For Individuals
For Teams
  • FPAP certification program
  • 40 total courses (25 required)
  • Self-Paced & 100% Online
  • Get this program and CFI's full training catalog for your organization
  • Manage learning, create custom paths & measure progress
  • For teams of 2 or more learners

FPAP Program Overview

FP&A is one of the most sought-after disciplines in finance, playing a critical role in guiding business strategy and decision making. CFI’s FPAP Certification is designed to equip you with the essential skills and insights needed to thrive in this dynamic field — empowering you to deliver world-class financial models, budgets, forecasts, and analytical insights that drive business performance.

In this program, you’ll master both quantitative and qualitative techniques to assess financial health, build clean and effective Excel-based financial models, and leverage modern tools like Power Query and Power BI to increase efficiency and bring your analysis to life with compelling data visualizations.

Whether you're a current financial analyst, finance student, accountant, or just beginning your finance journey, enrolling in a financial planning & analysis course can help elevate your career. But earning CFI’s FPAP Certification does more — it positions you as a strategic finance professional capable of influencing high-level decisions and shaping a company’s financial trajectory.

What's in the Financial Planning & Analysis Professional Program?

40 courses

1234 lessons

120+ 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

Earning Your Certificate in Financial Analysis

Step 1.

Prep Courses

Optional

Choose from 5 optional courses to learn or review the fundamentals.

Excel Fundamentals - Quick Start Guide
5 (123 Ratings)
21min
21min
Introduction to 3-Statement Modeling Excel
5 (123 Ratings)
21min
21min
Fundamentals - Formulas for Finance
5 (123 Ratings)
21min
21min
Accounting Fundamentals
5 (123 Ratings)
21min
21min
Corporate Finance Fundamentals
5 (123 Ratings)
21min
21min
See All Prep Courses
Step 2.

25 Required Courses

The Role of The FP&A Professional
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A for New Analysts
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
Economic Analysis for FP&A
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
Financial Analysis Fundamentals
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
Budgeting Processes
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A Modeling Design
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A Modeling Formatting & Revenue
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A Modeling Headcount Analysis
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A Modeling Contractor Analysis
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A Modeling Debt and Capex Analysis
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A Modeling Financial Statement Aggregation
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A Modeling Dashboard Visualizations
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A Modeling 3-Statements
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A Variance Build & Configuration
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A Variance Roll Forward & Analysis
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A Variance Protection & Presentation
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
Forecasting Techniques
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
Data Visualization & Dashboards - The Basics
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
FP&A Tool Selection
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
Workflow Best Practice for Analysts
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
Essential Communication Skills for Finance Professionals
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
Professional Ethics
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
Making Effective Business Decisions
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
Managing Your Stakeholders
5 (123 Ratings)
5h 56min
5h 56min
Hide All Core Courses
Step 3.

Elective Courses

Choose a minimum of 3 electives (out of 11 available) to master more advanced topics and specialized areas.

Fundamentals of Data Analysis in Excel
5 (123 Ratings)
17min
17min
Power Query Fundamentals
5 (123 Ratings)
17min
17min
Power BI Fundamentals
5 (123 Ratings)
17min
17min
Presentation of Financial Information
5 (123 Ratings)
Scenario & Sensitivity Analysis in Excel
5 (123 Ratings)
17min
17min
Excel VBA for Finance
5 (123 Ratings)
17min
17min
Corporate and Business Strategy
5 (123 Ratings)
17min
17min
AI-Powered Scenario Analysis
5 (123 Ratings)
17min
17min
ESG Integration & Financial Analysis
5 (123 Ratings)
17min
17min
Risk Management for FP&A Analysts
5 (123 Ratings)
17min
17min
AI-Enhanced Financial Analysis
5 (123 Ratings)
17min
17min
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 FPAP Certified

Congratulations on becoming a certified Financial Planning & Analysis Professional! Upon completion of the program, you will receive a blockchain digital certificate with your new credentials.

Skills & Learning Objectives in Financial Planning & Analysis Professional

1
24%
Financial Modeling
2
24%
Excel
3
14%
Storytelling and Data Visualization
4
12%
Budgeting & Forecasting
5
12%
Financial Analysis
6
14%
FP&A Business Partnering
1
2
3
4
5
6
  1. 1.
    24%
    Financial Modeling
  2. 2.
    24%
    Excel
  3. 3.
    14%
    Storytelling and Data Visualization
  4. 4.
    12%
    Budgeting & Forecasting
  5. 5.
    12%
    Financial Analysis
  6. 6.
    14%
    FP&A Business Partnering

Financial Modeling

  • Explore best practices for designing FP&A models and understand how they differ from other financial modeling approaches.
  • Gain hands-on experience in Excel modeling and apply commonly used formulas and functions to specific FP&A workflows.
  • Master a step-by-step process for managing monthly forecast models, set new budget forecasts, and efficiently roll models forward into a new fiscal year.

Financial Analysis

  • Leverage FP&A model templates to efficiently analyze monthly financial data as it becomes available.
  • Assess historical year-over-year performance to identify seasonal trends and determine the right time to update forecasts.
  • Conduct both quantitative and qualitative analysis and craft clear, insightful commentary tailored for key stakeholders.

Excel

  • Use Excel efficiently by mastering time-saving keyboard shortcuts.
  • Enhance data analysis by using data tables, pivot tables, and other essential functions.
  • Apply advanced formulas and functions to increase the power and flexibility of your financial models.

Budgeting & Forecasting

  • Implement a range of forecasting methods to create accurate and reliable financial forecasts.
  • Monitor actual results versus budgeted figures through variance analysis and complementary techniques.
  • Evaluate how variances affect financial statements and use these insights to refine and enhance future budgeting processes.

Data Visualization

  • Design clear, impactful visuals that highlight key financial insights with clarity and precision.
  • Understand how to select the most effective visual representation based on the type and structure of your data.
  • Integrate multiple visuals into a cohesive narrative, enabling users to explore trends and issues through interactive dashboards.

FP&A Business Partnering

  • Apply economic thinking to understand key drivers of financial performance.
  • Streamline workflows and adopt best practices for consistency and efficiency.
  • Communicate financial insights clearly to non-financial stakeholders.
  • Build strong relationships across the business to influence decisions and drive strategy.

Meet Your Instructors

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.

Meeyeon Park

Meeyeon is based in Vancouver, BC. Having spent most of her career in Toronto, Meeyeon has previous experience in both the buy/sell-side of Finance with roles at Ontario Teachers Pension Plan in Fixed Income Portfolio Management and BMO Capital Markets in Investment Banking. Meeyeon holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, with High Distinction, from the University of Toronto.

Ryan Spendelow

Ryan joins CFI having spent over a decade designing and delivering training solutions for the investment banking and investment management industries around the globe. Based in London, Ryan is experienced at creating innovative training solutions that deconstruct complex products and ideas into simple to understand concepts.

Sebastian Taylor

Seb started his career in risk management, managing the implementation and operations of quantitative energy hedging strategies. Having since worked in several different industries, from finance to retail and service, Seb’s business intelligence skills were developed within the realities of real-world business requirements.

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.

Paul Barnhurst

From his early days in procurement to leading FP&A functions across multiple companies, Paul shares how the role has evolved into one of the most strategic areas of corporate finance today.

Carl Seidman

Carl’s FP&A development methodologies and curriculums have been implemented by leading organizations as part of their financial leadership development programs (FLDPs) for top talent and emerging leaders.

Glenn Hopper

Glenn is a technology-minded CFO with more than two decades of experience in finance and accounting leadership. He is a consultant and author who writes about the intersection of artificial intelligence and corporate finance. His book, Deep Finance: Corporate Finance in the Information Age, provides a digital transformation roadmap for businesses to follow to become data-driven organizations. His expertise spans financial leadership and strategy, finance automation, data science, and operational efficiency. Glenn has a master's in finance from Harvard University with a graduate certificate in business analytics, and an MBA from Regis University.

Careers in Financial Planning & Analysis Professional

  • Financial Analysts

    Financial Analysts

    Financial Analysts play a key role in delivering insights and strategic recommendations to support high-level decision making. They also partner with departments such as sales, marketing, and operations to drive effective financial planning and guide business decisions.
  • Project Evaluator

    Project Evaluator

    Collaborate with project managers and senior leadership to assess potential initiatives and develop comprehensive project budgets. Project Evaluators also work closely with teams across marketing, engineering, and operations, while partnering with fellow financial analysts and FP&A professionals for peer reviews and cross-functional collaboration.
  • FP&A Manager

    FP&A Manager

    Lead the FP&A team while fostering cross-departmental collaboration to ensure integrated and strategic financial planning. FP&A Managers are responsible for developing and overseeing the annual budget and forecasts, analyzing financial reports to assess company performance, and delivering actionable recommendations to senior leadership.

The FPAP program has upskilled teams at:

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

If you haven’t found your answer from our FAQ, please send us a message.

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 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 eLearning 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 30-35 hours to complete the entire program. However, you are given the freedom to complete all of the training at your own pace! Please see the "Earning Your FP&A Professional Certification" 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?
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!

If you haven’t found your answer from our FAQ, please send us a message.

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