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Membership & Education

Practice Education Course

In order to obtain the FCIA designation, SOA candidates must successfully attend the Practice Education Course (PEC). The PEC can be taken if the candidate satisfies any one of the following conditions:

Please see the Notices section of the CIA Membership & Education website for additional information on the PEC.

Successful PEC Candidates

What is the Practice Education Course?

The Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA) relies on the examination systems of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) to provide basic actuarial education.

Originally intended to replace the Canadian-specific material that was removed from the SOA 2000 exam system, the PEC has developed and continues to develop, so that in addition to the Canadian-specific education, it also provides opportunities for candidates to benefit from the following:

The PEC is designed to provide candidates with practical education in the Canadian environment including industry practices, professional standards, legislation and taxation. It is offered once a year in the spring, in Ottawa, Ontario. 

The education requirements for CAS candidates seeking Fellowship in the CIA are as follows:

Course Topics

Each candidate will be required to select the practice area sessions that he or she wishes to attend. There are four independent sessions:

In addition, there will be a general session covering topics applicable to all actuaries practising in Canada.

All candidates will attend the general session. Candidates will also separate into practice-specific sessions over a two-day period. The format for these sessions may include large and small group discussions, projects, assignments and self-study.

The final half-day is dedicated to the three-hour, open-book examination upon which success or failure of the PEC is determined. Candidates must attend and participate in all course sessions to be eligible to write the examination. The examination may include multiple choice and/or essay-type examination questions.

Registration Procedures

Candidates who have satisfied the eligibility requirements should complete the registration form and return it to the CIA Secretariat along with payment of the registration fee. Full payment must be received at the time of registration, otherwise your registration will not be processed.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis depending on the date of receipt of the registration form and payment of the registration fee. Candidates will generally be accepted, space permitting. However, due to size considerations, some practice area specialties may not be offered at every PEC session. Registrations will be accepted on a space-permitted basis.

Candidates will receive a confirmation of registration approximately ten days after receipt of the registration form and payment. Please check your confirmation to make sure everything is correct. Contact Leona Campbell at (613) 236-8196 x124 with any corrections.

Resource Person

If you have any questions regarding course content, prerequisites or registration, please contact Leona Campbell at (613) 236-8196 x124 or via e-mail at pec.inquiry@actuaries.ca