5 mins read time Stress testing refers to a process through we which we try and assess the impact of abnormal and extreme conditions on our processes, control systems and organizations.

Within financial services stress testing takes a second dimension where the focus shifts from assessing impact to identifying breaking points; the maximum amount of stress a financial institution would be able to bear before it breaks down and fails. The level of interconnectivity between financial markets and institutions has made this threshold of failure even more important since a since the failure of a single institution can trigger a deep and painful system wide crisis that can very easily turn into a regional or global contagion.