- Certification Overview
- How It Works
- Career Paths
- Testimonials
- FAQ
FMVA® at a Glance
CFI's Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) Certification imparts vital financial analysis skills, emphasizing constructing effective financial models for confident business decisions. This comprehensive program ensures mastery in modeling, budgeting, forecasting, and overall competency in accounting and finance.
FMVA® equips you with essential skills and tools for success as a financial professional. The hands-on curriculum and real-world applications prepare individuals for roles in investment banking, private equity, M&A, business valuation, and corporate finance. The flexible online format, designed for busy professionals, facilitates self-paced learning for skill enhancement and career advancement.
What's in the Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst Program?
42 courses
Consisting of 2710+ lessons
200+ interactive exercises
Learn by doing with guided simulations
Blockchain certificate
To verify your skills
500,000+ 5-star ratings
Best-in-class training, as rated by you
The FMVA® program has upskilled teams at:
Earning Your Certificate in Financial Analysis
Step 1: Prep CoursesOptional
Choose from 9 optional courses to learn or review the fundamentals.
Accounting Fundamentals
4.9(7,635 Ratings)
Level 2
5 hours
Preview
Reading Financial Statements
4.8(4,615 Ratings)
Level 2
1.5 hours
Preview
Excel Fundamentals - Formulas for Finance
4.9(5,255 Ratings)
Level 2
3.5 hours
Preview
Corporate Finance Fundamentals
4.8(3,095 Ratings)
Level 2
2.5 hours
Preview
Math for Finance Professionals
5(1,522 Ratings)
Level 2
3 hours
Preview
Analyzing Growth Drivers & Business Risks
4.8(306 Ratings)
Level 1
2 hours
Preview
The Role of The FP&A Professional
4.8(61 Ratings)
Level 1
1.5 hours
Preview
Capital IQ Fundamentals
5(1,281 Ratings)
Level 2
2 hours
Preview
Excel Fundamentals - Quick Start Guide
5(19 Ratings)
Level 1
3.5 hours
Preview
See All Prep Courses
Step 2: Core Courses
Complete 14 required core courses to build your skill set in .
Financial Analysis Fundamentals
4.9(1,748 Ratings)
Level 3
5 hours
Preview
Introduction to 3-Statement Modeling
5(57 Ratings)
Level 3
6 hours
Introduction to Business Valuation
4.8(69 Ratings)
Level 2
6 hours
Preview
Accounting Principles and Standards
4.9(1,144 Ratings)
Level 2
2 hours
Preview
Operational Modeling
4.9(178 Ratings)
Level 3
8 hours
Preview
DCF Valuation Modeling
5(88 Ratings)
Level 3
10 hours
Preview
Comparable Valuation Analysis
4.8(49 Ratings)
Level 5
4.5 hours
Preview
3-Statement Modeling
4.9(911 Ratings)
Level 4
6.5 hours
Preview
Budgeting and Forecasting
5(938 Ratings)
Level 3
7 hours
Preview
FP&A Monthly Cash Flow Forecast Model
5(869 Ratings)
Level 3
3 hours
Preview
Scenario & Sensitivity Analysis in Excel
5(792 Ratings)
Level 3
2.5 hours
Preview
Dashboards & Data Visualization
5(892 Ratings)
Level 2
6 hours
Preview
PowerPoint & Pitchbooks
5(855 Ratings)
Level 2
7.5 hours
Preview
Professional Ethics
4.9(4,992 Ratings)
Level 1
3 hours
Preview
Hide All Core Courses
Step 3: Elective Courses
Choose a minimum of 3 electives (out of 19 available) to master more advanced topics and specialized areas.
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Modeling
4.9(91 Ratings)
Level 4
8 hours
Preview
Startup / e-Commerce Financial Model & Valuation
4.9(77 Ratings)
Level 4
6.5 hours
Preview
Mining Financial Model & Valuation
4.9(40 Ratings)
Level 4
5 hours
Preview
Real Estate Financial Modeling
4.9(68 Ratings)
Level 5
6.5 hours
Preview
The Amazon Case Study (New Edition)
4.9(25 Ratings)
Level 4
12.5 hours
Preview
Leveraged Buyout (LBO) Modeling
5(43 Ratings)
Level 5
15 hours
Preview
Renewable Energy - Solar Financial Modeling
4.9(39 Ratings)
Level 5
6.5 hours
Preview
Corporate & Business Strategy
5(809 Ratings)
Level 3
7.5 hours
Preview
Presentation of Financial Information
5(844 Ratings)
Level 2
2 hours
Preview
Advanced Excel Formulas & Functions
5(942 Ratings)
Level 3
4.5 hours
Preview
Excel VBA for Finance
4.8(42 Ratings)
Level 3
7.5 hours
Preview
Fundamentals of Data Analysis in Excel
4.9(232 Ratings)
Level 2
8 hours
Preview
Power BI Fundamentals
4.9(174 Ratings)
Level 3
6 hours
Preview
Power Pivot Fundamentals
5(122 Ratings)
Level 3
4 hours
Preview
Power Query Fundamentals
5(270 Ratings)
Level 3
6 hours
Preview
Power BI Financial Statements
4.9(87 Ratings)
Level 4
7 hours
Preview
Modeling Risk with Monte Carlo Simulation
5(74 Ratings)
Level 4
4 hours
Preview
Regression Analysis - Fundamentals & Practical Applications
4.9(78 Ratings)
Level 4
6.5 hours
Preview
ESG Integration & Financial Analysis
5(41 Ratings)
Level 3
6.5 hours
Preview
See All Elective Courses
Step 4: Final Exam
After completing the required courses, take the final exam (with a minimum passing grade of 70%) to earn your program certification.
Step 5: Get FMVA® Certified
Congratulations! Upon completion of the program, you will receive a blockchain digital certificate with your new credentials.
* Steps are for individual learners. For customized learning solutions for your team, please visit our CFI for Business page to contact us.
Skills & Learning Objectives in Financial Modeling & Valuation
Accounting
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Identify key items on the financial statements and describe the interrelationship between all the components
Explain the fundamental accounting principles that underly detailed accounting standards
Identify the key accounting standards commonly encountered by financial analysts and explain the impact on financial statements and financial models
Excel
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Utilize the keyboard shortcuts to save time and be more efficient in Excel
Conduct data analysis using data tables, pivot tables, and other common functions
Use advanced formulas and functions to enhance the functionality of financial models
Finance
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Explain key concepts around capital investments, the capital-raising process, different forms of financing, and the optimal capital structure
Assess the profitability, efficiency, returns, and value of a business using common financial ratios and analytical tools
Use key statistical measures to assess trends and relationships within sets of data
Financial Modeling
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Build a dynamic, logically designed, well structured 3-statement financial model
Create multi-year forecasts for the income statement, cash flow, and balance sheet
Perform scenario and sensitivity analyses to enhance the robustness of the financial model
Valuation
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Identify the different valuation methodologies and discuss the pros and cons of each
Perform a valuation analysis using comparable company and precedent transactions analysis
Calculate the weighted-average cost of capital and construct a DCF model in Excel
Budgeting & Forecasting
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Apply various forecasting techniques to develop a robust financial forecast
Track actual performance against budgeted amounts using variance analysis and other techniques
Analyze the impact of a variance analysis on the financial statements and use the results to improve the budgeting process
Presentation & Visuals
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Create insightful dashboards and advance data visualization techniques to communicate the results of financial analysis
Create aesthetically pleasing and insightful charts, graphs, and tables in Excel
Design impactful presentations to communicate key messages to a wide variety of audiences
Strategy
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Differentiate between the different levels of a company’s strategy
Perform an analysis of external forces and internal competencies and assess the impact on a company’s competitive advantage
Generate, evaluate and select optimal strategic alternatives and tie these to a company's mission, vision, and goals
Meet Your Instructors
Tim Vipond
Tim is the Chair of the Board of CFI Education with an extensive background in entrepreneurship, financial analysis, and investment banking.
Scott Powell
Scott is the Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer of CFI. Over the past 30 years, he has focused on designing and delivering learning solutions for clients in the financial services sector, particularly in the areas of commercial banking, investment banking, capital markets, and asset management.
Duncan McKeen
Duncan is the Executive Vice President, Financial Modeling at CFI. Since 2014, Duncan has been focused on designing courses and teaching financial modeling to employees working in accounting, valuation, investment banking, equity research, and private equity.
Jeff Schmidt
Jeff is the Vice President, Financial Modeling at CFI. Prior to joining CFI, Jeff Schmidt taught financial modeling and valuation to thousands of learners all over the world for over a decade.
Careers in Financial Modeling & Valuation
Equity Research
Provide investors with financial analysis and recommendations on whether to buy, hold, or sell a particular investment.
Corporate Development
Pursue and execute organic and inorganic growth opportunities for a corporation.
Private Equity
Invest in businesses with the goal of increasing their value over time before divesting of the investment.
Financial Planning & Analysis
Develop budgets and forecasts that support a corporation’s strategic planning process.
Investment Banking
Provide capital market financing and financial advisory services (e.g. M&A, restructurings).
What Our Students Say
FMVA certification is challenging, robust and interesting that equips an accounting/finance professional with world-class skills set to advance their careers excel in their endeavors!
Adrian Young
This course was very detailed and structured. I would definitely recommend this Certification for any budding Financial Analyst.
Anirudh Ganeshan
I believe the program fully performs what it promises, bridging the gap between work and higher education. For me it means an added value that I cannot describe in words. The program focuses on technical knowledge, which is highly valued since, on average, a student only learns theory before starting work.
Benjamin Briner
Strongly recommend to everyone who wants to receive new careers opportunities and enhance their knowledge in finance. CFI FMVA is perfect opportunity for everyone to obtain neccessary and strong background in financial modeling and valuation of companies. CFI helped me a lot with providing a financial aid and now my profile as a finance specialist is much more attractive and I receive additional confidence in my valuation skills. Thanks to everybody in the CFI team for creating such brilliant courses.
Alexandr Palienko
Frequently Asked Questions
Are CFI courses accredited?
CFI is accredited by the Better Business Bureau® (BBB) to maintain training standards, and by the CPA Institutions in Canada, and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) in the US for CPE credits. You can find more information here.
Will these courses help me advance my career?
Reviews from learners who have taken CFI courses and the FMVA® certification program include numerous stories about how people have been able to advance their careers. There is a proven track record of CFI graduates marking successful transitions into the careers of their dreams and this is based largely on the resources that we make available to our learners upon enrolment. Our training is designed to be fully practical and simulates the experience of being trained as a professional financial analyst. Additionally, we offer a wealth of information through our free career resources. The unique blend of all these elements is what sets us apart from other e-learning platforms when it comes to giving you all the tools you need to create a successful career in finance.
Admission Requirements
All of our certification programs are open to learners and professionals in various industries and levels of experience. Our curriculum is designed to teach what you need to know from basic fundamentals to the advanced practical case studies. To take the courses and complete the exercises, learners will only need access to a PC and/or Mac, Microsoft Suite (2016 or newer), and a stable internet connection.
What is the duration of the program?
It takes an average of 4-6 months to complete the entire program. However, you are given the freedom to complete all of the training at your own pace! Please see the “How the FMVA Program Works” section for recommended study hours for each course to give you a better idea for your time management.
How much time do I have to complete the courses?
Take as much time as you need. You will have access to all courses and all future upgrades in your subscription. You can review the video lessons as many times as you like and complete the courses at a pace that is most convenient for you.
How are the exams conducted?
Learners are required to complete an online assessment (MCQ’s, Fill-in-the-Blanks, and Excel Questions) at the end of each course. You can take the exams at your own schedule and will need to earn at least 80% to pass the course and earn your certificate of course completion. Please note that course exams can be repeated as many times as you need.
Learners are also required to complete the FMVA® final exam to earn their certification. See here for more details on the FMVA® final exam
Can I email the instructor if I have questions regarding the learning materials?Can I email the instructor if I have questions regarding the learning materials?
While the courses are designed mainly for self-study, we are happy to provide email assistance for general or technical support inquiries. The Full Immersion bundles include a premium email support function which allows you to communicate directly with in-house experts in the area of study you are focusing on. This is one of the key features that sets the Full Immersion bundle apart and makes it a worthwhile upgrade over the more affordable self-study bundle.
Can I download and edit the course material and templates?
Yes! You can download and edit the Excel models and templates included in your courses. All of the files needed in a course are available for download. Please note that while our study materials can be downloaded, the lecture videos are only available online due to copyright infringement issues.
How do I earn my certificates?
You need to complete all the video lessons, quizzes, and final assessments in each course to earn your course certificates. The certificate will then be available on your learner dashboard and also emailed to you as soon as you have completed all of the requirements.
How long does it take to receive my digital FMVA certification?
As soon as you complete the program! After completing the FMVA® program course requirements and passing the final exam, you can immediately request your digital FMVA® certificate to be emailed to you by submitting your completed program through your learner dashboard.
Can I take more than 3 electives?
Take as many electives as you would like — all our content is available to you in your CFI subscription.
What currency are your courses priced in?
All of our online courses and programs are priced in USD.
What payment methods do you accept?
As this is a recurring payment, we accept all major credit and debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Additionally, We also offer ACH and Wire transfer options exclusively for corporate transactions, though not available for self-service payment. Contact our team for more details.
Are there any additional fees or costs?
None! The program tuition includes everything and there are no additional fees required to earn your digital certification.
More Questions?
You can view more detailed information through our Help Center or simply Email Us and we’ll be happy to answer any of your questions!