# SOA Exam FAM: 34 MCQ Format Change (November 2024) SOA Exam FAM moved to 34 multiple-choice questions in November 2024. What changed, how it shifts time per question, and what retakers should do. Canonical URL: https://exclam.ai/actuarial/exam-fam/changes-2026/ [Changes](https://exclam.ai/changes/index.md)›[SOA Exam FAM](https://exclam.ai/actuarial/exam-fam/index.md)›2024 changes In effect: November 2024 SOA Exam FAM The Society of Actuaries adjusted the Exam FAM format starting with the November 2024 administration: FAM went from 40 to 34 multiple-choice questions in the same 3.5 hours, and SOA removed syllabus material to match. This page summarizes the format change, what was removed, what stayed the same (exam time, prerequisites), and how to adjust cram strategy for the new question count. [SOA Exam FAM home](https://exclam.ai/actuarial/exam-fam/index.md) [Official source](https://www.soa.org/education/exam-req/syllabus-study-materials/edu-updates-exam-fam/) [Retaking on the new SOA Exam FAM? Failed before the transition, sitting after? See the cram + retaker plan. See cram plan](https://exclam.ai/actuarial/exam-fam/cram/index.md) ## What's changing 4 change items ### Question count set at 34 MCQs Moderate FAM is now 34 multiple-choice questions for the full sitting. SOA announced this on July 18, 2024, effective with the November 2024 administration. Pacing recalibrates against 34 items rather than the previous 40. Who this affects Every FAM sitter — pacing assumptions and mock-exam calibration shift. What to do Re-time mocks to 34-question conditions. Per-item time budget recalibrates — drill at that pace specifically. ### Syllabus reduced to 10 topics Moderate To fit the shorter exam, SOA removed short-term coverage-type identification, population mortality curves, and a whole topic on parametric and non-parametric estimation. The current syllabus lists 10 topics, each with its own weight band. Who this affects Candidates studying from materials written before November 2024. What to do Check your manual against the current SOA syllabus and skip the removed material. ### Per-question time pressure eases Moderate Fewer questions over the same 3.5-hour window gives each item more time; SOA cut the count because candidates had too little time. Coaching Actuaries ADAPT and other timed-mock platforms have updated their FAM templates to match — verify yours. Who this affects Candidates whose mock-exam practice was tuned to the old item count. What to do Switch to 34-question timed mocks in the final 2 weeks of prep. Old-format mocks overstate per-question pressure. ### Prerequisites unchanged Minor FAM is still the prerequisite for both ALTAM and ASTAM. Pass FAM, then choose advanced exam based on career direction. Who this affects Nobody. What to do No path change. ## Old vs new at a glance Side-by-side comparison of what shifted and what stayed the same. Use this for a fast sanity check on your prep materials. | Area | Old | New | | --- | --- | --- | | Question count | 40 multiple-choice questions | 34 multiple-choice questions | | Topic areas | Pre-reduction syllabus | 10 | | Topic weights | Per FAM blueprint | Per FAM blueprint | | Prerequisite for ALTAM/ASTAM | Yes | Yes | | Pass mark | SOA scaled | SOA scaled | ## What to do based on your exam date Advice diverges sharply depending on when you sit. The branches below cover the standard cases plus the overlap case (retakers caught between the old and new versions). ### Sat before November 2024 You sat the pre-change format. If you passed, no impact. If you failed, your retake is on the 34-MCQ format — recalibrate mock timing accordingly. Content gaps from your last attempt are still actionable, minus the material SOA removed. ### Sitting November 2024 or after You sit the 34-MCQ format. Pull current Coaching Actuaries ADAPT templates (CA updated to match). Use ASM and ACTEX editions that match the reduced syllabus; their mock-exam supplements should be on the new format. Verify before drilling. ### July 2024 failures retaking in November 2024 or later You failed pre-change and your retake is post-change. Concentrate retake content review on your weak topic areas (use SOA pass/fail signal + your ADAPT EL trajectory). Then add 2 weeks of strict 34-MCQ timed-mock pacing before your sitting. ## Your transition checklist Walk this list before your next study session. It is short and concrete. Confirm your ADAPT (or other mock platform) is calibrated to 34 questions. Re-set your per-question time budget to match the new pace. If retaking, pull your last ADAPT EL trajectory — your weak topics are still actionable. Verify your manual (ASM, ACTEX) supplement materials reflect the new format for mocks. In the final 2 weeks: drill 34-MCQ timed mocks exclusively. ## Related on exclam.ai [Exam FAM home](https://exclam.ai/actuarial/exam-fam/index.md) [Exam FAM cram plans](https://exclam.ai/actuarial/exam-fam/cram/index.md) [All SOA exam topic pages](https://exclam.ai/actuarial/index.md) ## SOA Exam FAM 2024 questions Did topics or weights change on Exam FAM? Yes. SOA removed syllabus material alongside the cut to 34 MCQs; the current syllabus lists 10 topics, each with its own weight band. Are my FAM study materials still good? Mostly. Materials written before November 2024 cover material SOA has since removed, so skip it. Verify that any timed-mock components in your materials have been updated to 34 questions. Does the change affect ALTAM or ASTAM? No. FAM is still the prerequisite. ALTAM and ASTAM are unchanged. Is the 34-question FAM easier or harder? SOA states the questions keep the same level of difficulty; the change gives each item more time. Plan around discipline on individual items, not overall content volume. ### Source All change items above are paraphrased from the public SOA Exam FAM updates page (public). Verify directly before committing your study plan. [SOA Exam FAM updates page (public)](https://www.soa.org/education/exam-req/syllabus-study-materials/edu-updates-exam-fam/)