New
2,000+ flashcards
Spaced repetition for concepts and quick calcs, scheduled around your exam date.
Announcements
Major update for Spring 2027: Our most requested update — Exam 7 — will be added to the CCE course catalog! Enrollment opens in mid-November or early December.
✨ Updates underway for Spring 2027
Bigger and better than ever before
We took every piece of feedback from last cycle and rebuilt the course around it. See the Changes page for the full story.
More & improved
20 interactive applets
Now covering Exams 7, 8, and 9, with more calculators and preset examples.
New
Question ratings
Excel Supplement questions are now rated, so you know which ones to prioritize.
Enhanced
Study tracker
Use it from any computer. It picks up your video, Excel, and flashcard progress on its own.
🎬 Watch the overview
See what CCE is all about
A quick tour of the CAS 7/8/9 Review Course – the lectures, summaries, Excel question banks, and interactive web applets that come with it.
Key dates and costs
Enrollment opens
Exam 8/9 Courses are open for enrollment at any time. Enrollment lasts six months, with free six-month extension at any time.
The inaugural Exam 7 Course will open for enrollment in or before early December.
Early bird 🐦 Special
Each exam period, early enrollees (enrolling within about a month of CAS releasing scores from the last period's sitting) receive $100 off the regular cost of the course. This is on top of the $50 Credit for existing CCE students, as applicable.
Discounted enrollment ($100 off) period for Spring 2027 exams is TBD, pending the CAS releasing Fall 2026 Exam results.
Course Cost
Exam 7 Course cost is highly discounted in celebration of its inaugural year. Early bird specials do not apply on top of the discounted cost.
- Purchase before 7 January 27 for $177.
- Purchase before 7 February 27 for $277.
- Purchase before 7 March 27 for $377.
- $475 thereafter.
Exam 8/9 Course cost remains unchanged from 2024/2025/2026: $425 for Exam 8; $450 for Exam 9.
"Exam Only" courses open 3-4 weeks before exam day and are $250.
For information on extensions/ previous student discounts, see the FAQ.
CCE Course Overview
This overview highlights the main course resources, practice tools, and materials available in the CCE CAS 7/8/9 Review Courses.
Everything that comes with the course
CCE goes well beyond a question bank. For every reading on the syllabus you get video lectures, written summaries at two levels of depth, and downloadable Excel files packed with original practice questions and prior CAS questions. Sample materials are available on the CCE Online Course for logged-in users (no payment info required to browse).
Lecture Videos 🎥
Video lectures for every reading on the syllabus, walking through the source paper end-to-end with worked examples, intuition, and exam-focused commentary.
Detailed Reading Summaries 📖
Long-form written summaries that translate dense source papers into clear, exam-focused prose. The companion to the videos when you'd rather read than watch, and the deepest information coverage in the course.
High-Level Summaries 🧠
Condensed PDF summaries of each reading – perfect for late-stage review and refreshing key concepts in the days before the exam.
Excel Practice Question Banks ✏️
Hundreds of original CCE practice questions across the syllabus, plus the relevant Prior CAS Questions for each reading, all in downloadable Excel format.
Crystal Clear Quick Checks ✅
Short, focused conceptual quizzes woven throughout the course to keep your understanding sharp as you work through each reading. Adds hundreds of additional practice questions for quick studying.
FOUR Original Practice Exams 📝
Four CCE Original Practice Exams available in downloadable Excel format.
Interactive Web Applets ✨
Interactive calculator applets that turn dense syllabus papers into hands-on tools. Each applet lets you vary every input and instantly see how the calculation flows through – so you can generate an unlimited number of practice scenarios from a single reading.
♾️ Unlimited practice – why it matters
One paper → thousands of worked examples
Traditional study relies on a fixed pool of past-exam questions. CCE applets let you keep working the same methodology with new numbers every time. Change the default probability, the correlation, the credibility parameter, the tranche cutoff – and the applet re-solves the problem end-to-end, showing every intermediate value.
It's the difference between memorizing a handful of worked examples and actually understanding how the model behaves. Stress-test edge cases, verify hand calculations, and explore "what-if" questions like no static question bank can.
Vary every input
Each applet exposes the full parameter set – change one input at a time to isolate its effect, or change many at once to build a custom scenario.
Mathematically rigorous
Calculations are verified against published reference values from the source papers, so the numbers you see are the numbers the examiners expect.
Full calculation trails
Intermediate tables, charts, and step-by-step breakdowns – see exactly where each number comes from, not just the final answer.
Build intuition fast
Try extreme values or random parameters, and watch how the output responds. This is how you start to understand the process, not just recite it.
For more information about applets → Learn more about the Applets →
Changes from Fall 2026 to Spring 2027
Headline update this cycle: Exam 7 joins the CCE course catalog! Look out for a ton of updates coming up in early December 2026.
General CCE Changes
Coming up in early December 2026.
- Exam 7 added to the course catalog!
- All Exam 8/9 videos moved to the new format (with interactive video companions).
- Revamped lesson structure keeps all supplementary info in one place plus allows note-taking right within each lesson.
- Question ratings added to the Excels: know which questions to prioritize.
- Flashcards added (these replace the Quick Checks): great for spaced-repetition practice of conceptual questions and quick calcs.
- Study tracker enhanced: Now access from any computer. Natively tracks progress on Excels, flashcards, and videos.
- Minor refreshes of the Excels and written summaries for content and clarity.
- Updates to practice exams to reflect student feedback. Coming Q1 2027, including addition of Exam 7 Practice Exams.
How to Use CCE on LearnWorlds
This page covers account access, navigation, notifications, and where to ask course-related questions.
Getting started
Sign in to the course
Use your LearnWorlds login credentials to access your purchased CCE course. Once inside, you can move through lessons, videos, quizzes, PDFs, and downloadable Excel materials.
Keep your notifications on
Default notification emails are typically sent when you enroll in a course, when someone mentions you in a discussion comment, when someone sends you a message, and when you complete the course.
Using the course player
Track completed content
The course player is used to access course content. Completed content is indicated by a green check mark.
Find downloadable 📎 files
When a lesson includes a downloadable file, usually an Excel file, you will see a paper clip to the left of the lesson. After clicking it, the download appears at the top of the main screen.
Ask course questions
Course questions can be posted in the lesson discussion area so you can keep questions close to the related material and see relevant responses in context.
Use the overview pages for policy details
For downloadability, course structure, and resource availability, use this guide together with the relevant course overview sections and FAQ page.
Skip ahead or back on videos
Want to skip a little ahead or go back a bit on videos? Use the ← and → arrows on your keyboard to move backward/forward 5 seconds at a time. You can also click anywhere on the video transcript to jump to that part of the video. Use the spacebar to play or pause the video.
Need more screen space?
Use the blue double arrow icon at the top left of the page to collapse or expand the navigation panel.
FAQ
Answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.
Latest info
Pricing and availability timelines
For the latest information about course cost and availability, see Announcements.
How long does access last?
Course access runs for 6 months from purchase. Students may also use one free 6-month renewal at any time.
Exam ONLY access lasts 1 month.
Can I purchase exams, videos, or practice questions separately?
Yes! As of Sept 2026, students may elect the "Exam Only" option. See the online course link above for more details.
Are the materials downloadable?
Yes, PDFs and Excels may be downloaded.
Renewals, extensions, and discounts
Renewal policy
As of 2023, the renewal policy for full courses purchased in or after 2023 is:
- First renewal: 6 month duration, available anytime, free. Use the Google Form here to request your extension: CCECC Form.
- Otherwise, returning students are eligible for a $50 discount - use the form to request a discount code: CCECC Form.
⚠️ "Exam only" purchases are not eligible for free renewals, though active exam only courses may be upgraded to the 6-month full course for a $200 discount. Use the form to request a discount code: CCECC Form.
Prior CCE students
Prior CCE full course students who are not eligible for free renewal can receive a $50 Crystal Clear Exams Comeback Credit coupon code using the Google Form here: CCECC Form.
I am enrolled but decided not to sit this session. Can I pause my registration?
While we're unable to change registration dates, here is a helpful workaround:
- Download everything toward the end of your registration period. Log back in near the end of your access window and download all available course materials. Crystal continually refines course materials, so you may see minor changes in the Video Companions, Excel Supplements or Reading Summaries. More importantly, refreshed and new practice exams are typically released one to two months before the exam. Downloading at that point lets you keep studying at your own pace and pick back up in earnest when you're ready.
- Use the free renewal to extend for 6 months. The free renewal is available at any time. It re-enrolls you and gives you access to the updated course materials, which reflect our ongoing refinements and additions. Because we update frequently based on student feedback, whatever is currently available is always the “latest and greatest” version. You can review our history of changes here.
Need more detail? E-mail admin@crystalclearexams.com.
Helpful Links
Use this page for official CAS links, exam-day logistics, prior materials, and post-exam resources.
Exam Info
Exam schedule
CAS announces the 2027 exam schedule
For the Spring 2027 sitting, Exams 7, 8, and 9 are scheduled for April 13-20, 2027.
For the Fall 2027 sitting, Exams 7, 8, and 9 are scheduled for October 18–26, 2027.
Pearson VUE exam info
Syllabi
Exam 7 Syllabus
Exam 8 Syllabus
Exam 9 Syllabus
Past Syllabi & Exams
Past syllabi
Past exams and pass marks
About the Applets
Each interactive applet re-implements a syllabus reading as a hands-on calculator. Vary the inputs and the applet re-solves the problem end-to-end, showing every intermediate step – so a single reading becomes an unlimited supply of fresh practice scenarios.
Explore the applet library
Use the filters to browse by exam. These previews are for reference only and do not link to the applets – open each applet from its lesson in the course player.
About Crystal Clear Exams
Our mission is to help actuarial students learn with clarity, confidence, and purpose – concept-driven study materials that make even the most advanced CAS topics approachable and engaging.
Our approach
Crystal Clear Exams was founded in 2018 to support candidates sitting for the CAS upper-level exams. The guiding belief behind every CCE resource is simple: students retain material longer, and perform better on exam day, when they understand why a method works – not just the mechanics of how to apply it. Every course reading, video, practice exam, Quick Check quiz, and interactive applet is built around that principle.
Concept-first learning 🧠
Topics are organized around the underlying intuition; build durable understanding rather than memorize formulas that fade after exam day.
Active practice 💪
Quick Check quizzes, four original practice exams, and interactive applets give repeated opportunities to work with the material, not just read about it.
Syllabus-aligned ✅
Every release is refreshed to track the current CAS syllabus, so candidates spend their limited study hours on what is actually going to be tested in their sitting.
Looking for enrollment details? See Announcements for current pricing and FAQ for renewals, extensions, and the Comeback Credit for prior students.
Meet the team
CCE is a small, focused team dedicated to helping candidates succeed on CAS Exams 8 and 9.
CG
Crystal Garcia, FSA, FCAS
Founder
Crystal launched Crystal Clear Exams in 2018, the year after completing her FCAS. Her path into actuarial education runs through two disciplines: a B.A. in Mathematics from Johns Hopkins and an M.Ed. in Math Education from Harvard, followed by several years teaching high school math and tutoring students across a wide range of ages, from pre-K through GMAT prep.
She then transitioned into the actuarial field, beginning in retiree health consulting in New Jersey. After earning her FSA in 2015, she worked in predictive analytics, moved into P&C modeling, and today applies her experience in data science at an InsureTech firm alongside running CCE.
Through CCE she combines deep actuarial experience with a teacher's instinct for clear explanation, helping students build real conceptual understanding rather than procedural recall.
LinkedIn → Instagram →JN
Jaime Nieves
Admin Assistant & Course Manager
Jaime joined CCE in 2025 and is the point person for enrollment questions, renewal credits, Comeback Credit coupons, and day-to-day course logistics. If you have ever emailed admin@crystalclearexams.com, there is a good chance Jaime was on the other end.
Before actuarial education, he spent five years in student services at a Mid-Atlantic community college, where he developed a knack for turning "please help!" emails into clear, actionable next steps. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration and is fluent in English and Spanish.
Outside of work, Jaime is a lifelong salsa dancer, a long-suffering Mets fan, and an enthusiastic (if selectively skilled) home cook.
AP
Anjali Patel
Technology Coordinator
Anjali joined CCE in 2026 as Technology Coordinator and is the engineer behind much of the growing applet library – translating dense actuarial methodology into interactive, intuitive calculators that students can actually play with and learn from.
She holds an M.S. in Computer Science and also works at a full-stack engineer at an EdTech startup. She also keeps the LearnWorlds integration, the CCE website, and the back-end tooling running smoothly behind the scenes.
Outside of code, she is an avid rock climber, a sourdough baker with a mixed track record, and the proud curator of an ever-growing collection of mechanical keyboards.
Get in touch
Course & enrollment questions
For pricing, enrollment, renewals, or anything course-operational, email admin@crystalclearexams.com. Jaime handles most inbound email and will either answer directly or route the question to Crystal or Anjali.
Applets & technical issues
Spot a bug in one of the interactive applets, or have a suggestion for a new one? The About page on each applet explains how to send Anjali the input scenario so it can be reproduced and fixed.
Prior CAS Pass Marks & Rates
Select an exam to view prior sittings, pass marks, percentile summaries, volume trends, and pass-rate history.
Prior CAS Exam Pass Rates
Volume and pass-rate history for the selected exam. The bar chart uses the secondary (right) y-axis for the number of exams taken and passed, and the primary (left) y-axis for the raw and effective pass ratios.
Exams taken & passed per sitting
Exams taken
Exams passed
Raw & effective pass ratio
Raw pass ratio
Effective pass ratio
| Sitting | Exams Taken | Exams Passed | Raw Pass Ratio | Effective Pass Ratio |
|---|
2011-2019 Detailed Passmark Results
| Sitting | Total Points | Pass Mark | 75th Percentile | 95th Percentile | Pass % | % for 75% | % for 95th |
|---|
Points by sitting
Total points
Pass mark
75th percentile
95th percentile
Percent of total points
Pass %
75th percentile %
95th percentile %