CRM Risk
Certified Risk Manager (CRM)
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ExploreAbout this exam
The Certified Risk Manager (CRM) is an advanced education designation for risk management and insurance professionals, administered by the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance and recognized internationally. This page is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Alliance.
The curriculum follows the risk management process across five required courses: Principles of Risk Management (exposure identification and enterprise risk management), Analysis of Risk (qualitative and quantitative analysis, loss forecasting), Control of Risk (risk control, crisis and disaster planning, claims management), Financing of Risk (financing methods and alternative risk transfer), and Practice of Risk Management (managerial and organizational requirements, executive and international risk). Each course consists of 16 hours of instruction with application exercises, and each carries a corresponding exam that must be passed.
The credential suits agents, brokers, commercial producers, underwriters, risk managers, attorneys, accountants, financial professionals, and risk management faculty. Courses are delivered in three formats: live classroom, live instructor-led webinar, and self-paced online. Candidates are advised to start with Principles of Risk Management and finish with Practice of Risk Management, using practice quizzes and the application exercises as the primary preparation check before sitting the proctored final exam.
What you'll study
About CRM Risk preparation
How many courses and exams are required for the CRM?
Five courses and five corresponding exams: Principles of Risk Management, Analysis of Risk, Control of Risk, Financing of Risk, and Practice of Risk Management. Each course is 16 hours of instruction including application exercises. An alternative pathway allows four CRM courses plus an eligible cross-designation credit in place of Principles of Risk Management.
What is the exam format and how long is it?
Self-paced courses end in a proctored essay-based final exam. For in-person classroom courses, each course is two days of instruction followed by an optional 2-hour exam. The Alliance FAQ separately describes the exams as 2.5-hour exams, so confirm the length for your chosen format when you register.
Is there a published passing score?
No numeric passing score appears in the Alliance's published material. The requirement stated is simply that you must pass the corresponding exam for each course. Treat every exam as pass/fail and plan for a comfortable margin rather than targeting a specific percentage.
How long do I have to pass all the exams?
You must pass all exams within the five calendar years following the year you passed your first CRM exam. The clock starts with that first pass, not with your first course registration, so sequence your courses deliberately once you begin testing.
What order should I take the courses in?
The Alliance recommends Principles of Risk Management first, because accurate exposure identification underpins everything else, and Practice of Risk Management last, since it consolidates the other courses. Financing of Risk should follow Analysis of Risk, since financing decisions depend on frequency, severity, and forecast data.
What delivery formats are available?
All CRM courses are offered as live classroom, live instructor-led webinar, and self-paced online. Instructor-led webinars run 16 hours of webinars delivered over two to four weeks with an extended study period. Self-paced courses offer a 120-day completion window, and notebooks may not display well on phones.
Do I need prior experience to enroll?
There are no specific prerequisites for taking the CRM courses. The Alliance recommends that participants have at least two years of full-time experience in the insurance or risk management industry, which helps when applying the exposure identification and analysis techniques to real accounts.
How do I keep the designation current after earning it?
No further examinations are required. You must complete an approved annual update course and meet attendance requirements by the end of your birth month each year, and membership dues apply unless you choose a no-dues option such as any CRM, CPRM, or CIC course.
Can I apply credit from another designation?
Yes. You may complete four CRM courses and their exams and apply an eligible cross-designation credit in place of Principles of Risk Management. This substitution may be used only once and toward a single designation, so plan carefully if you also intend to pursue the CIC.
What is the most common way candidates fall behind?
The recurring traps are starting with a technical course such as Financing of Risk before building exposure identification foundations, and letting the five-calendar-year window run once the first exam is passed. Complete the self-quizzes and application exercises before booking the proctored final.