My Experience: CFI CBCA Review From A Graduate (2024 Updated)

This is an honest review written by CBCA graduate. May receive a small fee for some of the courses we refer at no extra cost to you & Get 10% Off in case you go through the links.

What Made Me Enroll Into CBCA?

I decided to study with CFI, because I was searching for a reputable online education provider that provides courses or qualifications in banking and credit analysis, and that was when I came across CFI. I wish I had a reliable CBCA review that would have helped me make a quicker decision.

CFI tuitions fees are affordable and that also attracted me to study with them. The CFI CBCA program course content and the course layout is fantastic, it is precise and concise.

The CFI CBCA program covered the most critical skills and knowledge that I believe will enable me to become a competent credit analyst, including business analysis, financial analysis, risk management, credit evaluation, documentation, and management.

I heard about CFI on LinkedIn when I came across CFI posts advertising the CBCA program. I then read through the post comments and went to visit the CFI website. I read through the CBCA FAQ’s, completed the prep courses, and started planning as to when I would enroll for the self-study option.

Enrolling in the program encouraged me to write an honest CBCA Certification Review that would help other aspirants like I once was.

My Thoughts On The Syllabus Of CBCA:

The CBCA syllabus is extremely strong, broad, and adaptable.

There are 10 option Prep Courses, 16 Core courses, and 23 Elective Courses, of which you must take at least 3. In this section of the CFI CBCA Review, we will cover all courses.

a) Prep Courses:

I first completed the following prep courses for my CBCA Qualification:

(i) Fundamentals of Credit:

-This module taught me about the credit fundamentals, how to assess or determine whether or not to grant an individual/company credit, how and why credit is used.

Example: Companies often use debt as part of the capital structure as they will benefit from obtaining tax shields and get closer to achieving an optimal capital structure, while individuals use credit to build a credit history or to acquire things they wouldn’t afford to purchase using cash such as buying a house or car.

(ii) Accounting Fundamentals: This module was more like a revision to me, since I am an accounting and finance graduate. This module focused on unpacking the basics of accounting, it teaches one how to construct financial statements (e.g constructing your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement).

(iii) Forms of Business Structure: This module taught me about the various forms of business structures, the pros, and cons of each business structure; it also taught me the rights, restrictions, and liabilities that come with each business structure.

(iv) Banking Products/Services: Within this module, I learned about the products/services that banks provide to both individuals and corporations, how banks make money from each product or service they provide, etc.

(v) Introduction To Banking: I learned a lot about this module, banking is much bigger than I thought it was. I learned about various types of banks, how they operate, how they are formed, and how they differ from each other, as well as the different career paths each type of bank offers (e.g Mutual Bank, Investment Bank, Retail Bank, etc).

b) Core Courses:

There are about 19 required core courses to complete. The first course module I completed was focused on the 5C’s which one gets to apply when assessing whether to grant credit to an individual or entity.

The 5C’s commonly used in determining whether to grant a potential borrower credit are Character, Capacity, Capital, Collateral, and Conditions.

c) Elective Courses:

The elective courses allow you to choose three courses based on your specific interests and areas of expertise. You must complete a minimum of 3 out of 23 electives to earn the CBCA qualification:

1. Commercial Bank -Debt Modelling 
2. Real Estate Fundamentals
3. Commercial Mortgages
4. Construction Finance Fundamentals
5. Equipment Finance
6. Lending to Complex Structures
7. Syndicated Lending
8. Retail, Restaurant & Franchise Lending
9. Lending to Medical Professionals
10. Profitable Lead Generation
11. Asesst-Based Lending & Alternative Learning

d) Presentations & Guided Case Studies:

You will get to work through two detailed credit-related case studies which are: Case Study-Owner Occupied Commercial Real Estate (Woodchucks Ltd) and Case Study-RockCrusher Rentals.

These case studies are quite good and helpful, they enable you to visualize all the credit/banking concepts you would have learned throughout the CBCA program enabling you to apply your mind and thought process.

The presentation was entirely conducted online. It was not only adaptable, but also incredibly interesting, with interactive courses, case studies, and exercises taught by industry experts. I hope this CFI CBCA review is helping you.

Go To CBCA ➜

CBCA Cost: Self-Study Vs Full Immersion?

I am inclined to think that the pricing is very affordable for the quality I got. There are two payment options: The Self-Study and the Full Immersion. Both subscriptions grant access to the entire CFI course catalog and certificates.

Self-Study: I believe the name speaks for itself. You will get to study on your own. You get access to all the core course materials. You will not receive extra support from the tutors/course facilitators, and you will not be able to access extra study materials and case studies.

Full-Immersion: It grants you to access premium professional support from the course instructors. You get additional study materials and case study scenarios. Included in full-immersion subscription you get access to some useful integrations to start your professional credit analysis career.

Practical Advantages In Full-Immersion:

• Additional financial modeling case studies
• Reviews & Feedbacks
• Physical Certificate delivered doorstep
• Premium Support

How much I Paid?

Being situated in a developing country (South Africa), I opted to study via the self-study subscription costing $497, as I could afford to pay for it and knew I will put in the extra work required for me to understand what was taught during the course and be able to pass my course exams.

Both the self-study and full-immersion subscriptions gives access to the entire CFI course catalog and certificate programs.

What About Offers & Discounts?

10% Off All Access Subscription: OCGRAD10

How CBCA Certification Impacted My Life?

I can’t call this a true CBCA review unless I tell you how it helped me, can I? CFI has brought a positive impact on my life. It has contributed to my continuous learning and professional development.

I believe that what I have learned throughout the CBCA qualification will enable me to become a better credit analyst when the opportunity presents itself.

Remember I am based in South Africa (a developing country that is faced with a massive unemployment rate), at the moment as previously stated I work as an auditor/accountant and choose to do the CBCA qualification to expand my career options in credit/banking in the future, to become multi-skilled and become knowledgeable in areas other than auditing/accounting.

Now I know how to conduct a credit assessment after completing CBCA, work through credit application documents and complete a credit evaluation, etc. All of these, I learned through completing the CFI CBCA qualification, talk about real value for money. Keep reading to find out the final verdict of this CBCA Certification Review.

What Makes CBCA Different?

One thing I’d like to talk about in this CBCA Certification Review is how it stands out from the rest. There was no final test when I first started my CBCA Course learning journey. After passing the tests that follow each course, you would receive your designation.

The use of a combination of slides and short videos gave CFI a unique feature, the way the course was structured was superb.

During the course, we were provided with different case study scenarios to work through, and this enabled me to put into practice everything I learned throughout the course. Building a 3 statement financial model was also a unique feature that CFI added to their CBCA qualification.

It was my 1^st time building or constructing a financial model to incorporate it in my credit or financial decision making, it was challenging and fun at the same time to work on building a 3 statement financial model.

My Thoughts On CBCA Course Timeline:

My CFI CBCA journey lasted for 3 months (November 2020 –January 2021), because I had much background of what was being taught, I was familiar with 75%+ of what was taught within the course, thus I was able to cruise and flow well with the course.

-The course timeline differs for everyone as we are not faced with the same life circumstances and our learning pace is different, some people grasp learning concepts quicker while others take time to grasp them.

Another thing, which contributed to me being able to complete my CBCA qualification within 3 months is that there were fewer audits taking place at work, we were approaching year-end and thus I had a lot of free time on my side. I then used most of the free time I had to study for my CBCA qualification.

Is CBCA Certification Helpful?

Because the knowledge, insights, and experience obtained are incredibly relevant and practical, the CBCA certification is worth every penny paid and every sleepless night spent.

Knowledge is without a doubt, the best investment.

Finally, earning the highly regarded Certified Banking & Credit Analyst (CBCA)® Certification is an achievement I cherish and am proud of because I began – and completed – this journey during the most traumatizing and difficult time of my life.

In the next section of CFI CBCA Review, I’ll discuss what I liked and disliked about CFI CBCA.

What I Liked & Disliked?

-I liked how CFI has its CBCA qualification structured and outlined; the use of short videos and slides helps a lot. The course is well balanced and it is not too theoretical which makes it very understandable.

-Frankly, there is nothing that I didn’t like about CFI and the CBCA Qualification.

Verdict: Is CBCA Worth It?

By taking the CFI CBCA, one will be able to learn practical relevant skills which will give them a competitive edge/advantage of becoming a better world-class credit analyst.

I believe that completing the CBCA qualification will open many job opportunities for me in the future and also enable me to be a master in credit/banking analysis.

I hope this CBCA Certification Review helps you make a more informed decision.

Also Read:

CFI Review

CFI Coupon Code

I hope this CFI CBCA review has helped you. Leave your thoughts below.