Question #1 of 11 Question ID: 439522

Which of the following best describes key rate duration? Key rate duration is determined by:

✗ A) shifting the whole yield curve linearly.

✗ B) shifting the whole yield curve in a parallel manner.

✓ C) changing the yield of a specific maturity.

✗ D) changing the curvature of the entire yield curve.

Explanation

Key rate duration can be defined as the approximate percentage change in the value of a bond or bond portfolio in response
to a 100 basis point change in a key rate, holding all other rates constant, where every security or portfolio has a set of key
rate durations, one for each key rate maturity point.

References

Question From: Topic Area 4 > Topic 62 > LO 3

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Question #2 of 11 Question ID: 439525

You are using key rate shifts to model the term structure of interest rates. For key rates you have chosen the 1-year,
7-year, and 20-year yields. The effect on the 10-year yield of a 10 basis point increase in the 7-year yield is closest to
a:

✗ A) 2.3 basis points increase.

✗ B) 10 basis point increase.

✓ C) 7.7 basis point increase.
✗ D) 5 basis points increase.

Explanation

The 10 bp shock to the 7-year yield is assumed to decline linearly to zero for the 20-year yield. Thus, the shock
decreases 10/13 bp per year, resulting in a 10 bp - (10-7)(10/13)=7.7 bp increase for the 10-year yield.

References

Question From: Topic Area 4 > Topic 62 > LO 4

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Question #3 of 11 Question ID: 439527

Assume you own a security with a 2 year key rate exposure of $4.78, and you would like to hedge your position with
a security that has a corresponding 2 year key rate exposure of 0.67 per $100 of face value. What amount of face
value would be used to hedge the 2 year exposure?

✓ A) $713.

✗ B) $670.
✗ C) $478.

✗ D) $239.

Explanation

The sensitivity to the key rate tells us how much of the face value of the hedging instrument we need to be an
effective hedge. In this case we are told that the hedging security has a sensitivity of 0.67 per $100 of face value.

This means that each $100 of the face value of the hedging security will only contribute 0.67 to the desired key rate
exposure of $4.78.

Therefore, we will need ($4.78 / 0.67) = $7.13 × the face value

Face value = $7.13 × $100 = $713

References

Question From: Topic Area 4 > Topic 62 > LO 6

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Question #4 of 11 Question ID: 439524

Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement regarding the key rate shift approach in analyzing nonparallel
shifts in the yield curve?

✗ A) Key rate effects are smooth.

✗ B) A parallel shift across the yield curve results.
✗ C) A linear relationship incorporates key changes in rates across key rates.

✓ D) Key rates are mostly affected by the few rates closest to it.

Explanation

A key rate is only affected by the interest rate change at that key rate maturity. A key rate is NOT affected by any
interest rate changes at other maturities. However, interest rates at maturities between key rate maturities are
affected by a combination of the key rates closest to it.

References

Question From: Topic Area 4 > Topic 62 > LO 3

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Question #5 of 11 Question ID: 439529

Which of the following statements regarding key rate shifts and bucket shifts is CORRECT?
I. The key rate shift approach uses many potential effects within a region of the yield curve.
II. The bucket shift approach assumes parallel changes in the forward rates implicit in the region of the curve being
investigated.
III. The key rate shift approach is more appropriate than the bucket shift approach for managing the interest rate risk
of a swaps portfolio.

✗ A) II and III.

✗ B) I only.

✗ C) III only.

✓ D) II only.

Explanation

The bucket rate shift approach uses many potential effects within a region of the yield curve. The bucket shift
approach assumes parallel changes in the forward rates implicit in the region of the curve being investigated. That
makes the bucket shift approach more appropriate for managing the interest rate risk of a swaps portfolio.

References

Question From: Topic Area 4 > Topic 62 > LO 7

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Question #6 of 11 Question ID: 439532

How are forward-bucket '01s computed?

✗ A) By summing the changes in the fitted securities.

✗ B) By fitting the swap par rates to the yield curve.

✓ C) By shifting the forward rate over each of several defined regions of the term structure.
✗ D) By expanding key rates to an infinite number along the curve.
Explanation

Forward-bucket '01s are computed by shifting the forward rate as described, a region at a time.

References

Question From: Topic Area 4 > Topic 62 > LO 7

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Question #7 of 11 Question ID: 439528

Which measure of interest rate risk would be most suitable for managing the interest rate risk of a swaps portfolio?

✗ A) Key rate duration.

✓ B) Bucket shift technique.

✗ C) Key rate shift technique.

✗ D) Effective duration.

Explanation

The two key choices here are between using a key rate technique or using a bucket shift technique that can both
model non parallel changes in interest rates.

Key rate techniques use as the name suggests specific key rates to model interest rate changes. The bucket shift
technique is more complex and can model a wider range of interest rate changes.

In relation to swaps, the bucket shift technique is superior due to this ability to factor in a wide range of interest rate
changes.

References

Question From: Topic Area 4 > Topic 62 > LO 7

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Question #8 of 11 Question ID: 439526

An analyst has a list of key rate durations for a portfolio of bonds. If only one interest rate on the yield curve changes,
the effect on the value of the bond portfolio will be the change of that rate multiplied by the:
 ✓ A) key rate duration associated with the maturity of the rate that changed.
✗ B) weighted average of the key rate durations.

✗ C) simple average of the key rate durations.

✗ D) median of the key rate durations.

Explanation

This is how an analyst uses key rate durations: For a given change in the yield curve, each rate change is multiplied
by the associated key rate duration. The sum of those products gives the change in the value of the portfolio. If only
the five-year interest rate changes, for example, then the effect on the portfolio will be the product of that change
times the five-year key rate duration.

References

Question From: Topic Area 4 > Topic 62 > LO 4

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Question #9 of 11 Question ID: 439531

Which of the following differences between key rate and bucket analysis is (are) CORRECT?
I. Key rate uses more interest rate factors.
II. The bucket shift approach assumes parallel changes in the implicit forward rates.
III. Estimating portfolio volatility with both methods is similar except the bucket technique required less inputs and
correlations.
IV. The key rate shift approach assumes changes in rates in and around the chosen key rates.

✓ A) II and IV.

✗ B) II and III.
✗ C) IV only.
✗ D) I and III.

Explanation

Key rate uses fewer rate factors.

The bucket shift approach does assume parallel changes in implicit forward rates.

Estimating portfolio volatility is similar for both methods except that the bucket method requires more inputs and
correlations.

The key rate approach assumes changes in rates in and around the chosen key rates.

References

Question From: Topic Area 4 > Topic 62 > LO 7

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Key Concepts by LO

Question #10 of 11 Question ID: 439530

Which of the following statements in regard to key rate shifts and bucket shift approaches is FALSE?

✓ A) The bucket shift approach assumes non-parallel changes in forward rates in the section of
the yield curve under investigation.

✗ B) Key rate shifts assume changes in rates in and around the chosen key rates.
✗ C) Key rate shifts incorporate a relatively small number of key rates in its analysis.

✗ D) The bucket shift approach uses many potential effects within a section of the yield curve.

Explanation

The bucket shift approach assumes parallel changes (not non-parallel changes) in forward rates in the section of the
yield curve under investigation.

References

Question From: Topic Area 4 > Topic 62 > LO 7

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Question #11 of 11 Question ID: 439523

An analyst is using key rate shifts to model the term structure of interest rates. For key rates the analyst has chosen
the 1-year, 7-year, and 20-year yields. The rate changes that will have an effect on a 5-year bond are:

✓ A) 1-year and 7-year.

✗ B) 1-year, 7-year, and 20-year.

✗ C) 1-year.

✗ D) 7-year.

Explanation

The adjacent key rates will have an impact on the 5-year bond yield.

References

Question From: Topic Area 4 > Topic 62 > LO 3

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