Free Excel template

Free risk register template (5×5, COSO-aligned).

A ready-to-use Excel risk register with a 5×5 inherent-and-residual matrix, COSO-aligned categories, automatic scoring, colour-coded heat map and drop-downs. No sign-up — download and start.

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What's inside

Everything you need for a working register

Risk Register sheet19 columns: ID, title, description, category, owner, inherent & residual scoring, controls, response, actions, due dates and status.
Automatic 5×5 scoringLikelihood × impact calculates itself and colours green→red by band.
COSO-aligned categoriesTen ready categories in a drop-down — strategic, financial, cyber, compliance and more.
5×5 heat map referenceA colour-coded matrix sheet with a low→extreme legend.
Four worked examplesRansomware, FX exposure, supplier failure and a compliance risk to show the pattern.

Preview — Risk Register sheet

ID	Risk	Cat.	Inh.	Res.
0001	Ransomware attack	Cyber	20	12
0002	FX exposure	Financial	9	6
0003	Supplier failure	Vendor	12	9
0004	Non-compliance	Compliance	8	4

How to use the risk register template

List your risks. Give each a short ID and title, and describe what could happen and why.
Categorise and assign an owner. Pick a category from the drop-down and name the person accountable.
Score inherent risk. Rate likelihood and impact 1–5; the inherent score and its colour fill in automatically.
Record controls, then score residual. Note existing controls and their effectiveness, then rate residual likelihood and impact — this is your risk after controls.
Decide a response and an action. Choose avoid, reduce, share or accept, add a treatment action, owner, due date and status.
Review regularly. Re-score as controls and conditions change.

When to move beyond the spreadsheet

A template is a great start. It stops scaling once several people contribute, nothing reminds owners of overdue actions or breached thresholds, and every board pack is rebuilt by hand. That's what Rukn ERM's risk register software automates — the same register as a living program with alerts, an audit trail, permissions and one-click reports. See spreadsheet vs ERM software for the honest breakdown.

Your register, but automated

See the same 5×5 register with KRI alerts, quantification and board reports — in Arabic or English.

Request a demo See risk register software