What is Actuarial Science
Home – What is Actuarial Science
About Actuarial Science
Actuarial science is the discipline that applies mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk in the insurance and finance industries.
Actuarial science includes a number of interrelating subjects.It is a blend of mathematics and statistics to evaluate and estimate the risks in insurance and finance sectors. It is not only limited to probability and statistics but includes finance, accounting and economics under its domain. It is a concept that has evolved with age due to the proliferation of digitization and the synergy with modern financial theory and finds a predominant position in insurance, finance and risk management sectors.
Historically, actuarial science used deterministic models in the construction of tables and premiums. The science has gone through revolutionary changes during the last 30 years due to the proliferation of high speed computers and the synergy of stochastic actuarial models with modern financial theory.
Actuaries are professionals who are qualified in this field through examinations and experience and form an integral part of an organization in quantifying the impact of changing micro / macro economic and demographic environment on the financials.
Any person who has a knack for mathematics / statistics can pursue this career and to qualify as an Actuary, one has to clear series of exams hosted by different actuarial bodies.
Actuarial Employers in India
Opportunities also span consulting and offshoring centres, banks and investment firms, credit rating agencies, the IRDAI regulator, and universities, with India serving as a hub for pensions valuations and advanced life and non‑life projects.
Life Insurance Companies
- Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
- SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
- HDFC Standard Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
- ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Axis Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Tata AIA Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Kotak Mahindra Old Mutual Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
- PNB Metlife India Insurance Co. Ltd.
General Insurance Companies
- ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- The New India Assurance Co. Ltd.
- HDFC ERGO General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- United India Insurance Co. Ltd.
- National Insurance Co. Ltd.
- SBI General Insurance Company Limited
- IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited
- Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd.
BPO/KPO
- WNS Global Services Pvt Ltd
- Swiss Re
- Mercer
- Aon Hewitt
- Metlife
- Infosys
- Delloite
- Delloite
- EXL
- Paternoster
About Actuarial Exams
A student has to pass 15 odd exams conducted by Institute of Actuaries of India (IAI), Mumbai or Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA), UK. These exams are categorized into 4 groups as mentioned below
CT Series (Core Technical) Group
A student has to pass all papers of this group
Code and Subject
- CA1 - Actuarial Risk Management
- CA2 - Model Documentation, Analysis and Reporting
- CA3 - Communications
- CM1 - Actuarial Mathematics
- CB1 - Business Finance
- CB2 - Business Economics
- CS1 - Actuarial Statistics
- CM2 - Financial Engineering and Loss Reserving
- CS2 - Risk Modelling and Survival Analysis
- CB3 - Business Management
Core Practices exams
A student has to pass all three papers of this group
Code and Subject
- CP1 - Actuarial Practice
- CP2 - Modelling Practice
- CP3 - Communications Practice
ST Series (Specialist Technical) Group
A student has to clear any two papers
Code and Subject
- SP1 - Health and Care
- SP2 - Life Insurance
- SP4 - Pension and Other Employee Benefits
- SP5 - Finance and Investment A
- SP6 - Finance and Investment B
- SP7 - General Insurance Reserving and Capital Modelling Specialist Technical
- SP8 - General Insurance Pricing Specialist Technical
- SP9 - Enterprise Risk Management
SA Series (Specialist Application) Group
A student has to clear any one paper
Code and Subject
- SA1 - Health and Care
- SA2 - Life Insurance
- SA3 - General Insurance
- SA4 - Pension and Other Employee Benefits
- SA5 - Finance
- SA6 - Investment
Institute and Months of Exam
- IAI - March/ September
- IFoA - April/September-October
How to become member of Institute
- IAI - Clear ACET exam • A student who is a member of IFoA and has cleared three exams can become member of IAI by completing formalities
- IFoA - Clear CT1 exam.

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