Because I'm not doing the CFA Level II examination this year (because I've recently moved into a new job) and because my whole team was out of the office today, I spent the day surfing the Internet trying to find out more about another professional qualification I'd been thinking about taking - the FRM qualification.

Unfortunately, because it's not as well-known as the CFA, that means that access to cheaper sources of notes (*ahem*) will be a lot harder to obtain. I was rather relieved when I decided that I wouldn't do the CFA Level II examination this year because that meant that I could have some semblance of a life for the first half of this year, rather than plunge right back into the mugging fray so soon after having recovered from the CFA Level I study-fest, but now, I'm finding myself a little bored and wanting to ensure that I do something productive career-wise this year.

And I guess one of the good things is that because the FRM syllabus is very similar to the CFA Level II syllabus, in the event that I end up taking this exam and passing, then I know I'll be in relatively good shape for the CFA exam in 2007.

Then I find out from looking at various discussions that there's another qualification - the PRM qualification, awarded by PRMIA, a group of professionals who broke away from GARP, the body which awards the FRM.

At this point, it gets rather confusing, because I'm not quite the kind of person who goes around collecting awards and certifications for the heck of it (I used to be, but I'm slowly getting out of the habit) and after the struggle with studying for my CFA Level I exam last year, I really don't want to have to study any more than I have to. So I figure, this year, I'll do the FRM, and once I get my CFA charter, than I'll do the PRM, if I still feel that my work experience isn't sufficient to get me to where I want to go. This is probably the best path given that the CFA charter entitles you to two exemptions from the PRM programme.

Yes, I know, I'm not happy when I have to study, and when I don't have to, I'm bored. I'm a masochist. So sue me.

Related links:
FRM Exam Blog
Comparison of GARP and PRMIA