Coaching Actuaries Alternatives for Actuarial Exams
I used Coaching Actuaries when I was a student. Their ADAPT system is genuinely good, and the Earned Level metric gave me real confidence going into exams. But at $300 to $500 per exam, I spent over $2,000 on practice problems across my preliminary exams alone.
That's why I built FreeFellow. Not because Coaching Actuaries is bad, but because cost shouldn't be the reason someone can't prepare properly.
Here's an honest comparison.
What Coaching Actuaries Does Well
- ADAPT's Earned Level gives a well-calibrated measure of readiness. Years of data back it up.
- Video lessons by experienced instructors cover topics thoroughly.
- Large question bank per exam.
- Strong brand and community reputation.
If your employer reimburses exam prep, Coaching Actuaries is a solid choice. The issue is when you're paying out of pocket.
Where Coaching Actuaries Falls Short
- $300 to $500 per exam. Across six prelims, that's $1,800 to $3,000.
- Time-limited access. If you don't pass, you pay again.
- Bundled pricing. You often pay for video content even if you only need practice problems.
- No free tier. No way to try the platform meaningfully before buying.
Some candidates buy the full Coaching Actuaries bundle, then only use the practice problems. That's paying $400 for something that should cost $100.
FreeFellow: What I Built Instead
FreeFellow covers all six SOA preliminary exams at zero cost. Here's the comparison:
| Feature | Coaching Actuaries | FreeFellow |
|---------|-------------------|------------|
| Price | $300 to $500/exam | Free |
| SOA Exams | P, FM, FAM, SRM, ALTAM, ASTAM | P, FM, FAM, SRM, ALTAM, ASTAM |
| Questions per Exam | ~1,500 to 2,500 | 1,000 to 1,140 |
| Readiness Scoring | ADAPT Earned Level | Readiness Score (0 to 10) |
| Practice Exams | Full simulations | Full simulations (30 MCQs, 3 hrs) |
| Analytics | Performance dashboard | Topic accuracy, difficulty, trends |
| Video Lessons | Comprehensive | Not included |
| Flashcards | Not included | Spaced repetition built in |
| Non-SOA Exams | Limited | CFA, CFP, CPA (18 exams total) |
Where FreeFellow matches Coaching Actuaries
Practice questions and solutions. FreeFellow's 6,300+ SOA questions cover every syllabus topic at three difficulty levels with detailed solutions. For the core study activity, working problems and learning from mistakes, the experience is equivalent.
Readiness tracking. Both give you an objective measure of how prepared you are.
Adaptive practice. Both platforms focus effort on your weak areas.
Where Coaching Actuaries has the edge
Video instruction. If you need a teacher to walk you through concepts, Coaching Actuaries has that. FreeFellow is a practice platform, not a course.
Larger question banks. Though the difference matters less than you'd think. Completing 1,000 unique problems is more than most passing candidates do.
Coaching Actuaries' Earned Level benchmarks have years of data correlating specific levels with pass probabilities. FreeFellow's readiness score is newer but uses similar methodology.
Where FreeFellow has the edge
Price. $0 vs $1,800 to $3,000 across all exams. That's not a minor advantage for students paying out of pocket.
Breadth. 18 exams across SOA, CFA, CFP, and CPA on one platform.
Flashcards with spaced repetition. Built in for conceptual topics.
Other Alternatives
The Infinite Actuary ($250 to $400/exam): Well-produced video content. Smaller question bank.
ACTEX/ASM Manuals ($100 to $200/exam): Comprehensive written material, hundreds of practice problems. No adaptive features or analytics.
SOA Sample Questions (free): Written by the exam committee, most representative of actual exam style. Limited to 300 to 400 per exam.
My Recommended Strategy
Here's what I recommend for budget-conscious candidates:
- Use FreeFellow as your primary practice platform for all six exams. 6,300+ questions with adaptive practice at no cost.
- Add the SOA sample questions. Free and highly representative.
- If you want video instruction, buy a video-only package for your weakest exam. Don't buy full bundles for every exam.
- Use free textbooks (Marcel Finan for P/FM, ISLR for SRM) to fill knowledge gaps.
This approach gives you comprehensive prep for $0 to $250 total across all six exams, compared to $1,800 to $3,000 for a full Coaching Actuaries subscription.
The Bottom Line
The number of practice problems you complete is the strongest predictor of exam success. A candidate who works 1,500 problems on a free platform will outperform someone who buys a premium subscription and only completes 500.
Start building your problem count with FreeFellow's free actuarial practice questions.