FRM Part 1 and Part 2 Together: Can You Clear Both in One Year and Is It Worth Trying?

Most FRM candidates plan for a two to three year timeline, clearing Part 1 and Part 2 across separate exam cycles. But every year a growing number of candidates ask whether FRM Part 1 and Part 2 in one year is realistic, usually because they want the designation before a promotion cycle, a job switch, or simply because they do not want risk management prep dragging into a third year. It is possible. Whether it is the right call depends heavily on your starting point.

Can You Actually Sit Both Parts in the Same Year?

Yes. GARP runs the FRM exam three times a year, in May, August, and November, and both Part 1 and Part 2 are offered in every window. This means a candidate who clears Part 1 in May has two more windows, August and November, to attempt Part 2 in the same calendar year. There is no rule stopping you from registering for both.

There is one detail worth knowing. August is the only window where Part 1 and Part 2 are scheduled on the same day, with Part 1 in the morning session and Part 2 in the afternoon. May and November keep Part 1 and Part 2 as separate testing periods, which gives you a real gap to see your Part 1 result before deciding on Part 2.

Should You Take Both Parts on the Same Day?

Sitting both parts on the same day in August is technically allowed, but it is a demanding format. You are looking at close to 180 questions and roughly 8 hours of testing across the full FRM curriculum in a single day, with no confirmation that you actually passed Part 1 before you walk into Part 2. Most candidates who go this route are already confident in their Part 1 preparation and are treating Part 2 as a calculated attempt rather than a sure thing.

For a clearer picture of how the two levels differ in content and difficulty before you decide on a combined attempt, FRM Level 1 vs Level 2: how to plan your study strategy is worth reading first.

The More Realistic One Year Path

For most working professionals, a safer version of the FRM Part 1 and Part 2 one year plan looks like this:

1. Clear Part 1 in May or August. This gives you a confirmed result before committing serious hours to Part 2 content.
2. Use the gap window to start Part 2 prep early, rather than waiting for the Part 1 result. Part 2 builds directly on Part 1 concepts, so early exposure is not wasted time even if you have not cleared Part 1 yet.
3. Sit Part 2 in the next available window, August if you cleared Part 1 in May, or November if you cleared Part 1 in August.

This sequence gets both parts done within a single calendar year without forcing you into the same day, same window format that August alone allows.

What It Actually Takes to Pull This Off

Clearing FRM Part 1 and Part 2 together in one year is less about intelligence and more about whether your schedule can support sustained study without long breaks.

1. Study hours add up fast. Each part typically needs 250 to 300 hours of focused preparation. Doing both in one year means averaging 10 to 12 hours a week for most of the year, with almost no long gaps.
2. Part 1 needs to be genuinely strong, not just passed. Part 2 assumes fluency in Part 1 concepts like quantitative methods and risk measurement. If you barely scraped through Part 1, moving straight into Part 2 prep without reinforcing the basics usually backfires.
3. Mock exams cannot be skipped for either part. Compressing the timeline only works if your practice testing keeps pace with your syllabus coverage, not if it gets pushed to the final two weeks.

A closer look at how the FRM Part 1 exam is structured and what the Part 2 exam format actually tests will help you judge honestly whether your current schedule can support both in the same year.

Is It Worth Trying?

For candidates with a stable schedule, a strong Part 1 foundation, and a genuine reason to move fast, such as an upcoming job change or a role that already expects risk management expertise, compressing FRM Part 1 and Part 2 into one year is worth attempting. The two year certification requirement for work experience still applies regardless of how fast you clear the exams, so there is no shortcut on the overall timeline to becoming a certified FRM. What a one year exam timeline does buy you is the ability to start counting that experience clock sooner.

For candidates juggling a demanding job, family commitments, or limited weekly study hours, forcing both parts into one year often leads to under-preparation on Part 2 specifically, since it is the harder and more application heavy of the two. In that case, spacing Part 1 and Part 2 across two exam cycles with proper preparation time usually produces a better result than rushing both.

Enrolling in FRM Online Classes at Fintelligents gives you structured live and recorded sessions built around the actual exam weightage for both parts, along with faculty guidance on whether a one year combined timeline makes sense for your specific situation.

Conclusion

Clearing FRM Part 1 and Part 2 in one year is realistic for candidates who can commit consistent weekly study hours and who build a genuinely strong Part 1 base before moving into Part 2. It is not about finding a shortcut, since GARP’s exam calendar already makes a one year timeline possible for anyone willing to put in the hours. The real decision is whether your schedule can support that pace without cutting corners on preparation.

Enroll for your FRM coaching at Fintelligents and get expert guidance from a team that has helped hundreds of candidates clear both parts efficiently.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Can I take FRM Part 1 and Part 2 in the same year?

Yes. GARP offers both parts in every exam window across May, August, and November, so clearing Part 1 in an earlier window and Part 2 in a later window within the same year is possible.

Q. Can I take FRM Part 1 and Part 2 on the same day?

Only in the August window, where Part 1 is held in the morning session and Part 2 in the afternoon session on the same day. May and November keep the two parts on separate dates.

Q. Is it a good idea to attempt both parts together?

It depends on your preparation level and schedule. Candidates with a strong Part 1 foundation and consistent study time can manage it well. Candidates who are unsure of their Part 1 result or have limited weekly hours usually get better outcomes spacing the two parts across separate windows.