{"id":8316,"date":"2020-08-28T12:43:24","date_gmt":"2020-08-28T12:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/?p=8316"},"modified":"2025-09-26T08:51:46","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T08:51:46","slug":"best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Tips and Tricks for Preparing and Successfully Passing FRM Exams"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Passing your Financial Risk Management (FRM) exam on the first try isn\u2019t impossible \u2013 it is however quite difficult. FRM exams are detailed and involve complex calculations and thinking from each exam candidate. A financial risk manager is expected to be fully familiar with money markets and regulations governing said markets in their regions. The exams efficiently reflect real-world applications of the certification, making proper preparation for the exam highly recommended.<\/p>\n<p>According to data published in May 2019, the pass rates were 42% for FRM Part 1 and 60% for FRM part 2, averaging at 51%. The reason for such pass rates can be attributed to various factors, including a lack of proper preparation and know-how of the exam topics. However, if you apply the right tips and tricks to your FRM exam preparation, passing the exam will become an easier task.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams\/#1_Get_to_Know_the_Exam_Structure\" >1. Get to Know the Exam Structure<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams\/#FRM_Part_1_Exam_Structure_100_questions\" >FRM Part 1 Exam Structure (100 questions):<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams\/#Part_2_Exam_Structure_80_questions\" >Part 2 Exam Structure (80 questions):<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams\/#2_Study_Early_and_Frequently\" >2. Study Early and Frequently<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams\/#3_Segment_your_Study_Materials\" >3. Segment your Study Materials<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams\/#4_Practice_Leading_up_to_the_Exam\" >4. Practice Leading up to the Exam<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams\/#5_Stay_Confident_in_your_Abilities\" >5. Stay Confident in your Abilities<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams\/#6_Work_on_your_Weaknesses\" >6. Work on your Weaknesses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams\/#7_Take_Timing_into_Consideration\" >7. Take Timing into Consideration<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams\/#8_Rest_Well_Before_the_Exam\" >8. Rest Well Before the Exam<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/best-tips-and-tricks-for-preparing-and-successfully-passing-frm-exams\/#Bio\" >Bio<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Get_to_Know_the_Exam_Structure\"><\/span><strong>1. Get to Know the Exam Structure<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>FRM exams are strictly structured to test candidates for a wide range of financial risk assessment areas. As such, its good practice to prepare your mindset for the type of exam you will be presented with. Try to get familiar with each topic in the FRM exam as much as you can during studying. Memorize the fundamental definitions and rules in order to have an easier time selecting right answers during the exam. In terms of content, each of the two parts of FRM examination includes:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FRM_Part_1_Exam_Structure_100_questions\"><\/span>FRM Part 1 Exam Structure (100 questions):<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Foundations of Risk Management (20%)<\/li>\n<li>Quantitative Analysis (20%)<\/li>\n<li>Financial Markets and Products (30%)<\/li>\n<li>Valuation and Risk Models (30%)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Part_2_Exam_Structure_80_questions\"><\/span>Part 2 Exam Structure (80 questions):<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Market Risk Measurement and Management (20%)<\/li>\n<li>Credit Risk Measurement and Management (20%)<\/li>\n<li>Operational and Integrated Risk Management (20%)<\/li>\n<li>Liquidity and Treasury Risk Management and Measurement (15%)<\/li>\n<li>Risk Management in Investment Management (15%)<\/li>\n<li>Current Issues in Financial Markets (10%)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Study_Early_and_Frequently\"><\/span><strong>2. Study Early and Frequently<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Like with academic exams and papers, passing the FRM exam without proper preparation is nigh impossible. Even if you have practical experience in financial risk management, you should still clock in a good amount of study hours. Don\u2019t put off your studying until the final weeks before the exam. It\u2019s fairly difficult to pass the FRM exam even with proper prep work, let alone at the last minute. Start studying early and make sure that you devote several hours of your time to prepare each day. If you are committed to it, there is a high probability that you will pass your exam successfully on the first try.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Segment_your_Study_Materials\"><\/span><strong>3. Segment your Study Materials<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As we\u2019ve mentioned previously, FRM exams consist of several topics clustered into groups of related questions. Each area represents an FRM niche of its own, but you are required to know as much as possible about each topic to pass. You should segment your study sessions based on different question categories in order to devote the right amount of attention to each topic. Gather <a href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/frm\/\"><strong>FRM exam materials<\/strong><\/a> on time and familiarize yourself with each topic on a fundamental level before you dive into more complex terminology and practices. Most importantly, don\u2019t mix topics in your head when it comes to rules and regulations. This is a fatal mistake to make, so separate FRM exam segments as much as you can and tackle each one separately during your preparation.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Practice_Leading_up_to_the_Exam\"><\/span><strong>4. Practice Leading up to the Exam<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once your FRM exam date gets closer, you should do <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/frm-part-1-mock-exams\/\">FRM mock exams<\/a><\/strong> and practice in simulated exam conditions. It can be good to take a short break between the long weeks of studying and practical tests however. This will give you time to process all of the FRM information you learned so far and contextualize it in your mind. When you start mock exams, save all of the tests for future review. Learn from your mistakes early on and you will have much better chances at passing the FRM exams. Time your answers and gauge how long it takes you to answer all questions in both exams. Make sure to practice regularly as your exam approaches to be as ready as possible for the real-world examination.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"IWgQDdc5fK\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/shop\/frm-part-1-and-part-2-complete-course-by-analystprep\/\">FRM Part I &#038; Part II Complete Course<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;FRM Part I &#038; Part II Complete Course&#8221; &#8212; AnalystPrep\" src=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/shop\/frm-part-1-and-part-2-complete-course-by-analystprep\/embed\/#?secret=RqdkXRAD06#?secret=IWgQDdc5fK\" data-secret=\"IWgQDdc5fK\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Stay_Confident_in_your_Abilities\"><\/span><strong>5. Stay Confident in your Abilities<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s very easy to get discouraged by the FRM exam statistics. However, if you study for weeks and months before the exam takes place, this is an unwarranted worry. Stay confident in your ability to apply the knowledge you\u2019ve gained during long study sessions. Think about which FRM niches attract you the most and consider these areas your strengths. The estimated passing score for FRM exams is 70%, meaning that you have a 30% window for areas you don\u2019t feel confident in. You have started down the path of FRM examination for a reason \u2013 remember it as your exam comes closer and have faith in your abilities.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Work_on_your_Weaknesses\"><\/span><strong>6. Work on your Weaknesses<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While you have a chance to pass FRM exams even if you underperform in certain areas, you should mitigate those risks as much as possible. Review your study notes and mock exams to spot potential bottlenecks and areas in which you are underperforming. No one is perfect and it\u2019s completely normal that you are attracted to some FRM niches more than others. However, the exams are structured in a way in which they will test your basic knowledge of each FRM segment regardless of personal preferences. Do additional mock tests and go through specific study materials again to make up for any information that might have slipped by you. Do your best to flesh out your weaknesses as much as possible before the exam takes place.<\/p>\n<p>Here, the AnalystPrep <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/frm-part-1\/\">FRM preparation platform<\/a><\/strong> might come handy. The dashboard section includes your own score in real-time and compares it to the average AnalystPrep candidate. You can even filter by date to compare your scores between different time periods.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8317 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/analystprep-frm-dashboard-300x278.png\" alt=\"analystprep-frm-dashboard\" width=\"300\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/analystprep-frm-dashboard-300x278.png 300w, https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/analystprep-frm-dashboard-768x712.png 768w, https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/analystprep-frm-dashboard-400x371.png 400w, https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/analystprep-frm-dashboard-484x448.png 484w, https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/analystprep-frm-dashboard-570x528.png 570w, https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/analystprep-frm-dashboard.png 816w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Take_Timing_into_Consideration\"><\/span><strong>7. Take Timing into Consideration<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>FRM exams are time-limited, meaning that you will have to manage your time efficiently in order to answer all questions properly. Both Part 1 and Part 2 of FRM exams will give you 4 hours to work with. While that may seem like plenty at first glance, keep in mind that each exam consists of 100 and 80 questions respectively. Divide those numbers by 4 hours and you will average out at 2.5-3 minutes per question depending on the FRM exam. It is extremely important to take timing into consideration when dealing with each question on your exam sheet. Practice using time-management apps such as <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.hamatim.podomoro&amp;hl=en\"><strong>Pomodoro Smart Timer<\/strong><\/a> to get a better handle on timing. The worst thing that can happen is for you to be fully prepared for FRM exams but breach the available time limit. Do mock tests and limit your available time to learn how to manage available resources more effectively.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Rest_Well_Before_the_Exam\"><\/span><strong>8. Rest Well Before the Exam<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Lastly, it\u2019s important to have a clear mind before going into your FRM exam. Taking 4-hour exams is very taxing no matter how experienced or sturdy you may be as a financial professional. As such, take a day to relax and gain strength for the upcoming examination to energize in a positive manner. Engage in something which will make you feel better like taking a walk, sleeping early, or watching a movie to clear your head. While it may seem counterproductive, this approach to final preparation will ensure that you remember what you studied more easily during the FRM exam itself. Don\u2019t force your mind and body to stay tense and active until the exam \u2013 get proper rest and contextualize your knowledge before the final stretch.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bio\"><\/span>Bio<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This article was written by <em><strong>Ana Mayer<\/strong><\/em>, a project manager with 3+ years of experience. While projects can do without her participation (which means almost never), she likes to read and create expert academic materials for the <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinewritersrating.com\/\">Online Writers Rating<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/bestwritersonline.com\/\">Best Writers Online<\/a>&nbsp;review website<em>. <\/em><em>Such work gives her the opportunity to write articles on the most relevant topics of today.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Image source<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/bZ_RkRKE0Po\">https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/bZ_RkRKE0Po<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Passing your Financial Risk Management (FRM) exam on the first try isn\u2019t impossible \u2013 it is however quite difficult. FRM exams are detailed and involve complex calculations and thinking from each exam candidate. A financial risk manager is expected to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8318,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-frm","blog-post","animate"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8316"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10921,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8316\/revisions\/10921"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}