CHFP study plan
CHFP · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Business acumen
Map the Business acumen domain's four sub-areas (organizational context, stakeholder analysis, decision framing, performance measurement) and rate your current confidence on each from 1 to 5
Define the 12 financial and operational terms you cannot yet explain without notes, and write a one-sentence plain-language definition for each
Draft a worked example of how a finance team translates a business objective into two or three measurable KPIs
Build a personal glossary file with 30 entries tagged by domain so later weeks can reuse it
Your checkpoint
A one-page domain map plus a 30-term glossary covering Business acumen vocabulary, with self-ratings recorded for each sub-area
Business acumen
Solve 15 scenario questions on stakeholder prioritization and write the reasoning chain for each wrong answer
Practice explaining a business case to a non-financial audience in a 5-minute recorded summary
Compare three organizational structures and list which one best supports cross-functional budgeting decisions
Identify five recurring traps in business-acumen scenarios and note a counter-question for each
Your checkpoint
A written log of 15 solved scenarios with corrected reasoning, plus a 5-minute recorded business-case summary
Collaboration
Diagram the roles of the finance business partner across planning, reporting, and decision support
Write three scripts for handling disagreement with an operating leader over a budget request
Practice converting a data-heavy update into a three-slide narrative for an executive audience
List the questions you would ask to surface an internal client's real decision need before producing analysis
Your checkpoint
A collaboration playbook of about 800 words containing role map, three conflict scripts, and a client-discovery question list
Business acumen & Collaboration
Complete a 40-question timed set mixing Business acumen and Collaboration items and log accuracy by sub-area
Re-teach your two weakest sub-areas in writing as if instructing a new analyst
Run one mock stakeholder meeting with a colleague or study partner and capture feedback on clarity and pushback handling
Update the glossary with 20 new terms drawn from missed questions
Your checkpoint
A mid-point scorecard showing accuracy by sub-area for domains 1 and 2, plus a prioritized list of the three weakest areas
Financial strategy
Build a model that links revenue drivers, cost structure, and cash flow for a sample business
Calculate and interpret the core ratios used in financial strategy analysis, showing the formula beside each result
Draft a capital allocation recommendation with two alternatives and stated trade-offs
Explain how forecasting assumptions change the output of a three-year plan by running two sensitivity cases
Your checkpoint
A working spreadsheet model with assumptions tab, output tab, and a two-case sensitivity table, plus a one-page recommendation memo
Financial strategy
Solve 20 Financial strategy scenarios focused on valuation, capital structure, and investment appraisal
Write out the decision rule for each appraisal method and note when it misleads
Critique a weak business case by identifying unsupported assumptions and missing risk analysis
Summarize in your own words how financial strategy connects to the business acumen decisions from week 1
Your checkpoint
A 20-item solved scenario set with a one-page critique of a deliberately flawed business case
Understanding future trends
Identify five trends reshaping finance work (for example automation, real-time reporting, sustainability disclosure, data governance) and state the strategic implication of each
Assess how each trend changes the skills expected of a finance professional and rank them by urgency for your own role
Draft a 12-month adoption plan for one trend, including risks and success measures
Practice answering scenario questions where the correct response depends on anticipating change rather than applying a fixed rule
Your checkpoint
A trend brief covering five trends with implications, a personal skills gap ranking, and a 12-month adoption plan for one trend
Business acumen & Collaboration & Financial strategy & Understanding future trends
Take two full-length timed practice exams and record accuracy by domain and by question type
Review every missed question and write the underlying principle rather than the answer
Rehearse a 60-second explanation of each domain to test whether you can teach it
Finalize a one-page exam-day sheet of formulas, decision rules, and personal error patterns
Your checkpoint
Two completed practice exams with a review log and a finalized one-page exam-day reference sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain all four Business acumen sub-areas without notes and score at least 70% on a 15-question untimed set for domain 1
Week 4: Domain 1 and 2 combined accuracy at or above 70% on a timed 40-question set, with no sub-area below 60%
Week 6: Can build a linked financial model from blank spreadsheet and defend a capital allocation recommendation in writing with stated trade-offs
Week 7: Trend brief completed with five trends, each paired with a concrete strategic implication and a personal action
Week 8: Both full-length practice exams completed within time, with overall accuracy at or above 75% and no domain below 65%