STAM is considered one of the more challenging actuarial exams, with a pass rate typically around 40-50%. Most candidates need 6-12 months of focused study to be exam-ready. With personalized 1-on-1 instruction, you can target your specific weak areas—whether that's probability distributions, survival models, or premium calculation—rather than spending time on concepts you already understand. Many students see significant score improvements by working through practice problems systematically and refining their problem-solving approach.

The biggest hurdles are typically mastering complex probability concepts, managing time during the 3-hour exam, and understanding how to apply multiple formulas to unfamiliar scenarios. Many students struggle with survival analysis and life contingency models since these require both mathematical precision and conceptual understanding. Additionally, STAM questions often blend multiple topics into a single problem, so recognizing which formulas and techniques apply is crucial—something that improves significantly with guided practice and expert feedback.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who can create a customized study plan based on your current knowledge and target score. Rather than working through a generic study guide, you'll get targeted instruction on your specific weak areas, learn test-taking strategies for managing complex multi-part problems, and work through practice exams with detailed feedback. This personalized approach helps you build confidence, improve pacing, and develop the problem-solving intuition needed to tackle unfamiliar questions on exam day.

Your first session is an assessment and planning meeting. The tutor will review your background in probability and calculus, discuss your target score and timeline, and identify which STAM topics feel most challenging. You'll likely work through 1-2 practice problems together to establish your current problem-solving approach and see where gaps exist. From there, your tutor will design a study plan that prioritizes high-impact topics and incorporates regular practice tests to track your progress.

Most actuarial candidates dedicate 300-400 hours to STAM preparation over 6-12 months. A typical weekly structure includes 2-3 tutoring sessions (2-3 hours total), independent practice with official SOA materials (8-10 hours), and full-length practice exams every 2-3 weeks to track progress. Consistency matters more than cramming—spacing your study over time helps concepts stick and builds the problem-solving fluency you need. Your tutor can adjust this schedule based on your starting point and exam date.

Practice tests do two critical things: they reveal which topics and question types trip you up, and they build the stamina and time-management skills needed for the actual 3-hour exam. Taking full-length practice exams under timed conditions helps you learn to pace yourself, recognize common problem patterns, and stay calm under pressure. Your tutor can review your practice test results with you to identify whether your mistakes stem from conceptual gaps, careless errors, or pacing issues—then target instruction accordingly.

Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who have deep expertise in actuarial mathematics and STAM specifically. When you get matched with a tutor, you can discuss their experience with the exam, their approach to teaching complex topics, and their track record helping students pass. You'll work with someone who understands the SOA exam format, knows which topics appear most frequently, and can teach you the strategies that actually work on test day.