The RIMS-CRMP is the credential RIMS awards to risk management practitioners who pass a two-hour, 120-question exam across five domains and meet its education or experience requirements. This guide covers the blueprint, fees, eligibility, scheduling, retake rules and how to prepare, using RIMS's own exam pages, study guide and Candidate Handbook.
TL;DR
- 120 questions in two hours, 71% to pass. The exam has 100 scored questions plus 20 pretest questions, all four-choice multiple choice with one best answer.
- Two domains carry 60% of the exam. Designing Organizational Risk Strategies and Implementing Risk Process are 30% each; Analyzing the Organizational Model and Supporting Decision Making are 15% each; Developing Organizational Risk Competency is 10%.
- Calculations are not required. The official study guide says knowledge of how to do calculations for specific risk analysis techniques, and mathematical calculations, are not required, but you must recognize the components of risk analysis and know how and when to use methods.
- You must be approved before you can test. Eligibility is a degree plus experience, or six years of risk management experience without a degree, and RIMS must authorize you first.
- The exam is changing on January 4, 2027. The current exam stays available through January 3, 2027; the updated exam adds task E3, Manage Decision Support Tools.
- Start your practice early. Work through the CertCompanion RIMS-CRMP question bank, which includes 30 free questions, alongside RIMS's free study guide.
Exam at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cost | $375 RIMS member, $525 non-member, $275 student member, $375 student non-member; each includes a nonrefundable $100 application processing fee |
| Duration | Two hours |
| Questions | 120 total: 100 scored plus 20 pretest |
| Passing score | 71% or higher |
| Format | Computer-based, closed book and proctored; four-choice multiple choice |
| Testing | Pearson VUE test center, or remote from home or office using OnVUE |
| Results | Pass or Fail; candidates who do not pass receive a diagnostic analysis of strengths and weaknesses by content area, sent by follow-up email |
| Validity | Two years |
| Recertification | 50 continuing education points, at least 35 in professional development; $150 for RIMS members, $200 for non-members |
| Retake fee | $275 RIMS member, $375 non-member, $175 student member, $275 student non-member |
| Retake waiting periods | 30 days after the first attempt; 90 days after the second; after a third failure, 180 days and a new application |
| Exam version | Current exam available through January 3, 2027; updated exam launches January 4, 2027 |
Two hours for 120 questions is an average of one minute per question. The 20 pretest questions are part of the 120, so pace yourself as if every question counts.
Eligibility and Application
You cannot simply book a seat. All RIMS-CRMP candidates need prior authorization from the RIMS-CRMP Certification Department before they can take the exam, and the exam is open to anyone who meets the eligibility requirements.
Degree and experience requirement (any one of these):
- A bachelor's degree or higher (or global equivalent) in risk management, plus one year of full-time work experience in risk management.
- A student enrolled in the final year of a bachelor's degree program or higher in risk management. Students may apply and take the exam, but are not awarded the certification until they pass, complete the degree and demonstrate one year of full-time risk management experience.
- A bachelor's degree or higher in a non-risk-management field, plus three years of full-time risk management experience.
Non-degree experience requirement: six years of risk management experience.
The application asks for contact information, a code of ethics disclosure and attestations, your academic history, qualifying employment experience and payment, and your application cannot be approved until payment is made. Degree applicants must provide an official university transcript (copies and photographs are not accepted), and everyone provides an employment verification form signed by a supervisor or HR manager. RIMS notifies candidates by email within 15 business days of processing and approving an application.
Once approved, you choose an exam date within your authorized four-month timeframe. RIMS's application page says that if you miss your timeframe, the examination fee is forfeited and you must reapply as a new applicant; the Candidate Handbook and fee schedule also mention an exam extension fee. Check the current Candidate Handbook before your window closes. You must schedule at least 24 hours in advance and may schedule up to 60 calendar days before your desired date, and testing center appointments are first come, first served.
Domain Weights
RIMS publishes the blueprint as five domains, each broken into tasks. These percentages are the official weights.
| Domain | Weight | Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| A. Analyzing the Organizational Model | 15% | Obtain internal organizational information; obtain external information about the organization; conduct internal analyses on the organization; assess organizational resilience |
| B. Designing Organizational Risk Strategies | 30% | Determine risk appetite and tolerance; develop risk strategy approach; define organizational risk competency and capabilities; design risk management framework; obtain organizational support for risk strategy; design implementation plan; develop risk communication plan |
| C. Implementing Risk Process | 30% | Identify scope, context and criteria; identify risks and opportunities; analyze identified risk; evaluate risk; collaborate with stakeholders to identify risk solution options; monitor organizational risk |
| D. Developing Organizational Risk Competency | 10% | Engage the organization's risk network; deliver risk training; coach the organization on the risk process and techniques; continuously improve the risk management process; integrate risk management into day-to-day operations |
| E. Supporting Decision Making | 15% | Influence risk-based decision making; advise on risk and resilience decisions; manage decision support tools (new task E3, tested on the exam launching January 4, 2027) |
Domains B and C together make up 60% of the exam, so they deserve the largest share of your study time. RIMS's own sample study plans make the same point: they explain how the blueprint weighting should shape where your time goes.
What each domain covers
A. Analyzing the Organizational Model. Before you design or run a risk process you have to understand the organization. This domain covers gathering internal and external information, analyzing the organization's internal context, and assessing its resilience.
B. Designing Organizational Risk Strategies. The tasks run from setting risk appetite and tolerance through building the strategy, competency and framework, winning organizational support, planning implementation and planning risk communication. It is the largest domain, tied with C.
C. Implementing Risk Process. This is the risk process itself, from scope, context and criteria through identification, analysis and evaluation, then stakeholder collaboration on solution options and monitoring. Identifying opportunities sits alongside identifying risks in the task list.
D. Developing Organizational Risk Competency. The smallest domain covers the risk network, training, coaching, continuous improvement and embedding risk management into day-to-day operations.
E. Supporting Decision Making. Two current tasks cover influencing risk-based decisions and advising on risk and resilience decisions. From January 4, 2027, a third task, manage decision support tools, is added.
How the Questions Work
RIMS's study guide describes the item format directly:
- Every question is four-choice multiple choice: a stem, written as a question or an incomplete statement, and four response options. Exactly one option is correct (the key) and the other three are distractors. You select only one.
- Questions vary in complexity. Some ask you to recall information; others ask you to apply knowledge to pick the most appropriate response or action in the situation described.
- Always select the best option, and read the stem closely: a question may be asking what must be done, what is most commonly done, or what can be done, and those are different questions.
- Mathematical calculations are not required. You still need to recognize the components of risk analysis and understand how and when to use analysis methods.
RIMS also lists its top references for the exam, including ISO 31000:2018 (Risk Management - Guidelines), the RIMS Strategic Risk Management Implementation Guide, COSO Enterprise Risk Management, Paul Hopkin's Fundamentals of Risk Management, and Michael Elliott's Risk Management Principles and Practices, plus several others. The full list is on the RIMS exam content page.
How to Prepare
- Build your plan from the blueprint. The study guide tells candidates to use the examination blueprint to build a study plan and to leave enough time to prepare.
- Read the free study guide. The RIMS-CRMP Study Guide has two sections: guidance on studying, taking the exam and what to expect at the testing center, then a summary of the five core competencies with a review of each.
- Use the free RIMS materials. The RIMS resources page offers 12 sample study plans across four preparation paths and three timelines, a 24-term core lexicon, a 10-question practice quiz and a 30-question practice test drawn from a bank of 120. RIMS says the sample questions are an additional study resource and are not predictive of how you will score.
- Add paid RIMS materials if you want them. RIMS sells an expanded lexicon, flash cards and an overview course; these are optional.
- Practice on realistic questions. CertCompanion's RIMS-CRMP bank has 807 questions with explanations, and you can start with 30 free questions at the RIMS-CRMP exam page. Use the chart below to see how the bank is spread across the domains.
This shows how CertCompanion's own RIMS-CRMP practice bank is distributed, not the official exam weighting. An "Other" bucket, when present, holds questions that could not be mapped cleanly to one domain. Use the official domain percentages to plan coverage and this bank to pressure-test it.
If you are planning further credentials in this space, the RIMS provider hub lists the RIMS certification paths on CertCompanion.
Exam Day
- Scheduling. Schedule at least 24 hours ahead, and earlier for your preferred date and location. You can cancel a scheduled exam online without penalty up to 24 hours before the appointment; cancelling later, arriving late, failing to show ID or not showing up counts as a no show and carries the no-show fee in the RIMS fee schedule.
- Identification. Candidates present two forms of ID, and the Candidate Handbook lists acceptable forms.
- Remote exams. Candidates check in 30 minutes before the start time, download the OnVUE software and run a systems check, photograph their government-issued ID and testing environment, and take a headshot. A certified proctor monitors by webcam and microphone.
- After you finish. You receive a printed report with your Pass or Fail result. Candidates who do not pass get a diagnostic analysis by content area by email afterward. Hand scoring can be requested within 90 days of the test date for $25.
If You Do Not Pass
You can retake the exam and must pay the retake fee each time ($275 RIMS member, $375 non-member). You may retake 30 days after your first attempt. After a second failure you must wait 90 days before a third attempt, and after a third failure you must wait 180 days, reapply as a new candidate and pay all applicable fees. The diagnostic analysis by content area shows where to focus before your next attempt.
After You Pass: Recertification
The RIMS-CRMP is valid for two years. To recertify you need 50 continuing education points earned within the two-year cycle, at least 35 of them in the professional development category, plus the recertification fee ($150 for RIMS members, $200 for non-members). Points are not retroactive, late applications are not accepted, and RIMS reviews recertification applications within 15 business days and audits a random sample. If a recertification application is denied, the certification can be revoked, and the only way back is to reapply and retake the exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are on the RIMS-CRMP, and what is the passing score? The exam has 120 questions, made up of 100 scored questions and 20 pretest questions, and you have two hours. You need 71% or higher to pass.
How much does the RIMS-CRMP cost? The exam fee is $375 for RIMS members, $525 for non-members, $275 for student members and $375 for student non-members. Each includes a nonrefundable $100 application processing fee.
Is there math on the exam? RIMS's study guide says that knowledge of how to do calculations for specific risk analysis techniques, and mathematical calculations, are not required. Candidates must still recognize the components of risk analysis and understand how and when to use analysis methods.
What are the prerequisites? A bachelor's degree in risk management plus one year of risk management experience, a bachelor's in another field plus three years, or six years of risk management experience without a degree. A student in the final year of a risk management bachelor's program may apply, but is not awarded the certification until the degree and one year of experience are complete. Every candidate needs RIMS authorization before testing.
Can I take it from home? Yes. The exam is available at a Pearson VUE test center or as an online proctored exam from your home or office using OnVUE.
How long do I wait to retake it? 30 days after a first failed attempt, 90 days after a second, and 180 days after a third failure, at which point you reapply as a new candidate.
How long is the certification valid? Two years. Recertification takes 50 continuing education points, at least 35 in professional development, and a fee.
What changes on January 4, 2027? The current exam is available through January 3, 2027. The updated exam, launching January 4, 2027, adds task E3, Manage Decision Support Tools, under Domain E. If you are sitting after that date, confirm which version you are scheduled for.
Ready to test yourself before you schedule? Work through realistic practice questions with explanations on the CertCompanion RIMS-CRMP exam page and start with 30 free questions.
Checked against official RIMS RIMS-CRMP exam documentation. Last verified 2026-10-25.