MAS-I Exam Day Guide
Everything you need to know before sitting for Exam MAS-I: Modern Actuarial Statistics I. Testing center logistics, time management, and strategies for performing your best on exam day.
Arrive 30 minutes early with two valid IDs
CAS exams are administered at Pearson VUE centers with the same check-in requirements as SOA exams. Store all personal items in the locker and receive your scratch materials at the testing station.
Bring your approved calculator
MAS-I permits the BA-II Plus and TI-30X series calculators. Ensure fresh batteries and familiarity with all statistical functions you might need during the exam.
Brain dump probability formulas first
Write down the MGFs for Normal, Gamma, and Poisson distributions. Write the Beta-Binomial, Gamma-Poisson, and Normal-Normal conjugate prior update rules. Having these visible saves time on Bayesian problems.
Identify the problem type before computing
MAS-I covers probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, regression, time series, and Bayesian analysis. Categorizing the problem immediately tells you which toolkit to apply and prevents wasted effort.
Budget 6 minutes per question with buffer
With 40 questions in 240 minutes, you have 6 minutes each. Estimation and hypothesis testing problems are often faster; Bayesian and time series problems can be slower. Build a 20-minute buffer for review.
Set up likelihood functions carefully
Many MAS-I problems involve MLE. Write the likelihood, take the log, and differentiate step by step. Skipping steps in the differentiation is where most algebraic errors occur.
For regression problems, check the assumptions
Before interpreting coefficients or making predictions, check whether the problem mentions any violated assumptions (heteroscedasticity, multicollinearity, outliers). The correct approach may differ from standard OLS.
Use process of elimination on Bayesian problems
If you recognize the conjugate prior family, you know the posterior family immediately. This lets you eliminate answer choices that have the wrong distributional form.
Manage the 4-hour marathon
MAS-I is a 4-hour exam. Eat well, stay hydrated, and take brief mental pauses every 10 questions. Candidates who maintain steady focus throughout outperform those who sprint and crash.
Review flagged questions systematically
Use your remaining time to revisit flagged questions in order. Re-read each problem statement carefully before reworking. Many errors come from misreading the given information.