Exam Transition Rules: When Exams Change or Merge
How the SOA and CAS handle exam transitions, including credit carryover and deadline policies.
Why Exams Change
The SOA and CAS periodically restructure their exam systems to reflect evolving industry practices, incorporate new technical methods, and improve the candidate experience. Recent changes include the SOA's restructuring of STAM and LTAM content into FAM, ASTAM, and ALTAM, and the CAS's replacement of Exam S with MAS-I and MAS-II. These transitions can create uncertainty for candidates who have partially completed the old exam structure and must navigate new requirements.
Navigating Transitions
Both organizations publish detailed transition rules when exams change. These rules specify which old exam credits transfer to new requirements and any deadlines for using transition credit. Key principles include: candidates are rarely required to retake equivalent content they have already passed, transition periods typically last 2 to 3 years to allow candidates to complete their current path, and specific mappings show which old exams satisfy which new requirements. Candidates should monitor transition announcements closely and plan their exam schedule to take advantage of transition credits. In some cases, it may be strategic to accelerate or delay an exam sitting to align with a favorable transition timeline.