Important: no folding the exam during read-through time

In the past, there hasn’t been clear guidance on whether you are allowed to fold (e.g. “earmark”) pages of the exam the 15-minute read-through, and it is not specifically addressed in the SOA’s official rules for paper and pencil exams.

However, the SOA recently sent this official email to MLC students, and we are assuming the same would apply to any FSA-level written exam. 

Read through time and writing before or after time – there is no writing/brain dumping, highlighting, folding of exam pages, or the use of a calculator until you are instructed to begin the exam. At the end of the exam once you are told, “Time has expired” you must stop writing. Failure to observe these rules will result in your exam’s disqualification.

Put simply, do not mark/fold anything during the read-through time. Wait until the exam official starts to do that. And certainly don’t do it after time expires either. 

If we get any other clarification on this matter, we will pass it along.