Financial Mathematics Exam—October 2020

The Financial Mathematics exam is a three-hour exam that consists of 35 multiple-choice questions and
is administered as a computer-based test (CBT). For additional details, please refer to Exam Rules

The goal of the syllabus for this examination is to provide an understanding of the fundamental
concepts of financial mathematics, and how those concepts are applied in calculating present and
accumulated values for various streams of cash flows as a basis for future use in: reserving,
valuation, pricing, asset/liability management, investment income, capital budgeting, and valuing
contingent cash flows.

The Financial Mathematics Exam assumes a basic knowledge of calculus and an introductory
knowledge of probability.

The following learning objectives are presented with the understanding that candidates are allowed to
use specified calculators on the exam. The education and examination of candidates reflects that fact.
In particular, such calculators eliminate the need for candidates to learn and be examined on certain
mathematical methods of approximation.

Please check the Updates section on this exam's home page for any changes to the exam or syllabus.

Each multiple-choice problem includes five answer choices identified by the letters A, B, C, D, and E,
only one of which is correct. Candidates must indicate responses to each question on the computer.
Candidates will be given three hours to complete the exam.

As part of the computer-based testing process, a few pilot questions will be randomly placed in the
exam (paper and pencil and computer-based forms). These pilot questions are included to judge their
effectiveness for future exams, but they will NOT be used in the scoring of this exam. All other
questions will be considered in the scoring. All unanswered questions are scored incorrect. Therefore,
candidates should answer every question on the exam. There is no set requirement for the distribution
of correct answers for the multiple-choice preliminary examinations. It is possible that a particular
answer choice could appear many times on an examination or not at all. Candidates are advised to
answer each question to the best of their ability, independently from how they have answered other
questions on the examination.

Since the CBT exam will be offered over a period of a few days, each candidate will receive a test form
composed of questions selected from a pool of questions. Statistical scaling methods are used to ensure
within reasonable and practical limits that, during the same testing period of a few days, all forms of the
test are comparable in content and passing criteria. The methodology that has been adopted is used by
many credentialing programs that give multiple forms of an exam.

The ranges of weights shown in the Learning Objectives below are intended to apply to the large
majority of exams administered. On occasion, the weights of topics on an individual exam may fall
outside the published range. Candidates should also recognize that some questions may cover multiple
learning objectives.

Recognized by the Canadian Institute of Actuaries

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Time Value of Money (10-15%)

Learning Objectives

The Candidate will understand and be able to perform calculations relating to present value, current
value, and accumulated value.

Learning Outcomes

The Candidate will be able to:

a) Define and recognize the definitions of the following terms: interest rate (rate of interest),
simple interest, compound interest, accumulation function, future value, current value,
present value, net present value, discount factor, discount rate (rate of discount), convertible
m-thly, nominal rate, effective rate, inflation and real rate of interest, force of interest,
equation of value.
b) Given any three of interest rate, period of time, present value, current value, and future
value, calculate the remaining item using simple or compound interest. Solve time value of
money equations involving variable force of interest.
c) Given any one of the effective interest rate, the nominal interest rate convertible m-thly, the
effective discount rate, the nominal discount rate convertible m-thly, or the force of interest,
calculate any of the other items.
d) Write the equation of value given a set of cash flows and an interest rate.

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2. Topic: Annuities/cash flows with non-contingent payments (15-20%)

Learning Objectives

The Candidate will be able to calculate present value, current value, and accumulated value for
sequences of non-contingent payments.

Learning Outcomes

The Candidate will be able to:

a) Define and recognize the definitions of the following terms:
annuity-immediate, annuity due, perpetuity, payable m-thly or payable continuously, level
payment annuity, arithmetic increasing/decreasing annuity, geometric increasing/decreasing
annuity, term of annuity.
b) For each of the following types of annuity/cash flows, given sufficient information of
immediate or due, present value, future value, current value, interest rate, payment amount,
and term of annuity, calculate any remaining item.
o Level annuity, finite term.
o Level perpetuity.
o Non-level annuities/cash flows.
 Arithmetic progression, finite term and perpetuity.
 Geometric progression, finite term and perpetuity.
 Other non-level annuities/cash flows.

3. Topic: Loans (10-20%)

Learning Objectives

The Candidate will understand key concepts concerning loans and how to perform related calculations.

Learning Outcomes

The Candidate will be able to:

a) Define and recognize the definitions of the following terms: principal, interest, term of loan,
outstanding balance, final payment (drop payment, balloon payment), amortization.
b) Calculate:
• The missing item, given any four of: term of loan, interest rate, payment amount, payment
period, principal.
• The outstanding balance at any point in time.
• The amount of interest and principal repayment in a given payment.
• Similar calculations to the above when refinancing is involved.

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4. Topic: Bonds (10-20%)

Learning Objectives

The Candidate will understand key concepts concerning bonds, and how to perform related
calculations.

Learning Outcomes

The Candidate will be able to:

a) Define and recognize the definitions of the following terms: price, book value, amortization
of premium, accumulation of discount, redemption value, par value/face value, yield rate,
coupon, coupon rate, term of bond, callable/non-callable.
b) Given sufficient partial information about the items listed below, calculate any of the
remaining items
• Price, book value, amortization of premium, accumulation of discount. (Note that
valuation of bonds between coupon payment dates will not be covered).
• Redemption value, face value.
• Yield rate.
• Coupon, coupon rate.
• Term of bond, point in time that a bond has a given book value, amortization of
premium, or accumulation of discount.

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5. Topic: General Cash Flows and Portfolios (15-20%)

Learning Objectives

The Candidate will understand key concepts concerning yield curves, rates of return, and measures
of duration and convexity, and how to perform related calculations.

Learning Outcomes

The Candidate will be able to:

a) Define and recognize the definitions of the following terms: yield rate/rate of return, dollar-
weighted rate of return, time-weighted rate of return, current value, duration (Macaulay and
modified), convexity (Macaulay and modified), portfolio, spot rate, forward rate, yield curve,
stock price, stock dividend.
b) Calculate:
• The dollar-weighted and time-weighted rate of return.
• The duration and convexity of a set of cash flows.
• Either Macaulay or modified duration given the other.
• The approximate change in present value due to a change in interest rate,
o Using 1st-order linear approximation based on modified duration.
o Using 1st-order approximation based on Macaulay duration.
• The price of a stock using the dividend discount model.
• The present value of a set of cash flows, using a yield curve developed from forward and
spot rates.

6. Topic: Immunization (10-15%)

Learning Objectives

The Candidate will understand key concepts concerning cash flow matching and immunization, and
how to perform related calculations.

Learning Outcomes

The Candidate will be able to:

a) Define and recognize the definitions of the following terms: cash flow matching,
immunization (including full immunization), Redington immunization.
b) Construct an investment portfolio to:
• Redington immunize a set of liability cash flows.
• Fully immunize a set of liability cash flows.
• Exactly match a set of liability cash flows.
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7. Topic: Interest Rate Swaps (0-10%)

Learning Objectives

The Candidate will understand key concepts concerning interest rate swaps, and how to perform
related calculations.

Learning Outcomes

The Candidate will be able to:

a) Define and recognize the definitions of the following terms: swap rate, swap term or swap
tenor, notional amount, market value of a swap, settlement dates, settlement period,
counterparties, deferred swap, amortizing swap, accreting swap, interest rate swap net
payments.
b) Given sufficient information, calculate the market value, notional amount, spot rates
or swap rate of an interest rate swap, deferred or otherwise, with either constant or
varying notional amount.

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 8. Topic: Determinants of Interest Rates (0-10%)

Learning Objectives

The Candidate will understand key concepts concerning the determinants of interest rates, the
components of interest, and how to perform related calculations.

Learning Outcomes

The Candidate will be able to:

a) Define and recognize the components of interest rates including: real risk-free rate, inflation
rate, default risk premium, liquidity premium, and maturity risk premium.
b) Explain how the components of interest rates apply in various contexts, such as commercial
loans, mortgages, credit cards, bonds, and government securities.
c) Explain the roles of the Federal Reserve and the FOMC in carrying out fiscal policy and
monetary policy and the tools used by the Federal Reserve and the FOMC including targeting
the Federal Funds rate, setting reserve requirements, and setting the discount rate.
d) Explain the theories of why interest rates differ by term, including liquidity preference
(opportunity cost), expectations, preferred habitat, and market segmentation.
e) Explain how interest rates differ from one country to another (e.g., U.S. vs. Canada).
f) Identify the real interest and the nominal interest rate in the context of loans with and
without inflation protection and calculate the effect of changes in inflation on loans with
inflation protection.

Text References
Knowledge and understanding of the financial mathematics concepts are significantly enhanced
through working out problems based on those concepts. Thus, in preparing for the Financial
Mathematics exam, whichever of the source textbooks candidates choose to use, candidates are
encouraged to work out the textbook exercises related to the listed readings.

Suggested Textbooks
There is not a single textbook required for the learning objectives in Section I. The texts listed below are
representative of the textbooks available to cover the material on which the candidate may be tested.
Not all topics may be covered at the same level in each text. Listed sections may include introductory
material, summary material, and problems that are not part of the learning objectives. The candidate
may wish to use one or more texts in his/her preparation for the examination.

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Broverman, S.A., Mathematics of Investment and Credit (Seventh Edition), 2017, ACTEX
Publications, ISBN 978-1-63588-221-6
Chapter 1 (excluding 1.2.1 and 1.8)
Chapter 2 (excluding 2.4.2, 2.4.3 and 2.4.5)
Chapter 3 (excluding 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.3, and 3.4)
Chapter 4 (excluding 4.1.3)
Chapter 5 (excluding the investment year method portion of 5.3.1, and excluding all of 5.3.2,
5.3.3 and 5.3.4)
Chapter 6 (excluding 6.2 and 6.4)
Chapter 7 (excluding 7.1.3, 7.1.6 and 7.3)
Chapter 9 (9.1 only)
At various places in the sections of this text that are listed above there are statements indicating
that more information is available in sections that are not listed above. Candidates are not
responsible for this additional information.

Vaaler, L.J.F., Harper, S.K., and Daniel, J.W. Mathematical Interest Theory (Third Edition), 2019,
The Mathematical Association of America, ISBN: 978-1-4704-4393-1:
Chapter 1 (excluding 1.13-1.16)
Chapter 2
Chapter 3 (excluding 3.10, 3.12, and the investment year method portion of 3.13)
Chapter 4
Chapter 5 (excluding 5.3)
Chapter 6 (excluding sections 6.6-6.7, example 6.8.1 and section 6.10)
Chapter 7 (excluding 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4)
Chapter 8 (8.3 only)
Chapter 9 (excluding 9.4, 9.5, and 9.7)

Kellison, S.G., The Theory of Interest (Third Edition), 2009, Irwin/McGraw-Hill, ISBN: 125921544X
or 978-1259215445:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3 (excluding 3.9)
Chapter 4
Chapter 5 (excluding 5.4, 5.7, and 5.8)
Chapter 6 (excluding 6.5, 6.8, 6.9, and 6.11)
Chapter 9, section 9.4 only
Chapter 7 (excluding the investment year method portion of 7.7, 7.8, 7.9, and 7.10)
Chapter 10 (excluding 10.6 and 10.7)
Chapter 11 (excluding 11.4 and 11.9)

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 Francis, J. and Ruckman, C., Interest Theory – Financial Mathematics and Deterministic Valuation;
(Second Edition), 2018, ActuarialBrew, ISBN 978-0998160412
Chapter 1 to Chapter 10
Chapter 11 (excluding 11.04)
Chapter 12
Chapter 13 (excluding 13.04-13.08)
Chapter 14 (excluding 14.04 and 14.05)
Chapter 15
Chapter 16

Chan, Wai-Sum, and Tse, Yiu-Kuen, Financial Mathematics for Actuaries, Second Edition, 2018,
World Scientific Publishing Company, ISBN: 978-9813224667 (hard cover) or 978-9813224674
(paperback).
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 (excluding 2.4)
Chapter 3
Chapter 4 (excluding 4.5, the investment year method portion of 4.6, 4.7, and 4.8)
Chapter 5 (excluding 5.3)
Chapter 6 (excluding 6.4)
Chapter 7
Chapter 8 (excluding 8.6, 8.7, and 8.8)
Chapter 9, section 9.1 only

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES
There are three study notes that are required reading for this examination. They can be downloaded
from this document by clicking on the links.
• FM-24-17 Using Duration and Convexity to Approximate Change in Present Value. Sections 1-4
are required reading for this examination.
• FM-25-17 Interest Rate Swaps. The entire note is required reading.
• FM-26-17 Determinants of Interest Rates. The entire note is required reading.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Notation and terminology used for Exam FM

All released exam papers, since 2000, can be found here.

Sample Questions and Solutions

Review of Calculator Functions for the Texas Instruments BA-35

Review of Calculator Functions for the Texas Instruments BA II Plus

Although several different calculators are allowed for this exam, the BAII Plus or Plus Professional are
strongly recommended due to their ability to solve for interest rates. There may be examination
problems that require the BAII Plus or Plus Professional in order to find the answer.

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Online Sample Exam FM
The Society of Actuaries (SOA) is interested in supporting candidates as they prepare for the preliminary
exams. To that end the SOA has launched an online sample exam for Exam FM (Financial Mathematics).
Available at no cost the sample exam selects questions and solutions in an online exam experience that
resembles the computer-based testing employed for most of the SOA’s preliminary exams. Questions
have been coded to meet the Exam FM learning objectives and ensure candidates receive a balanced
yet randomized set of questions each time they repeat the sample exam. The current set of questions is
drawn from the existing set of sample questions.

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