ACTL10001 Introduction to Actuarial Studies
University of Melbourne · Level 1 · 12.5 points · Runs in 2026: Semester 2.
- Final exam 70%: exam-heavy
- About 3 class hours a week
Is ACTL10001 hard?
ACTL10001: About average. Makes it easier: First-year subject. Makes it harder: Final exam 70%, You must pass the exam on its own. The easier and harder points roughly balance out. No student reviews yet — based on the Handbook only.
What you learn
What actuaries do, plus the basic maths they use: interest, life tables and pricing simple life insurance.
After it you can
- Work with compound interest, annuities and loans
- Build and use a life table
- Price simple life insurance contracts
What you need first
MAST10007 or MAST10008 or MAST10021 or MAST10022 or MAST10018 or MAST10019 or MAST10006 or MAST10009
- MAST10007 Linear Algebra
- MAST10008 Accelerated Mathematics 1
- MAST10021 Calculus 2: Advanced
- MAST10022 Linear Algebra: Advanced
- MAST10006 Calculus 2
- MAST10009 Accelerated Mathematics 2
Careers
Helps toward: Actuary
How it’s assessed
Assignments 20%, Tests 10%, Final exam 70%
Student reviews and ratings
Summarised from 4 students on StudentVIP (2015–2021)
- Seen as a good introduction to actuarial work, covering notation and life tables, and useful for deciding whether to pursue the major.
- Older reviews recommend it as a breadth for maths lovers; the newest warns that a maths background does not make it easy, as there is a lot of rote learning and notation.
A summary of public reviews, not scored here.
Taken this subject? Rate it anonymously (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Rate ACTL10001
Quick answers
- When is ACTL10001 offered?
- Runs in 2026: Semester 2.
- What do I need before taking ACTL10001?
- Needs MAST10007 or MAST10008 or MAST10021 or MAST10022 or MAST10018 or MAST10019 or MAST10006 or MAST10009.
- Does ACTL10001 have a final exam?
- Yes, the final exam is 70% of the mark. You must pass the exam on its own. Assessment: Assignments 20%, Tests 10%, Final exam 70%.
- Is ACTL10001 hard?
- From 4 student reviews on StudentVIP: Seen as a good introduction to actuarial work, covering notation and life tables, and useful for deciding whether to pursue the major.
- What do students say about ACTL10001?
- Seen as a good introduction to actuarial work, covering notation and life tables, and useful for deciding whether to pursue the major. Older reviews recommend it as a breadth for maths lovers; the newest warns that a maths background does not make it easy, as there is a lot of rote learning and notation.
- How many class hours a week does ACTL10001 have?
- 3 h a week in class
- Can I take ACTL10001 as breadth?
- Yes, for: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedicine, Bachelor of Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art), Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science.
- Can I rate ACTL10001?
- Yes. If you've taken it, rate it anonymously on this page (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Averages show once 3 students have rated it; tips are checked before they appear.
Source: University of Melbourne Handbook 2026
Always confirm in the official Handbook.
PickMySubjects is a free, unofficial planner made by a UniMelb graduate.