Students

ACST8032 – Actuarial Control Cycle 2

2021 – Session 2, Weekday attendance, City

Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update

The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.

This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.

Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Maggie Lee
Contact via in class, iLearn Dialogue or Discussion forums
Refer to iLearn
Refer to iLearn
Lecturer
Bruce Edwards
Contact via in class or Discussion forums
Teaching Assistant
Hong Xie
Contact via iLearn Dialogue (admin enquiries)
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
ACST831 or ACST8031
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit, in conjunction with ACST8031, develops and applies the actuarial principles and practices underlying the design, assessment, management and control of financial systems in the areas of life insurance, general insurance, and superannuation and other less traditional areas of actuarial practice. The two units together consider the process of actuarial and financial management including: product design; pricing; marketing; monitoring of experience; reserve setting; financing; solvency; determination and distribution of surplus; and its role in enterprise risk management. The overall control process is studied within the constraints imposed by the commercial environment and the actuarial professional code of conduct and standards. This includes a discussion of business ethics and issues of professionalism in actuarial practice. Students gaining a credit average in both ACST8031 (or ACST831) and ACST8032 (or ACST832) (minimum mark of 60 on both units) will satisfy the requirements for exemption from the Actuarial Control Cycle subject of the Actuary program of the Actuaries Institute.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Show an understanding of how models are used to solve client problems
  • ULO2: Recognise the importance of capital.
  • ULO3: Apply relevant approaches and techniques to the valuation of liabilities.
  • ULO4: Apply appropriate techniques to the pricing of products and contracts.
  • ULO5: Demonstrate an understanding on the principles of measuring, reporting and managing solvency; measuring and reporting emerging profits and/or costs; monitoring and assessing experience; and responding to emerging experience.
  • ULO6: Explain and justify decision making to different stakeholders using the Actuarial Control Cycle framework

General Assessment Information

It is the responsibility of students to view their marks for each within session assessment on iLearn within 20 working days of posting. If there are any discrepancies, students must contact the unit convenor immediately. Failure to do so will mean that queries received after the release of final results regarding assessment marks (not including the final exam mark) will not be addressed. Assessment criteria for all assessment tasks will be provided on the unit iLearn site.

Late submission

For individual assessment tasks worth 10% or less - No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved.

For individual assessment tasks worth more than 10% - No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission - 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.

Details of the assessments

Details of the assessments, including the task question and rubrics, will be uploaded on iLearn.  If there are any discrepancies between the unit guide and the detailed assessment documents on iLearn, the details in the assessment documents on iLearn should be the point of reference.  It is the students responsibility to be aware of this and to contact the unit convenor if any clarifications are needed.  

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Assessed Coursework 10% No Various - See iLearn for details
Presentation 8% No Week 7 - See iLearn for details
Case Study 12% No Week 8 - See iLearn for details
Postgraduate student task 0% Yes Week 10 - See iLearn for details
Final Exam 70% No Exam Period

Assessed Coursework

Assessment Type 1: Problem set
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Various - See iLearn for details
Weighting: 10%

 

A range of tasks due throughout the session based on textbook chapters, iLearn discussion and class quizzes.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Show an understanding of how models are used to solve client problems
  • Recognise the importance of capital.
  • Apply relevant approaches and techniques to the valuation of liabilities.
  • Apply appropriate techniques to the pricing of products and contracts.
  • Demonstrate an understanding on the principles of measuring, reporting and managing solvency; measuring and reporting emerging profits and/or costs; monitoring and assessing experience; and responding to emerging experience.

Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 2 hours
Due: Week 7 - See iLearn for details
Weighting: 8%

 

The presentation is an oral presentation to the class based on a given task. Each student will have 5 minutes for the presentation.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Show an understanding of how models are used to solve client problems
  • Recognise the importance of capital.
  • Apply relevant approaches and techniques to the valuation of liabilities.
  • Apply appropriate techniques to the pricing of products and contracts.
  • Demonstrate an understanding on the principles of measuring, reporting and managing solvency; measuring and reporting emerging profits and/or costs; monitoring and assessing experience; and responding to emerging experience.

Case Study

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: Week 8 - See iLearn for details
Weighting: 12%

 

An individual, written, case study report (word limit of up to 5000 words).

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Show an understanding of how models are used to solve client problems
  • Recognise the importance of capital.
  • Apply relevant approaches and techniques to the valuation of liabilities.
  • Apply appropriate techniques to the pricing of products and contracts.
  • Demonstrate an understanding on the principles of measuring, reporting and managing solvency; measuring and reporting emerging profits and/or costs; monitoring and assessing experience; and responding to emerging experience.
  • Explain and justify decision making to different stakeholders using the Actuarial Control Cycle framework

Postgraduate student task

Assessment Type 1: Qualitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 2 hours
Due: Week 10 - See iLearn for details
Weighting: 0%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

Postgraduate (ACST8032 and ACST8032 External) students are required to complete a postgraduate student task, to be submitted via iLearn.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Show an understanding of how models are used to solve client problems
  • Recognise the importance of capital.
  • Apply relevant approaches and techniques to the valuation of liabilities.
  • Apply appropriate techniques to the pricing of products and contracts.
  • Demonstrate an understanding on the principles of measuring, reporting and managing solvency; measuring and reporting emerging profits and/or costs; monitoring and assessing experience; and responding to emerging experience.
  • Explain and justify decision making to different stakeholders using the Actuarial Control Cycle framework

Final Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 28 hours
Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 70%

 

The final examination will be closed book, a three-hour written paper with ten minutes reading time, to be held during the University Examination period.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Show an understanding of how models are used to solve client problems
  • Recognise the importance of capital.
  • Apply relevant approaches and techniques to the valuation of liabilities.
  • Apply appropriate techniques to the pricing of products and contracts.
  • Demonstrate an understanding on the principles of measuring, reporting and managing solvency; measuring and reporting emerging profits and/or costs; monitoring and assessing experience; and responding to emerging experience.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Classes

ACST8032 is offered via classes on campus (at Macquarie University, in Sydney CBD) and via distance education throughout the world. Students share lecture classes and a common teaching website with the units ACST4003 and ACST7032, which are also offered via classes at Macquarie University and in the Sydney CBD. 

Style of classes

We believe that the best way we can help you to master the Actuarial Control Cycle subject is not by giving traditional lectures where your role is basically to listen, think and take notes. We have planned the face-to-face classes to be like workshops: a mixture of short "micropresentations", small group work, discussions involving the whole class, and individual activities.

Most weeks, we will ask you to do some preparatory work - reading, research, writing or just thinking. If you want to get the most out of the classes, do the preparation, and get involved in the classroom work.

Downloadable lecture recordings

In all weeks, standard recordings of campus lectures using the University's lecture recording facility (ECHO360 or zoom) will be available. The recordings capture audio and screenshot. Since the classes in this unit are not traditional lectures but contain periods of group discussion, the recordings will contain some stretches of background noise which you will need to fast forward through. The recordings will either be provided via the ECHO360 link which is located on the right hand side of the webpage or via a zoom link.  

Timetable

The timetable for classes can be found on the Macquarie University website at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au

Alterations to the class times or locations will be advised in class and on the teaching website.

Teaching staff

Maggie Lee is the unit convenor and will be taking four weeks of classes. Maggie can be contacted via Dialogue on the website, or during her consultation hours.

Bruce Edwards will be conducting other classes and supervision of presentations. Bruce is an industry practitioner with a wide range of knowledge across many areas in which actuaries practice. Outside of classes, the forum for interaction with Bruce will be the website Discussion forums.

Hong Xie is the teaching administrator, and can deal with any administrative queries related to the unit. Hong can be contacted via Dialogue on the website.

Assumed knowledge

We assume from the start of the Actuarial Control Cycle that you have acquired the knowledge and skills in subjects from the Foundation Program (Part 1s) of the Actuaries Institute education program.

Required and recommended texts and materials

Textbook

There is one textbook for this unit, referred to here and elsewhere as UAM: Bellis, C., Lyon, R., Klugman, S and Shepherd, J. (2010). Understanding Actuarial Management: The Actuarial Control Cycle, 2nd edition, Institute of Actuaries of Australia. The textbook can be purchased from the Actuaries Institute, at: http://www.actuaries.asn.au/knowledge-bank/book-shop?id=8

You should buy the book immediately, if you haven't already, as assessment tasks based on the book are due at the beginning of the second week of classes. Other useful articles will be set out at the beginning of each Learning Guide, and made available on the teaching website.

Learning Guide

There is a Learning Guide for each section of work. You should read the Learning Guide in advance of the lectures, and bring a copy with you to classes.

Technology Used and Required

In this unit, you will need to have access to and to be able to use software to produce overhead slides, .pdf documents, and word-processing software to produce reports.

Teaching Website

Course material is available on the online learning management system (iLearn). The teaching website is integral to this unit. Passive involvement in this unit greatly reduces the likelihood of achieving the exemption standard of understanding. Interaction with other students and with teachers is very important, and the website is the forum for that interaction. You will need to be accessing the website regularly to see announcements, read postings and stay informed - at least every couple of days. This is your responsibility and we cannot make any allowances for students who miss important information due to not checking the website regularly. The website entry page is at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au

Teaching and Learning Activities

The unit is taught as set out in the Classes section. The Unit Schedule sets out the assessment and the topics covered in each week of the semester.

Exemptions

The Macquarie University units ACST4002/7031/8031 (Control Cycle 1) and ACST4003/7032/8032 (Control Cycle 2) together will satisfy the requirements for exemption from the Actuarial Control Cycle subject of the Actuary program of the Actuaries Institute. You will be recommended for exemption if you attain grades of Credit or better in these two units. If you attain a Pass in one of these units, then the exemption will be recommended if and only if a Standardised Numerical Grade (SNG) of at least 60 is achieved in both units, and the average SNG is at least 65. For students who have completed part of Actuarial Control Cycle at a different university, each case is considered individually based on the exemption requirements at those universities. It is the responsibility of the student to apply to Macquarie University to recommend them to the Actuaries Institute for professional exemptions. For information about this process please contact Hong Xie via iLearn.

Unit Schedule

Week

Week beginning

Topic

Lecturer

 UAM Chapter Assessment task Notes

1

26-Jul

 Valuation of Liabilities BE 12    

2

02-Aug

 Measuring Profits

BE

 16 TCT1  

3

09-Aug

 Regulation and Ethics ML

7,3 (Parts)

 TCT2  

4

16-Aug

Big Data/Data Analytics

ML

      
5 23-Aug

Solvency

 ML 15 TCT3  

6 

 30-Aug

 

Managing an Insolvent Insurer

Regal / Occidental Case study

BE

   TCT4  

7 

 06-Sep Presentation week ML and BE   Presentation  
Break 13-Sep          

Break

20-Sep

 

 

      

8

 27-Sep

Stress Testing

BE

   Case Study  

9

04-Oct

Public Holiday October 4

Monitoring Experience 1

 BE 17 TCT5  

10

11-Oct

Monitoring Experience 2

ML

 17 Post Grad Task  

11

18-Oct

Responding to Experience 1

BE

 18 TCT6  

12 

 25-Oct

Responding to Experience 2

BE

 18    

13 

 01-Nov

Revision

BE

    

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.