Risk Ladder

Overview:

Climb the Market is a gamified, team-based board game tournament that introduces students to the fundamentals of financial risk management through an engaging and competitive experience. Inspired by the classic Snakes & Ladders format, the game transforms market developments and financial decisions into interactive challenges. Each move on the board presents an opportunity to apply financial concepts, assess risk and make decisions in a simulated market environment.

The event is designed to assess participants' financial awareness, analytical thinking and ability to identify and respond to different categories of risk, including market, credit, liquidity, operational, legal and compliance risk. Participants will also experience the challenges of managing a simulated virtual portfolio under time and decision-making pressure. No prior finance background is required; the event is open to students from all academic disciplines.

Round Structure

Round 1: Online Quiz

The first round will be conducted online through a proctored quiz designed to evaluate participants' basic financial knowledge, financial awareness and analytical aptitude.

• Only one member from each registered team is permitted to attempt the quiz.
• Each team will be allowed only one attempt.
• The quiz will serve as the elimination round for shortlisting teams for the offline round.
• 30 questions in 15 minutes.

Round 2: Offline Board Game Tournament

The second round will be conducted on campus. Shortlisted teams will compete in Risk Ladder, a financial risk-management board game in which each team manages a simulated virtual portfolio of ₹10,00,000 while progressing across a 100-square board.

The board incorporates ladders representing sound decisions or favourable market developments, and snakes representing poor decisions or adverse market events. As teams move across the board, they will encounter different types of cards:

• Question Cards: Test participants' understanding of financial and risk-management concepts.
• Opportunity Cards: Present favourable situations or potential opportunities that require informed decisions.
• Risk Cards: Introduce risk-related situations that require teams to assess possible consequences and respond appropriately.
• Market Event Cards: Simulate real-world market developments and their potential impact on financial positions.

Teams will take turns rolling a die and moving across the board. The square on which a team lands will determine the question, card or scenario it must address. Teams' decisions and responses will influence their progress and/or simulated portfolio, as applicable to the game mechanics.

Winning Criteria

The winner will be determined by either of the following outcomes:

• A team is the first to reach Square 100; or
• If no team reaches Square 100 within 20 rounds, the team with the highest portfolio value at the end of the 20th round will be declared the winner.

In the event of a tie, the team that has answered the highest number of questions correctly will be declared the winner.