FRM EXAM

[Pras Kumpati]

Dear David

I am a Business Studies graduate from London and am seriously thinking about studying for the FRM level 1 exam in November.

Aside from the reading list and the FRM handbook available from GARP, I cannot find one single study book that would assist me in passing the exam. I found the Bionic Turtle link on GARP's web site and I am writing to ask if I join Bionic Turtle and pay the fees, would I be provided with the study book for level 1?

Moreover, I am concerned about calculus. I have not studied calculus at all and I am writing to enquire if lack of knowledge in calculus would affect my chances of passing the exam?

Please advise.

Many thanks

Pras Kumpati

 

[David Harper CFA FRM]

Hi Pras -

If you have the reading list, you have what you *need* (fyi).
Our Level I program includes outline notes for each of the topics. If you an appetite for a "book," did you try here? If you want to see samples of our notes, see here (we don't try for a full book: I have seen full books and, okay this is just my opinion, much are copy/paste of the assigned. Admittedly organized for access. But otherwise, similiar. Take Gujarati: if you have Gujarati's chapters, I have not seen any notes that improve on he himself.)

About the calculus: my impression is calculus is not *essential* to Level I. However, IMO, I think some calculus (a) makes L1 easer (esp. Valuation and Risk Models adn (b) is more a factor in L2. But, risk measurement being about sensitivities, the first partial derivative is constantly appearing and, if you grasp it, you are not each time confronted with something brand new.

If you'd like some calculus resources:
* Earlier in the year, one of my Early Birds was an intro to derivatives (free): http://www.bionicturtle.com/learn/article/early_bird_webinar_3_follow-up_webinar_frm_quant/

* Here is post with pointers to my favorite books: http://www.bionicturtle.com/learn/article/additional_frm_reading_resources_book/

* I was catching up on links last night and I was really impressed by the free tutorials at hipposcampus (http://www.hippocampus.org/). See Lesson 16+

Hope this helps, David