Uni Stuff > Actuarial Studies
Commerce (actuarial studies) question
nickalaz:
what im trying to say is there is a very very fine line between the reason for your score - and whether it is due to mistakes, or a lack of ability.
and my 37 was due primarily to being tricked by the exams. i had a strong grasp of how to actually do the maths, however i often mistook what exactly the question was asking me to do. I would apply the correct maths for what I thought I had to do, however this wasn't what was asked - and thus would lose me marks.
brendan:
--- Quote from: shinny on December 27, 2008, 01:18:29 am ---Well that's assuming that people will score approximately the same in either subject, which they clearly do not.
--- End quote ---
But it is a good assumption, because that's exactly how the VCE Math subjects were designed to scale.
Back to the original topic though. I don't think it would be such a good idea to do the Actuarial program at UoM given that:
- the candidate has a study score of 35 in methods, which in scaled subject score terms is much less than 38 raw in Specialist Mathematics.
- is not willing to take Specialist mathematics which may signal something about the candidate's ability in mathematics
- doing the Actuarial program at UoM without a 38 or above in Specialist Mathematics would mean ruling yourself out of CA/CPA accreditation for not being able to fit in BPA.
shinny:
But like I said, they require quite different skills. Methods is more lower level knowledge, so people who just grind can often do quite well. This however does not work so well with Specialist and you actually need quite a good level of Mathematical comprehension. Since they require two quite different skills, this is just like saying the scaling system allows someone who took up French (yes exaggerated, but I lack a closer example) and Methods to do equally as well as they would if they took up Methods and Spesh. To me, they definitely seem like two quite distinct subjects. However, if you wish to disagree that's fine since there's really nothing supporting what I think; it's just my own experience with the subjects and how they felt when I undertook them, and obviously this will change between people.
brendan:
--- Quote from: shinny on December 27, 2008, 01:27:49 am ---But like I said, they require quite different skills. Methods is more lower level knowledge, so people who just grind can often do quite well. This however does not work so well with Specialist and you actually need quite a good level of Mathematical comprehension.
--- End quote ---
Yeah but scaling within the VCE Mathematics subjects specifically takes care of this:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24798081-5018535,00.html
Mathematics
VCE mathematics studies are designed to cater for students of differing abilities and interests.
Specialist Mathematics is the most difficult, followed by Mathematical Methods and then by Further Mathematics.
To ensure that students undertaking the more difficult mathematics studies are not disadvantaged, Mathematical Methods is compared with Further Mathematics and adjusted up if necessary.
Similarly Specialist Mathematics is compared to Mathematical Methods and adjusted up if necessary.
shinny:
--- Quote from: Brendan on December 27, 2008, 01:30:49 am ---Yeah but scaling within the VCE Mathematics subjects specifically takes care of this:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24798081-5018535,00.html
Mathematics
VCE mathematics studies are designed to cater for students of differing abilities and interests.
Specialist Mathematics is the most difficult, followed by Mathematical Methods and then by Further Mathematics.
To ensure that students undertaking the more difficult mathematics studies are not disadvantaged, Mathematical Methods is compared with Further Mathematics and adjusted up if necessary.
Similarly Specialist Mathematics is compared to Mathematical Methods and adjusted up if necessary.
--- End quote ---
I'd respond to that but this thread's getting heavily derailed so I guess make up your own mind on whether you think you're capable. In trying to get back to the point, by no means am I saying go for actuary even if you didn't do too well in Methods; definitely don't underestimate the difficulty of actuarial studies - as Brendan someone said, it has a high drop out rate. I'm just saying that your Methods score is by no means an end all in deciding what you want to do.
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