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The FRM exam is among the hardest to crack in finance. On an average, less than 50% candidates are able to pass FRM part 1 exam. On the contrary, more than 50% candidates pass the FRM part 2 exam.

To take the FRM exam there are no professional or educational prerequisites . If you are taking both the parts of the FRM exam on the same day, then it is mandatory to pass the FRM part 1 exam to get the part 2 graded.

The FRM Exam results are announced through an email; six weeks after the exam is conducted. You are also provided with the quartile results which will basically allow you to understand how you scored on the broad areas of the exam with respect to other participants. There are no sectional cut offs, you should score an overall score to pass.

The table below gives the pass rates of FRM Exam from 2012 to 2016:

FRM Exam
YearFRM Part 1FRM Part 2
May November MayNovember
2012*47.3%46.7%61.1%57%
2013*45.9%50.9%56.8%58%
2014*42.5%48.8%58.1%58.7%
2015*43%49.2%52%62.1%
2016*44.5%44.8%50.1%54.3%

Note: * Data from garp.org

The FRM Exam results are announced through an email generally six weeks after the exam is conducted. You are also provided with the quartile results which will basically allow you to understand how you scored on the broad areas of the exam with respect to other participants. The passing rates are varies within a range of 40-60 % for both the parts of FRM exam.

Let’s look at the passing rates for each of the levels;

FRM Part 1 May Exam Pass Rate:

Considering the performance of past 5 years (2012-2016), it seems that Pass percentage has decreased overall but has picked up since 2014. The way overall average passing rate of FRM Part 1 May exam is 44%.

FRM Pass Rates

FRM Part 1 November Exam Pass Rate:

Considering the performance of past 5 years (2012-2016), it seems that Pass percentage of the FRM November exam has stayed constant overall. The pass percentage has varied from 45% to 51% in the last 5 years. The overall average passing rate of FRM Part 1 November exam is 47%.

FRM Pass Rates

FRM Part 2 May Exam Pass Rate:

Considering the performance of past 5 years (2012-2016), it seems that Pass percentage of the FRM part 2 May has decreased significantly from 60% to 50%.

FRM Pass Rates

FRM Part 2 November Exam Pass Rate:

Considering the performance of past 5 years (2012-2016), it seems that pass percentage of the FRM November exam is increasing and it continues till the year 2015 and a sudden decrease is shown on the year 2016. The pass percentage was high in 2015 but the general trend sets it between 54% and 58%.

FRM Pass Rates

FRM certification should be chosen if you are keen on learning and pursuing a career in Financial Risk Management. FRM gives opportunity to gain exposure in the Risk Management Industry. It gives you an edge over your counterparts and provides you a reasonable advantage over your colleagues. It requires good amount of commitment, discipline and hard work for it to be earned successfully. All the very best!

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If you have already made the decision of going for FRM and are looking for a training institute, then EduPristine is a great option as we are GARP authorized training providersWe provide both Online and Classroom trainings.