Actuarial exam online study programs

Choosing the "best" study program for actuarial exams largely depends on your learning style (video-based vs. textbook/reading-based ) and which exam you are taking.etchedactuarial.com+1

The actuarial community broadly recognizes a few powerhouse providers for preliminary and advanced exams:

Top Online Study Programs & Practice Materials

1. Coaching Actuaries (Adapt)
   • Best For: Practice question banks, adaptive learning, and preliminary exams (Exam P, FM, SRM, FAM).
   • The Highlights: Their ADAPT (Assessment and Decision-making Adaptive Practice Tests) platform is widely considered the gold standard for practice exams. It rates your mastery on an Earned Difficulty Level (EDL) scale that dynamically adjusts as you improve, closely mimicking actual exam difficulty. They offer crisp video lessons, digital flashcards, and a very polished interface.
   • Check it out:Coaching Actuaries
2. The Infinite Actuary (TIA)
   • Best For: Comprehensive video-heavy instruction across both preliminary and upper-level/fellowship (FSA) exams.
   • The Highlights: TIA is famous for thorough video walkthroughs and deep instructor support. If you prefer sitting through structured lectures where an instructor breaks down complex calculus, probability, or financial economics step-by-step on a virtual whiteboard, TIA is a favorite.reddit.com+2
3. ASM Study Manuals / ACTEX / ADAPT
   • Best For: Traditional readers who learn best from a comprehensive physical or digital textbook.
   • The Highlights: ASM (Actuarial Study Materials) manuals are notoriously dense, rigorous, and exhaustive—if you can pass the practice problems in an ASM manual, the real exam will feel straightforward. Many students pair an ASM or ACTEX manual with a question bank like Coaching Actuaries for the ultimate hybrid approach.etchedactuarial.com
4. The Actuarial Nexus (TAN) & AnalystPrep
   • Best For: Alternative or budget-conscious study materials and community-driven resources.
   • The Highlights: Gaining traction for offering competitive or free modular resources, particularly for specialized or upper-level tracks.reddit.com+1

General Community Consensus by Strategy

• For Exams P and FM: A blend of Coaching Actuaries (ADAPT) for the practice engine combined with their structured learn modules (or Marcel Finan's free online notes) works for the vast majority of candidates.reddit.com+1
• For Upper-Level / FSA Exams: Candidates often pivot toward TIA or specialized syllabus breakdowns because the source material shifts from straightforward math to thousands of pages of dense reading.reddit.com

To help narrow down the best specific recommendation, could you tell me:

• Which exam are you planning to take next (e.g., Exam P, FM, SRM, or an upper-level track)?
• Do you prefer learning via video lectures or reading through a textbook/manual?

If you're preparing for actuarial exams, my recommendation is to choose one main study program and pair it with realistic practice exams and official exam questions. The best choice depends on which exam you're taking, how you learn, and how much you want to spend.

For the common preliminary exams in the US, three of the strongest options to compare are Coaching Actuaries, The Infinite Actuary (TIA), and ACTEX. These providers are also listed in the Society of Actuaries' study-resource directory.www.soa.org+3

My top picks for actuarial exam prep

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1. Coaching Actuaries

(Best overall for practice)

Best if you want a structured online platform, a large bank of practice questions, mock exams, and adaptive difficulty.

• Standout: ADAPT practice exams and its Earned Level readiness indicator.
• Best for: Candidates who learn by solving lots of problems and tracking progress.
• Trade-off: Paid subscriptions; make sure you select the package for your specific exam.

Website:coachingactuaries.com

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2. The Infinite Actuary

(Best for video instruction)

A strong option if you prefer watching an instructor explain concepts and then working through examples.

• Standout: Video lessons, worked problems, quizzes, and practice exams.
• Best for: Students who need to build understanding before tackling difficult questions.
• Trade-off: The depth and availability of materials vary by exam.

Website:theinfiniteactuary.com

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• 

3. ACTEX Learning

(Best for comprehensive study materials)

A good choice if you want detailed study manuals, instructional videos, and a large collection of practice problems.

• Standout: GOAL practice quizzes and exam-style questions.
• Best for: Students who like reading detailed explanations and having a reference manual.
• Trade-off: Check which products cover your exam and whether you prefer a manual, online course, or both.

Website:actexlearning.com

These recommendations reflect the providers' available formats and the resources identified by university actuarial programs and the SOA; they're not a guarantee that one provider produces better pass rates than another.stat.ufl.edu+2

The practice materials I'd use alongside a course

1. Official sample exams and syllabus

Start with the exam's official learning objectives and sample questions. For Exams P and FM, the SOA offers free online sample exams. Note that the SOA cautions that these samples aren't necessarily representative of the actual exam's overall difficulty.www.soa.org+1

SOA sample exams and study resources

2. A large practice question bank

Use Coaching Actuaries ADAPT or ACTEX GOAL to practice by topic, revisit mistakes, and build speed. ACTEX GOAL includes practice, quiz, and simulated-exam modes.www.soa.org+1

Coaching Actuaries ·ACTEX GOAL

3. Official past papers and solutions

Especially important for advanced exams, where understanding how answers are evaluated can matter as much as knowing the material. CAS provides exam-specific resources, including selected retired questions, solutions, and grading guidance.www.casact.org+1

CAS exam resources

How I'd combine them

A practical study routine is to spend the first part of your preparation learning the syllabus, then progressively shift toward timed problem-solving.

• Early preparation: Learn concepts and work through topic-based exercises.
• Middle phase: Mix topics and maintain an error log of questions you get wrong.
• Final 2–3 weeks: Take timed mock exams, review every mistake, and work on pacing.
• Before exam day: Revisit weak topics and practice with your approved calculator or the relevant computer-based exam tools.

One important rule: check that every resource matches the syllabus for your actual sitting, since exam content can change.www.soa.org+4

Let me narrow it down to the best program for you

The most useful detail is which actuarial exam you're preparing for.

1. Which exam?

Exam P — Probability

Exam FM — Financial Mathematics

FAM, SRM, or PA

CAS MAS-I or MAS-II

CAS upper-level exams (5–9)

FSA-level exams

Not sure yet / comparing pathways

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2. How do you learn best?

Video lessons and worked examples

Practice questions and mock exams

Detailed written manuals

A combination of everything

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3. What's your budget for one exam?

Free resources only

Under $150

$150–$400

Flexible — best value matters most

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4. Which career path are you considering?

SOA — life, health, pensions, or broader actuarial work

CAS — property and casualty insurance

Undecided

[Find my best study program]

Preparing for Society of Actuaries (SOA) and Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) exams requires a mix of deep conceptual learning and rigorous practice testing. The actuarial community broadly relies on a few gold-standard course and practice platform providers.

Top-Rated Online Courses and Practice Platforms

1. Coaching Actuaries (ADAPT / Learn)
   • Overview: Widely considered the gold standard and most popular platform for preliminary exams (like P, FM, FAM, SRM, PA).
   • Strengths: Famous for ADAPT (Adjustment Determining Asymptotic Probabilities for Testing), an adaptive testing engine that adjusts question difficulty based on your performance and outputs an Earned Level (EL) score. If your EL hits 6 or higher, your historical chance of passing the real exam is very strong. They offer integrated video lessons ("Learn") and robust digital manuals.reddit.com+2
2. The Infinite Actuary (TIA)
   • Overview: Another dominant full-service provider covering preliminary and upper-level exams.
   • Strengths: Known for extensive, thorough video lectures that walk through theory step-by-step. Notably, TIA offers their complete online courses for Exam P and Exam FM entirely for free (including video lessons and practice tools), making it an unbeatable starting point for newcomers. Their practice exams are notoriously challenging—often harder than the actual exam—which prepares students well for the real thing.etchedactuarial.com+3
3. ASM Study Manuals / GOAL (Actuarial Study Materials)
   • Overview: A traditional heavyweight in written study manuals (distributed via ACTEX Mad RiverACTEX Mad River).
   • Strengths: ASM manuals provide exhaustive deep-dives into every single syllabus item. When you buy an ASM manual digitally or in print, it often bundles GOAL (Guided Online Actuarial Learning), which gives you access to a massive database of practice questions, customized quizzes, and guided difficulty ramps similar to ADAPT.etchedactuarial.com
4. ACTEX Learning
   • Overview: Another classic provider of traditional study guides and textbooks, heavily utilized alongside or instead of ASM.
   • Strengths: Known for clear, structured writing, good introductory context, and comprehensive practice exams tailored to specific syllabus updates.
5. FreeFellow
   • Overview: A rising community-driven alternative aiming to lower the financial barrier to entry for actuarial candidates.
   • Strengths: Offers free question banks, timed practice simulations, and structured lessons covering preliminary SOA/CAS tracks (like P, FM, FAM, and SRM) with zero paywalls.freefellow.org+1

Recommended Study Strategy

A consensus approach among successful candidates on platforms like Reddit's r/actuary involves a blended workflow:reddit.com+1

• Learn the material: Use a structured source like TIA's video courses, a thorough text manual (ASM/ACTEX), or free references (such as Marcel Finan's online notes for foundational math).reddit.com+2
• Grind practice problems: Move to Coaching Actuaries ADAPTCoaching Actuaries ADAPT or GOAL to test yourself under timed conditions, using the adaptive difficulty features to pinpoint weak subtopics.freefellow.org+1

If you share which specific exam you are targeting next (e.g., Exam P, FM, FAM, or an upper-level FSA/CAS exam), I can give you a more tailored recommendation on whether a video course or a practice-heavy platform is best suited for it.

Best online actuarial exam prep courses and practice sets (2026)

If you're preparing for actuarial exams, my top recommendations are Coaching Actuaries for adaptive practice, The Infinite Actuary for free Exam P/FM courses, and ACTEX for comprehensive study manuals and practice questions. The best choice depends on which exam you're taking and whether you learn best through videos, textbooks, or repeated practice.

The Society of Actuaries (SOA) and Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) both maintain lists of exam-prep providers, which are useful starting points for comparing established options. They explicitly note that third-party materials should supplement—not replace—the official syllabus and readings.www.soa.org+1

Top 5 study resources

• 

1. Coaching Actuaries

(Best overall for practice)

Their ADAPT platform adjusts question difficulty to your performance and helps you track exam readiness. Video lessons, manuals, and practice-only options are available for supported exams.

Best for: Students who understand the material but need lots of exam-style practice and a structured way to identify weaknesses.

Website:Coaching Actuaries

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• 

2. The Infinite Actuary

(Best free option)

Its Exam P and FM courses are advertised as completely free, including video lessons, practice problems with solutions, full-length computer-based practice exams, flashcards, and study planning. Paid courses cover additional exams.www.theinfiniteactuary.com+3

Best for: Beginners who want a complete course without committing money upfront.

Website:Free Exam P and FM courses

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• 

3. ACTEX Learning

A long-established provider of study manuals, instructional videos, practice quizzes, mock exams, and tutoring. Its GOAL practice system supports several preliminary SOA exams.www.soa.org+1

Best for: Students who want detailed explanations, a reference manual, and structured practice in one study plan.

Website:ACTEX Learning

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• 

4. AnalystPrep

An alternative for self-paced learning with study notes, video lessons, quizzes, mock exams, and performance tracking. Compare its syllabus coverage and question explanations with the other providers before buying.ais-cpa.com+1

Best for: Learners who prefer combining written notes and videos with regular quizzes.

Website:AnalystPrep

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• 

5. BattleActs

A specialized study resource for several upper-level CAS exams, including Exams 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. It is particularly worth considering for candidates preparing for property-and-casualty actuarial work.www.soa.org+1

Best for: CAS candidates who want focused exam-specific study materials rather than a general introductory course.

Website:BattleActs

Best practice sets and exam simulations

If your main goal is to pass, don't underestimate dedicated question banks. These are the resources I'd prioritize for actual problem-solving practice.

Coaching Actuaries ADAPT

Best for adaptive practice and readiness tracking

Use it to drill weak topics, increase question difficulty gradually, and practice under timed conditions.

Explore ADAPT

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ACTEX GOAL

Best for topic quizzes and practice exams

Particularly useful if you want a combination of study manuals and a separate bank of practice questions.

Explore ACTEX and GOAL

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Official SOA sample exams

Best free resource for preliminary SOA exams

The official online P and FM samples mimic the computer-based testing experience. The SOA cautions that their difficulty may not match the average live exam, so use them alongside a larger practice bank.www.soa.org+2

Try the official sample exams

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Official CAS practice items and demo exams

Best for CAS candidates, especially written-response exams

The CAS offers sample testing in the Pearson VUE format, plus selected practice items and solutions for upper-level exams. Its 2026 resources include updated materials for Exams 5, 7, 8, and 9.www.casact.org+2

Browse official CAS resources

Which combination should you choose?

These are recommendations by use case, not a measured ranking of customer satisfaction. Course coverage and prices vary by exam, so verify the current offering before purchasing.

Let me narrow it down for you

The best resource changes significantly depending on your exam. Which actuarial exam are you preparing for?

1. Which exam?

Exam P — Probability

Exam FM — Financial Mathematics

FAM, SRM, or PA

CAS MAS-I or MAS-II

CAS upper-level exams (5–9)

FSA-level exams or modules

I'm not sure yet

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2. What's your budget?

Free resources only

Under $150

Over $150

Open to any budget

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3. What type of prep do you prefer?

Practice questions and mock exams

Video lessons and lectures

Both lessons and practice questions

[Find my best study resources]