FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026: Latest Statistics and Factors Affecting Success
- Kateryna Myrko
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Any number you attach to the FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026 before results are released is a prediction based on historical data and recent trends, not a confirmed figure. What you can do now is look at how FRM Part 1 has behaved over the last several years and use that to understand the range you are likely competing in, then build a plan that pushes you well above that band.
1. What the latest FRM Part 1 pass rates actually look like
Start with hard numbers, not rumors.
Officially reported FRM Part I pass rates over 2016–2023 sit roughly in the low- to mid-40% range most of the time:
2016: 45% (May), 45% (Nov)
2017: 42%, 42%
2018: 41%, 50%
2019: 42%, 46%
2020: 44% (Oct), 45% (Nov)
2021: 47%, 45%
2022: 51% (May), 51% (Aug)
2023: 47% (May), Nov combined later in CBT format
Over this recent period the typical FRM Part I pass rate is about 45–47%, with a historical range around 41–51%.
For 2024, GARP’s reported results (summarized by multiple providers pulling directly from GARP announcements) show a clear jump:
May 2024 FRM Part I: 56%
August 2024 FRM Part I: 56%
November 2024 FRM Part I: 55%
So going into FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026, reality looks like this:
Long-term norm: ~45–47%
Most recent full year (2024): mid-50s
You are not walking into a 70% pass-rate exam. Plan accordingly.
2. What to expect for FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026
Nobody knows the FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026 yet, including GARP, because the minimum passing score (MPS) is set and validated per exam cycle and is never published. GARP only publishes a single pass/fail status and quartile rankings.
Given:
Long-term average ≈ mid-40s
Stable CBT format and syllabus structure
Recent spike to mid-50s in 2024
A realistic band for FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026 is:
Somewhere in the 45–55% range
You will not know the exact figure in advance, and it doesn’t matter. Your goal is not to “bet” on the FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026; your goal is to put your own probability of passing far above 50%.
3. Structural factors that make FRM Part 1 hard
These are features of the exam design that directly affect the FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026.
Exam format and content
From GARP’s own exam information:
100 multiple-choice questions
4 hours (single continuous session)
Computer-based testing
Offered in May, August, and November each year
FRM Part I covers four topic areas, with the following official weights:
Foundations of Risk Management – 20%
Quantitative Analysis – 20%
Financial Markets and Products – 30%
Valuation and Risk Models – 30%
Implications:
60% of the exam is technical valuation and products (FMP + VRM). If you’re weak there, your chances of beating the FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026 collapse fast.
Every topic is large enough that you cannot “skip” anything and hope to pass on the rest.
Time and cognitive load
Four hours for 100 questions means:
2.4 minutes per question, including reading, thinking, and calculation.
Questions are not trivial plug-and-chug; they typically require you to:
Interpret data,
Choose the correct model or formula,
Execute steps under time pressure.
You are being tested on processing speed and applied understanding, not just formula memorization.
4. Candidate-side factors that drive success or failure
The FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026 is an aggregate outcome of individual choices. The main factors you can control:
4.1 Study hours and intensity
GARP’s own candidate survey shows:
Average prep time ≈ 240 hours per part, with a range from <100 to >400 hours depending on background.
If you think you’ll get through FRM Part I on 100–150 hours without a very strong quant / risk background, you’re betting against a decade of data.
For 2026, a sensible target is:
250–300+ serious hours for FRM Part I
Spread over 4–6 months
With at least 40–50% of that time on question practice and mocks, not endless reading
Below that, you are voluntarily pushing yourself toward the failing side of the FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026.
4.2 Background
Your starting point matters:
Strong background in probability, statistics, fixed income, and derivatives ⇒ fewer hours needed to reach the same level of readiness.
No prior exposure to risk, quant, or markets ⇒ expect the high end of the study range, or more.
The exam does not care about your job title. It cares whether you can actually use the tools.
4.3 Quality of materials and alignment with the syllabus
The only reference that defines what can be tested is the official FRM curriculum and its learning objectives. GARP explicitly does not endorse any third-party provider pass-rate claims.
If your core study path is:
Summary notes only
Minimal use of official books and practice exams
Random question banks not clearly mapped to the latest syllabus
then you are choosing to operate with incomplete coverage. Don’t complain about the FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026 if you walked into the exam underprepared by design.
4.4 Exam technique
A large fraction of avoidable failures comes from basic tactical errors:
Spending too long on one question and losing 5–10 others at the end
Not guessing when stuck
Misreading multi-step questions
Panicking and switching strategies mid-exam
The pass-rate data is not just about knowledge; it reflects how many candidates can execute under a four-hour, high-stakes time constraint.
5. How to put yourself above the FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026
If you want to be on the right side of the FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026, stop thinking like an average candidate. Do the opposite of what average candidates do.
Lock in a 250–300-hour plan and track it.Break it into weekly targets. If you fall behind for two weeks in a row, cut non-essential commitments. You either make the hours or you don’t.
Start from the official syllabus and books, then add third-party aids.Use the GARP readings and official practice exams to anchor your understanding. Add videos/notes only as accelerators, not substitutes.
Front-load Foundations and Quant, then lean into FMP/VRM.Many candidates delay Quant and VRM because they’re uncomfortable. That’s exactly how you stay below the curve. Tackle them early and keep them in rotation.
Make questions the core of your study, not the afterthought.After your first pass through each topic, switch to problem-driven learning:
Do questions,
Diagnose why you’re wrong,
Patch the concept,
Repeat.
Aim to hit well over 1,500–2,000 FRM-style questions before exam day.
Run at least two full 4-hour mocks under exam conditions.Same calculator, no pauses, strict timing. Your objective: train your brain and your pacing so that the real exam feels like a repeat, not a shock.
Stop obsessing over the exact FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026. You can’t control it. You can control:
Hours
Topic coverage
Question volume
Mock performance trend
Exam-day execution
If you do those properly, it doesn’t matter whether the FRM Part 1 Pass Rate 2026 prints at 46% or 54%. You’ll be in the slice that passes.
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