What are travel times and how are they calculated?

The term 'travel time' refers to the number of years it takes for an actuarial candidate to complete a set of exams and/or receive a designation. Graphed and tabled below are statistics based on aggregate travel times, that is, the travel time distributions as calculated by the website's ranking system. For an overview of the ranking system and a discussion of which exams are included in each category, please see faq #6.



MEASURE1234
# of People13487.009401.005337.001538.00
Slowest15.9216.6716.5816.42
5th percentile6.429.0812.2510.08
10th percentile5.428.0011.259.00
15th percentile4.757.3310.428.33
20th percentile4.426.839.837.83
25th percentile4.086.339.257.50
30th percentile3.836.008.837.17
35th percentile3.585.758.506.92
40th percentile3.425.508.176.67
45th percentile3.255.257.836.42
Average3.335.377.926.44
Median3.085.007.586.17
55th percentile2.924.837.256.00
60th percentile2.754.587.005.75
65th percentile2.584.426.755.50
70th percentile2.424.176.505.33
75th percentile2.254.006.255.08
80th percentile2.083.755.924.83
85th percentile1.923.585.584.50
90th percentile1.583.255.254.08
95th percentile1.252.834.753.67
Fastest0.171.002.251.92

Cumulative Travel Time Distributions
Percentage of exam writers who reached milestone faster than given travel time
 


Travel Times vs. Date of First Exam Pass
This graph aims to show how travel times are changing over time
 

Each line on the the above (near graph) represents the average travel time for all exam takers who passed their first exam on the given date along the x-axis. This graph necessarily slopes downward since the completion of a set of exams that started more recently must necessarily have occured within a shorter timespan than exams that started earlier. Over time, the left portion of the graph will reveal if travel times are changing over time - if they are not, then that portion of the graph should remain flat.
MEASURE567
# of People2094.001555.001123.00
Slowest15.0015.0015.50
5th percentile7.5811.0012.00
10th percentile6.509.7511.00
15th percentile5.759.0010.25
20th percentile5.258.509.67
25th percentile4.758.009.21
30th percentile4.427.508.83
35th percentile4.257.178.42
40th percentile3.986.758.17
45th percentile3.756.507.83
Average3.956.667.96
Median3.586.257.50
55th percentile3.336.007.33
60th percentile3.175.757.00
65th percentile3.005.506.83
70th percentile2.835.256.67
75th percentile2.675.006.33
80th percentile2.424.756.17
85th percentile2.254.505.83
90th percentile2.004.175.50
95th percentile1.673.755.17
Fastest0.672.503.17

Cumulative Travel Time Distributions
Percentage of exam writers who reached milestone faster than given travel time
 


Travel Times vs. Date of First Exam Pass
This graph aims to show how travel times are changing over time
 

Each line on the the above (near graph) represents the average travel time for all exam takers who passed their first exam on the given date along the x-axis. This graph necessarily slopes downward since the completion of a set of exams that started more recently must necessarily have occured within a shorter timespan than exams that started earlier. Over time, the left portion of the graph will reveal if travel times are changing over time - if they are not, then that portion of the graph should remain flat.