Common Mistakes to Avoid on the Upcoming October 2025 GARP SCR Exam
- Kateryna Myrko
- Aug 12
- 6 min read
The Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR®) exam is offered again October 18–November 1, 2025. With standard registration open through September 30 and scheduling available up to October 30, this is the last major window of the year for candidates to earn the credential. Below are the most common—yet avoidable—mistakes that trip people up, and how to steer clear of them.
1) Studying to the wrong blueprint (or relying on outdated formats)
Plenty of blog posts still describe a 90-question paper or two case studies. For 2025, GARP states the SCR exam consists of 80 equally weighted multiple-choice questions, including one case study, with four hours to finish. Build your timing, question practice, and review strategy around that current structure—not legacy versions.
Fix: Start with the free SCR Candidate Guide and the Study Guide & Learning Objectives, then map your study calendar to the ten official chapters and required online readings listed for 2025. Treat any third-party outline as a supplement, not a source of truth.
2) Ignoring registration, scheduling, and deferral cutoffs
Administrative slip-ups derail otherwise ready candidates. For the October 2025 window, standard registration runs Aug 1–Sept 30; scheduling closes Oct 30, and the exam window is Oct 18–Nov 1. Miss those and you’re out. If life happens, you can defer once to the next window for USD 150—but you must request it by October 1.
Fix: Put the three dates (register, defer, schedule) in your calendar today, and set reminders with a 72-hour buffer. If you might need a deferral, act before October 1.
3) Choosing a test format without understanding the rules
New for 2025: you may take SCR in person (Pearson VUE CBT) or via online proctoring (OnVUE). The convenience of testing from home comes with stricter tech and workspace requirements—failure to meet them can end your session with no refund or free deferral.
Fix: Decide format early.
If online: run the official system test on the same device/network, confirm OS requirements, and prepare a clean, quiet, single-monitor workspace; VPNs, tablets, extra screens, and wearable devices are not allowed. Restart your computer before check-in.
If in person: scout the center, plan transport, and arrive at least 30 minutes early. Lockers are provided; once seated, you can’t communicate with others.
4) Bringing (or expecting to bring) the wrong materials
Calculators: Don’t pack one—GARP provides a digital on-screen calculator for both in-person and online exams. Bringing unauthorized items risks dismissal. You’ll also get an erasable note board in the test center or a digital whiteboard online; scratch paper is not permitted.
Fix: Practice with an on-screen calculator during mocks, and rehearse simple calculations with keystrokes rather than a handheld device. Get comfortable working on a digital whiteboard for quick tables or T-accounts you might sketch during scenario questions.
5) Letting ID/name mismatches torpedo admission
GARP’s ID policy is strict: original, valid, unexpired, government-issued ID with photo and signature, and your registered name must match exactly (including middle names/initials). A digital ID won’t be accepted; there are no exceptions.
Fix: Check your GARP dashboard now. If your legal name or diacritics differ, contact Member Services immediately to update records—don’t wait for exam day.
6) Underestimating the breadth (and the practical flavor) of the curriculum
The SCR exam is not highly quantitative, but it is broad and applied. Expect questions that link climate science, policy, governance, markets/instruments, transition planning, scenario analysis, and climate-and-nature risk concepts to real-world risk management decisions. Those who memorize terms without grasping materiality, metrics, or policy implications often struggle with the case study and integrated questions.
Fix: For each chapter, learn:
What the concept is (definitions, frameworks),
Why it matters for risk (financial channels, exposures, stakeholders), and
How it is applied (disclosures, scenario design, KPIs/KRIs, governance levers).Use the official Practice Exam and GARP Learning progress checks to test applied understanding, not just recall.
7) Cramming instead of pacing to four hours
Some candidates rush early items and fade late; others sink too much time into the case study and leave easier points on the table. You have four hours for 80 questions—roughly 3 minutes per question (buffer included).
Fix: During mocks, run two passes:
Pass 1: Answer straightforward items and any question you can solve within ~90 seconds.
Pass 2: Return to flagged items; allocate time consciously to the case study block.Aim to reach the final question by the 3:30 mark with 30 minutes for review.
8) Skipping required online readings and errata
The official 2025 syllabus includes required online readings beyond the book. They’re fair game on exam day—and ignoring the errata page means you might study a paragraph that has since been corrected.
Fix: After each chapter, check whether there’s a required online reading and add it to your plan. Revisit the Curriculum Errata page monthly (and the week before your exam).
9) Neglecting governance, culture, and reporting in favor of “sexier” topics
It’s tempting to camp out in scenario analysis or markets/instruments. But governance, risk appetite, policy context, internal controls, transition planning, and carbon reporting routinely anchor applied questions. Over-indexing on models while skimming governance and disclosures is a classic way to leave points behind. The 2025 book explicitly spans policy/culture/governance, net zero, climate-and-nature risk assessment, and transition planning & carbon reporting.
Fix: For governance and reporting topics, prepare quick-reference checklists (e.g., who owns what, board vs. management roles, key policies, typical metrics, scope boundaries, assurance, and common pitfalls).
10) Failing to practice case-based reasoning
The single case study can integrate multiple domains (science → risk drivers → governance response → financing tools → disclosures). Candidates who only drill isolated MCQs struggle to synthesize. (garp.org)
Fix: Practice “mini memos”: after reading a short scenario, write 5–7 bullet points covering (1) salient risks, (2) data or metrics you’d want, (3) plausible management actions, and (4) reporting implications. Then answer MCQs on the scenario, time-boxed to three minutes each.
11) Overlooking exam-day rules (breaks, phones, personal items)
In test centers, phones must stay in lockers; online, you’ll use a phone for check-in photos but must place it out of reach during the exam. Unauthorized items, large hair accessories, removable jewelry, notes, or scratch paper are not allowed. Online candidates cannot take breaks; in-person candidates can only leave with proctor approval and receive no extra time. Violations can terminate your session.
Fix: Rehearse exam-day routines. For online proctoring, perform a mock room scan the week before and again the morning of the exam.
12) Procrastinating on scheduling (or assuming seat availability)
Scheduling is first-come, first-served—including online slots. Candidates who wait for the “perfect” day sometimes end up with awkward times or long commutes—or, worse, miss the Oct 30 scheduling cutoff.
Fix: Schedule immediately after registration. If you must reschedule, do it ≥48 hours before your appointment.
13) Not planning for a retake (just in case)
It’s wise—not pessimistic—to understand the safety net. If you don’t pass, or if you registered but didn’t sit, you can retake once in the next two exam administrations for USD 350. If the curriculum changes, updated digital materials are provided. Knowing this reduces pressure and helps you decide whether to defer or sit.
Fix: If your readiness is borderline two weeks out, compare the deferral option (by Oct 1) versus sitting and using the retake pathway—run the numbers on time, cost, and momentum.
Final 30-Day Action Plan (zero fluff) Common Mistakes to Avoid on the Upcoming October 2025 GARP SCR Exam
Lock logistics: Confirm registration status, format (CBT vs. online), appointment date/time, and ID name match; add Oct 1 (deferral) and Oct 30 (scheduling) to your calendar.
Syllabus sync: Download the 2025 Candidate Guide and Study Guide; list every chapter + required reading; check errata. Common Mistakes to Avoid on the Upcoming October 2025 GARP SCR Exam
Timed practice: Two full 4-hour mocks with a visible three-minute/question cadence; practice with an on-screen calculator and (if applicable) a digital whiteboard.
Case skills: Weekly scenario drills that force you to connect science → risk → governance → finance → reporting.
Exam-day drill: If online, run the Pearson VUE system test and room-prep checklist; if in person, map transit and arrive early.
Avoid these pitfalls and you’ll convert study hours into points on test day—calmly, cleanly, and in line with the current 2025 rules. Good luck this October.
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