In a world where education is gaining increasing importance, super-specializations are the way to go. For those in the Finance Industry, FRM is one of the courses that can help you land the right job or get the promotion that’s been evading you!
In this article we’re going to brief you regarding everything you need to know about the FRM Course, right from its curriculum and fees to the scope and eligibility criteria for its membership.
What is FRM?
Before we get into the details of the course curriculum, it is better to understand what the course is about, its ultimate objective and who the course is best suited for.
FRM stands for Financial Risk Manager. The FRM Program is a course offered by the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP, USA). This course is designed to help professionals better equip themselves to understand and manage risks faced by businesses which leads to a career specialized in Risk Management.
FRM Course Eligibility:
There is no basic criteria to undertake the FRM Examinations. A student in first year of Graduation is also eligible to appear for the FRM Part 1 exam. However, there are certain criteria to be fulfilled in order to obtain the FRM Certificate.
In order To be eligible to get certified as a Financial Risk Manager, the following criteria need to be satisfied:
- You must have cleared Level 1 and 2 of the FRM Program, within 4 years of applying for the Part 1 exam.
- You must have a Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience in Risk profile, within 5 years of clearing Part 2 exam.
FRM Exam Pattern
The FRM exams (Both Parts) are held twice a year – on the third saturday of May and November. One can appear for both the parts on the same day. However, it is not recommended due to enormity of syllabus. In essence, a candidate can clear both levels of the examination within one year minimum.
Given below is a table reflecting the exam pattern of the two parts of FRM Examination –
| Particulars | FRM Part I | FRM Part II |
| No. of Questions | 100 MCQs | 100 MCQs |
| Duration | 4 Hours | 4 Hours |
| Timings | Morning | Afternoon |
FRM Course Fees
The Exam Fees depends on the level and as is common with several International Programs, offers a varied fee depending upon the deadline opted for – Early, Standard or Late. When you enroll for Part I exam, you need to pay a one-time enrollment amount of $400, which is not applicable in Part II.
| Exam Level | Enrollment Fees | Early | Standard | Late |
| Part I | $400 | $425 | $550 | $725 |
| Part II | 0 | $350 | $475 | $650 |
FRM Curriculum:
The most important feature of any program is its curriculum. We’ve identified the key areas of study covered across the FRM Program.
FRM Part 1 Subjects:
| Topic | Weightage |
| Foundations of risk management | 20% |
| Quantitative analysis | 20% |
| Financial markets and products | 30% |
| Valuation and risk models | 30% |
FRM Part 2 Subjects:
| Topic | Weightage |
| Market Risk Management | 20% |
| Credit Risk Management | 20% |
| Operational & Integrated Risk Management | 20% |
| Liquidity and Treasury Risk Measurement and Management | 15% |
| Risk management and investment management | 15% |
| Current issues in financial markets | 10% |
Job Profiles and salary of FRM Charter :
Any profile that a FRM Charterholder gets into, will involve calculation of risk, some way or the other.
Take an example of a Risk Manager of an Insurance company. The Risk Manager would determine whether or not to extend an insurance cover to a particular asset, person or a business . He uses various quantitative tools to arrive at the decision. The FRM course teaches you such tools to arrive at such decisions.
Upon completion of the certification, regardless of the title given to you, your basic job profile would focus around Risk Analysis, Risk Identification and Risk Management for various investments and projects that you work on.
- Job profiles – Risk Analyst, Operation Risk officer, Risk consultant, Portfolio Manger, Credit risk specialists etc.
- Average Salary – The Salary of FRM Charter depends upon the work experience, Job profile and the recruiter. Average salary of FRM is $99,000 in USA and INR 10,00,000 in India
- Recruiters – Recruiters Include Investment Banks, Commercial Banks, Insurance companies and consulting firms such as HSBC, CITI, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Allianz etc.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Salary of FRM Charter depends upon the work experience, Job profile and the recruiter. Average salary of FRM is $99,000 in USA and INR 10,00,000 in India
A FRM Charter can work in Job profiles such as Risk Analyst, Operation Risk officer, Risk consultant, Portfolio Manger, Credit risk specialists etc.
Initial enrollment fees for FRM Exam is $400 . The additional registration fees for Part I is between $425 to $725 and for Part II is between $350 to $650 depending upon the deadline you want to apply in.
2 Comments
1.Can you tell me about registration procedure, and enrollment fee & exam fee payment made at time or not.
I need to know the fees, registration procedure
And how much time will it take to study for this