Interim Assessment Frequently Asked Questions

General
What is the FAP Interim Assessment?
How will my Interim Assessment be graded?
What happens if my assessment does not meet minimum requirements?
Registration
When can I register for the FAP Interim Assessment?
How do I register for the FAP Interim Assessment?
How do I know if I am eligible to take the FAP Interim Assessment?
Completing the Interim Assessment
How long do I have to complete the Interim Assessment?
How do I know how much time is officially remaining before I need to submit my Interim Assessment?
When does the personal assessment clock start?
What happens if I don’t complete the Interim Assessment within 30 days? How do I complete the
Interim Assessment?
Why must I use the Word template for submitting my answers?
Can I access the assignment tasks and supporting spreadsheets at anytime during the Interim Assessment?
Can I work on my Interim Assessment from more than one computer?
Do I need to install any third-party software to run the Interim Assessment?
Can I discuss the Interim Assessment with someone else?
Does everyone get the same Interim Assessment?
How long will it take me to complete the Interim Assessment?
Can I share any of the Interim Assessment materials or my solution files with a colleague?
Troubleshooting
My e-mail address has changed since I registered for the FAP Interim Assessment. What should I do?
I am having difficulty downloading my assignment files. What can I do?
I am having difficulty uploading my solution file. What can I do?
I am having other technical difficulties. What can I do?

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General

What is the FAP Interim Assessment?

The FAP Interim Assessment is in the format of a series of exercises available at the end of Module 5 to
candidates who complete Modules 1–5 of FAP. The Assessment covers material in Modules 1–5. Candidates will
have access to the Interim Assessment once they complete Module 5 and register. Candidates have 30 days to
complete and submit their assessment. The Interim Assessment contains 14 questions and it is expected that
each question will take 30–60 minutes to complete. If a candidate does not submit his or her Assessment within
the 30-day timeframe, that assessment will not be accepted and the candidate will need to register to take the
Interim Assessment again and submit appropriate fees. There will be no refunds.

The Interim Assessment is available on-demand. Candidates will have access to it after completing the required
modules and exercises and registering for the assessment.

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How will my Interim Assessment be graded?
All Interim Assessment submissions will be graded. All submissions graded as not meeting minimum
requirements have been assessed as such by two independent graders. All grades are final.

You will receive the results of the FAP Interim Assessment approximately seven weeks after you submit your
solution files. All grades are final. Review requests will not be honored. However, failing candidates will receive
feedback listing the three questions that have the most room for improvement on the result email.

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What happens if my assessment does not meet minimum requirements?
To receive credit, you will need to register to take the assessment again and submit the appropriate fees.

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Registration

When can I register for the FAP Interim Assessment?

You can register for the FAP Interim Assessment at any time.

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How do I register for the FAP Interim Assessment?
Click the FAP Interim Assessment link in the contents panel of the course. If you have not yet registered, you will
be presented with a link to the registration form. Fill out the “Application for Interim Assessment” at the link within
the course and send in your payment. Applications will be processed within 4 business days of receipt. You may
also register for the assessment through SOA Online Registration.

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How do I know if I am eligible to take the FAP Interim Assessment?
After you have registered for the FAP Interim Assessment, the Interim Assessment link in the course will track
your progress toward Interim eligibility. You may return to this link from time to time to see what you must
complete to be ready for the Interim Assessment. These eligibility requirements include:

• Candidate has completed all required modules (1–5).

• Candidate has submitted all End-of-Module exercises for all required modules.
• Candidates are not required to meet the minimum requirements for all exercises before taking the Interim
Assessment.
• Candidates whose exercises do not meet minimum requirements must resubmit a new exercise and it must
be graded as “meets minimum requirements” prior to FAP course completion.

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Completing the Interim Assessment

How long do I have to complete the Interim Assessment?

30 days.

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How do I know how much time is officially remaining before I need to submit my Interim Assessment?
A personal assessment clock is accessible on the Working Page and can be refreshed at any time during the 30-
day period.

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When does the personal assessment clock start?
The clock will begin when you access a screen titled Download Page. You will receive a warning before entering
this page.

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What happens if I don’t complete the Interim Assessment within 30 days?
To receive credit, you will need to register to take the assessment again using the Interim Assessment application
and submit the appropriate fees.

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How do I complete the Interim Assessment?
Step 1: Download the files.
Step 2: Attest that you successfully downloaded all files and are able to open each.
Step 3: Complete the Interim Assessment.
Step 4: Upload/submit your completed Interim Assessment solution files for grading.
Step 5: Attest that your solution files have been successfully uploaded, that they represent your work and that you
have not shared your materials with others.

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Why must I use the Word template for submitting my answers?
All submissions are run through plagiarism checking software. The template enables the software to more
effectively parse your solutions. Failure to use the template is considered an attempt to circumvent the plagiarism-
checking process and will thus result in your paper failing to meet minimum requirements.

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Can I access the assignment tasks and supporting spreadsheets at anytime during the Interim
Assessment?
Yes. You can access the assignment tasks and supporting spreadsheets at any time from the Working Page.

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Can I work on my Interim Assessment from more than one computer?
Yes, the Interim Assessment is designed to allow you to work from any location. When finished, make sure your
final submission file is on the computer from which you will upload. You are required to take appropriate
measures to protect your work files at all time.

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Do I need to install any third-party software to run the Interim Assessment?
No. The Interim Assessment is run entirely through the existing SOA e-Learning Web site. Candidates must
prepare their assessment using Microsoft Word 2003 or later.

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Can I discuss the Interim Assessment with someone else?
No. Work on the Interim Assessment must be entirely your own. You may not discuss the assessment with
anyone. This includes, but is not limited to, discussing the Interim Assessment on the FAP Discussion Forum or
other forums or at work or with a study group. Your final submitted files must be your work and your work only.
You may not distribute any Interim Assessment materials including instructions, questions, your solutions, etc., to
anyone else. You are strictly prohibited from having another person(s) write, review or edit your solution. You are
strictly prohibited from plagiarizing or copying another person’s work. Failing to adhere to the e-Learning Terms
and Conditions Agreement for e-Learning Candidates, to which you agreed, subjects you to disciplinary action.

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Does everyone get the same Interim Assessment?
No. Currently, the background information for the assessment is the same for all candidates. All candidates will
get the same tasks to complete, but the data will be randomized for each candidate.

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How long will it take me to complete the Interim Assessment?
The assessment has been designed so that a well-prepared candidate (i.e., one who has learned the key FAP
concepts and completed all case studies and module exercises) will spend approximately 30-to-60 minutes
answering each question. This is an estimate only and actual time will vary depending on candidate experience,
expertise, working style, etc.

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Can I share any of the Interim Assessment materials or my solution files with a colleague?
No. The files are strictly confidential. Do not store any of these files on an unsecured storage device (e. g., a
network) accessible by others. You must destroy any printouts of the Interim Assessment materials and your
solution.

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Troubleshooting

My e-mail address has changed since I registered for the FAP Interim Assessment. What should I do?
If your e-mail address has changed since you registered, e-mail your new address to customerservice@soa.org.

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I am having difficulty downloading my assignment files. What can I do?
If you were not able to download your FAP Interim Assessment files in a timely manner due to FAP server
outages, follow these steps:

1. Send an e-mail to elearn@soa.org describing your difficulties. Please include the time and date of your
download attempt(s).
2. Once the SOA has received and verified your e-mail, the SOA will reset your clock and notify you that you
may retry the download.

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I am having difficulty uploading my solution file. What can I do?
• Allow sufficient time for this step.
• Try later, when the server is less busy, but before your 30-day time limit expires.
• Ensure that your solution files are as small as possible. Size will affect upload time. Interim Assessment files
should not need to total more than one megabyte (1 MB).

If you were not able to upload your FAP Interim Assessment solution files within the 30-day limit due to e-
Learning system outages, follow this procedure: Send an e-mail to elearn@soa.org describing your difficulties.
Please include the time and date of your upload attempt(s) and attach your submission to the e-mail.

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I am having other technical difficulties. What can I do?
For 24-hour support, call:

1-800-716-2094 (US/Canada)
1-512-558-7557 (International)
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