Course Study Plan Guide

[Sixcarbs]

Hi All,
I would like to know the preparation strategy for FRM Part I. Any help in this regard is highly appreciated.
1. I understand, there are chapters which are interrelated with each topic, so which chapters go hand in hand?
2. I am planning to refer to FRM provided material as well, so it is good to read their material first before reading the study material provided by BT?
3. When referring BT materials, should I watch the video first and then go to the study material or vice versa?
Many thanks in advance!

Ok, here is Sixcarbs' secret sauce.

If you have time,
1. Read GARP chapter (Skip this if time is short)
2. Read BT Notes
3. Do associated BT PQ's
4. Watch associated BT video
5. Do associated PQ's again.
6. After going through all material once, go back and do all PQ's over again, then the interactive exam at the end of each section.
7. Do the BT mini-mocks and then the BT full mocks.

 

[sunithamenon]

Thank you!

Ok, here is Sixcarbs' secret sauce.

If you have time,
1. Read GARP chapter (Skip this if time is short)
2. Read BT Notes
3. Do associated BT PQ's
4. Watch associated BT video
5. Do associated PQ's again.
6. After going through all material once, go back and do all PQ's over again, then the interactive exam at the end of each section.
7. Do the BT mini-mocks and then the BT full mocks.

 

[Serdar7891]

There is no secret sauce per se. Everyone is different. I used to read a chapter and then do questions right after. However, I changed my tactic and now I do as many chapters as I can on weekdays and on weekends only do questions. I think it's the best way. Secret sauce is simple, read, do questions, re-read, re-do questions.

 

[sunithamenon]

Thank you!

There is no secret sauce per se. Everyone is different. I used to read a chapter and then do questions right after. However, I changed my tactic and now I do as many chapters as I can on weekdays and on weekends only do questions. I think it's the best way. Secret sauce is simple, read, do questions, re-read, re-do questions.

 

[sunithamenon]

There is no secret sauce per se. Everyone is different. I used to read a chapter and then do questions right after. However, I changed my tactic and now I do as many chapters as I can on weekdays and on weekends only do questions. I think it's the best way. Secret sauce is simple, read, do questions, re-read, re-do questions.

Hi,

Do you complete one topic and go to the next one, or you complete certain chapters from each topic per day?

 

[Serdar7891]

Let me start by saying this is my preference. Don't do any questions over the weekdays (assuming you study more on weekends), just study the material. Each chapter has End Of the Chapter questions, skip them. Go to another chapter/topic. Then on weekends just do only questions. 2 reason why I think its better. 1) If you do questions right after finishing chapter you more likely to get them right because you just read the material. But, doing later forces you to repeat some parts of the answers and thus you learn more. 2) When you read a chapter you won't remember everything after a day or two, maybe 70% because it would mostly be in short term memory. However, when you go back and do the questions for the chapter you have read, even if you dont want to, you will re-visit those chapters again, because you checked on forum or u missed smt and then you wont forget them. Trust me it works, also recently I saw on youtube that Fintree (another EEP) also employs same method for their students.

 

[sunithamenon]

Let me start by saying this is my preference. Don't do any questions over the weekdays (assuming you study more on weekends), just study the material. Each chapter has End Of the Chapter questions, skip them. Go to another chapter/topic. Then on weekends just do only questions. 2 reason why I think its better. 1) If you do questions right after finishing chapter you more likely to get them right because you just read the material. But, doing later forces you to repeat some parts of the answers and thus you learn more. 2) When you read a chapter you won't remember everything after a day or two, maybe 70% because it would mostly be in short term memory. However, when you go back and do the questions for the chapter you have read, even if you dont want to, you will re-visit those chapters again, because you checked on forum or u missed smt and then you wont forget them. Trust me it works, also recently I saw on youtube that Fintree (another EEP) also employs same method for their students.

That sounds great! Thanks for the information!

 

[anandcp]

I don't know if this question was asked. Could not find it, and hence posting it here:
1) How do you plan your study? Is it from Chapter 1, completing all practice questions, then move to next chapter?
2) Or do you pick chapters/parts which contribute more to score, like FInancial Markets and products, and then go from highest to lowest score?
Also, where do BT notes not have fundamental calculations like how Schweser or GARP contain? (Sharpe, SD, etc) with examples?

My background is theory of risk management. Not the math.

 

[anandcp]

Also, i upgraded to Professional from Advanced. How do i download ONLY the additional material and not the entire stack again?

 

[Nicole Seaman]

I don't know if this question was asked. Could not find it, and hence posting it here:
1) How do you plan your study? Is it from Chapter 1, completing all practice questions, then move to next chapter?
2) Or do you pick chapters/parts which contribute more to score, like FInancial Markets and products, and then go from highest to lowest score?
Also, where do BT notes not have fundamental calculations like how Schweser or GARP contain? (Sharpe, SD, etc) with examples?

My background is theory of risk management. Not the math.

Hello @anandcp

Please note that I moved your post here where many members have discussed their study plans and techniques. Also, we make sure to cover all of the necessary calculations that will be tested on the exam. Our in-depth coverage of the concepts is actually one of the things that we are known for. If you are not finding something in the notes, it is almost guaranteed to be discussed here in the forum, which has been around for over a decade. You can use the search function to find specific topics and concepts: https://forum.bionicturtle.com/search/?type=post. There is also the tag function: https://forum.bionicturtle.com/tags/.

 

[Nicole Seaman]

Also, i upgraded to Professional from Advanced. How do i download ONLY the additional material and not the entire stack again?

After upgrading to Professional, the only new materials that you did not have access to before were the focus review videos and the learning spreadsheets, so you would only need to download those. All of the other materials are the same as the Advanced study package.

 

[anandcp]

I passed 1 with 2112 (if I remember correctly) and I used the following approach. I might add that I take a very long time to prepare as I have 2 very young children (4 and 1). Hence, I am still preparing for part II but I am using the same approach.

1) Reach original reading.
2) Watch corresponding Video for additional insight and/or clarification.
3) Read BT Notes.
4) Complete BT question.
5) Review spreadsheets (if interested in implementation of ideas).
6) After each topic, read the Topic Review and Complete the Topic Review Questions
7) Repeat as necessary

I have an excel spreadsheet that has a column or correct answers (which I hide) and column of my answers and a column that updates to Correct or Incorrect as I type in my answers. After I have completed all questions, I review the ones I missed in depth and then repeat questions until the exam day. I also re-read materials over and over again over the preparation period.

This is definitely NOT the most efficient approach - but I would argue that it definitely helps one to understand that material fairly well.

Brian

Got it. Good advice. Need to start with GARP meterials, watch BT Videos for understanding it better, read BT notes to reinforce, and clear the tests for that sections.

 

[Branislav]

Dear colleagues, I would appreciate few suggestion since I am feeling going to slowly trough material:
1. Tuckman, Chapter 2: Spot, Forward and Par Rates, QS - what is approximate time for you needed to go trough all questions?
2. generally time needed for finishing some other some other QS, just to compare mine speed of learning?
Many thanks in advance

 

[david_candlish]

I've been flip-flopping over whether or not to study for my FRM using BT, over using a more "traditional" provider like Kaplan (for example) and I think my biggest reason for not yet pulling the trigger is uncertainty about the exact approach I'll need to take to study then sit exams.

Can someone help?

My understanding is that if I take out a BT subscription, for part 1 initially, BT will provide me with ALL the materials I need to study - I don't need anything from any other provider, don't need GARP textbooks or similar - literally BT will send me a list of materials and a curriculum. Once I've studied & revised sufficiently I can start on the practices/mocks and when ready, book an exam.

Is that correct?

One part I'm not clear about is if the BT material is a study AID rather than study material. By which I mean I still need to buy "GARP textbooks" (or similar) and BT will help me learn what I need to learn, as opposed to BT being the whole package.

My background and experience would naturally push me toward the Kaplan style of doing things but I feel like I might actually be better using the BT approach.

Feedback and personal experience stories would be HUGELY appreciated!

 

[david_candlish]

After browsing some of the more recent posts, I've just seen a link here - https://www.garp.org/#!/frm/study-materials - that had eluded me before.

Do I need to buy the GARP materials first, then use a prep provider like BT or can I learn enough using just BT?

 

[Nicole Seaman]

I've been flip-flopping over whether or not to study for my FRM using BT, over using a more "traditional" provider like Kaplan (for example) and I think my biggest reason for not yet pulling the trigger is uncertainty about the exact approach I'll need to take to study then sit exams.

Can someone help?

My understanding is that if I take out a BT subscription, for part 1 initially, BT will provide me with ALL the materials I need to study - I don't need anything from any other provider, don't need GARP textbooks or similar - literally BT will send me a list of materials and a curriculum. Once I've studied & revised sufficiently I can start on the practices/mocks and when ready, book an exam.

Is that correct?

One part I'm not clear about is if the BT material is a study AID rather than study material. By which I mean I still need to buy "GARP textbooks" (or similar) and BT will help me learn what I need to learn, as opposed to BT being the whole package.

My background and experience would naturally push me toward the Kaplan style of doing things but I feel like I might actually be better using the BT approach.

Feedback and personal experience stories would be HUGELY appreciated!

Hello @david_candlish

I moved your post to this thread, which has a lot of information from other members regarding the study plans that they created for themselves. There are 10 pages of discussion here so hopefully, you can find some useful information. It is always difficult for us to answer this question, as some people have felt the need to study with both the GARP materials and BT materials, while others have only needed the BT materials. I can tell you that we provide the highest quality materials, along with this support forum, which no other prep provider offers. I am not responding to sell you materials though. We truly want our members to choose the best options for them. I think that reading through the posts in this thread will be helpful to you. If you do have any questions about our materials or what we offer in general, please do not hesitate to ask.

 

[conanthebarbarian]

Hello,

Has someone ordered GARP 2020 study materials for FRM PART 2 exam? I've only got 5 books:

• Market Risk Measurement and Management (20%)
• Credit Risk Measurement and Management (20%)
• Operational Risk and Resiliency (20%)
• Liquidity and Treasury Risk Measurement and Management (15%)
• Risk Management and Investment Management (15%)

Those sum up to only 90%, but in the 2020 FRM study guide there is an additional topic called Current Issues in Financial Markets with 10% weight. How on earth could be that GARP doesn't publish study material for this topic if it's in the exam with 10% weight?!

 

[Nicole Seaman]

Hello,

Has someone ordered GARP 2020 study materials for FRM PART 2 exam? I've only got 5 books:

• Market Risk Measurement and Management (20%)
• Credit Risk Measurement and Management (20%)
• Operational Risk and Resiliency (20%)
• Liquidity and Treasury Risk Measurement and Management (15%)
• Risk Management and Investment Management (15%)

Those sum up to only 90%, but in the 2020 FRM study guide there is an additional topic called Current Issues in Financial Markets with 10% weight. How on earth could be that GARP doesn't publish study material for this topic if it's in the exam with 10% weight?!

Hello @conanthebarbarian

GARP provides the readings for the Current Issues section on their website here under study materials: https://www.garp.org/#!/frm/readings/required .

 

[conanthebarbarian]

Thanks Nicole

 

[corinne.lieberman21]

Hi David, Nicole,

With the immense amount of new material in the 2020 exam, I've found it quite difficult to correctly pace my studying for part 2 of the exam. I don't feel like I had this problem last year with Part 1. With the material not yet available for most of 3 of the 6 sections, where do you suggest we should be in the material to have everything finished by the end of April? Last year it was extremely helpful to have May to take practice exams, and review the material I struggle on, and I plan to do the same this year. I don't think it would be beneficial to me from an organizational standpoint to be skipping through author to author for what materials you do have available to us.

Thank you,
Corinne