Level 2  |  Designation : IRMCert

syllabus revised

(International Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management / International Certificate in Financial Services Risk Management)

With the Level 2 Qualification, you will learn to adopt a systematic and consistent approach towards the practical implementation of enterprise risk management (ERM). With advanced understanding of global interconnected events, uncontrollable risks and strategic threats, you will gain immense knowledge on mitigation strategies to achieve business objectives and seize new opportunities. Every crisis has reminded organisations of the importance of qualified risk professionals whose perceptions of risk and behaviours have significantly transformed the organisation's risk culture and helped manage risks within its appetite.

The Level 2 executive program in risk management offers two electives for candidates to choose from : (A) International Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management (OFQUAL Level 5); OR (B) International Certificate in Financial Services Risk Management (OFQUAL Level 5 - Syllabus Revised). Each elective comprises two Modules (Module 1 and Module 2). Both the electives, i.e (A) The International Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management & (B) The International Certificate in Financial Services Risk Management, are assessed through a combination of an MCQ examination and Assignment Based Essay Questions.

  • Level 2

  • Duration :  6-9 months
  • No. Of Modules :  2 (Module 1 and 2)
  • Hours per Module :  180 - 200
  • Live Webinars :  6 hours
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  • Level 2

  • Duration  :6-9 Months
  • No. Of Modules  : 2 (Module 1 and 2)
  • Hours per Module  : 180 - 200 hrs
  • Live Webinars  : 6 hrs
Level 2  

Enterprise risk professionals are the human operational engine supporting the ERM process and it is vital that they have the knowledge, skills and tools required to build resilience, prepare for responses instead of reactions and deliver effective risk communication that influences decision-makers to enable their organisation to be successful risk-takers.

As a Level 2 IRM candidate, you will join a global community of risk professionals who are a step closer towards becoming Certified IRM Fellows (Level 5). Choose from the two elective options and start your journey towards becoming a business leader or chief risk officer:

  • The Level 2 Qualification in Enterprise Risk Management creates the core foundation in the theory and practice of effective risk management. It reviews the impact of risk on the current global business environment, examines issues that are relevant to specific sectors and geographical areas and the needs and demands of stakeholder groups and regulatory authorities. As the awareness of risk management grows, employers, clients and regulators are progressively valuing studies such as the Level 2 Qualification.
  • The Level 2 Qualification in Financial Services Risk Management analyses the vital elements of the risk management process in a financial service context with practical implementation of the same. In response to international regulatory developments such as Basel III and Solvency II, the qualification has been upgraded so that financial services companies and their staff have an inclusive understanding of risk management.

The Qualification provides an advanced foundation in the theory and practice of effective risk management with:

  • Application of the principles, concepts and practice of risk management
  • Understanding the multi-disciplinary nature of risk management within any organisation
  • Familiarising with contemporary risk management thinking, standards and regulations across the world
  • The ability to take risk-based decisions across any sector in today’s uncertain world
  • Internationally recognised designation “IRMCert” across 143 countries
  • An entry route to the IRM Level 3 Qualification (designation "GradIRM") which is at par with a Masters or Post-Graduate Degree

Entry Criteria

Candidates enroling for the Level 2 Qualification can be:

  • Students or professionals who have successfully completed IRM's Level 1 Examination OR
  • Working professionals with at least 2-3 years of experience in risk management

If you are a working professional with 2-3 years experience in risk management, then it is advisable you enrol for IRM's Level 2 examination. Click here

Need guidance from our Exam Reservations Team?

Working professionals can submit this form to get feedback on whether Level 2 would be the right starting point:

Duration

  • The time taken to complete the Level 2 qualification is between 6 to 9 months
  • Students undertaking the Level 2 qualification must complete the qualification within two years of enroling as a Level 2 candidate. Three attempts (both for the MCQ exam and Essay Assignment) are permitted within this timeframe and each attempt will require you to pay a resit fee. You will continue to have access to your learning materials.
  • An indicative study time for the qualification is between 180 and 200 hours per module.

Modules of Level 2 Qualification

Modules of Level 2 Qualification in Enterprise Risk Management
Principles of Risk and Risk Management

Unit 1: Key Concepts in Risk Management

A general introduction to risk management concepts, to the importance of risk management across enterprises as well as internationally accepted standards and frameworks that support the effective implementation of risk management.

Contents

  • Introducing Enterprise Risk Management
  • Evolution of Enterprise Risk Management
  • Importance of Enterprise Risk Management for organisations
  • Different approaches to Enterprise Risk Management
  • Enterprise Risk Management standards and frameworks

Unit 2: Strategic Planning for Enterprise Risk Management

Explores formulation of an appropriate risk management approach for an organisation by considering risk principles, frameworks, and processes.

Contents

  • Principles and attributes of risk management
  • Strategic Planning for Enterprise Risk Management (RASP) – Risk Architecture
  • RASP – Strategy
  • RASP – Protocols
  • Risk management processes

Unit 3: Context, Objectives and Risk Assessment

Understanding the context and objectives for the organisation or activities, identification and analysis of real risks related to the context and objectives and supporting the decision-making process regarding which risks require further management.

  • Establishing the internal and external context
  • Objectives and purpose
  • Identification of risks
  • Analyse and evaluate risks

Unit 4: Managing, Monitoring & Reporting Risks

Evaluating the appropriate controls to take charge of and manage the risks to an acceptable level. The monitoring and reviewing processes validate that the controls are operating effectively and that any changes in the context, risks and risk management process are recognised and actioned accordingly. This facilitates the risk reporting process, enabling relevant information to be communicated effectively, and supporting risk-based decision making.

  • Management of risks using real controls
  • Control effectiveness
  • Monitoring risks
  • Reviewing risks and risk management
  • Reporting on risks and risk management
  • Risk based decision making and action

Unit 5: Risk Culture and Appetite

Examining risk appetite and tolerance and their relevance to the achievement of objectives, including the requirement for and design of risk appetite statements. This unit will also cover evaluating risk culture to assess people’s influence on the risk management process and determining a successful risk culture for an organisation.

  • Risk appetite and tolerance
  • Risk appetite statements
  • Risk appetite criteria
  • Risk Culture
  • People and risk culture
  • Models of risk culture
  • Successful risk culture

Unit 6: Corporate Governance and Risk Assurance

Analysing corporate governance, regulatory requirements and the relevant risk management roles and responsibilities for boards and executive management. Information that management receives regarding risks and controls being managed and implemented effectively supports decision making and provides assurance to the organisation and external stakeholders that an organisation is an ongoing concern and has a long-term viability.

  • Corporate governance
  • Board structures
  • Regulatory influences
  • Board roles and responsibilities
  • Assurance
  • Internal assurance
  • External assurance
Practice of Risk Management

Unit 1: Risk Management and Strategy

Examining the importance of an organisation’s strategy and how this leads to the setting of objectives.

  • Strategy
  • Risk management and strategy
  • Risk management and strategy models

Unit 2: Organisational Sustainability

Examining the role that sustainability has on the performance of an organisation and of the part that risk management plays.

  • Organisational Sustainability
  • Risk management and sustainability
  • Risk management, sustainability and strategy
  • Climate change
  • Ethics

Unit 3: Organisational Resilience

Examining organisational resilience and how it can help organisations manage future shocks, disruptive events, and major incidents. This unit assesses the importance of organisational agility and how resilience can be tested to give some assurance to stakeholders.

  • Organisational Resilience
  • Organisation disruptors
  • Agility and risk management
  • Tests for resilience
  • Viability statements

Unit 4: Approaches to Risk Management

Examining different approaches to risk management relating to different activities, functions, and perspectives in an organisation.

  • Information Technology
  • Health, safety, security, environment, and social aspects
  • Portfolios, Programmes and Projects
  • Insurance
  • Banking
  • Supply Chain
  • Legal

Unit 5: Embedding and Maintaining Risk Management

Examining the maturity of risk management within an organisation and the need for continuous improvement

  • Risk management maturity
  • Interconnectedness of risks and integration of risk management
  • Road maps to risk management maturity
  • Continuous improvement

Unit 6: Risk Management Competencies

Examining the risk management competencies required to implement effective risk management within an organisation, recognising the value of risk management professionals.

  • Risk management professional/ management competencies
  • Road maps to risk management competency
  • Specific skills – facilitation
  • Specific skills – data analysis
  • Specific skills – influencing
  • Value of the risk management professional
Modules of Level 2 Qualification in Financial Services Risk Management
Principles of Risk and Risk Management in Financial Services

Unit 1: Concepts and definitions of risk and risk management

A general introduction to some basic risk management concepts in financial services.

Contents

  • Approaches to defining risk
  • Impact of risk on organisations
  • Types of risk
  • Development of risk management
  • Principles and aims of risk management

Unit 2: Risk management standards

Explores the main features of key risk management standards, including the most generally accepted ISO 31000 standard (ISO, 2018), as well as Basel III and Solvency II.

Contents

  • General risk management standards and risk management frameworks
  • Alternative risk management approaches

Unit 3: Enterprise Risk Management

An overview of ERM. Understand how it can be implemented, in what context and the role of objective setting.

Contents

  • Defining ERM
  • ERM overview
  • Implementing ERM
  • Establishing context for risk management
  • Objective setting

Unit 4: Risk assessment 1 (introduction and identification)

Introducing risk assessment, the importance of risk identification, some general risk assessment considerations and techniques that are used specifically in financial services.

Contents

  • Risk assessment considerations
  • Value at risk, stress tests and scenarios
  • Risk causes and consequences
  • Risk classification systems

Unit 5: Risk Culture and Appetite

Evaluating risk culture to assess people’s influence on the risk management process and to determine a successful risk culture for an organisation. This unit will also examine risk appetite and tolerance and their relevance to the achievement of objectives, including the requirement for and design of risk appetite statements.

Contents

  • Risk Culture
  • People and risk culture
  • Models of risk culture
  • Successful risk culture
  • Risk appetite and tolerance
  • Risk appetite statements
  • Risk appetite criteria

Unit 6: Corporate Governance and Risk Assurance

Analysing corporate governance, regulatory requirements and the relevant risk management roles and responsibilities for boards and executive management. Information that management receives regarding risks and controls being managed and implemented effectively supports decision making and provides assurance to the organisation and external stakeholders that an organisation is an ongoing concern and has a long-term viability.

Contents

  • Corporate governance
  • Board structures
  • Regulatory influences
  • Board roles and responsibilities
  • Assurance
Practice of Risk Management in Financial Services

Unit 1: Regulation in Financial Services

A general introduction to banking and insurance key regulation and regulators. This unit also explores the “Three Pillars” structure used by the majority of financial sectors.

Contents

  • Financial Services Regulation
  • General structure of financial services regulations
  • The Financial Services Regulatory Framework
  • Key regulations and regulators in select banking markets
  • Key regulations and regulators in select insurance markets
  • Application of the three pillars in Banking regulation
  • Application of the three pillars in Insurance Regulation
  • Global regulation and concept of equivalence

Unit 2: Financial Risk

A general introduction to the four types of primary financial risks. This unit examines the approaches used to manage and quantify credit, liquidity, market and insurance risk in the banking or the insurance sectors. It also includes an understanding of Value at Risk and internal models.

Contents

  • Liquidity Risk
  • Credit Risk
  • Market Risk
  • Value at Risk and Internal Models
  • Insurance Risk

Unit 3: Introducing Operational Risk in the Financial Services Sector

A general Introduction to operational risks in the banking and insurance sectors and explains the key regulatory requirements for managing those risks. This unit also addresses the approaches used to quantify operational risks in the banking and insurance sectors including usage of loss data.

Contents

  • Operational risk overview
  • General Regulatory requirements
  • Operational Risk Measurement and Assessment Methods
  • Quantification of Operational Risk
  • Operational Risk Data Consortiums (ORX and ORIC)

Unit 4: Specific Operational Risk in the Financial Services Sector

This unit explores several key operational risks in the banking and insurance sector. It also addresses key risks that organisations are expected to consider as part of their Pillar 2 assessment of risks such as ICAAP (Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process) or ORSA (Own Risk and Solvency Assessment)

Contents

  • Cyber and data security
  • Outsourcing and Third-Party Risk
  • Operational Resilience Risk
  • Customer / Consumer Risk
  • Other Material Operational Risks

Unit 5: Resilience

Examine organisational resilience in the financial services sector and how it can help financial service organisations manage future shocks, disruptive events, and major incidents. This unit assesses the importance of organisational agility and how resilience can be tested to give some assurance to financial services stakeholders.

Contents

  • Organisational Resilience
  • Organisation disruptors
  • Agility, risk management and strategy
  • Tests for resilience
  • Viability statements

Unit 6: Sustainability

Evaluate the role of risk management in achieving the desired aspects of sustainability. This unit also helps understand the impact of climate change risk management on an organisation.

Contents

  • Sustainability and risk management
  • The evolution of sustainability
  • Risk management enabling sustainability
  • Climate change risk management

Study Support

Candidates can prepare for the Level 2 qualification alongside their graduation / post-graduation / career. With access to global study resources and a discussion forum, candidates gain immense knowledge required in preparing for the qualification examination.

When you enrol for the qualification you will automatically be registered as a student member of IRM for a maximum of two years, or until you complete the qualification - whichever comes first. You will only continue to have student membership as long as you are entered for an exam. Students will also receive access to the following upon completion of enrolment and payment of fees:

  • Online virtual learning environment – with activities and quizzes

  • Student handbook

  • Discussion forum

  • Module coaches

  • Supportive Webinars & Videos

  • Samples MCQ Exam Question

  • Online resource centre

  • Dedicated student support team

  • ERM textbook

  • Textbook for Financial Services elective (to be purchased at extra fee by the candidate)

  • Unit guides and essential readings

  • Blended Learning Program

IRM works with reputed learning partners across the country who offer a blended learning pathway to prepare you for the IRM qualifications. Candidates who prefer a more interactive learning experience pay for additional tuition that may accelerate their performance in the examinations. The student-centred masterclasses and tuitions conducted reinforce your understanding of the materials and help you develop the practical skills needed to put your learning into practice. If you wish to enrol with any of our Blended Learning partners, please contact +91-7977950966.

TimelinesApplication timelines and key dates

June, 2024
  • Access to Virtual Learning Environment for ERM (Module 1 & 2) & FS-ERM (Module 1) - 10th July, 2023
  • Access to Virtual Learning Environment for FS-ERM (Module 2) - 16th October, 2023
  • Last date to enrol will be on 31st January, 2024
November / December, 2024
  • Access to Virtual Learning Environment 1st February, 2024
  • Last date to enrol will be on 31st May, 2024

Exams can be given in June or November / December, 2024 at any of the 360 examination centres in India.

Please note that the enrolment is not an enquiry form or an expression of interest. By completing the online enrolment application, you are enroling as a candidate for the examination and must pay the fees.

ExaminationExamination

  • The Level 2 Examination can be given in June or November / December 2024
  • The Modules of the Level 2 Qualification in ERM & FS-ERM will be assessed in the following manner : Module 1 - MCQ Exam and Assignment Based Essay Assignment; and Module 2- Assignment Based Essay Assignments.
  • The MCQ exams are online and computer-based and can be given at any of the 360 examination centres in India. Click here to check the extensive test centre network across India.
  • The Assignments (for both ERM and FS-ERM) can be submitted online through the virtual learning environment. The Assignments timetable for the Level 2 December 2024 Examination (ERM & FS-ERM) can be downloaded here.
  • MCQ Timetable for the Level 2 December 2024 Examination (ERM & FS-ERM) can be downloaded here
  • The results for June Exams are typically announced in September and the results for November / December Exams are typically announced in March.
  • You can only enrol for one qualification per exam session

Admission ProcessEnrolment process

  • Decide your Level 2 Qualification study elective, i.e. ERM or Financial Services Risk Management
  • You can take assistance from our student support team who can help you plan your examination month and study options
  • Confirm your application by filling up the admission form [fillable PDF] and upload on the website

TimelinesFees

INR 1,75,000
(including 18% GST on registration fees)
Contact Exam Reservations Office for the Group Discount Programme if you plan to register and study in a group
  • The standard global fee is approx. INR 2,15,785 and Indian students save approx. INR 41,000
  • GBP 1,100 - Examination and certification fees for both modules includes access to the online global virtual learning environment – with activities and quizzes, student handbook, discussion forum, module coaches, revision webinars, sample example questions, online resource center, examination, and global certification provided by IRM Head Office, headquartered in the UK
  • Approx. INR 61,700 - Registration fees include the core ERM textbook, student support services, one interactive session with an India Level 2 alumni member, financing support services, one exam preparation session over one weekend 3 months before the exam and GST; only available IRM India Affiliate students
  • All fees payable to IRM India Affiliate
  • Pay via debit card / credit card / NEFT / 0% EMI financing. Please choose your option in the admission form.
Resources

Online Learning

Student Handbook

Discussion Form

Module coaches

Revision webinars and videos

Online resource centre

Sample MCQ exam questions

Dedicated student support

Student membership

Online Learning

Student Handbook

Discussion Form

Module coaches

Revision webinars and videos

Online resource centre

Sample MCQ exam questions

Dedicated student support

Student membership

Please note: Core textbooks for the Financial Services elective of this qualification are not included in the fees and need to be purchased separately.

TimelinesExemptions

Do you have at least 8-10 years of experience in Risk Management? You may be eligible for an exemption from all IRM Examinations with direct entry to Level 4 (CMIRM).

The Senior Executive Route to IRM Certified Membership is designed for senior risk professionals who wish to have their skills and knowledge in Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) formally acknowledged by the world leader in enterprise risk management. It is aimed at risk management professionals with at least 8-10 years’ experience, and allows them to demonstrate a parity of understanding and experience with Certified Members who have completed up to Level 3.

The SER process is completed in two parts:

  • The submission of a completed application form with a CV
  • A competency-based panel interview

Download the PDF form and send us the completed application with your CV to cmirm@theirmindia.org

Membership Benefits

Once you register for the exams, you become a part of a professional community (check fee inclusions and type of membership) and can play a critical role in supporting the learning and development you need to progress in your career. Joining us will bring you the following benefits:

  • An internationally recognised professional membership designation (IRMCert, GradIRM, SIRM, CMIRM, CFIRM) that demonstrates to peers and employers your level of knowledge and skills as well as your commitment to professional development. (Not available to Affiliate members.)
  • Membership of a global community of thousands of enterprise risk professionals representing all risk disciplines and sectors from over 100 countries with whom you can engage either via social media (join this global group: LinkedIn) or face-to-face through our Special Interest Groups and Regional Groups.
  • Monthly newsletters and quarterly editions of Enterprise Risk Magazine, bringing you the latest news and views from across the world of risk management.
  • Thought leadership and online resources that give insight and practical guidance on key risk management issues.
  • Access to online webinars
  • Discounts on training, events, and conferences as well as on other industry events and publications that we negotiate from time to time on behalf of members.
  • Exclusive access to the community of India Alumni on Telegram / WhatsApp

Maintaining your membership

All professional members are expected to obtain 30 hours’ CPD each membership year (July to June) to maintain their professional designation and the IRM carries out random spot checks each year. You do not need to submit your annual CPD report if you are not directly asked to
Membership subscriptions are renewable on 1 July. They cover a 12-month period up to 30 June the following year. Membership fees can be directly renewed here. You can refer to the Low GDP rates as an Indian candidte.

Decide the elective you are interested in and start your registration for the Level 2 Qualification.