From the CEO: CAS to Begin Transition to Computer-Based Testing in the Fall

Dear CAS Members and Candidates:

I’m pleased to announce exciting news about the future administration of CAS credentialing exams. Beginning this fall, the CAS’s multiple-choice exams, MAS-I and MAS-II, will be delivered via computer-based testing. Constructed response exams, beginning with Exam 6-Canada, will start transitioning in the spring of 2021, with a goal to offer all CAS exams via computer-based testing by the end of 2022.

The CAS is partnering with Pearson VUE, a computer-based testing company that delivers over 16 million exams per year and has more than 30 years of experience in the assessment industry. CAS exams will be delivered through Pearson VUE’s network of Pearson Professional Centers at more than 300 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as in 20 other countries. Our evaluation of Pearson VUE included an analysis of the proximity of their test centers to our candidate population, to provide convenient access for our candidates. Built specifically for high-stakes test delivery, Pearson Professional Centers will provide candidates with a secure and consistent testing experience at every test center, every time, in an atmosphere designed to contribute to an optimal test day experience.

The shift to computer-based testing has been in our plans for several years, as we sought to offer exams that more closely imitate on-the-job assignments in which actuaries use computers and spreadsheets for their work. While our initial offering of computer-based testing with Exam 5 in 2018 did not go as planned, one of the key takeaways from the experience was that candidates preferred taking their exam on a computer with spreadsheet functionality. Our new partnership with Pearson VUE will soon allow us to provide that experience to candidates taking our upper level exams.

There are benefits to this transition for our stakeholders beyond our candidates, as the partnership with Pearson VUE will relieve the burden on employers of providing office space to serve as exam sites and on volunteer members from having to serve as proctors, not to mention the huge administrative burden that comes with our current pencil and paper exams.

We will continue to work with Pearson VUE over the coming weeks and months to execute our project plan, which includes rigorous testing of the computer-based exams, development of back-up plans, and a measured roll-out beginning with multiple-choice exams. We understand that candidates and their employers will have questions about the transition to computer-based testing, and our admissions staff and volunteers will provide additional details as soon as possible.

This exciting move is important for the future of CAS. While it comes at a challenging time, I am optimistic that our partnership with Pearson VUE will help ensure that we provide the best possible testing experience one would expect from a world-class organization like the CAS.Best,

Victor