Most candidates benefit from 3-6 months of dedicated study, depending on their mathematical background and familiarity with actuarial concepts. A typical study schedule involves 10-15 hours per week of focused preparation, including working through practice problems, reviewing core concepts like mortality and annuities, and taking full-length practice exams to build pacing and time management skills.

Students often struggle with the interconnected nature of life contingencies—particularly understanding how mortality assumptions, interest rates, and timing interact in present value calculations. Many also find the transition from pure mathematics to applied actuarial modeling challenging, especially when working with complex pension formulas and multi-state models that require both conceptual understanding and computational precision.

Personalized 1-on-1 instruction allows tutors to identify your specific weak areas—whether that's grasping annuity concepts, mastering present value calculations, or developing efficient problem-solving strategies for time-pressured exams. Tutors can also help you build confidence with practice problems, review exam-style questions in detail, and develop a customized study plan that fits your timeline and learning pace.

Practice exams are essential—they help you understand the question format, develop pacing strategies, and identify knowledge gaps before test day. Working through full-length practice tests under timed conditions allows you to experience the pressure of the actual exam and refine your approach to multi-part problems that require both calculation accuracy and conceptual reasoning.

Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who have deep expertise in actuarial mathematics and Exam LTAM preparation. You can describe your specific challenges—whether it's life contingencies, pension calculations, or exam strategy—and get matched with a tutor who can provide personalized instruction tailored to your learning style and timeline.

Score improvement depends on your starting point and study commitment, but students who work with tutors typically see meaningful gains by focusing on their weakest topics and practicing under realistic exam conditions. Many candidates improve their confidence and problem-solving speed significantly, which translates to better performance on exam day—especially when tutoring is combined with consistent independent study and practice testing.

Your first session is typically an assessment and planning meeting where your tutor learns about your background, current understanding of actuarial concepts, and specific goals. Together you'll identify your strongest and weakest areas, discuss your timeline, and create a customized study plan that prioritizes the topics where you need the most support before your exam date.