Q. Why should I enroll for a new designation program?
A. Despite a growth in operational risk opportunities, there is no clear path to obtaining a formal role of Operational Risk Manager since many employers have a variety of entry requirements for the role. Having the PRMIA Professional ORM Designation on your resume and highlighted after your name will allow for more opportunities at these new roles in banks, insurance companies, and other places. The PRMIA Designation program was developed to ensure that skilled operational risk professionals have greater opportunity for jobs, promotions, and higher salaries. By taking into account the skills and experience of an operational risk professional as part of the application and testing process, successful candidates can demonstrate their skills and experience to others in their industry. 

With this in mind, the Professional Operational Risk Manager Designation was approved for development by the PRMIA Education Committee.

Q. What is required to maintain the Professional Operational Risk Manager Designation?
A. Maintenance of the ORM Designation is only applicable to ORM Certified Professionals who have taken one or more of the ORM exams.

Maintenance requirements are below. These requirements ensure your ongoing commitment in keeping your risk knowledge base current.

• Hold a PRMIA Sustaining membership each year, starting with the day you obtain your ORM designation. This membership will provide you with access to continuing risk learning opportunities required as part of re-certification, in addition to numerous other benefits.
• Complete 20 Continuing Risk Learning (CRL) credits. ORM Certified Professionals are required to complete 20 CRL ongoing education credits each calendar year using the PRMIA ORM Continuing Risk Learning (CRL) Program, starting with the calendar year immediately after the ORM designation is obtained. PRMIA will offer opportunities throughout the year to obtain these credits, such as webinars, learning programs, event presentations, and articles.
  
  If a ORM Certified Professional fails to submit 20 CRL credits or maintain a Sustaining membership, their ORM Designation will change from "Certified" to "Qualified". A "Qualified" ORM is required to submit the 20 credits from the year prior in order for the status to change back to "Certified".

Q. What is the difference between the Professional ORM Designation and the Certificate program?
A. The development of the Professional ORM Designation was done purposely to ensure that the ORM Certificate program would remain the entry program for individuals learning about operational risk management. The ORM Certificate program will continue to be offered and be provided as a way for individuals who might be new to operational risk to learn more about the tools and techniques used.

The Professional ORM Designation recognizes those individuals who have the skills and capability to fill a job role for Operational Risk Manager. Individuals with experience working with the risk function in their institution and those who have worked with an operational risk team in the past are best suited for seeking the Professional ORM Designation. If you meet the eligibility requirements that include one year of risk management responsibilities, the Designation program may be a good fit for you to advance in your career.

To learn more about the difference between a certificate and a professional certification program, visit ORM Certificate or Designation – Which is Right for You? or visit the Institute for Credentialing Excellence's website.

Q. What are the requirements for the Professional Operational Risk Manager Designation?
A. To receive the Professional ORM Designation, candidates must meet the eligibility requirements and pass the required examinations. Candidates may retake any exam they do not pass, but must wait 60 days from the date of that exam. 

Q. What can you tell me about the test design?
A. The PRMIA Education Committee approved a test design that includes a two-part examination. This design was based on input received from the Job Analysis Study and the Operational Risk Taskforce members. 
Examinees are required to complete Part 1 before they may take Part 2. Parts 1 and 2 may be scheduled for the same test day, or on separate testing days. Part 1 is 60 questions, and Part 2 is 50 questions. 

The total test time is 5 hours, with 2 hours allowed to complete part 1 and 3 hours allowed to complete part 2. For each part, it is important that examinees monitor their testing time while they complete the exam. 

Q. What are the program fees?
A. The Program Fee is US$1,200 for current PRMIA Sustaining members or US$1,500 for Contributing or non-members.

Q. How can I enroll into the Professional ORM Designation?
A. To be eligible for the Professional Operational Risk Manager Designation, you must pay  the program fee.
Once the program fee has been paid you will be sent exam authorizations. Exam authorizations are valid for 12 months after purchase.

Q. Who can I contact if I have other questions?
A. If you have other questions that are not answered here, please Contact Us or email [email protected].

Q. What resources should I use to prepare for the exam?
A. Visit the ORM Designation Resources and Case Studies page for a complete list of ORM Designation resources.

Q. Which resources are made available to candidates currently enrolled in the ORM Designation program?
A. As part of the ORM Designation enrollment fee, PRMIA provides access to the following resources shown in the ORM Designation reading list:

• Howitt, Jonathan, and McCarthy, Justin C. Risk Management Frameworks and Practices for Operational Risk Management: A Primer for Professional Operational Risk Managers in Financial Service
• PRMIA Enterprise / Operational Risk Management Certificate eCoach
• PRMIA Cyber Risk Management Certificate eCoach
• PRMIA Advanced Operational Risk Management Course
• PRMIA Soft Skills for Risk Managers Course
• “H.R.3763 - 107th Congress (2001-2002): Sarbanes-Oxley Act ...” Accessed February 4, 2022. https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/3763 .
• “COBIT: Introduction and Methodology” ISACA. Accessed June 2, 2023. https://www.isaca.org
• "COSO Internal Control - Integrated Framework, Executive Summary". https://www.coso.org

Note: Access to these materials will be assigned once you complete your enrollment and payment to become a candidate for the ORM Designation program.

Current candidates have the option of using previous material to pass the exam:

• The Essentials of Risk Management, Second Edition by Michel Crouhy, Dan Galai, and Robert Mark
• Operational Risk Management: Best Practices in the Financial Services Industry by Ariane Chapelle
• Operational Risk Management: A Complete Guide for Banking and Fintech by Philippa X Girling
• Ten Laws of Operational Risk: Understanding its Behaviours to Improve Its Management by Michael Grimwade

Q. How do I access the PRMIA sourced materials?

A. There are several resources available to ORM Designation candidates that are available directly from PRMIA.

• PRMIA Institute Papers https://www.prmia.org/prmiainstitute/
  PRMIA Institute Papers are available for purchase for non-members and are a complimentary benefit for current PRMIA Sustaining Members. If you are not currently a PRMIA Sustaining member, you may join here.
• PRMIA Standards and Bylaws
  PRMIA Standards and Bylaws are publicly available and can be linked from the ORM Designation Resources and Case Studies  page.
• PRMIA Case Studies
  PRMIA Case Studies are publicly available and can be downloaded from the ORM Designation Resources and Case Studies  page.

PRMIA Risk Management Frameworks and Practices for Operational Risk Manager Handbook
The PRMIA Risk Management Frameworks and Practices for Operational Risk Management Handbook forms the basis for the ORM Certificate program exam. It provides foundational knowledge in operational risk and is developed to help prepare individuals for the certificate exam.

Current practicing Operational Risk Managers should be familiar with the concepts addressed in the PRMIA Risk Management Frameworks and Practices for Operational Risk Management Handbook. This resource is made available as a reference source for current candidates, should they need a refresher on the foundations of Operational Risk Management. Access to the book is granted only to those individuals who pay the ORM Designation program fee.

Exam Registration and Testing Centers

Q. How do I schedule my exam, either at a test center or in a remote-proctored environment?
A. Review the Exam Schedule then log in to your Pearson VUE account to schedule your examination directly with Pearson VUE. Space at the testing centers is reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, so you are encouraged to register when the scheduling window opens.
Remote proctored examinations are available with OnVUE for ORM candidates. Visit Pearson VUE for information on the OnVUE platform.

A. Log in to your Pearson VUE account to schedule your examination directly with Pearson VUE.

A. No materials may be brought into the testing room or be used in the remote-proctored environment. When taking the test at a test center, you may request an erasable board. When taking the test in a remote-proctored environment, a notepad is available within the testing platform. A software scientific calculator is available in both environments. Pearson VUE uses the Texas Instrument TI-30XS - click here to view the (calculator user guide). A practice exam is offered by Pearson VUE where candidates can familiarize themselves with the software calculator and testing environment. Candidates may also wish to purchase the hand-held version of the TI-30XS calculator for use during studying.