Investing in earning relevant FP&A certifications positions you for a salary bump, promotions and overall career growth.
The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) estimates the earnings of a CFO or VP of Finance with an FP&A certification are 14% higher than those without one, while FP&A Managers with certifications earn 6% higher.
To help increase your chances of landing an FP&A role with an attractive salary, or a promotion at work, we rounded up the best options for FP&A certifications and courses. For each one, we break down:
And, we’ll also share which certifications and courses can net you CPE/CPD credits.
| Provider | Course Overview/Core Focus | Who It's Best For | Cost | Time Commitment |
| Vena Academy | Free FP&A courses with CPE/CPD credits | Directors, analysts, controllers, consultants and anyone looking for CPE credits | Free | Self-paced courses, with 30 minutes to an hour for each course |
| LinkedIn Learning | Corporate Finance Foundations Professional Certification endorsed by the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) | Anyone starting out in FP&A, transitioning to the field or looking to refresh their skills | Subscription to one of LinkedIn’s premium plans or start with a one-month free trial (credit card required) | 9 hours |
| AFP | Financial Planning and Analysis Certification (FPAC) | Finance professionals at various stages of their careers | For AFP members, the cost for the early deadline is USD $1,025 and USD $1,125 for the standard deadline Non-members pay US$1,420 for the early deadline and US$1,520 for the standard deadline |
Minimum of 100 hours of study time overall |
| Wall Street Prep | Financial Planning & Analysis Modeling (CFPAM™) | FP&A Analysts and Managers, Financial Reporting Groups, Controllers, CFOs and Accounting Professionals | USD $499 | Approximately 28 hours to complete |
| Harvard Business School | Leading With Finance | Anyone who wants to improve their financial leadership skills, regardless of their current role or industry background | US$1,750 | 6–7 hours weekly for six weeks |
| LSE | Online MBA Essentials | Anyone looking to understand key business principles and practices, regardless of their background or career stage | US$2,543 | 8–12 hours per week for 10 weeks |
| Coursera | FP&A courses from universities and institutions worldwide | Individuals and corporate teams who want to upskill, regardless of their career stage | Cost depends on the course you choose | An average of four weeks to complete |
| Udemy | FP&A Foundation Course | Finance and accounting professionals who want to start working in FP&A, Chartered Accountants, Certified Management Accountants (CMA), Certified Public Accountants or MBA holders with zero to five years of work experience |
Approx US$14.99 | Self-paced, with lesson material totalling 2 hours |
| CFI | Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) certification | Corporate FP&A teams and individuals in investment banking, private equity and equity research | US$297–497.00 per year | An average of 4–6 months to complete |
Vena Academy is a platform where FP&A professionals can access free, self-paced virtual courses and certifications. You earn free credits while you learn to fulfill CPE/CPD requirements and stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and regulations at no cost.
Some of these courses include:
These courses and certifications on Vena Academy are for directors, analysts, controllers, consultants, juniors and anyone who wants to further their strategic and technical skills in FP&A, Microsoft 365 and the Vena platform. Depending on the courses you complete, you could earn up to 100 CPE/CPD credits.
Courses and certifications on Vena Academy are free. You can also get access to more free resources through Vena, including:
Depending on which course you choose, it takes an average of 30 minutes to an hour to complete. You also have access to a course for 365 days. Enroll here to get started for free.
LinkedIn Learning collaborates with industry experts and professionals to develop courses on financial planning and analysis. The platform offers the Corporate Finance Foundations Professional certification, which is endorsed by the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI).
The certification has five courses, including:
The course is best for anyone interested in a career in FP&A or looking to refresh their skills. You’ll receive a certificate of completion to include on your LinkedIn profile.
To take the course, you have to subscribe to one of LinkedIn’s premium plans or start with a one-month free trial (credit card required).
It takes nine hours to complete all five courses and earn a badge of completion.
The Financial Planning and Analysis certification (FPAC) is a credential for finance industry professionals who specialize in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and analysis. It’s offered by the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP).
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The program is intended for finance professionals at various stages of their careers who want to deepen their expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, corporate financial planning/strategic planning, financial modeling and analysis.
Fees vary depending on when you register for the exam and your registration status.
| Early Deadline | Standard Deadline | |
| AFP Member | USD $1,025 | USD $1,125 |
| Non-Member | USD $1,420 | USD $1,520 |
This fee doesn’t include the cost of study material. If you opt to use the FPAC exam prep platform for studying, the fee is USD $1,095 for AFP members and USD $1,195 for non-members. You’ll also have access to the platform for a full year.
AFP recommends a minimum of 100 hours of study time overall, with at least 30–40 hours of study time.
Wall Street Prep offers a certification in FP&A modeling, which covers topics such as budgeting, data visualization, forecasting, financial modeling, market research and scenario planning.
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The program is best for:
The certification program costs USD $499.
The certification program includes eight courses and takes approximately 28 hours to complete. You earn a verified certification and 31 CPE credits once training is complete.
Leading With Finance is an online program presented by Harvard University that covers topics relevant to finance and leadership, such as capital budgeting, investing, corporate finance and how the capital markets work.
The course is best for anyone who wants to improve their financial leadership skills, regardless of their current role or industry background.
Leading with Finance costs USD $1,750.
The course duration is 6 weeks long, and you’re expected to commit at least 6-7 hours weekly. Once complete, you earn a certificate of completion.
The MBA Essentials is an online certificate course presented by the London School of Economics, aimed at professionals who want to develop business and management skills without committing to a full-time MBA program.
The 10-week online MBA certificate course is not credit-bearing—completing it doesn’t earn you academic credits that can be applied toward a traditional MBA program. But, it is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, which means you can earn CPD credits from completing the course if you’re a member of, or are associated with, a UK-based professional body.
The certificate course is suitable for finance professionals who want to understand key business concepts and become better strategic partners to the rest of their organization.
The course covers three key sections:
MBA Essentials costs USD $2,543, which is an estimated GBP £2,042, as of this writing.
The course is 10 weeks long, and you’re expected to commit at least 8–12 hours per week. Once you complete it, you’ll receive an LSE certificate of competence.
Coursera partners with universities and institutions worldwide to provide a variety of FP&A courses and certificates for different skill levels (beginner, intermediate and expert).
To find relevant courses and certificates on Coursera, use the search function and filter by categories (finance, accounting, business, or data analysis).
As an FP&A professional, you’ll want to look for courses that cover topics such as financial modeling, budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis and strategic financial planning. Some of these include:
These courses are suitable for individuals and corporate teams who want to upskill, regardless of their career stage.
The cost depends on the course you choose. Some courses on the platform are also available for free.
Most courses on the platform take an average of four weeks to complete. And there’s no time commitment required—complete your selected course at your own pace. Once you complete it, you’ll receive a shareable certificate to add to your LinkedIn profile and resume.
Udemy offers an FP&A foundation course that covers budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis and profitability analysis.
These courses are suitable for finance and accounting professionals who want to start working in FP&A. They are also for Chartered Accountants, Certified Management Accountants (CMA), Certified Public Accountants, or MBA holders with zero to five years of work experience.
The course costs an estimated USD $14.99.
The course has 23 lectures, which total up to two hours of learning material. No time commitment is required—complete your selected course at your own pace. Once you complete it, you’ll receive a shareable certificate of completion to add to your LinkedIn profile and resume.
The Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) certification from the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) covers critical topics for finance professionals, including advanced financial modeling, valuation techniques, Excel, financial statement analysis, accounting, budgeting, forecasting and PowerPoint.
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This certification is best for FP&A and corporate finance teams as well as individuals in investment banking, private equity, and equity research.
To access the (FMVA®) certification, you have to pay the CFI annual subscription fee that starts at $497. This annual fee gives you access to all courses, as long as you renew, and there are no extra fees you have to pay to earn your digital certificate.
The entire program takes an average of 4-6 months to complete. However, you can complete the training at your own pace.
Earning an FP&A certification or completing relevant courses helps you develop your forecasting, financial planning, variance analysis and communication skills, which are among the top ten most valued job skills for FP&A roles.
As a result, the hands-on knowledge and certification (or certificate of completion) you earn will:
Investing in an FP&A certification shows recruiters and current employers how committed you are to personal development and giving your best in your role.
But, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a single certification or course, especially if it’s beyond your budget at the moment. Instead, consider learning platforms like Vena Academy that offer free courses that earn you free CPE/CPD credits.
This way, you fulfill the requirements necessary to keep your existing certification active (such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA) etc.) and avoid license suspensions.
Vena also provides free resources, such as webinars, live events and podcasts, to keep you updated with the latest trends in the FP&A finance community. Plus, you can access free financial Excel templates to level up your day-to-day operations.
Here are nine certifications and courses to consider as you advance your career this year:
To excel in any FP&A role, you need both hard and soft skills, including financial analysis, budgeting and forecasting, modeling, data analysis, strategic thinking, relationship building, attention to detail, project management, communication and teamwork.
Fast-track your finance career with free CPE/CPD courses and certifications.
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