How to Verify an Actuary Credential (ASA, FSA, ACAS, FCAS)

The two actuarial bodies: SOA vs. CAS

The U.S. actuarial profession is divided between two credentialing organizations depending on the practice area:

A candidate working in P&C insurance (auto, homeowners, workers' comp) should hold CAS credentials. A candidate in life insurance, health insurance, or pension consulting should hold SOA credentials. Some actuaries hold credentials from both bodies.

SOA credential verification

The SOA offers two designation levels:

• ASA (Associate of the Society of Actuaries): Requires passing 5 preliminary exams plus specific modules and professionalism requirements
• FSA (Fellow of the Society of Actuaries): Builds on ASA; requires additional fellowship exams in a specific track (Life, Health, Retirement, Quantitative Finance, Enterprise Risk)

To verify:

1. Go to soa.org and navigate to Member Directory
2. Search by the candidate's name
3. Results show their designation (ASA or FSA), year of designation, and practice area track (for FSAs)
4. Confirm the designation matches what was claimed

CAS credential verification

The CAS designation levels:

• ACAS (Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society): Requires 7 exams covering P&C topics plus professionalism coursework
• FCAS (Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society): Builds on ACAS with 2 additional advanced P&C exams

To verify:

1. Go to casact.org and navigate to the Member Directory
2. Search by the candidate's name
3. Results show designation (ACAS or FCAS) and membership status

Continuing education and membership

Unlike many professional credentials, SOA and CAS designations do not expire on a fixed schedule — but members must maintain their designation through:

• SOA: 30 hours of continuing education per year, including professional development and technical topics. Failure to comply can result in suspension of the designation
• CAS: 24 CE credits required annually. Members who do not comply may be suspended from the CAS roster
• Both bodies require annual dues — lapsed membership may result in removal from the active directory

A candidate not appearing in the active SOA or CAS directory may have a suspended designation, not just a lapsed membership. Contact the respective organization for confirmation if needed.

Exam-in-progress candidates

Actuarial exams are notoriously difficult — each exam has a pass rate of 40–55% and candidates typically take 7–10 years to reach Fellowship. Candidates often list exam progress on their resumes (e.g., “Passed Exams 1, 2, 3”).

Exam progress can be confirmed through the SOA or CAS exam transcript — ask the candidate for their official exam history printout from the respective organization's portal. Do not accept informal claims of exam passage without documentation.

Red flags

• Not found in SOA or CAS directory — may indicate suspended designation, lapsed membership, or misrepresentation
• Claims FSA/FCAS but only appears in directory as ASA/ACAS — the distinction is significant; Fellowship requires substantially more work
• Wrong body for the practice area — claiming CAS credentials for a life insurance role or SOA for P&C
• Claims Fellowship track (e.g., “FSA in Quantitative Finance”) — verify the specific track appears in the SOA directory record
• Exam credits misrepresented as a designation — “passed 6 exams” is not the same as “ASA”

Verification checklist