FAQ

Why FRM®?

Why Is Financial Risk Management Right For Me?

Bionic Turtle publishes the latest curriculum updates from the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), but they do take time. Additionally, certain resources that correspond with the Financial Risk Management (FRM) readings may or may not be included.

Our team has comprehensive knowledge of the syllabus and the most important information you need to pass the FRM exam. While we appreciate your feedback, we ask that you refrain from emailing us about missing resources for this reason. If you would like to discuss any items that are not included, feel free to do so on our Forum.

Our Materials Focus on Quality and Integrity

We ensure that the comprehension of our study products remains in tact with every update that is or isn’t made to our materials.

There are five main reasons we do not include every reading found in the syllabus:

  1. The GARP FRM syllabus is not a rigorous, fixed map of the exam. It contains more concepts than can possibly by tested.
  1. GARP emphasizes knowledge points and key concepts. This mirrors the FRM exam AIM statement and the assigned readings support this.
  2. The exam is practice-oriented. Actual exam questions originate from practitioners not from the readings. They are subsequently vetted against the readings.
  3. The reading list changes every year. We believe “chasing” every new reading is unnecessary, as some readings have historically appeared only once on the syllabus, were not on the exam, and were then dropped the following year.
  4. Some topics are too dense and won’t be used. Many readings contain some details which are not relevant to the exam.

We believe you’ll find the Bionic Turtle Study Planner as a great resource to prepare for your exam and earn your FRM certification. Get started today by purchasing a product on our Shop Courses page.

General Bionic Turtle FAQs

What is Your Publishing Process?

Once the learning objectives are released for the upcoming year, our team begins working diligently to update the materials. Bionic Turtle asks that our members remain patient when it comes to the release of updated materials. You will begin to see new materials published in the study planner in January, and we will continue to update throughout the exam period. It is impossible to update quality materials if we rush to complete them too quickly.

We ask all of our users to please refrain from asking when specific materials will be published, as each time we have to answer this status update question, it takes valuable time away from our preparation. We appreciate your patience during this busy time. We want to ensure our subscribers have the most up-to-date, quality materials possible!

We cannot guarantee that every single reading and chapter in the study planner will have a full set of materials (i.e., study notes, PQ set, instructional video, and learning spreadsheet). We publish according to perceived priority, and we do not want to sacrifice our materials' quality just to ensure our study planner is filled in with no gaps in materials.

Please visit the Announcements section of our forum (for more updates for the upcoming year, including the Curriculum Change Analysis Spreadsheet, List of Updated Materials (ongoing), and other important Announcements: https://forum.bionicturtle.com/forums/announcements.52/.

Why Should I Choose Bionic Turtle For My FRM® Preparation?

Need to prepare for the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) Financial Risk Management (FRM) exam or to test for your Level I certification?

Bionic Turtle provides candidates who are seeking to improve their professional development with the highest quality FRM study materials and a wide breadth of expertise.

What We Provide

You’ll have a wide variety of materials to choose from when you select one of our affordable, comprehensive FRM study packages:

Additional Resources
  • Study Planner – Your personal headquarters for key resources and programming.
  • Bionic Turtle Forum – Bionic Turtle experts provide support for questions and it is a resource for discussion and knowledge.
  • YouTube – An excellent resource to prepare for the GARP FRM exam, you can review information about general FRM concepts with new videos published each week.

 

Are All Of Your Materials Updated At The Same Time? Can I Study The Current Materials For Next Year?

Bionic Turtle ensures that customers have the latest materials to use when studying to receive their Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designation.

However, updates to the FRM exam and new releases take time to incorporate. We begin to add and update our materials to coincide with the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) curriculum in January of each year.

How do I find out when new materials have been published?

New materials continue to be updated and added until the exam is administered, and we provide sufficient time for candidates to prepare.

When new materials are published, we add them to the update lists in the Announcements section of the Forum. The newest update lists are always pinned to the top of the threads in this section, and our publishing process thread is also added.

Can I study the current materials for next year?

If you’re taking the exam next year, a great deal of materials from the current year will help you prepare for the FRM exam.

Begin studying by purchasing one of our Study Packages. You’ll have access for one year, which includes all current items, as well as new materials that are published during that time

Getting Started With Your Purchased Materials

Bionic Turtle looks forward to helping you achieve your Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designation and we’re glad you’ve chosen us as your partner to prepare for the FRM exam.

The Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) FRM curriculum can be challenging and now that you’ve purchased your Study Package, you’re likely curious where to begin.

We recommend that you read our Publishing Process in the Forum, which explains how we update materials each year.

Study Planner Tips

The following tips can be used to easily navigate your Study Planner:

  • All materials are organized by part, topic, and reading. Readings are located within topics, under either Part 1 or Part 2, and the sequence matches the current GARP FRM syllabus.
  • The materials are identified by the type of resource. These include: study notes, practice question sets, instructional videos, learning spreadsheets, and interactive quizzes.
  • Our blog has more tips on getting started with your study plan and utilizing the Forum.

Note: While feedback is appreciated, please do not inquire by email about missing material as we are aware of the exact syllabus. If you do not see a resource from an FRM syllabus reading, we have not yet published it or we do not plan to.

Personalized Support

The friendly, knowledgeable staff at Bionic Turtle is always available by email for personal support. Email us at support@bionicturtle.com.

Please only use this email for customer support questions. All content questions regarding the concepts in the GARP FRM exam should be asked in the Forum.

You can also ask questions specific to getting started, here.

Do You Publish Materials For Every Single Reading In The GARP® Curriculum?

Bionic Turtle places the integrity and quality of our materials at the forefront our Financial Risk Management (FRM) exam study products.

Our study packages, including study notes, practice questions, mock exams, instructional videos, spreadsheets, and more are comprehensive and inclusive of the most important elements of the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) curriculum.

However, there will always be minor material gaps when updates are made, as it would be nearly impossible to include information for every single reading.  

How We Publish

We publish new materials according to perceived priority. Our staff also provides as many updated materials as possible.

What you’ll find:

  • Certain materials that have every reading in the curriculum.
  • Other readings without an entire set of materials. Study notes and/or practice questions will still be included.

You can always view the current list of updated materials under the Announcements section in our Forum.

Why Is Financial Risk Management Right For Me?

Bionic Turtle publishes the latest curriculum updates from the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), but they do take time. Additionally, certain resources that correspond with the Financial Risk Management (FRM) readings may or may not be included.

Our team has comprehensive knowledge of the syllabus and the most important information you need to pass the FRM exam. While we appreciate your feedback, we ask that you refrain from emailing us about missing resources for this reason. If you would like to discuss any items that are not included, feel free to do so on our Forum.

Our Materials Focus on Quality and Integrity

We ensure that the comprehension of our study products remains in tact with every update that is or isn’t made to our materials.

There are five main reasons we do not include every reading found in the syllabus:

  1. The GARP FRM syllabus is not a rigorous, fixed map of the exam. It contains more concepts than can possibly by tested.
  1. GARP emphasizes knowledge points and key concepts. This mirrors the FRM exam AIM statement and the assigned readings support this.
  2. The exam is practice-oriented. Actual exam questions originate from practitioners not from the readings. They are subsequently vetted against the readings.
  3. The reading list changes every year. We believe “chasing” every new reading is unnecessary, as some readings have historically appeared only once on the syllabus, were not on the exam, and were then dropped the following year.
  4. Some topics are too dense and won’t be used. Many readings contain some details which are not relevant to the exam.

We believe you’ll find the Bionic Turtle Study Planner as a great resource to prepare for your exam and earn your FRM certification. Get started today by purchasing a product on our Shop Courses page.

Why Are Some Materials Missing In The Study Planner, But They Are In The GARP® Curriculum?

Bionic Turtle publishes the latest curriculum updates from the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), but they do take time. Additionally, certain resources that correspond with the Financial Risk Management (FRM) readings may or may not be included.

Our team has comprehensive knowledge of the syllabus and the most important information you need to pass the FRM exam. While we appreciate your feedback, we ask that you refrain from emailing us about missing resources for this reason. If you would like to discuss any items that are not included, feel free to do so on our Forum.

Our Materials Focus on Quality and Integrity

We ensure that the comprehension of our study products remains intact with every update that is or isn’t made to our materials.

There are five main reasons we do not include every reading found in the syllabus:

  1. The GARP FRM syllabus is not a rigorous, fixed map of the exam. It contains more concepts than can possibly by tested.
  1. GARP emphasizes knowledge points and key concepts. This mirrors the FRM exam AIM statement and the assigned readings support this.
  2. The exam is practice-oriented. Actual exam questions originate from practitioners not from the readings. They are subsequently vetted against the readings.
  3. The reading list changes every year. We believe “chasing” every new reading is unnecessary, as some readings have historically appeared only once on the syllabus, were not on the exam, and were then dropped the following year.
  4. Some topics are too dense and won’t be used. Many readings contain some details which are not relevant to the exam.

We believe you’ll find the Bionic Turtle Study Planner as a great resource to prepare for your exam and earn your FRM certification. Get started today by purchasing a product on our Shop Courses page.

Customer Support Hours

Bionic Turtle wants every candidate preparing to earn their Financial Risk Manager (FRM) certification to have the information they need.

We are available to answer any customer support questions or concerns regarding Bionic Turtle or your customer account. Our team responds to each request that is received, generally within one business day of receipt during customer support hours.
CONTACT US Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. Any requests that are received outside of that time period will be answered the next business day. Customer support is a top priority. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Note: During our busiest times (just before and after exams), please allow 24 hours for a response to any non-urgent questions.

How Do I Get Help If I Am Having Trouble Understanding The Content?

Discussion is always occurring about the latest Financial Risk Management (FRM) exam preparation.

If you are having trouble following a concept or are looking for advice to understand the content, the Bionic Turtle Forum is an interactive space to receive answers.

Ask questions about the study materials, mock exams, practice questions, and more. You’ll be able to prepare for the FRM exam with success by communicating with peers who are studying the same information.

Asking questions on our Forum will also help other users who may have the same question.

For questions about Bionic Turtle itself, feel free to contact support at any time. We look forward to supporting your FRM exam prep experience!

Is My Credit Card Information Stored On Your Website?

Keeping your personal and financial information safe and secure is a top priority. Whether you’re purchasing a study package to prepare for your Financial Risk Management (FRM) exam, or investing in an instructional tool to become a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) charterholder, your personal data remains out of harm's way.

Zero credit card information is stored on our servers.

For more information, please review our Privacy Policy.

Can I Get A Discount On My Bionic Turtle FRM® Study Package?

Qualifying* candidates can receive $50 off an FRM Part 1 or FRM Part 2 study package. To confirm your eligibility, please contact customer support.

*If you fall into one of the categories listed below, you may qualify for a discount.

  • Returning bionicturtle.com customer (a copy of your previous invoice can be found under My Account)
  • Full-time student status (Please provide your schedule or transcript)
  • Veteran status (Please provide discharge papers or similar proof of veteran status)
  • Competitive purchase from another FRM preparation provider. (Please provide your receipt)
  • International Purchase – Only approved countries are applicable. (Please send ID for proof).

What Is The Refund Policy?

Bionic Turtle must be notified of refund requests within five business days of receipt of purchased materials. In addition, to request a refund no more than ten pages of any eBook can be viewed.

FRM® Exam Preparation FAQs

What Do Your FRM® Practice Questions Include?

Bionic Turtle’s Financial Risk Management (FRM) exam practice question sets will be one of the most important keys to your success.  

Our founder, David Harper, has been writing practice questions for over a decade, and we currently have over 4,000 FRM certification practice questions available to challenge your skills.

The Truth About FRM Exam Prep

The Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) have created an exam that is meant to difficult.

Your career will be filled with work experiences that require you to assess operational risk, market risk, understand investment management, and so much more. That’s why Bionic Turtle’s FRM exam study resources are designed to match the complexities of the FRM certification.

Our questions aren’t easy. They are known for their detail and high level of difficulty.

Preparing for the exam with questions that are too easy is a mistake and common complaint of exam candidates who study through other services. If you prepare with questions that are too easy, the exam will be frustrating and you won’t have the information you need.

How Bionic Turtle Practice Questions Properly Prepare You for the FRM Exam

We scale our FRM practice questions from average to difficult, which tends to help customers effectively prepare. Many of the questions even require more time than the exam.

We recommend you answer practice questions in the following ways:

  1. Work through questions without timing yourself. It’s important to first learn the material. Practice concepts and fine-tune methods before worrying about how fast you need to complete them.
  2. Time yourself as you get closer to taking the actual GARP FRM exam. Once you add the timer, shift to our Mock Exams (which tend to employ questions that are similar to the exam difficulty level).

Most of Bionic Turtle’s practice questions are associated with GARP’s recommended readings.

Practice Question Examples

Example #1

A recommended reading in Financial Markets and Products is in Chapter 8. Use “Futures for Hedging” (previously the John Hull reading).

One of the current Learning Objectives associated with this reading requires you to:

“Explain how to use stock index futures contracts to change a stock portfolio’s beta.”

Our Question Set will then contain questions that specifically test this Learning Objective. In many cases, there will be multiple questions, as we’ve covered a reading multiple times.

Example #2

Some of our questions are more like mini-laboratories.

For example, John Hull explains the interest rate swap valuation (we still use previous authors in our materials to further explain the concepts).

Conducting a swap valuation is not a task that necessarily fits into a two-or three-minute exam question, so our swap valuation questions involve many steps (and their answers include spreadsheet references).

But it’s a highly useful question for a candidate because the exercise involves many steps, each of which could be individually tested.

While GARP could ask a conceptual question, these are much easier if you’ve actually done the exercise, rather than tried to memorize details.

How and Why Our Practice Questions are Created

Bionic Turtle practice questions often go into great detail explaining the answer. In some cases, David carefully wrote questions to cross-reference other FRM designation topics, or explore related concepts in the false alternatives.

Many of the questions are full and deep in context.

How to Choose Practice Questions

Our FRM exam practice questions are listed for easy access and organization.

You’ll be able to see:

  • Which Part and Topic they belong to in the curriculum.
  • The year they were written.
  • The source author they are associated with.
  • Their label: P1 or P2 (part), and T1 (topic).

Also included is a number representing the year the question was written.

For example, 2xx = 2012, 5xx = 2015, 8xx = 2018, 20.xx = 2020, etc. We retain all of our older practice questions, as long as they are relevant to the current curriculum. This is why there are over 4,000 practice questions available, dating back to 2008.

Finding the Answers

A link in the question’s answer is included in our Forum, a truly unique feature, as it’s where each question began.

Explore a question and its answer by clicking the link to its thread in the Forum. You’ll find a collection of questions with significant discussion and insights that will help you understand fundamental FRM certification concepts and give you the confidence you need to pass.

Can I Upgrade My Subscription At A Later Date If I Want To Access More Materials?

Interested in obtaining more from your subscription to secure success? Need additional help preparing for your Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) Financial Risk Management (FRM) exam? You can always upgrade your study package at any time while your Bionic Turtle FRM exam prep subscription is still active.

How Does it Work?

The costs to upgrade from one level to another are as follows.

  • Part 1: Basic to Advanced $100
  • Part 1: Advanced to Professional $200
  • Part 1: Basic to Professional $250
  • Part 2: Basic to Advanced $100
  • Part 2: Advanced to Professional $250
  • Part 2: Basic to Professional $300

To upgrade, please contact us. We will send you an invoice and process the upgrade to your account.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Discounts are not available for upgrades.
  • With all upgrades, your original expiration date will remain the same.  
Ready to Upgrade?

Purchase your FRM exam prep upgrade from Bionic Turtle and receive a new level of quality with your study materials today!

To upgrade, please contact us. We will send you an invoice and process the upgrade to your account.

Are The Bionic Turtle FRM® Materials Sufficient To Pass The Exam?

Bionic Turtle ensures that customers have the latest materials to use when studying to receive their Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designation.

However, updates to the FRM exam and new releases take time to incorporate. We begin to add and update our materials to coincide with the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) curriculum in January of each year.

How do I find out when new materials have been published?

New materials continue to be updated and added until the exam is administered, and we provide sufficient time for candidates to prepare.

When new materials are published, we add them to the update lists in the Announcements section of the Forum. The newest update lists are always pinned to the top of the threads in this section, and our publishing process thread is also added.

Can I study the current materials for next year?

If you’re taking the exam next year, a great deal of materials from the current year will help you prepare for the FRM exam.

Begin studying by purchasing one of our Study Packages. You’ll have access for one year, which includes all current items, as well as new materials that are published during that time.

 

How Long Will I Have Access To My Purchased FRM® Content?

Bionic Turtle provides customers with full access to the Financial Risk Management (FRM) exam study package they purchased for one full year.

This includes:

  • Current study materials available at the time of purchase.
  • New and updated study materials published during that time period.
What Are My Purchasing Options?

We offer our products at various levels and in two parts:

  • You have the option to purchase Parts 1 and 2 separately or together.
  • Choose one of three levels (Basic, Advanced and Professional) depending on which materials you would like to access.

If you weren’t able to pass the FRM exam the first time, don’t worry! You will still have access for one year from the date of your purchase.

View all of our available study packages.

Do You Provide Hard Copies Of Your Materials?

All study notes, practice questions, mock exams and other exam prep materials are only available in your Bionic Turtle Study Planner.

You will have access to these Financial Risk Management (FRM) exam study materials for one full year after the date of your purchase.  

Are Your Videos Only Available For Streaming Or Do You Offer Them For Download As Well?

Our instructional videos, focus review videos, and other videos with general information are able to be downloaded so you can view them offline.

They can also be streamed on our website if you are online.

Want to stay up to date with the latest from Bionic Turtle? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. We have hundreds of informational videos available and post new content each week.

Is There A Reason A Specific Concept In The Practice Questions Is Not Explained In The Study Notes?

There are three possible reasons (or combinations of reasons) why a Financial Risk Management (FRM) concept may not be included:

  1. The Study Notes are summaries of the recommended readings and are itemized by associated Learning Outcomes.
    According to the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) curriculum, these outcomes are “detailed knowledge points” that support the “knowledge domains covered by the exam.” Some knowledge is assumed, and may or may not be covered in relation to specific topics.

  2. Our Practice Questions are written to avoid superficial coverage of the domains.
    This is the most likely reason for not having an explanation. We anticipate practitioner-oriented questions, an idea in line with the FRM’s stated methodological principle. This means our Practice Questions are more difficult than average database-recycled questions and those that only quiz summary points. They are “deep dives” for practice that often contain assumptions or extra steps that can’t be mapped in Study Notes. We intend to inspire you during your FRM exam preparation, so actual exam question will be easier than what you studied.

  3. The FRM syllabus cycles rapidly over time.
    As Learning Outcomes shift from year-to-year, certain concepts may be dropped from the syllabus. We still retain everything in our question bank. Questions that remain relevant are generally found in our Practice Question Sets. Those that are less relevant, are often relegated to the appendix of our collection. There is often not a strict “line of separation,” because some outcomes have been dropped one year but restored the next, with little impact on the exam.

Bionic Turtle’s FRM® Study Notes

In addition to the practice questions, interactive mock exams, and other preparatory materials, you’ll have access to our Study Notes, regardless of the study package you choose.

These are summaries of the readings the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) recommends for the current Financial Risk Management (FRM) exam.

View more information about how to use our FRM study notes.

Can I Extend My Subscription If It Expires Before The Exam?

We offer a three-month extension for a fee on all current subscriptions (see prices below). If you would like to extend your subscription please contact us before your subscription expires. Please note that you can only extend your current subscription (i.e. if you originally purchased Part 1 Professional, we can only offer a Part 1 Professional extension). The fees below represent the cost of the extension for each package:

  • Part 1 or 2 Basic: $90.00
  • Part 1 or 2 Advanced: $100.00
  • Part 1 or 2 Professional: $150.00

It is very important that you contact us BEFORE your subscription expires if you would like to request an extension. We cannot reactivate expired subscriptions.

Can I Purchase Materials Individually Instead Of A Study Package?

Bionic Turtle does not offer Financial Risk Management (FRM) exam study materials individually.

We offer nine unique study packages within three levels (Basic, Advanced & Professional), depending on the materials that you would like to access.

Our study packages provide more of a financial benefit than if we sold our FRM study materials separately.

We also offer you more than other FRM preparatory services. With over 4,000 practice questions, we have the deepest FRM question bank available, not only in quantity but also in quality.

Learn more about all of the packages we offer, including their features and our competitive pricing.  

How Can I Receive A Receipt For My Purchase?

Retrieving your receipt can be completed in a few easy steps:

  • On the bionicturtle.com web store, select Account in the top navigation menu, and login to your account to view your Order History and Order Details.

Should you have any problems locating your receipt, please contact Bionic Turtle’s Support Team.

What Does Your FRM® Certification Structured Study Planner Include?

Enjoy the continuation of your professional development with user-friendly technology that will help you pass the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) Financial Risk Manager (FRM) exam.
Bionic Turtle puts everything important at your fingertips within a personal GARP FRM Study Planner that will keep your organized and informed for all of your FRM exam preparations.


How Does the Study Planner Work?


Our third-generation of our FRM certification Study Planner is now live!
Crafted with years of customer feedback and experience, the latest technology from Bionic Turtle combines the ability to randomly access key resources with a sequential program.
You can also follow the program in a rigorous sequence, or, access materials by concept, using tags.


What Does the Study Planner Include?


• We’ve added achievement badges to make your preparations fun and goal-oriented.

• Don’t worry about organizing digital files on your local drive; materials and status will be automatically tracked for you on our site.

• No need to make updates; all of our materials are digital and we do not use digital rights software, which is clunky and inconvenient.


How Will the Study Planner Help Me Prepare for the FRM Exam?


As a state-of-the-art e-learning tool, the FRM designation Study Planner handles the administrative and organizing aspects so you can focus on the material you want, when you want it.

What Your Colleagues Are Saying

I took the exam in Sydney and had a similar feeling about the exam being more qualitative (but no less rigorous). However, I felt I was better prepared thanks to the BT's relentless focus on throwing real life examples and methods.

Jagan G.

I subscribed to BT for my Part 1 FRM exam and just wanted to say thanks for the depth and breadth of the study materials and practice questions. I found out that I scored in the top quartile of every topic and I absolutely could not have done this without using BT - I spent many, many hours going over the practice questions and answers! I wanted to express my appreciation and gratitude to your team for your hard work in creating these materials. Thanks!

Shu C.

The BT scripts, practice questions, global topic drills and mock exams were a great help in understanding the concepts (which I could already apply on the job!) and where structured in such a manner that the breadth and depth where optimal for exam preparation - clearly the exam would have been a catastrophe without BT!

Ivan J.

Passed first time. Happy all the hard work paid off. BT was the right choice. Thanks David and Nicole for your work and commitment.

John D.

Passed! 1,4,1,2,1,4! Thank you David and Nicole for your efforts! Thank you BT! Couldn't have done it otherwise. I'm a mechanical engineer who had a career in petroleum services, then I decided to switch career to financial risk management. Passed part 1 from the first time with top quartiles and passed part 2 from the first time as well. All with BT! BT is always the recommendation I give to people aiming at the FRM designation! Thank you again!

Feras S.

Passed Part I and Part II first time - absolutely could not have done it without BT. Like a few others I didn't even both buying the GARP books for Part II and went solely with BT materials. Just read, answered questions, watched videos, read, more questions, and... more questions! All the practice question taking looked to pay off. Thanks again Bionic Turtle for a great curriculum. Keep up the fantastic work!

John D.

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