GARP RAI 2026 Exam Format Explained: Question Style, Timing, and How the Exam Is Structured

GARP RAI 2026 Exam Format Explained: Question Style, Timing, and How the Exam Is Structured

The Risk and AI exam is designed to test applied understanding of AI concepts as they show up in real risk-management decisions—from model governance and ethics to practical risk factors in deployment. The exam is administered by Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) and follows a clear, candidate-friendly structure that rewards disciplined pacing and familiarity with computer-based testing rules. GARP RAI 2026 Exam Format

GARP RAI 2026 Exam Format: The core structure: 80 questions, 4 hours, equal weighting

For 2026, the RAI exam consists of 80 equally weighted, multiple-choice questions, and you have four (4) hours to finish.

Two practical implications matter for your exam strategy:

• Time budget: 240 minutes / 80 questions = 3 minutes per question on average. That’s generous if you avoid getting stuck on any single item.

• Equal weighting: there’s no “bonus” for wrestling with one difficult question for 10 minutes—bank the easier marks first, then come back.

Question style: mostly standalone, with mini case clusters

Most questions are standalone. However, you should expect some question clusters where 3–4 questions share a common lead-in scenario (a short vignette, policy excerpt, model description, or governance context).

How to approach the two styles:

• Standalone questions: Treat them like rapid “risk judgement” checks—definitions, best practices, conceptual trade-offs, and governance/controls selection.

• Scenario clusters (3–4 items): Read the lead-in like a case file. Your goal is to identify what the scenario is really about (e.g., data leakage, proxy discrimination, drift, third-party/vendor concentration, auditability gaps) and then answer each question using that consistent frame.

What the exam covers (and why the questions feel cross-disciplinary)

Officially, the exam spans:

• history/overview of AI concepts,

• AI/ML tools and techniques,

• AI risks and risk factors,

• responsible and ethical AI principles,

• data and AI model governance.

Two clarifications from GARP’s official FAQ are worth internalizing because they shape question difficulty and wording:

• The exam is quantitative enough to align with advanced undergraduate / introductory graduate finance, statistics, or economics—but it’s designed to be accessible to a broad candidate base.

• No coding/programming is required. 

When you can sit: the 2026 exam windows and deadlines

The 2026 exam is offered in two windows (April and October). For 2026 specifically, GARP lists: Apr 4–12, 2026 and Oct 3–11, 2026.

GARP also publishes registration and scheduling periods, and notes that deadlines are 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the stated date.

Delivery format: test center or online proctoring

You can take the exam either:

• at a Pearson VUE computer-based testing (CBT) center, or

• via online proctoring (remote delivery) through Pearson VUE’s system.

Scheduling rules matter:

• You must schedule at least 48 hours before your desired exam start time.

• If you need to reschedule (or change your test site), you generally must do so no later than 48 hours before the appointment (subject to availability).

Exam-day mechanics: calculator, whiteboard, breaks (CBT vs online)

The RAI exam is tightly controlled on exam day. Key operational points from GARP’s exam policies:

• Calculator: you’ll be provided a digital on-screen calculator (no separate physical calculator requirement).

• Scratch work / whiteboard:

  • In-person CBT: an erasable note board and pen are provided.

  • Online proctoring: a digital whiteboard is provided.Scratch paper is not allowed.

• Breaks:

  • In-person CBT: restroom breaks require proctor approval; no extra time is added.

  • Online proctoring: breaks are not allowed; leaving the webcam view can terminate the session.

Identification and compliance: where candidates lose “easy wins”

GARP’s identification policy is strict:

• ID must be original, valid, government-issued, non-expired, include photo and signature; digital ID is not accepted.

• Your registered name must exactly match the ID (including middle name/initial).

Also note: arriving late (including late check-in online) can mean you are not admitted and forfeit fees.

After the exam: results and credentialing

GARP states that after an exam window closes, exams are scored and candidates are notified when results are available in the candidate portal. If you pass, you receive an electronic certificate and a digital badge.