Actuarial Professional Analysis (APA)

The Actuarial Professional Analysis™ (APA) is the CAS’s structured, recurring, research-based process for ensuring our credentials and exams reflect the real work actuaries do today, and the work they will be expected to do in the future.

Initiated in 2024  following the CAS Admissions Transformation Plan (ATP), the APA supports the CAS Strategic Plan by helping to ensure our credentialing system evolves with the changing needs of the industry. The process seeks to comprehensively evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for actuarial practice.

The APA is informed by broad input from across the CAS and P&C communities at large. Thousands of members and candidates contributed through surveys, interviews, and other engagement methods, ensuring the results reflect real-world practice and emerging trends.

The findings of the APA inform decisions about:

• which competencies are most important for credentialed actuaries,
• how those competencies should be prioritized,
• the cognitive level at which they should be assessed, and
• how the CAS exam structure should evolve over time.

At its core, the APA helps ensure CAS credentials remain relevant, valuable to members and employers, and aligned with best practices in professional credentialing—while supporting a strong and evolving candidate experience.

The APA is managed by a task force of CAS staff and volunteers, with oversight and support from the Admissions Governance Committee (AGC).

APAs are conducted on a regular basis as the actuarial profession is continuously evolving due to emerging risks, new technology, regulatory changes, and shifting business needs. By repeating this process over time, the CAS ensures its credentialing pathway remains current, credible, and effective.