on top of your exam schedule is the first step. The SOA Exam Deadlines 2025 are strict, and missing them can set you back by months. This blog post breaks down everything you need to know about the 2025 exam schedule, deadlines, and common pitfalls to avoid.
Overview of SOA Exams
The Society of Actuaries (SOA) offers a series of exams that are a rite of passage for every aspiring actuary. They’re divided into two main categories: preliminary and advanced.
The preliminary exams are the foundational building blocks of your actuarial career. These include:
- P (Probability): A multiple-choice, three-hour exam on probability theory.
- FM (Financial Mathematics): Another multiple-choice, three-hour exam focusing on interest theory and financial derivatives.
- SRM (Statistics for Risk Modeling): A computer-based exam covering statistical models and their applications in risk management.
- FAM (Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics): This is a newer exam that combines the old Long-Term Actuarial Mathematics and Short-Term Actuarial Mathematics exams. It’s a three-and-a-half-hour, computer-based exam.
- PA (Predictive Analytics): A five-hour, computer-based exam where you work with a provided data set to answer a series of questions.
Once you clear the preliminary exams, you move on to the advanced ones, which are a mix of computer-based and written-answer formats. These include ALTAM, ASTAM, and the FSA exams, which dive deep into specific practice areas.
SOA Exam Deadlines 2025
Let’s get straight to the point. Here is a comprehensive table of key SOA Exam Deadlines 2025. Bookmark this page, print it, or set reminders—whatever you do, don’t miss these dates.
| Exam Name | Exam Dates (CBT) | Registration Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| P (Probability) | Mar 14 – 25, 2025 | Feb 12, 2025 |
| May 9 – 20, 2025 | Apr 9, 2025 | |
| Jul 18 – 29, 2025 | Jun 18, 2025 | |
| Sep 11 – 22, 2025 | Aug 13, 2025 | |
| Nov 3 – 14, 2025 | Oct 8, 2025 | |
| FM (Financial Mathematics) | Mar 14 – 25, 2025 | Feb 12, 2025 |
| Jun 16 – 27, 2025 | May 7, 2025 | |
| Aug 6 – 17, 2025 | Jul 9, 2025 | |
| Oct 2 – 13, 2025 | Sep 3, 2025 | |
| Dec 1 – 12, 2025 | Nov 5, 2025 | |
| SRM (Statistics for Risk Modeling) | Jan 6 – 12, 2025 | Dec 2, 2024 |
| May 23 – 29, 2025 | Apr 21, 2025 | |
| Sep 2 – 8, 2025 | Aug 5, 2025 | |
| FAM (Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics) | Jul 9 – 15, 2025 | Jun 10, 2025 |
| Oct 24 – 30, 2025 | Sep 23, 2025 | |
| PA (Predictive Analytics) | Apr 15 – 18, 2025 | Mar 11, 2025 |
| Oct 14 – 17, 2025 | Sep 9, 2025 | |
| ALTAM (Advanced Long-Term Actuarial Mathematics) | Oct 21, 2025 | Sep 22, 2025 |
| ASTAM (Advanced Short-Term Actuarial Mathematics) | Oct 22, 2025 | Sep 22, 2025 |
| FSA Exams | Nov 17 – 21, 2025 | Sep 29, 2025 |
| Nov 20, 2025 | Sep 29, 2025 | |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Sep 29, 2025 |
This table highlights the Society of Actuaries exam dates and the corresponding registration cutoffs. You can see that many preliminary exams, like P and FM, are offered multiple times throughout the year. This gives you flexibility in your study plan, but also means there are more opportunities to forget a deadline.
Month-by-Month Exam Calendar
Let’s break down the year to help you visualize your study plan.
- January-March: Kicks off with SRM. Then, get ready for P and FM in March. The registration deadline for these is in February, so you need to plan.
- April-June: April has the first PA sitting. In May, you have another shot at P and SRM. June brings an FM exam.
- July-September: July is a busy month with P and FAM. September features SRM and another P exam. This is also a critical month for advanced exams, with the registration deadline for FSA exams in late September.
- October-December: October is packed with PA, ALTAM, ASTAM, and FAM. November has a P exam, and December ends the year with a final FM sitting.
Module & FAP Deadlines
The actuarial journey isn’t just about exams. You also have modules to complete and assessments to pass. The SOA exam registration deadlines for these are just as important.
- FSA Modules: The SOA has announced updates to its FSA pathway for 2025. Be aware of the final dates for submitting end-of-module exercises. The last day to submit an FSA module for a guaranteed grade is September 30, 2025, which gives you time to resubmit if needed before the final submission deadline of December 31, 2025. After this date, no more module exercises will be graded.
- Fundamentals of Actuarial Practice (FAP) Final Assessment: The final deadline for the FAP Final Assessment is January 31, 2026. This is a take-home assessment you must complete within 96 hours of downloading it, so plan your time carefully.
Registration Process
Registering for an exam is straightforward, but you can’t rush it.
- Create an SOA Profile: If you don’t have one already, your first step is to create a profile on the SOA website. Make sure your name matches your government-issued ID exactly.
- Register and Pay: Log in to your profile, find the exam you want to take, and register. You’ll need to pay the fee at this time.
- Schedule Your Appointment: After registering, the SOA sends your eligibility data to Prometric, the computer-based testing vendor. This can take a day or two. Once you receive your confirmation email with your eligibility number, you can schedule your specific exam date and time at a Prometric test center.
This is a two-part process. You register with the SOA, then schedule with Prometric. Don’t assume that registering with the SOA automatically books your seat—it doesn’t.
Common Mistakes Students Make
The path to Fellowship is littered with small but costly mistakes. Here are some of the most common ones to watch out for.
- Procrastinating on Registration: Test centers have limited seating, and popular dates fill up quickly. Waiting until the last minute to register means you might not get your preferred test center or date. Register as early as you can to secure your spot.
- Mixing Up Deadlines: The SOA uses Central Time (CDT/CST) for its deadlines. If you’re in a different time zone, make sure you convert the time correctly to avoid missing a cutoff. A deadline of 11:59 p.m. CST on a Tuesday could be 1:59 a.m. Wednesday for you, so be careful.
- Forgetting Module Deadlines: FSA modules often feel less urgent than exams, but their deadlines are just as firm. Failing to submit an end-of-module exercise by the deadline can delay your fellowship by months.
Conclusion
The SOA Exam Deadlines 2025 are not just dates on a calendar; they are guideposts on your journey to becoming an actuary. Staying organized and paying attention to these critical dates will keep you on track. Start your studying early, register for your exams well in advance, and always double-check the official SOA website for the most current information. Your future self will thank you for being proactive. Good luck!