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FRM part-2

Syllabus 2026

View 2026 curriculum changes
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MODULE 1

Market Risk Measurement and Management

ChapterTopics
1

Estimating Market Risk Measures: An Introduction and Overview

Introduction to estimating market risk using historical and parametric approaches, including expected shortfall and quantile estimations.

2

Non-parametric Approaches

Covers non-parametric methods like bootstrap historical simulation for coherent risk measures, including advantages and disadvantages.

3

Parametric Approaches (II): Extreme Value

Discusses extreme value theory (EVT) and its application in risk management, focusing on the peaks-over-threshold approach.

4

Backtesting VaR

Explores the process of backtesting VaR models, discussing challenges, errors, and Basel backtesting rules.

5

VaR Mapping

Covers the principles of VaR mapping, capturing general and specific risks in portfolios, and its role in stress testing.

6

Validating Bank Holding Companies' Value-at-Risk Models for Market Risk

Explore the process of validating Value-at-Risk (VaR) models for market risk in bank holding companies, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and effective risk management practices.

7

Beyond Exceedance-Based Backtesting of Value-at-Risk Models

Delve into advanced methods for backtesting Value-at-Risk models beyond exceedance-based approaches, enhancing accuracy and robustness in risk assessment.

8

Correlation Basics: Definations, Applications, and Terminology

Understand correlation basics: definitions, applications in finance, key terminology, and their role in risk management and portfolio optimization.

9

Empirical Properties of Correlation: How Do Correlations Behave in the Real World?

Explore the empirical properties of correlation, analyzing how correlations behave in real-world financial markets and their impact on risk management.

10

Financial Correlation Modeling: Bottom-Up Approaches

Covers bottom-up approaches to financial correlation modeling, focusing on copula functions and joint probability of defaults.

11

Regression Hedging and Principal Component Analysis(2026)

Explore Regression Hedging and Principal Component Analysis (2026) techniques for effective risk management and financial portfolio optimization.

12

Arbitrage Pricing with Term Structure Models

Discover Arbitrage Pricing with Term Structure Models, focusing on interest rate modeling, risk-neutral valuation, and financial derivatives pricing.

13

Expectations, Risk Premium, Convexity, and The Shape of the Term Structure

Explore Expectations, Risk Premium, Convexity, and the Shape of the Term Structure, unraveling key drivers of interest rate behavior and bond pricing.

14

The Art of Term Structure Models: Drift

Covers the construction and effectiveness of short-term rate trees, focusing on drift and model fitting.

15

The Art of Term Structure Models: Volatility and Distribution

Explores short-term rate models under time-dependent volatility, including CIR and lognormal models.

16

The Vasicek and Gauss+ Models

Explore the Vasicek and Gauss+ models, their applications in interest rate modeling, risk management, and insights into financial market dynamics.

17

Volatility Smiles and Volatility Surfaces

Discusses volatility smiles and their implications for option pricing and implied volatility.

18

Fundamental Review of the Trading Book

Understand the Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB), its impact on market risk management, and regulatory reforms for financial stability.

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MODULE 2

Credit Risk Measurement and Management

ChapterTopics
1

Fundamentals of Credit Risk

Defines credit risk, its sources, and key concepts like default, insolvency, and bankruptcy, along with credit risk examples.

2

Governance

Explores the governance structure for managing credit risk, including responsibilities and the three lines of defense framework.

3

Credit Risk Management

Focuses on effective credit risk management practices, including exposure limits, asset classification, and loan loss provisions.

4

Capital Structure in Banks

Examines how banks structure capital relative to credit risk, covering economic capital, expected loss, and unexpected loss.

5

Introduction to Credit Risk Modeling and Assessment

Introduces credit risk modeling techniques, including the CAMEL system and Merton model.

6

Credit Scoring and Rating

Compares credit scoring and rating systems, discussing through-the-cycle and point-in-time ratings.

7

Credit Scoring and Retail Credit Risk Management

Analyzes retail credit risk, focusing on credit scoring models and risk management strategies.

8

Country Risk: Determinants, Measures, and Implications

Explores country risk, including its sources, measurement, and implications for credit risk.

9

Estimating Default Probabilities

Discusses methods for estimating default probabilities, including rating migration and hazard rates.

10

Credit Value at Risk

Covers credit VaR, including its calculation, application, and comparison with market VaR.

11

Portfolio Credit Risk

Discusses portfolio credit risk, focusing on default correlation and Credit VaR using simulation methods.

12

Credit Risk

Discusses the various aspects of credit risk including factors, measurement, and management.

13

Credit Derivatives

Explores credit derivatives, including CDS, CDOs, and their role in managing credit risk.

14

Derivatives

Covers the basic principles and applications of derivatives in managing credit risk.

15

Counterparty Risk and Beyond

Covers counterparty risk, including CVA, DVA, and the management of derivative exposures.

16

Netting, Close-out and Related Aspects

Discusses netting and close-out procedures, their role in reducing credit exposure, and ISDA agreements.

17

Margin (Collateral) and Settlement

Explores collateral management, including CSAs, margin calculation, and collateral disputes.

18

Central Clearing

Discusses central clearing, including CCPs, margin requirements, and default management.

19

Future Value and Exposure

Covers future value and exposure calculation methods, focusing on EPE, PFE, and stress testing.

20

CVA

Discusses Credit Valuation Adjustment (CVA), including its calculation, management, and impact on pricing.

21

The Evolution of Stress Testing Counterparty Exposures

Examines the evolution of stress testing for counterparty exposures, focusing on best practices and regulatory expectations.

22

Structured Credit Risk

Introduces structured credit products, including tranching, securitization, and their associated risks.

23

An Introduction to Securitisation

Provides an overview of securitization, including structures, benefits, and risks associated with asset-backed securities.

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MODULE 3

Operational Risk and Resilience

ChapterTopics
1

Introduction to Operational Risk and Resilience

Overview of operational risk management frameworks, including types of risks and elements of operational resilience.

2

Risk Governance

Details the governance framework for operational risk, emphasizing Basel expectations and the three lines of defense model.

3

Risk Identification

Discusses top-down and bottom-up approaches for identifying operational risks, including scenario analysis and risk taxonomies.

4

Risk Measurement and Assessment

Covers the tools and techniques for measuring operational risk, including key risk indicators (KRIs) and scenario analysis.

5

Risk Mitigation

Focuses on strategies for mitigating operational risk, including insurance, outsourcing, and business continuity planning.

6

Risk Reporting

Discusses the importance of effective risk reporting, including internal and external reporting requirements and communication strategies.

7

Integrated Risk Management

Explores the concept of integrated risk management, combining various risk types into a unified framework for decision-making.

8

Cyber-resilience: Range of Practices

Covers the practices for enhancing cyber-resilience, including cybersecurity frameworks, incident response, and threat intelligence.

9

Case Study: Cyberthreats and Information Security Risks

Presents a case study on managing cyberthreats and information security risks in financial institutions.

10

Sound Management of Risks related to Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism

Discusses best practices for managing risks associated with money laundering and terrorism financing, focusing on AML frameworks.

11

Case Study: Financial Crime and Fraud

Analyzes a case study on financial crime and fraud, exploring the detection, prevention, and response strategies.

12

Guidance on Managing Outsourcing Risk

Provides guidance on managing outsourcing risk, including due diligence, contract management, and regulatory expectations.

13

Third-party Risk Management

Explores the risks associated with third-party vendors, including monitoring, assessment, and mitigation strategies.

14

Case Study: Investor Protection and Compliance Risks in Investment Activities

Presents a case study on investor protection and compliance risks, focusing on regulatory breaches and mitigation strategies.

15

Supervisory Guidance on Model Risk Management

Discusses the supervisory guidance on model risk management, focusing on model validation and governance practices.

16

Case Study: Model Risk and Model Validation

Explores a case study on model risk and validation, focusing on the impact of poor model governance.

17

Stress Testing Banks

Covers the principles and methodologies of stress testing in banks, focusing on liquidity and capital adequacy.

18

Risk Capital Attribution and Risk-Adjusted Performance Measurement

Explores the methods of risk capital attribution and the calculation of risk-adjusted performance metrics.

19

Range of Practices and Issues in Economic Capital Frameworks

Discusses the range of practices and challenges in implementing economic capital frameworks in financial institutions.

20

Capital Planning at Large Bank Holding Companies

Examines the expectations and practices for capital planning at large bank holding companies.

21

Capital Regulation Before the Global Financial Crisis

Analyzes the post-crisis regulatory reforms related to solvency and liquidity, focusing on Basel III.

22

Solvency, Liquidity, and Other Regulation After the Global Financial Crisis

Discusses the finalization of Basel III reforms, focusing on their impact on global financial stability.

23

High-level summary of Basel III reforms

Discusses on improving capital quality, risk sensitivity, and regulatory consistency, addressing financial crisis-induced regulatory shortcomings.

24

Basel III: Finalising post-crisis reforms

Analyzes the post-crisis regulatory reforms related to solvency and liquidity, focusing on Basel III.

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MODULE 4

Liquidity and Treasury Risk Measurement and Management

ChapterTopics
1

Liquidity Risk

Explores liquidity risk, including cost of liquidation, liquidity-adjusted VaR, and lessons from historical cases.

2

Liquidity and Leverage

Discusses the relationship between liquidity and leverage, focusing on leverage ratios and regulatory requirements.

3

Early Warning Indicators

Covers early warning indicators for liquidity stress, including market signals, funding gaps, and credit spreads.

4

The Investment Function in Financial-Services Management

Discusses the role of the investment function in managing liquidity and treasury risks in financial institutions.

5

Liquidity and Reserves Management: Strategies and Policies

Explores strategies and policies for managing liquidity and reserves, focusing on contingency funding plans.

6

Intraday Liquidity Risk Management

Covers the management of intraday liquidity risk, focusing on settlement processes and payment systems.

7

Monitoring Liquidity

Discusses the tools and techniques for monitoring liquidity, including cash flow analysis and liquidity ratios.

8

The Failure Mechanics of Dealer Banks

Analyzes the mechanics of dealer bank failures, focusing on liquidity crises and counterparty risks.

9

Liquidity Stress Testing

Explores the methodologies for liquidity stress testing, focusing on scenario analysis and regulatory expectations.

10

Liquidity Risk Reporting and Stress Testing

Covers the reporting requirements for liquidity risk and stress testing, focusing on internal and external communication.

11

Contingency Funding Planning

Discusses the development and implementation of contingency funding plans, focusing on liquidity crises.

12

Managing Non-deposit Liabilities

Covers the management of non-deposit liabilities, including repurchase agreements and short-term funding strategies.

13

Repurchase Agreements and Financing

Discusses the role of repurchase agreements in financing, focusing on their risks and regulatory implications.

14

Liquidity Transfer Pricing

Explores the concept of liquidity transfer pricing, focusing on its role in risk management and regulatory compliance.

15

The US Dollar Shortage in Global Banking and the International Policy Response

Analyzes the US dollar shortage in global banking, focusing on policy responses and their impact on liquidity.

16

Covered Interest Parity Lost: Understanding the Cross-Currency Basis

Discusses the breakdown of covered interest parity and its implications for cross-currency basis swaps.

17

Risk Management for Changing Interest Rates: Asset-Liability Management and Duration Techniques

Explores asset-liability management techniques for managing interest rate risks, focusing on duration analysis.

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MODULE 5

Risk Management and Investment Management

ChapterTopics
1

Factor Theory

Introduction to factor theory, covering key concepts like factor models and their role in risk management.

2

Factors

Discusses the various factors that drive returns in financial markets, including macroeconomic and style factors.

3

Alpha (and the Low-Risk Anomaly)

Explores the concept of alpha, focusing on its measurement and implications for portfolio management.

4

Portfolio Construction

Covers the principles of portfolio construction, including diversification, asset allocation, and optimization techniques.

5

Portfolio Risk: Analytical Methods

Discusses analytical methods for assessing portfolio risk, including VaR, stress testing, and scenario analysis.

6

VaR and Risk Budgeting in Investment Management

Explores the use of VaR and risk budgeting in investment management, focusing on allocation and performance measurement.

7

Portfolio Performance Evaluation

Discusses methods for evaluating portfolio performance, including benchmarks, attribution analysis, and risk-adjusted returns.

8

Hedge Funds Investment Strategies

Covers major hedge fund strategies, risk-return profiles, and how strategy choice affects portfolio construction.

9

Risk, Regulation and Organizational Structure

Explores governance, risk controls, regulatory expectations, and organizational structures for investment management firms.

10

The Rise of Private Credit

Analyzes private credit characteristics, growth, returns, and financial stability risks, along with policy recommendations.

11

Private Markets Investing

Introduces private market investment structures, valuation issues, risk drivers, and portfolio considerations.

12

Performing Due Diligence on Specific Managers and Funds

Covers due diligence processes for evaluating managers and funds, focusing on risk and performance metrics.

13

Distress Symptoms and Remedies

Examines warning signs of fund or manager distress and practical remedies for managing investment risk.

14

A Riot of Red Flags

Uses the Madoff case to identify operational, governance, and due diligence failures in investment management.

15

Market-Driven Scenarios: An Approach for Plausible Scenario Construction

Explains how to construct plausible market-driven scenarios for stress testing and risk analysis.

16

Liquidity Risk Management

Covers liquidity risk measurement, monitoring, and management within investment portfolios and funds.

17

Illiquid Assets

Discusses the risks associated with illiquid assets, including valuation challenges and liquidity management strategies.

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MODULE 6

Current Issues in Financial Markets

ChapterTopics
1

Advances in Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Capital Markets Activities

Reviews how advances in AI may reshape capital markets activities, market structure, risk management, and financial stability.

2

The Financial Stability Implications of Artificial Intelligence

Explores how AI adoption can affect financial stability through model risk, concentration risk, cyber risk, and market dynamics.

3

The Global Drivers of Private Credit

Examines the expansion of private credit, its global drivers, and the risk channels relevant to financial markets.

4

Global Financial Stability Report

Reviews global financial stability risks, vulnerabilities, and policy priorities affecting financial markets.

5

Monetary and Fiscal Policy: Safeguarding Stability and Trust

Reviews monetary and fiscal policy interactions, debt sustainability, inflation control, and trust in macro-financial stability.

6

Regulating the Crypto Ecosystem: The Case of Unbacked Crypto Assets

Learn about crypto assets, their classifications, risks, regulatory approaches, and frameworks for managing unbacked crypto assets.

7

Tokenization and Financial Market Inefficiencies

Explores tokenization, its potential to reduce market frictions, and the risks created by digital asset market structures.

8

Digital Resilience and Financial Stability: The Quest for Policy Tools in The Financial Sector

Understand cyber and ICT risks in finance, their systemic impact, and explore macroprudential tools and policies to mitigate these risks and related challenges.