Preparing for the 2026 GARP SCR Certification: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Preparing for the 2026 GARP SCR Certification: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most candidates who struggle with the 2026 GARP SCR Certification do not fail because they “didn’t study enough.” They fail because their study effort is misallocated: they read passively, practice the wrong way, or underestimate how strongly the exam rewards applied judgment over terminology.

The SCR exam is a computer-based, pass/fail assessment with 80 equally weighted multiple-choice questions, including one multi-part case study, completed in four hours. The official preparation ecosystem also matters: registration includes access to the curriculum via GARP Learning and a full-length practice exam, plus guidance documents like the Study Guide and Learning Objectives and required online readings.

Below are the most common mistakes—and what to do instead—so your effort converts into a first-time pass.

Mistake 1: Studying SCR as “ESG theory” instead of risk management practice

SCR is not a vocabulary test. GARP frames the questions as requiring analytical thinking and practical application. Candidates who treat it as a set of definitions often miss questions that ask, implicitly, “What would a risk function do next?”

Avoid it by: turning every topic into a decision: identify the risk, choose the appropriate measurement approach, interpret the result, and recommend an action (governance, limits, data strategy, reporting, or transition planning).

Mistake 2: Ignoring the Learning Objectives and required online readings

Candidates frequently over-index on the printed chapters and skip the “exam blueprint” that learning objectives provide. The official Study Guide and Learning Objectives document also summarizes chapters, maps learning objectives, and highlights the number of questions per chapter, while the exam coverage includes required online readings.

Avoid it by: building your study plan around learning objectives and explicitly scheduling the required online readings as non-negotiable items, not “nice-to-haves.”

Mistake 3: Passive reading with no retrieval practice

Reading the curriculum can feel productive while producing minimal exam readiness. The exam rewards recall under time pressure and correct selection among plausible options.

Avoid it by: forcing retrieval every session:

• write 10–15 questions from what you studied,

• explain a concept out loud in 60 seconds,

• do mini mixed-topic quizzes to train discrimination (similar concepts, different best answers).

Mistake 4: Misusing chapter practice questions as an “exam simulator”

GARP Learning includes chapter-linked practice questions, but GARP explicitly notes these questions are not representative of actual SCR exam questions.  If you treat them as a proxy for exam difficulty and style, you risk false confidence.

Avoid it by: using chapter questions for learning (checking comprehension), and using the full-length practice exam for performance (timing, integration, stamina).

Mistake 5: Taking the full-length practice exam too late (or only once)

Because registration includes a full-length practice exam, it should be central to your plan, not a last-minute afterthought.  Candidates who leave it to the final week often discover major gaps with no time to correct them.

Avoid it by: using a three-pass approach:

1. Baseline attempt (early): identify gaps.

2. Midway attempt (or partial retake): validate improvements.

3. Final simulation (late): replicate test conditions.

Mistake 6: Under-preparing for the case study format

The case study is multi-part and scenario-driven. Candidates who are technically strong still lose points by missing constraints (time horizon, data limitations, governance boundaries) buried in the narrative.

Avoid it by: practicing “case discipline”:

• read once to identify objective, stakeholders, constraints,

• answer each question using only the relevant slice of the case,

• treat it like a risk memo: issue → evidence → decision.

Mistake 7: Over-focusing on tools and metrics, and neglecting governance and controls

SCR spans measurement and management, but many questions hinge on whether a proposed action is operationally feasible and governance-aligned (policy, roles, escalation, disclosures, and board oversight).

Avoid it by: pairing each methodology with governance:

• who owns it,

• how it is validated,

• how it is reported,

• what decision it drives.

Mistake 8: No error log—so you repeat the same mistakes

Candidates often “review” by re-reading. That does not correct systematic errors like misreading qualifiers (“best,” “most appropriate”), confusing similar frameworks, or applying the wrong method to a scenario.

Avoid it by: maintaining an error log with three tags per miss:

• knowledge gap (didn’t know),

• application gap (knew but couldn’t apply),

• execution error (rushed, misread, guessed poorly).Then re-drill only the items that keep recurring.

Mistake 9: Poor time strategy for a 4-hour, 80-question exam

Four hours sounds generous until you factor in the case study and the cognitive load of applied questions. Officially, you have four hours for 80 questions.

Avoid it by: setting pacing rules:

• first pass: keep moving, flag only true time sinks,

• second pass: revisit flagged questions,

• reserve a buffer for the case study and review.

Mistake 10: Leaving exam administration details to the last week

Seemingly “non-study” errors can end an attempt. For example, your registration name must exactly match your government-issued ID on exam day, and digital IDs are not accepted.

Avoid it by: confirming your account name/ID match and exam setup early, not days before the appointment.

Quick Reference Table: Mistakes and Fixes

Common mistake	Why it hurts	What to do instead
Treating SCR as ESG definitions	Misses applied “best action” logic	Convert every topic into a decision workflow
Skipping learning objectives/readings	Gaps in tested scope	Plan by learning objectives + schedule required readings
Passive reading	Low retention under pressure	Retrieval practice every session
Chapter questions = exam style	False confidence	Use chapter questions for learning; practice exam for simulation
Practice exam taken once, late	No time to fix weaknesses	Baseline + mid-course + final simulation
Weak case study strategy	Missed constraints, wrong “best” answer	Case discipline and scenario triage
Ignoring governance/controls	“Correct” ideas that are impractical	Tie methods to ownership, validation, reporting
No error log	Repeated errors	Track misses by type; re-drill patterns
No time plan	Rushed decisions	Two-pass pacing + reserved buffer
Admin/policy complacency	Preventable disqualification	Verify ID/name rules and setup early

Final takeaway for the 2026 GARP SCR Certification

GARP recommends 100–150 hours of preparation and advises early registration for a comfortable study pace.  The candidates who pass efficiently are not the ones who “study the most,” but those who study with the exam’s applied intent in mind: learning objectives first, deliberate practice second, and a structured practice-exam feedback loop throughout.