FAQ After Exam ARPM (Advanced Risk and Portfolio Management) certificate

[Martin B]

Hi everybody,

I read on the internet about ARPM and their offerings (ARPM Marathon and especially the certificate ).

I would like to ask the following:
How well is the certification recognized, how is the penetration in the market or simply would you recommend to pursue it after completing FRM?

I am an Market Risk Analyst in the Asset Management Industry.

Thank you very much for any feedback.

 

[berrymucho]

Hi everybody,

I read on the internet about ARPM and their offerings (ARPM Marathon and especially the certificate ).

I would like to ask the following:
How well is the certification recognized, how is the penetration in the market or simply would you recommend to pursue it after completing FRM?

I am an Market Risk Analyst in the Asset Management Industry.

Thank you very much for any feedback.

For context, I attended the ARPM Bootcamp in 2015: 6 days, 8am-6pm intensive course + practice sessions. I did not take the certificate. I don't think there's yet a demand/recognition specifically for the ARPM certificate but from the development I've seen in the past couple of years, the popularity of the course is certainly growing (e.g. now they have the 6 months Marathon with online classes).

Now, as for content, this is quite different from the FRM (which I got). Graduate level calculus (differential, integral, stochastic, Taylor expansion, all in multiple dimensions) and linear algebra are strongly recommended if you want to be able to follow the content. Also it is presented with a focus on hands-on programming methods in a real environment, with real data (e.g. limited samples, bias versus precision). It nicely complements some of the FRM content, e.g. if you found Principal Component Analysis, copulas, P-world vs Q-world or Monte Carlo simulations a bit abstract in the FRM curriculum, the ARPM coursework presents fully worked out examples quite nicely (but, as everything else, very fast). Also Attilio Meucci has a fantastic ability to connect the dots between topics, and highlight conceptual or practical pitfalls (e.g. practices that everybody follows or takes for granted but that are actually wrong or questionable). With that said, I personally highly recommend the course, it is brutal to take it all in (well over 2000 pages worth of material in the span of a week, that's about 50 pages/hour!!), but definitely worth it. Also his book "Risk and Asset Allocation" is a very good reference (in my line of work) that captures the core of the course. Bottom line, this course is best if your interest is around hands-on quantitative concepts and methods (portfolio construction, risk management) because you'll almost certainly find it applicable to your occupation, more so than for the sake of simply pursuing "one more marketable certification". I'd suggest you check the book to get an idea of the level and content of the course (available for download on the symmys website). Hope this helps.

 

[Martin B]

Thank you very much @berrymucho for the comprehensive information. I will certainly look at the book and the contents.

 

[Stanelake]

Hello. For the certification, what is the difficulty level? And, does a mathematics background with little stats help?

 

[berrymucho]

See my post above for a rough estimate of difficulty judging by concepts. Also it’s worth checking his textbook (downloadable for free) to gauge your level of comfort. In addition to concepts the certification emphasizes hands-on coding. Any mathematical background is recommended.

 

[Stanelake]

Hi everybody,

I read on the internet about ARPM and their offerings (ARPM Marathon and especially the certificate ).

I would like to ask the following:
How well is the certification recognized, how is the penetration in the market or simply would you recommend to pursue it after completing FRM?

I am an Market Risk Analyst in the Asset Management Industry.

Thank you very much for any feedback.

Hi MartinB,

Did you follow up on this? If so what was your experience?

Thanks

 

[rnavarro]

I have just completed the ARPM certificate (Levels 1 and 2 plus a final project).
It is open notes for 4 hours exam each level.
You can do the computing in a software (e.g. Matlab / Python) since you may
be required to manipulate matrices.
It is far more quantitative than FRM and it is designed for Quants rather than Risk Managers.

Btw, it took me one year to cover the entire material from the 6-day bootcamp from ARPM.

 

[David Harper CFA FRM]

Thank you @rnavarro congratulations! I have heard of ARPM but never took a close look. Here is the link https://www.arpm.co/ in case others are interested

 

[rnavarro]

I have just completed the ARPM certificate (Levels 1 and 2 plus a final project).
It is open notes for 4 hours exam each level.
You can do the computing in a software (e.g. Matlab / Python) since you may
be required to manipulate matrices.
It is far more quantitative than FRM and it is designed for Quants rather than Risk Managers.

Btw, it took me one year to cover the entire material from the 6-day bootcamp from ARPM.

Passed FRM Level 2! Thanks David and Nicole for the enormous support.

This also serve as a culmination in my 6 years experience in the Financial Services Industry
(2 years in Data Analytics & Machine Learning for Consumer Credit, 1-1/2 in Model Validation in Banking,
and 3 years as Quant Researcher in the Options Industry).

2 years work experience is reasonable enough to appreciate the essence of FRM at the practitioner level.
Frankly, it is difficult to connect the dots without the practitioner experience in my hand.

 

[rnavarro]

Passed FRM Level 2! Thanks David and Nicole for the enormous support.

Surely, my ARPM and FRM certification will complement each other.

This also serve as a culmination in my 6 years experience in the Financial Services Industry
(2 years in Data Analytics & Machine Learning for Consumer Credit, 1-1/2 in Model Validation in Banking,
and 3 years as Quant Researcher in the Options Industry).

2 years work experience is reasonable enough to appreciate the essence of FRM at the practitioner level.
Frankly, it is difficult to connect the dots without the practitioner experience in my hand.

 

[Stanelake]

I have just completed the ARPM certificate (Levels 1 and 2 plus a final project).
It is open notes for 4 hours exam each level.
You can do the computing in a software (e.g. Matlab / Python) since you may
be required to manipulate matrices.
It is far more quantitative than FRM and it is designed for Quants rather than Risk Managers.

Btw, it took me one year to cover the entire material from the 6-day bootcamp from ARPM.

Hi, @rnavarro. Do you mind if I could talk with you personally? My email is [email protected]. Please, I would like to hear from you.

 

[rnavarro]

Hi, @rnavarro. Do you mind if I could talk with you personally? My email is [email protected]. Please, I would like to hear from you.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolandodnavarrojrphd/
We are already connected each other over LinkedIn so it will be a good venue to PM me there personally.

Thanks and good luck!