CBCA® | Program Updates
This article contains the historical updates and changes to CFI's Commercial Banking & Credit Analyst (CBCA®) Certification program.
Update History:
Update History
| Announcement Date | Effective Date |
| October 9, 2026 | November 12, 2026 |
| February 11, 2026 | March 31, 2026 |
| June 1, 2022 | July 1, 2022 |
| November 20, 2020 | February 1, 2021 |
🗓️ Updates Effective November 12, 2026
Effective November 12, 2026, the Venture Debt and Modeling Taxes for Different Business Structures courses will be retired from CFI's course catalog.
Why we're making this change
We regularly review and evolve our curriculum to ensure our programs remain focused, relevant, and aligned with the skills finance professionals need in their careers. As part of our ongoing review of the Commercial Banking & Credit Analyst (CBCA®️) program, we're streamlining the curriculum to create a more focused learning experience and concentrate on the topics most closely aligned with the core skills required by commercial banking and credit professionals.
As a result, we've decided to retire Venture Debt and Modeling Taxes for Different Business Structures. This change allows us to continue investing in the areas of the CBCA curriculum that are most relevant to learners and the evolving needs of the industry.
Affected programs
Both courses are currently part of the Commercial Banking & Credit Analyst (CBCA®️) program:
Venture Debt — Elective
Modeling Taxes for Different Business Structures — Case Study
What this means for learners
If you'd like to complete either course, you must do so before [DATE]. After that date, the courses will be removed from the platform and will no longer be available.
If you've already completed either course, your completion record and certificate will remain valid.
The CBCA curriculum will be updated to reflect these changes, and the retirement of these courses will not prevent learners from completing the certification.
After November 12, 2026, any candidate who has not completed the CBCA will be required to follow the updated curriculum. Please note that this may require completing updated/refreshed core courses and additional electives, depending on the courses candidates have selected.
Questions?
If you have questions about these changes or how they affect your progress, please contact our support team: [email protected].
🗓️ Updates Effective March 31, 2026
To ensure the CBCA® program remains focused, relevant, and aligned with learner outcomes, we will update the CBCA curriculum by removing the following courses. These changes will take effect on March 31, 2026.
Courses Being Removed from CBCA Prep:
- Introduction to Agribusiness
Courses Being Removed from CBCA Electives:
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Modeling
- Monthly Cash Flow Modeling
- Operational Modeling
- Origination Fundamentals – Debt Capital Markets Perspective
- Lending to Medical Professionals
- Agriculture Lending Fundamentals
Deadline to Complete Under the Current Curriculum
Candidates must complete the CBCA program by March 31 in order to follow the current curriculum.
After March 31, any candidate who has not completed the CBCA will be required to follow the updated curriculum.
🗓️ Updates Effective July 1, 2022
Summary of Changes
- The Financial Analysis Fundamentals course was removed from the CBCA® program and replaced by an industry-specific course titled Financial Analysis for Credit.
- The Loan Pricing course was moved from an elective to a core requirement for program completion.
Why did we make these updates?
- The Financial Analysis for Credit course aims to give students a specific focus on the most important credit metrics that commercial bankers and credit analysts will use in their careers.
- Making the Loan Pricing course a core course aims to help all program participants understand how default risk and loan structure translate into credit spreads and overall profitability by working with an example loan pricing model.
🗓️ Updates Effective February 1, 2021
Summary of Changes
- Introduced the CBCA® final exam as a program requirement.
-
A minimum of 3 electives was added as a requirement to earn the CBCA® certification.
Why did we make these updates?
To increase the value and credibility of the certification worldwide, protect the integrity of our program and those who work hard to complete it, and help students assess their knowledge and identify opportunities for improvement.
Impact on existing CBCA Certification Holders
The CBCA® final exam and three elective courses will be mandatory requirements for new students to earn their CBCA® certification. They will also be available as optional to all existing CBCA® certification holders and students who have completed their studies by February 1, 2021.