Finance & Professional Services

Your route to Actuary

Price risk for insurers, pensions and investment funds — heavily mathematical and very well paid once qualified.

Pathway confidenceEligibility check requiredThis route depends on criteria you need to check, such as school context or household income.

Career compatibility and admission likelihood are different things

Compatibility is about you. Admission is the institution's decision — we can only tell you how to be ready for it.

I'm behind — get me there

Destination

Actuary

Graduate scheme

Internship

Degree with placement

A Levels

You are here

Tell us your year group to place this properly

My academic gap

Here's exactly what has to move

2 subjects to close

Current position

Stage not set · predicted grades

Target

AAB–ABB including A Level Maths, or a school-leaver actuarial apprenticeship

Maths

The IFoA exams are demanding maths and statistics

not set → 8Not started

English

You explain risk to non-technical clients

not set → 5Not started

Fix this with FutureIQ Tutor Get me there

Official requirements set by Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA). Last checked August 2026 — always confirm directly with the institution.

What the destination officially asks for

AAB–ABB including A Level Maths, or a school-leaver actuarial apprenticeship

Admissions tests: IFoA professional exams (CS, CM, CB series)

Timeline

A Level Maths
Economics, Maths, Actuarial Science degree or apprenticeship
IFoA exams
Fellowship

Official requirements from Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) · last checked August 2026. Always confirm with the institution — they set the rules, we don't.

Your routes in

Ranked honestly, for where you are now.

Some of these are harder than others. We say which, and why.

Qualifications

A Levels; Maths required for finance-heavy courses

Grades

A*AA–BBB depending on the university

Admissions tests

None required

Duration

3–4 years

How competitive

Graduate schemes are competitive; internships are the real filter

Funding

Student finance; paid placement years

Progression

Intern → graduate → analyst/manager

The route, step by step

1A Levels
2Degree with placement
3Internship
4Graduate scheme

Next action

Target a spring week or summer internship in year 1

Plan this route with the Tutor

Where people study this

Real institutions, real requirements.

Universities, conservatoires and specialist schools that lead to this destination.

London · A*AA–AAB, A Level Maths for Economics

London School of Economics

Coventry · A*A*A–AAB, Maths heavy courses

University of Warwick

Manchester · AAA–ABB depending on course

University of Manchester

Leeds · AAA–BBB depending on course

University of Leeds