2013 FRM Calendar (Updated 8/15/2013)

[David Harper CFA FRM]

Superman, yes of course, your subscription is good for one year. In this way, it always covers at least the next two exam dates.

 

[RiskNoob]

How come I did not notice this excellent FRM calender for 2013 until now - I wish there are facebook-style 'red' marks not only for inbox/alerts, but also for some of the forums as well

RiskNoob

 

[dacronje]

Im a bit confused on how to start with the studying. Should I start going through 2012 Study Notes so long. I registered for the May 2013 exam.
Im currently a Final year Financial Risk Management student, and have done most of the quantitave and product sections.
When will the 2013 Study Notes be released?

Thanks

 

[David Harper CFA FRM]

dacronje this post was started with the publish calendar, please see the top of the thread, thanks,

 

[Suzanne Evans]

Please note the calendar has been editted slightly. Topic 2 and Topic 6 have a lot of changes, therefore we've altered the schedule slightly to add additional development time to produce quality content!

Thanks,
Suzanne

 

[Aax1978]

Can you please confirm publication of updated T2 and T3 notes? I have not found them yet and according to the plan you published they should be online already.

Thank you in advance

 

[David Harper CFA FRM]

Hi Aax, we are running late, apologies (but they are just target dates, okay, hopefully everyone understands how aggressive the schedule is). T2 and T3 are coming soon (1 or 2 days), but P2.T6 will require several more days. Apologies for the inconvenience, we are working as fast as we can, thanks,

 

[orit]

Hi Suzanne,
I went through the questions-answers here, and I'm a little bit confused regarding the update of the notes from 2012 to 2013 exam.
I purchase P1 Tier 3 package one month ago and I appreciate if you could tell me if there are any changes in the study notes.
Thanks,
Orit

 

[David Harper CFA FRM]

Hi Orit, yes, we're a bit behind on the calendar, I am doing a final edit on T3 and T4 will publish a bit late (next week). T6 is late, of course, but we update all the notes every year, as fast as we can. Yes, changes in all of them reflect the new AIMs, plus other improvements (e.g., the T3 that i am editing does not have hardly any new AIMs, but we've added a lot of other material). thanks,

 

[orit]

Thanks David for your reply, if I understand correctly for part 1 exam the changes are going to be in T3 and T4?

 

[David Harper CFA FRM]

Hi Orit, no, we update all of our Study Notes to reflect the 2013 curriculum. T1 and T2 have been published, see http://www.bionicturtle.com/my-account/study-planner (sort by Topic), T3 ~ tomorrow, T4 coming soon, thanks,

 

[David Harper CFA FRM]

Hi everybody, just an update: the P2.T6 study notes are obviously late and the P1.T4 study notes (the final P1 notes) will consequently run a few days behind the target schedule. As I will be working through the weekend on T6 update, I hope we can publish P2.T6 by Monday (or Tuesday at the latest, at this rate); there are many, new difficult readings in T6 (Malz and Gregory in particular) that are abnormally time-consuming to summarize, so I do apologize.

However, we are working hard (pretty much around the clock, in fact) to catch up to the final T8 & T9 dates w.r.t. to the Study Notes; we may not exactly make March 2nd but we won't be too far behind (1 to 3 or 4 days, at most), if we are are, thanks for your understanding!

 

[orit]

Hi David,
I'm really grateful for your hard work on updating the notes.
Do you think you would enough time to distribute additional practice questions on the updated material which was not included in the previous notes?
Thanks

 

[David Harper CFA FRM]

Hi orit,

Thanks, yes but it depends what you mean exactly. This week I did something I rarely do: I didn't write the daily questions, since the tardy T6 notes demand all of my spare time. But I'll resume the daily questions next week.

I remind it's not like we "distribute" questions from some holy source; i spend 1.5 - 2.5 hours, and sometimes it requires up to 3.5 hours/day to write each new daily (set of 3) questions. So that's 4*3 = 12 questions per week; on average 1 question per AIM (but sometimes 2 or 3 questions or more per AIM, depending, if the AIM is dense). So, if i look at our AIM XLS:

• In regard to P1: yes, we will definitely have written new questions for all new AIMs by the May exam; and i'll get partway through a T4 global topic review ... (after covering the AIM-by-AIM, the plan is to have global topic reviews = fresh mock exams)
• In regard to P2: we will definitely cover all of the new T6 (Malz and Gregory counterparty, which i am really looking forward to, Gregory text is excellent) but I definitely will NOT get through all new P2 readings by May. But I will by Nov 2103. I'd estimate that Nov 2013 might be the first time we've ever "caught up" to new readings w.r.t. practice questions.

More about the making the sausage then maybe you wanted to know

 

[SKnapp]

David,

I do understand that this is very time-consuming, especially when GARP adds/replaces many readings. However, for those of us who have purchased the P2 materials, I was under the impression, that I would have a full suite of products to aid in my studying. Now, you are saying that you will definitely NOT have practice questions for all the P2 readings by May. That's a bit disappointing to say the least.

 

[orit]

Hi Suzanne,
Is new readings for P1T1 are: Corporate Governance Perspective and Information risk and Data Quality Management.
In the updated notes you have added only the first topic.
Should we expect to get the second one in the future?
Thanks

 

[David Harper CFA FRM]

Hi SKnapp, I'm saying we won't have brand new questions that correspond, with itemized precision, to every single new (P2) AIM by May. That is always the case; further, nobody can deliver what you expect, it's pretty much (physically) impossible in the time frame from GARP's release to the May exam. Not GARP, not any provider, for example will give complete AIM-by-AIM new practice question coverage in so short a time. If somebody says they are giving you new PQ itemized to every new AIM by May, well it just ain't true (at best they can be abstractly recycled for the appearance of direct matches; or old questions can be added to the end of a chapter reading which is not AIM-by-AIM). Your expectation has never been met by any company in the history of the FRM. We will still have the deepest, most detailed practice question coverage (by far). Related, the May exam won't be able to quiz the new material to the same degree of detail as given by the AIMs, they simply won't have "seasoned" sufficiently (For example, among the approximately 125+ new T6 counterparty AIMs alone, the vast majority won't possibly be tested in May). That's the way the FRM is, an overwhelming new bunch of AIMs at the beginning of the year ... do I wish they would not do it this way? yes I do

orit: yes both of those readings are in the T1 study notes, see Tarantino p 44 for the second, thanks,

 

[RiskNoob]

David Harper, CFA, FRM, CIPM, Yes, I definitely agree (and understand) with you all of the your points from the above.

One suggestion based on the feedback from SKnapp (and also myself, who plans to take the P2 exam in May) would be give some tips/comments (especially the new 2013 materials, since we have a great Focus reviews already from 2012) for preparing the May exam.

This might be done after finishing compiling 2013 notes and videos (and some PQs), and few David's notes would be sufficient since compiling all of focus reviews for May would be too tight...

This might help May exam takers... just my 2 cents

RiskNoob

 

[David Harper CFA FRM]

RiskNoob yes, understood, but the reality of the May cycle is that we can only do so much. Our strategy is to write as many new practice questions ahead of the May cycle (where time is limited and there is no exam experience base yet), then after we see the May exam feedback, prep the sort of guidance you suggest (in focus reviews) ahead of the Nov exam.

 

[Aleksander Hansen]

David,

I do understand that this is very time-consuming, especially when GARP adds/replaces many readings. However, for those of us who have purchased the P2 materials, I was under the impression, that I would have a full suite of products to aid in my studying. Now, you are saying that you will definitely NOT have practice questions for all the P2 readings by May. That's a bit disappointing to say the least.

Don't be disappointed. Most of the AIMS will not be tested, especially when hundreds are added. You can rest assured that the practice questions from Bionic Turtle will be the best way for you to prepare for the exam. They are easily the best, most comprehensive, numerous and challenging practice questions that exist for the FRM exam. Keep in mind that it is impossible to create, say 5 new questions for 120 new aims, and you would not have the time to solve them either. I'll print out this page and eat my own words if Kaplan questions or GARPs practice exams are anywhere near as good a preparation as are the Bionic Turtle ones.