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About this exam

The Certified School Risk Manager (CSRM) is a specialized designation built around the risk management needs of school districts and educational institutions. It is aimed at school risk managers, employee benefits and safety coordinators, human resources staff and others who oversee the risk management function in schools, and the insurance agents and brokers who place school business. The curriculum follows the five steps of the risk management process: Fundamentals of Risk Management (the risk management function, the school risk manager's role, classifying and identifying school risks, gathering loss data); Measuring School Risks (qualitative assessment, loss run analysis, quantitative tools and forecasting); Handling School Risks (risk control fundamentals, safety and health plans, district exposures, managing claims); Funding School Risks (total cost of risk, the risk financing team, insurance coverages, deductible plans, pooling and self-insurance, insurance placement); and Administering School Risks (the risk management team, communication, implementation and monitoring, RMIS, RFPs and competitive sealed bids, ethics). To earn the designation you take the five courses and pass the corresponding exams within three calendar years after passing your first CSRM exam, then meet an annual update requirement. Note that the program is being sunset: the listed courses are the final CSRM offerings, with live instructor-led webinars for each of the five core courses running July to November 2026 and completion targeted by December 31, 2026, so verify current status before planning. This page is independent study material and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the credentialing body.

What you'll study

Common questions

About CSRM preparation

Is the CSRM still available, or has it been discontinued?

The program is being sunset. The courses currently listed are described as the final CSRM offerings, and candidates who want the designation should enroll during 2026. Live instructor-led webinars for each of the five core courses are offered July through November 2026, designed to let eligible participants finish all requirements by December 31, 2026.

What are the five courses, and in what order should I take them?

Fundamentals of Risk Management, Measuring School Risks, Handling School Risks, Funding School Risks, and Administering School Risks. The sequence mirrors the risk management process: identify, measure, control, finance, then administer. Following that order means later courses build on earlier vocabulary, which matters most for the quantitative forecasting content in Measuring and the financing comparisons in Funding.

How long do I have to complete the designation?

You must take the five CSRM courses and pass the corresponding exams within three calendar years after you pass your first CSRM exam. The clock starts with your first passed exam, not your first registration, so a slow start on course one does not consume your window unless you have already passed an exam.

What does the exam actually test?

Each course has a corresponding exam covering that course's topics. Expect the risk management process and the school risk manager's role; qualitative and quantitative risk measurement, loss runs and forecasting; safety plans, hazard controls and claims management; financing options such as deductibles, pooling and self-insurance; and administration topics including communication, RMIS, RFPs and ethics.

How hard is it, and what trips people up?

The frequent stumbling blocks are the quantitative material in Measuring School Risks (forecasting and trending losses, retention and deductible estimation) and the comparative judgments in Funding School Risks, where you must evaluate financing options against general criteria rather than memorize one right answer. Candidates who treat the courses as separate silos struggle; the exams reward connecting the steps.

Can I retake an exam if I fail?

The published program information does not state a retake policy, exam format, question count, duration, passing score, or fee. Treat those details as unconfirmed and confirm them directly with the program administrator before you register, since the sunset schedule limits your remaining attempts.

Do I have to attend the live webinars, or can I study self-paced?

Both formats appear in the program materials: self-paced online courses and live instructor-led webinars. The webinars for the five core courses run between July and November 2026 and are described as the final opportunity to complete CSRM coursework, so if you prefer instructor-led learning, register early rather than assume a later session will be added.

What happens after I earn the CSRM?

Designees must meet an annual update requirement, satisfied through options such as CIC, CRM, CPRM or CSRM courses, Ruble Seminars, PROFocus, MEGA, Dynamics, or specified 4-hour and 7-hour programs, some of which require dues. The program also points to cross-credit options into the Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designation as a longer-term pathway.

Is the CSRM affiliated with this study platform?

No. This page is independent preparation material and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the organization that awards the CSRM. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and completion pathways with the awarding body, particularly given the sunset timeline and the December 31, 2026 completion target.