The 12 Best FP&A Certifications and Courses in 2025
Are you a senior finance professional looking to level up? Here’s a stat that might catch your eye: CFOs with an FP&A certification earn 8% more than their uncertified peers. And it’s not just CFOs—controllers and senior financial analysts can see a 10–16% salary bump with the right credentials.
FP&A certifications offer far more than just advanced Excel tricks or generic advice from finance books or finance podcasts. They give you the experience you need to be a productive business partner and FP&A professional.
But what exactly will you learn with an FP&A certification or course? To find out, I teamed up with Paul Barnhurst (aka The FP&A Guy). Drawing on his insights and my own experience in financial operations, I reviewed the top FP&A certifications to bring you the courses that can help you build your financial reporting skills and more.
Common Aspects of FP&A Certifications and Courses
Before I list the top courses and certifications for aspiring and existing FP&A analysts, let’s go over some common aspects of these courses to help you know what to look for when deciding which one is right for you.
Forecasting
It’s all about leveraging data to model the future. Professionals who can forecast spending, revenue, and other financial metrics with a high level of accuracy help position companies for stability and growth.
Budgeting
Your budgets are critical in helping leaders make intelligent business decisions. Strong FP&A professionals can provide the data required to make accurate budget choices and support a company’s growth and profitability.
Financial Modeling
It’s not all about the cash flow. Financial modeling takes real-world problems and scenarios and applies complex mathematics and analytics to arrive at conclusions that drive better business decisions.
Business Partnering
You’re a numbers pro, but you also need to make your information digestible to stakeholders who may not be comfortable with financial topics. If you don’t develop the ability to turn data into easy-to-understand dashboards or other tools to communicate information, you won’t be able to easily collaborate with teams. Many courses can help make you an effective communicator who can easily partner with others throughout the organization.
Financial Planning
Financial planning skills let you move from basics like the balance sheet to corporate strategy and plans that support stability for an organization.
The Best FP&A Certifications
When choosing a certification program, you should consider whether the fundamentals of the courses meet your needs. Before going through enrollment, make sure you fully understand the cost, time, and exam requirements.
Paul provides an excellent breakdown on his podcast, FP&A Tomorrow, about some of these courses. In addition, I also did a deep dive of these programs, looking further into exactly what you need to know to help set you up for success.
Certification #1 – Certified Corporate FP&A Professional Credential From the Association for Financial Professionals (FPAC)
To get started with this certification, you’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree in finance or a finance-related field. If you’re currently enrolled in a program, you can apply if you’re within two years of graduation.
You’ll also need FP&A experience in a work environment that totals 3 years of full-time work. That means 35 hours of work a week, with 50% of those hours going toward work on financial analysis, budgeting, financial modeling, forecasting, and financial strategic planning.
You do not need to complete any additional coursework for this certification. If you meet the eligibility requirements, you can take the exams.
- Cost: The cost of the exam for AFP members is $1,025 for the early deadline and $1,125 for the standard deadline. The cost is $1,420 and $1,520, respectively, for non-members.
- Note: This is for the exam only. The cost for the exam prep platform is separate, but highly recommended for study purposes.
- Length: The exam is administered in two separate appointments for Part I and Part II. The first part takes up to 180 minutes, and the second takes up to 270 minutes.
- Exam information: You have 60 seconds to answer multiple-choice questions on the examples. Each example is comprised of 140 or more questions, but some questions are ungraded pretest queries. The pass rate for the exams is between 41% to 52%, and you need a scaled score of 500 or higher to pass.
Certificate #2 – Financial Planning and Analysis Certificate Program From Wharton Online & Wall Street Prep
Through eight modules, this job-focused certification program teaches important practical skills, including forecasting and long-range financial planning using current best practices and operating models. The course is NASBA-registered and offers 31 Continuing Professional Education credits.
- Cost: $4,800 or $960/month (5-payments)
- Length: 8 weeks, 10+ per week
- Exam requirements: Once you complete the course, you can take the FPAMC exam anytime in the next 24 months. You must score 70% or higher to receive the FPAMC certification.
Certificate #3 – Certified Global FP&A Professional From FP&A Professionals Institute (CGFPA)
The Certified Global FP&A Professional (CGFPA) certification from FP&A Professionals is designed for finance pros who want to sharpen their FP&A skills with strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting, data analytics, AI, and performance management skills—all with a global lens.
This is a six-month program with live instructions broken into 10 core modules. You'll go through the program with a cohort of other students and will get access to live coaching, personalized sessions with finance career coaches, placement support, and curated cases. Additionally, you'll join an extensive alumni community upon completion.
- Cost: $1,595 or $349/month (5 payments)
- Length: The program is six months. It's instructor led with live sessions every Saturday. Recordings of each session are made available.
- Exam requirements: To become certified, you attend 50% of all live sessions and get 50% on the final exam.
Certificate #4 – Certified Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst From CFI (FMVA)
CFI’s FMVA certification gives you options. You can select from 39 hands-on courses to complete this one, with 16 courses being required. The required courses include financial analysis fundamentals, business valuation, operational modeling, and budgeting and forecasting.
Though the site doesn’t explicitly list the number of CPE credits this course offers, CFI does tout that membership with them offers opportunities to earn over 300 credits. If you’re not entirely confident that you can jump right in, you can start with seven optional prep courses.
- Cost: Self-study costs $497 per year and full immersion costs $847 per year. The courses and final exam are included in this cost.
- Note: CFI typically has discounted pricing available (up to 30-40%). Check regularly for updates.
- Length: The time it takes you to become certified depends on how many courses you take before taking the exam. Course completion times range from 1.5 to 12.5 hours, depending on the course.
- Exam requirements: You must pass the exam with a 70% or higher to earn your FMVA certification.
Certificate #5 – FP&A Specialization From Corporate Financial Institute (FPAS)
CFI’s Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) certification is tailored for professionals who want to dig into forecasting, budgeting, and business strategy—and walk away with skills they can apply immediately.
The program includes 21 courses covering everything from financial modeling and Excel skills to dashboarding, data visualization, and strategic planning. It's packed with real-world examples, hands-on exercises, and templates you can use on the job. Plus, you get access to a vibrant learner community and expert support along the way.
- Cost: The cost of the self-study version is $479. For full immersion, it's $847. Both costs include the final exam and courses.
- Note: CFI typically has discounted pricing available (up to 30-40%). Check regularly for updates.
- Length: The program is self-paced, with most courses ranging between 1-6 hours. Most participants finish the entire program in approximately 4-6 weeks.
- Exam requirements: After completing the required courses, you’ll need to pass the final exam with a score of 70% or higher to officially earn your FP&A certificate.
Course #6 – Advanced Financial Modeler Credential From the Financial Modeling Institute (AFM)
If you want to show that you’re a master of financial modeling, the AFM credential from the Financial Modeling Institute is perfect for you. The exam process is rigorous, but you’ll come out of it with a credential that is valued by many employers. The exam is only offered four times a year, so make sure you plan ahead for this one.
- Cost: The exam costs $725. That fee gets you a year’s access to learning resources and the FMI community to help you prepare for the exam.
- Length: Preparation time depends on the person and their knowledge of the material. Plan for 50-100 hours of prep for the exam itself.
- Exam requirements: You take the exam online with virtual proctors. You will need Excel installed on your computer prior to the exam.
Course #7 – Chartered Financial Modeler Credential From the Financial Modeling Institute (CFM)
If you have the AFM credential through the Financial Modeling Institute, you can move on to earn the Chartered Financial Modeler credential. The process is very similar, but the exam is offered even fewer times a year than the AFM exam is.
- Cost: The $725 exam fee also affords you access to the learning materials and FMI community so you can prepare for the exam.
- Length: Expect the exam to take 4 hours. How much time it takes each person to prepare for the exam will vary, but it's recommended to spend 100+ hours preparing.
- Exam requirements: You take the exam online with virtual proctors. You will need Excel installed on your computer prior to the exam.
The Best FP&A Courses
If you're not in the market for a certification, but rather a course, take a look at some of the top FP&A courses out there.
Course #1 – The Best-Practice FP&A Course From Paul Barnhurst and Ron Monteiro
This course is a course designed by finance pros for finance pros. It’s meant to offer practical guidance and skills that can help you build your FP&A expertise. This FP&A certification includes four instructor-led sessions, and students are provided with templates, books, and other tools.
- Cost: The cost of the course is $599, which includes free access to resources and a certificate of completion.
- Length: The four course modules are 2.5 hours each.
- Exam requirements: There is no exam.
Course #2 – Advanced FP&A Course From Paul Barnhurst and Ron Monterio
Whether you're just breaking into FP&A or looking to refresh your fundamentals, the Advanced FP&A Course delivers practical, real-world guidance that goes beyond theory.
It covers topics like forecasting, budgeting, business partnering, and scenario planning. What sets it apart is Paul’s focus on teaching through storytelling, lived experience, and lessons you can apply immediately. Plus, it’s broken into digestible video lessons, so you can learn at your own pace.
- Cost: $500
- Length: The two course modules are 3 hours each.
- Exam requirements: There is no exam.
Course #3 - FP&A Mastery Signature Program From Carl Seidman
The FP&A Mastery Signature Program focuses on helping professionals become high-impact, tech-savvy business partners.
You’ll dive deep into budgeting, forecasting, Excel modeling, storytelling with data, business acumen, and influencing decision-makers. The program combines live instruction, hands-on exercises, and a highly interactive learning experience to ensure you're not just watching videos—you’re actively building skills.
- Cost: $3,500
- Length: The program runs over 21 weeks, with live sessions held weekly. Expect about 4 hours per week of coursework, including live workshops and homework. Total live commitment is 56 hours.
- Exam requirements: There’s no traditional exam here. Instead, you’ll work through real-world exercises and case studies to build and demonstrate your skills.
Course #4 – FP&A Boot Camp From Christian Wang
The FP&A Bootcamp from FP&A Prep on Maven is a live, fast-paced program designed to get you there. Led by industry veterans, this bootcamp helps you build core FP&A skills like forecasting, variance analysis, driver-based planning, and building compelling financial narratives—without getting lost in spreadsheets.
- Cost: $1,200
- Length: It’s a 3-week bootcamp with live sessions held twice a week. Expect to spend around 12–15 hours total across classes and homework.
- Exam requirements: There’s no formal exam, but you’ll complete hands-on exercises and receive instructor feedback throughout.
Course #5 – AI For Finance (Advanced) From Nicolas Boucher and Christian Martinez
Advanced ChatGPT for Finance is a hands-on, live course that shows you how to turn ChatGPT into your personal productivity engine. Whether you're in FP&A, controlling, or reporting, this course helps you automate repetitive tasks, analyze data faster, and generate insights using prompts that actually work.
The course focuses on real use cases in corporate finance and teaches you to build powerful GPT workflows—no coding required.
- Cost: $599
- Length: This is a live, cohort-based course that runs over two 120-minute sessions across two days.
- Exam requirements: There is no exam.
The Benefits of FP&A Certifications and Courses
For anybody in finance, from entry-level financial analysts to CPAs, education and financial certifications are a necessity. For FP&A professionals in increasingly complex positions, completing courses and earning certifications can be a great way to demonstrate your expertise and increase your value to employers.
Career Progression
In the realm of financial analysis, having a certification can go a long way in advancing your career. The difference between staying in your current position and earning a spot in senior management might just be a single credential.
Salary Increase
You know that credentials can help you earn more. Sure, years of actionable experience definitely matter, but, when all other things are equal, professionals with certifications almost always outperform noncredentialed employees in terms of salary.
Increased Marketable Skills
FP&A certifications and courses can play an instrumental role in helping you develop and nurture any core competency that is essential in the modern and technologically-driven financial landscape.
Other Things to Consider When Evaluating FP&A Certification Options
Always consider how you learn best and evaluate your comfort level with the topics before you sign up for a certification exam or course. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Do I prefer self-paced or instructor-led learning? If you struggle with time management or focus, you may need external motivators. If you’re trying to get certified while balancing a busy career and life moments, a self-paced program may be the better option for you.
- Will online courses work for me? Most, if not all, of the options above involve online learning. If you know that you learn best in a classroom environment, you may want to consider courses at a local university or college.
- Does the course include professional certification? Some of the courses above come with “certificates of completion.” Those are simply pieces of paper that say you completed a course. If you want a credential you can add to your resume, you may want to opt for courses that prepare you for a professional certification exam.
Certifiably Complete
By now, it’s no secret that certificates and courses can help your career. It’s never too late to learn and the industry is constantly evolving, so there are always new skills to master and credentials to earn.
Connect with other professionals in the comments or on our social media page and share your opinion on which credentials are most valued. Don’t forget to sign up for the CFO Club newsletter to get valuable insights and industry news directly in your inbox!
