Study Support

We support our graduate trainees towards a relevant professional qualification.

Those in our pensions practice and some in our investment practice work towards qualification as an actuary. A long established profession built around financial modelling relating to demographic and economic analysis and prediction. The profession uses the slogan "making financial sense of the future".

The actuarial profession runs 15 exams that would take at least three years to complete, with four years being a much more realistic timeframe for completion by the strongest graduates who we look to employ. Some of you may have a shortcut if you have studied similar subjects at university. Statistics and economics degrees provide an exemption or two, and actuarial science degrees provide many more, but still leave at least two years of further exams.

We would support you with distance learning materials and up to a day a week to study them or you could use your day a week to attend an MSc in Actuarial Science at Imperial College’s Tanaka Business School. The best route to take depends on your personal learning style and self management. If you work in some of our offices it also depends on your desire to travel - some in our Leeds office attend and have recommended it to others despite the resulting long day.

Some in our investment practice follow a professional qualification more focused on investment management. The CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) certificate consists of 3 exams that are taken over a minimum 3 year period. In addition, to obtain the qualification you need to be able to show that you have 3 years investment experience and that you comply with the standards of the regulatory body. The study is by distance learning and you would have up to a day a week to do so.

Whilst there are only 3 exams (compared to the 15 exams you sit for the Actuarial exams) it is by no means an easier option for investment students.