GARP RAI Exam Explained: Format, Modules, Fees, and Delivery

What is the GARP RAI exam?

The RAI is GARP's Risk and AI Certificate exam: 80 equally weighted multiple-choice questions completed in four hours, covering how AI and machine learning methods are used in business decisions, the risks that arise from their use, and the governance frameworks that keep deployment responsible. It runs only in April and October windows and can be sat at a Pearson VUE test center or online from home through Pearson VUE's OnVUE proctoring.

GARP built it to be reachable without a technical background: no coding or programming is required, no work experience is required, and the mathematics sits at the level of an advanced undergraduate or introductory graduate course in finance, statistics, or economics. GARP estimates 100 to 130 hours of preparation.

What is the RAI exam format?

Eighty questions, four hours, equal weight per question - with one structural twist. GARP's RAI FAQ states that most questions stand alone, but groups of three to four questions can draw on a common lead-in scenario: one described situation, several reasoning steps. That design rewards applied judgment over recitation, and it is the piece single-fact drilling does not prepare you for.

The exam is offered in American English only. GARP's logistics page also records a Japanese-language sitting offered for candidates in Japan on October 3, 2026 - a dated, regional exception, not a standing language option. Preparation materials live on GARP Learning: registration includes the full curriculum and a practice exam, and access ends on the last day of your registered exam window.

What does the RAI exam cover?

Five modules are tested, and one is explicitly not. Per GARP's RAI FAQ and study-materials page, the tested curriculum covers: History and Overview of AI Concepts; AI Tools and Techniques; Risks and Risk Factors; Responsible and Ethical AI; and Data and AI Model Governance. Module 6 - Case Studies and Practitioner Perspectives - is optional and will not be tested, which GARP states in capital letters on its own FAQ.

The weight map exists but is specific: GARP's RAI Study Guide and Learning Objectives document summarizes the content and the weight of each knowledge area on the exam, and it is the document to plan against. The through-line is risk practice, not machine-learning engineering - tools and techniques are tested, but the credential's center of gravity is risk factors, responsible and ethical use, and governance of data and models.

When does the RAI exam run, and what does it cost?

The RAI is a fixed-window exam. Per GARP's logistics page retrieved 2026-10-22, the October 3-11, 2026 window is closed to new registration; the next window is April 3-11, 2027, with early registration December 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027 and standard registration February 1 through March 31, 2027; an October 2-10, 2027 window follows. Scheduling closes before the window does - October 2026 scheduling ended October 9 - so the workable deadline is earlier than the last exam date.

The fee ladder for April 2027 runs by candidate status: FRM, RAI, or ERP holders 525 USD early and 625 USD standard; Individual Members 550 and 650; Non-Members 650 and 750, plus applicable taxes. One genuine perk: eligible new candidates who have never received a complimentary GARP membership get a six-month Individual Membership applied automatically in the cart at registration. The printed book costs 100 USD plus shipping for registered candidates.

Two policy numbers to know before budgeting. Deferral: one move to the next exam window, submitted by April 1 for an April window or October 1 for an October window, with a 150 USD administrative fee, per the current RAI policies page. Retake: the current fees page states a one-time reduced price of 300 USD for the next administration window, while the RAI FAQ and policies page still show 350 USD for the same rule - treat the fees-page figure as operative and confirm at registration.

Can you take the RAI exam online from home?

Yes - verified at three layers on 2026-10-22. GARP's RAI Exam Logistics page offers two formats: computer-based testing at a Pearson VUE center, or online proctoring remotely through Pearson VUE's OnVUE system at a location of your choice. Pearson's live GARP registration flow renders the Risk and Artificial Intelligence exam - code GARPRandAI, id 53858 - without sign-in, and its delivery-options step offers In-person at a test center and Online with OnVUE. The official OnVUE view-all catalog lists GARP for home testing.

The at-home rules are Pearson's dedicated GARP OnVUE minimums: Windows 10 or macOS 14 or higher, one display, a working webcam, microphone, and speaker with no headphones, at least 6 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up, every other application closed, and no VPN or corporate network. Check-in runs through your GARP account into OnVUE with equipment and network checks, phone photos of you, your ID, and your workspace, and a room scan. GARP's FAQ adds the hard rules: no breaks during the online session, and a phone accessed after check-in terminates the exam.

How do RAI results and the certificate work?

Results are window-based. GARP scores exams after the window closes and emails candidates when results post to the GARP candidate portal, within four to six weeks of the window's closing. Passers receive an electronic certificate of completion and a complimentary digital badge, and holders are encouraged - not required - to earn ten CPD credits per year.

GARP polices the credential language precisely, and it is worth quoting exactly: a passer may call themselves an RAI Certificate Holder, RAI Holder, or RAI Certificate recipient - after their name in correspondence, on business cards, and in resumes - but may not call themselves RAI-certified, because the FRM is GARP's only current certification. That is GARP's own distinction, not ours.

If the first sitting does not produce the pass, the current fees page allows one reduced-price re-registration at 300 USD for the next administration window - and because results take four to six weeks, the retake is effectively a next-window decision. The delivery map shows where each GARP exam can be sat, and the cost explainer puts the RAI ladder beside the SCR and FRM numbers.

The short version

The RAI is GARP's AI-risk certificate exam: 80 equally weighted questions in four hours, five tested modules, no coding required, April and October windows only, and a 525-to-750 USD fee ladder by candidate status - with online delivery verified per exam in Pearson's live GARP flow on 2026-10-22.

If the sitting is the part you want handled, Exam Assist manages the RAI exam end to end - the GARP registration, the Pearson delivery choice, the system checks, and the proctored sitting - and the service fee is due only after the agreed result posts. Start at the booking page or open the RAI service page for the sitting itself.