Free SOA Exam PA (Predictive Analytics) Practice Questions
Every released SOA Exam PA sitting is free to work through: 43 graded walkthrough tasks from the October 2023 through October 2025 exams, with rubric-based grading, the published model solutions, and grader commentary, plus 22 lessons and original concept-check questions. From FreeFellow, where 'free' is in the brand name. No trial, no signup to browse, no credit card.
Built by Jeffrey Ting, FSA, CFA, who passed thirteen of the hardest finance exams on the first attempt. The full question bank and worked solutions are free forever.
Which statement about principal components analysis is CORRECT?
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Correct Answer: B
Solution
B is correct. PCA is an unsupervised technique: it constructs orthogonal (uncorrelated) linear combinations of the predictors ordered so that PC1 has the greatest variance, PC2 the next greatest, and so on. It does not use a response variable, keeping all components achieves no reduction, loadings can be negative, and predictive improvement is not guaranteed.
Question 2
Medium
Which pairing correctly matches a data source to its type?
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Correct Answer: E
Solution
E is correct. MRI scans are images with no inherent row-column schema, making them unstructured. The premium spreadsheet, GPS coordinate columns, and coded diagnosis table are all structured tabular data, and recorded audio files are unstructured (not structured), so only the MRI pairing is stated correctly.
Question 3
Hard
For grouped binomial data (each row summarizes many trials), which two R model specifications yield IDENTICAL coefficient estimates?
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Correct Answer: E
Solution
E is correct. For a binomial GLM, supplying the observed proportion as the response with prior weights equal to the number of trials is mathematically equivalent to supplying cbind(successes, failures). The prior weights encode how many trials each proportion is based on, reproducing the same likelihood and hence the same coefficients.
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The full question bank, written solutions, lessons, formula sheet, mixed practice, and readiness tracking for your Exam PA prep are free forever. No trial period, no credit card. Every lesson ships with AI-narrated audio, and every constructed-response item has a copy-to-AI prompt builder for your own ChatGPT or Claude. Become a Fellow ($59/qtr) only if you want mock exams, flashcards, analytics, AI essay grading, and a personalized study plan.
What's Free, and What Fellow Unlocks
The 70% of Exam PA prep you actually need to pass (questions, solutions, lessons, mixed practice, AI-narrated audio, copy-to-AI essay prompts) is free forever. The remaining 30% (mocks, flashcards, analytics, study plan, AI essay grading) unlocks when you become a Fellow. Use the free tier as long as you like.
✓
Free forever
$0 · no credit card
500 practice questions with detailed solutions
22 full lessons with AI-narrated audio
Copy-to-AI essay prompts for your own ChatGPT or Claude
Mixed practice sessions across all topics
Formula sheet and reference materials
Readiness tracking with pass-probability estimates
No paywalls on questions · no trial period · no credit card
✦
Fellow unlock
$59 / qtr · $149 / yr per track
Timed mock exams with weighted scoring
Spaced-repetition flashcards backed by memory science
Topic-level practice to drill weak areas
Performance analytics by topic and difficulty
AI grading for constructed-response essays vs the official rubric
Personalized study plan that adapts to your exam date
How We Compare Save 90%+
Per-exam pricing across the major prep providers. The FreeFellow core (questions, solutions, lessons) is free forever. The optional Fellow tier is $59 per quarter, roughly 1/20th of what traditional providers charge.
FreeFellow core free
$0 · Fellow $59/qtr
Coaching Actuaries
$200–$400/exam
The Infinite Actuary
$150–$350/exam
Traditional providers bundle prep into a single up-front fee. FreeFellow keeps the question bank and lessons free forever and charges only for deeper study tools (mocks, flashcards, analytics). All numbers are competitor list prices as of 2026.
Everything You Need to Pass
The free tier covers what most candidates need to pass. Fellow ($59/qtr) adds the pacing tools.
✓
500+ Practice QuestionsFREE
Every question includes a detailed, step-by-step solution.
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22 Lessons + AI-Narrated AudioFREE
Every lesson ships with AI-narrated audio. Study while you commute or walk.
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Mixed PracticeFREE
Cross-topic sessions to keep recall sharp.
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Readiness TrackingFREE
Pass-probability estimate that sharpens with every session.
✨
Copy-to-AI Essay PromptsFREE
Structured prompts you paste into your own ChatGPT or Claude for self-graded essay feedback.
✦
Flashcards & Spaced RepetitionFELLOW
SM-2 review cards for long-term retention.
⏱
Timed Mock ExamsFELLOW
Full-length practice exams weighted to the real blueprint.
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AI Grading for EssaysFELLOW
Instant AI-graded feedback on constructed-response essays using the official rubric.
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Performance AnalyticsFELLOW
Topic-by-topic mastery breakdown with difficulty mix.
How many free Exam PA practice questions does FreeFellow have?
FreeFellow currently offers 500 free Exam PA practice questions across 5 topics, each with a detailed step-by-step solution. Questions span three difficulty levels and are aligned to the 2026 syllabus. The question bank is updated regularly.
What Exam PA topics are covered?
The questions cover 5 topics: Predictive Analytics Problem Definition, Data Exploration and Visualization, Data Transformations and Unsupervised Learning Techniques, Generalized Linear Models, Tree-Based Models. Each topic page shows your progress and lets you filter by difficulty level. You can practice by topic to target your weak areas or take mixed-topic practice exams.
Does FreeFellow have Exam PA study lessons?
Yes. FreeFellow includes 22 comprehensive text lessons for Exam PA, covering key concepts and worked examples for each topic. Lessons are free to read with a free account (no card) and are designed to complement question practice.
Is FreeFellow really free for Exam PA prep, or is there a catch?
No catch. The 70% of Exam PA prep you actually need to pass is free forever: the full question bank of 500 practice questions, detailed solutions on every question, 22 lessons, mixed practice, the formula sheet, and readiness tracking. No trial period, no credit card. The remaining 30% (timed mock exams, flashcards with spaced repetition, performance analytics, and a personalized study plan) unlocks when you become a Fellow.
What does the $59 Fellow tier unlock for Exam PA?
Fellow ($59 per quarter or $149 per year, per track) unlocks four things on top of the free tier: timed mock exams with weighted scoring that match the real exam blueprint, spaced-repetition flashcards built on memory science from cognitive psychology, topic-level practice to drill weak areas, performance analytics broken down by topic and difficulty, and a personalized study plan that adapts to your exam date. Everything else (questions, solutions, lessons) stays free.
How does FreeFellow compare to Coaching Actuaries, ASM, or TIA on price?
Traditional Exam PA prep providers charge $200 to $3,500 for a single exam, paid upfront. FreeFellow keeps the question bank, written solutions, and lessons free forever. The optional Fellow tier is $59 per quarter (about 1/20th of what the big providers charge) and adds mock exams, flashcards, analytics, and a study plan. You can pass Exam PA entirely on the free tier.
How should I use FreeFellow to study for Exam PA?
Start with the lessons to build your conceptual foundation, then move to topic-based practice to identify weak areas. As your exam date approaches, switch to timed practice exams under realistic conditions. The free tier gives you everything you need to build mastery; if you want pacing tools (mock exams, analytics, a study plan) and long-term retention aids (spaced-repetition flashcards), become a Fellow.
Does FreeFellow include graded Exam PA past-exam walkthroughs?
Yes. Every released Exam PA sitting from October 2023 onward is available as a task-by-task walkthrough: you type a written response to the verbatim task, then compare it against the published model solution, the graders' commentary, and a rubric derived from the published point structure. The walkthroughs and self-grading are free; AI grading with per-criterion verdicts is a Fellow feature.
How do FreeFellow's Exam PA practice questions relate to the real exam format?
The real Exam PA has no multiple-choice questions; it is 10 to 12 written tasks graded on 70 points. FreeFellow's Exam PA practice questions are concept checks: short drills on the modeling knowledge the tasks draw on. Use them to lock in concepts, and use the past-exam walkthroughs to practice the actual skill of writing graded responses.
What is the Exam PA pass rate?
The Exam PA pass rate is approximately 60-70%, based on historical SOA data. Pass rates vary by sitting. The SOA publishes pass rate statistics after each exam window.
How many hours should I study for Exam PA?
Most candidates budget 100 to 150 hours for Exam PA on top of the required SOA e-learning modules. Candidates who sit PA soon after Exam SRM typically need less, because the modeling theory overlaps; the new skill to build is writing graded responses under time pressure.
What calculator is allowed on Exam PA?
Exam PA does not involve calculator work. Candidates type written responses into Word at a Prometric center, with Excel available for calculations. All R model output is provided in the exam exhibits; there is no R environment at the exam.
How is Exam PA scored?
Exam PA responses are graded by SOA graders against a published point structure (70 total points across 10 to 12 tasks). Results are released roughly 6 weeks after the sitting as a score on the 0-10 scale, with 6 as the passing threshold.
What is the Exam PA exam format?
Exam PA is a 3.5-hour computer-based exam at Prometric testing centers, offered each April and October. There are no multiple-choice questions: candidates type written responses to 10 to 12 tasks (70 points total) into Word, interpreting R output and graphs provided as exhibits. Excel is available for calculations.
FreeFellow is a free exam prep library for actuarial (SOA & CAS), CFA, CFP, CPA, CAIA, GARP FRM, IRS Enrolled Agent, IMA CMA, and FINRA / NASAA securities licensing candidates. The entire question bank, written solutions, and lessons are free for every candidate, with no trial period and no credit card. Lessons include narrated audio, and every constructed-response item has a copy-to-AI prompt builder so candidates can paste their answer into their own ChatGPT or Claude for self-graded feedback; Fellow members get instant AI grading on essays against the official rubric (currently CFA Level III, expanding to other essay-bearing sections).
The 70% you need to pass (question bank, written solutions, lessons, formula sheet, mixed practice, readiness tracking) is free forever, with no trial period and no credit card. Become a Fellow ($59/quarter or $149/year per track) to unlock mock exams, flashcards with spaced repetition, performance analytics, AI essay grading, and a personalized study plan.