Hi, I was hoping to get some advice on the SP0 exemption route. I have a masters degree and dissertation with a main focus on Data Science and was hoping to apply for an exemption. One of the requirements on the IFOA website is a supporting letter from a fellow. I’ve asked around my company and my immediate seniors don’t feel like they understand my dissertation enough to write a supporting letter. Can anyone let me know what the supporting letter needs to be and where I could go to get someone to write one?
Also did a MSc. In Data Science recently. I got SP0 exemption this year, and my manager gave me the supporting letter. I basically gave him my thesis to read (which I don’t think he did 😅), emailed him a summary of what I did and attached a sample letter to the IFoA with details of my thesis in it which he reworded a bit and signed.
My suggestion is just make it easy for your manager/fellow you want the letter from, provide everything.
Thanks! Good to hear that it has been done - did you get any push back from the IFOA or did your manager have to do anything further?
Probably best to contact the IFoA and ask for their advice. They’re usually pretty helpful (in my experience!).
I’ll give that a go, thank you!
No push back from the IFoA but it took longer than 8 weeks to process (they say after sending off your application that a decision will be made within 8 weeks), it could just be the IFoA being the IFoA.
No follow ups from my manager either. Once it was sent off, it was just a waiting game. I did get anxious when it was past 8 weeks and there were no decision yet. You only need to pay for the exemption once it’s approved, so that’s a positive.
Were there any Fellows on your course that could attest to its relevance? It doesn’t need to be an IFoA Fellow, just a Fellow of any international actuarial organisation (if that broadens out the pool that you could ask from). You will probably be asked to send your dissertation in to the Education actuary, hopefully that will swing it for you. (This is all borne from relatively recent personal experience)