COVID-19 - Update from GARP Regarding May 2020 Exam

[Eustice_Langham]

So typical - have a rescheduled wedding abroad November 20th. Really hope they do reschedule but my gut feeling is they'll just move it to November

Entirely possible given that GARP would already have the facilities etc in place for this date.

 

[mattheweidinger]

Hi everyone,

I cleared FRM 1 in November and was hoping to complete CFA 3 this June and then bang out FRM 2 in November and obtain both the CFA charter and FRM designation by year end. The uncertainty surrounding both examination dates being tentatively postponed to December (CFA level 3) and undertermined (May FRM) really messes up my study schedule for the rest of the year. I am certainly not alone and a series of exams being delayed are not big concerns when we consider the toll on human health that this pandemic has taken.

My question to the experts here is:

Do you think that, if the exams are delayed to a date later than May, but before November, will GARP permit registration for the exam on this date for new candidates who were not previously registered for the May 2020 exam before cancellation? Or do you think that the delayed date will only be for those who were previously registered for May 2020 before the cancellation?

Thanks

 

[conanthebarbarian]

Do you think that, if the exams are delayed to a date later than May, but before November, will GARP permit registration for the exam on this date for new candidates who were not previously registered for the May 2020 exam before cancellation? Or do you think that the delayed date will only be for those who were previously registered for May 2020 before the cancellation?

I am in the same boots like you. I haven't registered for the May exam for two reasons:
1) I wanted to give me about a 1 month time period for practicing exam questions, so my plan was that if I could finish reading all the GARP books by April 15 then I would register for the May exam. Otherwise I would have gone for the November exam.
2) I kind of expected that they have to postpone the exam because of corona virus, so I didn't want to hurry with the registration.

I think it would be fair if they let us know about the new exam date at least 2 months before, and also they should give at least a 1 month period for registration to the postponed exam as late registration was still open when they announced postponing it.

 

[Eustice_Langham]

I am in the same boots like you. I haven't registered for the May exam for two reasons:
1) I wanted to give me about a 1 month time period for practicing exam questions, so my plan was that if I could finish reading all the GARP books by April 15 then I would register for the May exam. Otherwise I would have gone for the November exam.
2) I kind of expected that they have to postpone the exam because of corona virus, so I didn't want to hurry with the registration.

I think it would be fair if they let us know about the new exam date at least 2 months before, and also they should give at least a 1 month period for registration to the postponed exam as late registration was still open when they announced postponing it.

My two cents for both the recent posts is that GARP wont care, once the exam date is announced they will simultaneously announce a latest registration date for this exam (whenever it will take place). I always remind myself that GARP is a business so will always be seeking revenue.

 

[swatz346]

We have just received an email from GARP stating that they are postponing the May 2020 exam. They do not have a date yet, as they are currently working with the exam sites and vendors for an exam date. To be clear, this does not mean that they are canceling it so it very well may only be postponed until June, July, etc. GARP has stated that they will be posting updates on their website's FAQ page (I do not see anything there yet, but will update here with a link once they do post).

We understand that this is a very stressful time for all candidates. We will not be changing our daily routine and will be continuing to prepare and update materials in the study planner. We will also continue to support our members with their content questions in the forum. We highly recommend that our members do not discontinue their studies since, at this time, it sounds like there will still be an exam before November. As I stated before in the forum, the time that you spend studying now is not a waste of time. The FRM concepts are not meant to be memorized just for the exam. They will be necessary out in the real world, so taking the extra time that you are being given to study will be very helpful.

If your subscription is expiring soon (see updated note below) in the next month, please email me directly at [email protected]. In general, we have no plans to defer/refund subscriptions, but as usual, we will respond to individual situations. I am asking you to please not ask about your subscription here in the forum, as we need to look at each individual account since people purchase at different times during the year. As always, I respond to every email that is received each day. We appreciate your patience during this time and please know that we are here to support all of our members.

Updated to note: Unless your subscription is expiring very soon (i.e. the next couple of weeks) it is probably best for you to wait to contact us about your subscription until GARP provides the new date of the exam. There is no need to do anything with your subscription if it is not expiring in the VERY near future.

Here is GARP's announcement and FAQ regarding exam postponement: https://www.garp.org/#!/post/exam-postponement

We have just received an email from GARP stating that they are postponing the May 2020 exam. They do not have a date yet, as they are currently working with the exam sites and vendors for an exam date. To be clear, this does not mean that they are canceling it so it very well may only be postponed until June, July, etc. GARP has stated that they will be posting updates on their website's FAQ page (I do not see anything there yet, but will update here with a link once they do post).

We understand that this is a very stressful time for all candidates. We will not be changing our daily routine and will be continuing to prepare and update materials in the study planner. We will also continue to support our members with their content questions in the forum. We highly recommend that our members do not discontinue their studies since, at this time, it sounds like there will still be an exam before November. As I stated before in the forum, the time that you spend studying now is not a waste of time. The FRM concepts are not meant to be memorized just for the exam. They will be necessary out in the real world, so taking the extra time that you are being given to study will be very helpful.

If your subscription is expiring soon (see updated note below) in the next month, please email me directly at [email protected]. In general, we have no plans to defer/refund subscriptions, but as usual, we will respond to individual situations. I am asking you to please not ask about your subscription here in the forum, as we need to look at each individual account since people purchase at different times during the year. As always, I respond to every email that is received each day. We appreciate your patience during this time and please know that we are here to support all of our members.

Updated to note: Unless your subscription is expiring very soon (i.e. the next couple of weeks) it is probably best for you to wait to contact us about your subscription until GARP provides the new date of the exam. There is no need to do anything with your subscription if it is not expiring in the VERY near future.

Here is GARP's announcement and FAQ regarding exam postponement: https://www.garp.org/#!/post/exam-postponement

I was waiting for April start to register for the part 2 exam, because salary, but now I am not able to register for the exam. Does that mean once new dates are announced I will be able to register again. The last date for registration is April 15th so I am a bit stressed out.
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[Nicole Seaman]

I was waiting for April start to register for the part 2 exam, because salary, but now I am not able to register for the exam. Does that mean once new dates are announced I will be able to register again. The last date for registration is April 15th so I am a bit stressed out.
Reply Report •••

Hello @swatz346

I've reached out to GARP to see if I can find out more information for you regarding registering for the postponed May exam. I will let you know as soon as I hear back from them.

 

[Nicole Seaman]

Hello @swatz346

I've reached out to GARP to see if I can find out more information for you regarding registering for the postponed May exam. I will let you know as soon as I hear back from them.

Just to follow up on my last message, this is the email that I received back from GARP regarding registration for the May exam (which is now postponed to an unknown date):

"The registration for the May exam was closed when the exam was postponed. No one can register for that exam any longer but will have to wait until the registration for the November exam opens on May 1st. "

 

[conanthebarbarian]

Just to follow up on my last message, this is the email that I received back from GARP regarding registration for the May exam (which is now postponed to an unknown date):

"The registration for the May exam was closed when the exam was postponed. No one can register for that exam any longer but will have to wait until the registration for the November exam opens on May 1st. "

I have to say that is a friendly response from them only if they postpone the May exam to November so that the people who couldn't register for the May exam are not treated disadvantageously.

 

[Nicole Seaman]

I just want to make sure that everyone understands that they do NOT plan on rescheduling the May exam to November. They have been very clear about that with us. We have to remember that some of the exam sites are in schools and smaller venues. They would not be able to fit all of the May and November candidates in the same exam venues. They are still working with the different exam sites to figure out the best date to hold the postponed May exam, and we will keep everyone updated on that when we know the new date. My message above just refers to the fact that the registration for the May exam is closed and those who want to register for the next exam will need to register for the November exam. They are not trying to be unfair to anyone. This is a new situation for absolutely everyone. This is not something that we (or they) can control.

 

[Eustice_Langham]

I just want to make sure that everyone understands that they do NOT plan on rescheduling the May exam to November. They have been very clear about that with us. We have to remember that some of the exam sites are in schools and smaller venues. They would not be able to fit all of the May and November candidates in the same exam venues. They are still working with the different exam sites to figure out the best date to hold the postponed May exam, and we will keep everyone updated on that when we know the new date. My message above just refers to the fact that the registration for the May exam is closed and those who want to register for the next exam will need to register for the November exam. They are not trying to be unfair to anyone. This is a new situation for absolutely everyone. This is not something that we (or they) can control.

One further thing is that as the revised May exam date gets closer to the November date, its obvious that the November exam will be cancelled, what would be useful to know is that what advance warning will be made known when the new exam date is...ie one month, two months etc.

 

[conanthebarbarian]

One further thing is that as the revised May exam date gets closer to the November date, its obvious that the November exam will be cancelled, what would be useful to know is that what advance warning will be made known when the new exam date is...ie one month, two months etc.

Why would they cancel the November exam in light of the information that Nicole received from GARP? It wouldn't make any sense and would be very unfair to all the candidates who hasn't been able to register yet. This would mean that these people would have to skip a year.

"The registration for the May exam was closed when the exam was postponed. No one can register for that exam any longer but will have to wait until the registration for the November exam opens on May 1st. "

 

[Eustice_Langham]

Why would they cancel the November exam in light of the information that Nicole received from GARP? It wouldn't make any sense and would be very unfair to all the candidates who hasn't been able to register yet. This would mean that these people would have to skip a year.

You may well have a point, and I didnt consider students who only have planned on taking the Nov exam, what I was considering were only those students who intended to study and take the May exam, then take the Nov exam. That said I still think that there is a possibility that the Nov exam could be deferred until the following year.

 

[Champaklal Chodoo]

My two cents for both the recent posts is that GARP wont care, once the exam date is announced they will simultaneously announce a latest registration date for this exam (whenever it will take place). I always remind myself that GARP is a business so will always be seeking revenue.

I don't know whether you are an FRM candidate or FRM member, but in either case you should respect your professional body (GARP). Making statements like"GARP wont care ", "GARP is a business so will always be seeking revenue" without any evidence, is unfair. If you have any concerns then you should contact GARP and give them fair opportunity to resolve the issue . And, GARP had to postpone exam due to lockdown in many countries. This was not their own fault. Anyways, whatever your concerns may be (refund, postponement beyond 2 exams), you should first write to GARP and if you do not receive any assistance from them, you may reach to such serious conclusions.

 

[Eustice_Langham]

I don't know whether you are an FRM candidate or FRM member, but in either case you should respect your professional body (GARP). Making statements like"GARP wont care ", "GARP is a business so will always be seeking revenue" without any evidence, is unfair. If you have any concerns then you should contact GARP and give them fair opportunity to resolve the issue . And, GARP had to postpone exam due to lockdown in many countries. This was not their own fault. Anyways, whatever your concerns may be (refund, postponement beyond 2 exams), you should first write to GARP and if you do not receive any assistance from them, you may reach to such serious conclusions.

Champakal...not sure if you are a bot or even a GARP employee, perhaps a GARP plant or maybe you hope that by criticising me for what I said will curry favour with GARP, I'm really not sure...but thankyou this has given me a laugh.

 

[Nicole Seaman]

Champakal...not sure if you are a bot or even a GARP employee, perhaps a GARP plant or maybe you hope that by criticising me for what I said will curry favour with GARP, I'm really not sure...but thankyou this has given me a laugh.

Hello,

I wrote this previously, but I am going to reiterate. I created this thread to INFORM our members of updates regarding the postponed May exam. It is not helpful to anyone for people to comment regarding their thoughts about GARP or assumptions that they want to make about the exams (May and November included). We do not ever close the commenting on threads, as we prefer to keep an open forum. Please just be patient and remember that every single FRM candidate is dealing with this. GARP is working on a new exam date, and no, they are not going to cancel or postpone the November exam. GARP has literally had no choice but to postpone the May exam. Many countries are locked down and we are ALL in this situation. Please stop discussing assumptions, as it is not helpful in any way to assume. If anyone has any questions, they can feel free to email me directly at [email protected]. Thank you.

 

[Nicole Seaman]

As promised, I wanted to let everyone know that GARP contacted us to let us know the new exam date. They've contacted the EPPs first, as it can take longer to get the information posted on the website and they want to make sure that candidates are informed. Here is the information that was provided:

• New May Exam Date: October 24, 2020, with the exception of India exam sites
• India Exam Sites:
  • There were issues finding open exam venues due to the holidays in India.
  • All May 2020 candidates registered to take an exam at a site in India will automatically be deferred to the November 2020 exam date; OR
  • These candidates may elect to change their exam site to one outside India and sit in October, however, seats at different exam sites will be subject to availability.
• Options to defer: Any candidates registered to take a May 2020 exam at a location other than those in India will have the opportunity to defer their registration to the November 2020 exam if they so choose by logging into the GARP portal between April 1st - April 15th. No deferral fee will be charged.

 

[Nicole Seaman]

I'm going to close this thread to further commenting. I posted a new thread in the announcements section so it would be obvious that a new date has been set. https://forum.bionicturtle.com/threads/new-may-2020-exam-date-released.23174/