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.

To enroll in the FPAP® Certification Program, you must have an active Self-Study or Full-Immersion Subscription. Click here to review and select the subscription that best suits your needs!

No additional fees are required to earn your certification once you've enrolled.

The FPAP Certification can be found at the following URL:

https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/certifications/financial-planning-analysis-professional-fpap/

FPAP® Certification Requirements

Please click here and select "How it Works" to learn more about the requirements for earning your FPAP® certification.

First and foremost: Sign the CFI Honor Pledge - Program candidates must sign and abide by the CFI Honor Pledge to receive and maintain program certification. Failure to abide by the CFI Honor Pledge will result in the revocation of one's certificates.

• Step 1: Prep Courses (optional). We recommend that learners who may need to refresh the basics take advantage of our prep courses before beginning the core curriculum content.
• Step 2: Core Courses. Complete 25 core courses to build a strong foundation.
  • Note: The courses covering FP&A Modeling are broken into parts and must be completed in order.
• Step 3: Elective Courses. Choose three of the 11 available elective courses to qualify for the final exam.
• Step 4: Practice Exam (optional) & Final Exam. To qualify for the final exam, 80% must be achieved on each end-of-course assessment. Once complete, take the FPAP® final exam to earn your program certification. 70% must be achieved on the final exam to become FPAP® certified.
• Step 5: Get FPAP® Certified! After completing the program, you will receive a blockchain-verified digital certificate with your new credentials.

Duration and Delivery

Lectures, study materials, and exams are all online and accessible worldwide, allowing the program to be completed anytime on a self-paced timeline. 

It takes an average of 30-35 hours to complete the entire program. Please see the "Earning Your FP&A Professional Certification" section for recommended study hours for each course to give you a better idea of how to best manage your time.

FPAP® Career Paths

Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) professionals support business leaders with decision-making by creating world-class financial models and delivering deep insights to improve the financial and operating performance of a company.

• 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: 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: 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.

Review our interactive career map for additional information about career paths.

FPAP® Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have the option to pause my studies in the middle of a course or program?

• CFI's courses are self-paced, allowing learners to learn whenever time permits. Simply click on 'Resume Course' to pick up training where you left off at your convenience.

Why is the total video time different than the number of course hours?

• The hours included in the course description are the average study hours, including the time to watch lectures, download files, complete the exercises & assessments, etc.

I took the course assessment more than once. What score will this record on my transcript?

• We offer unlimited attempts on the course assessments. Your transcript will show a PASS or a FAIL for each test score.

Where can I access the FPAP® final exam?

• The FPAP® final exam and the practice exam will be available on your student dashboard once you have completed all the requirements.

Can I extend the 3 hours of the FPAP® final exam?

• The final exam must be completed within three hours. There is no option to pause once the exam has begun.

Can I take more than three elective courses?

• Yes, of course! You have access to all courses included in the program. You are welcome to take as many courses as you'd like at no additional cost.