NFSI study plan
NFSI · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Financial Accounting and Reporting
Map Domain 1 into its core subtopics and rank them by exam weight
Build a one-page formula and journal-entry reference sheet for core accounting topics
Work through 30 practice items on revenue recognition and accrual accounting, logging each miss
Explain the link between the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement from memory
Your checkpoint
Completed Domain 1 topic map plus a 30-item error log with written corrections
Financial Accounting and Reporting
Compute inventory, depreciation, and impairment figures under multiple methods
Reconcile a deferred tax and lease treatment scenario to the financial statements
Distinguish IFRS from US GAAP treatments on at least five recurring issues
Re-derive every Domain 1 formula on the reference sheet without notes
Your checkpoint
Timed 40-question Domain 1 set scored and reviewed, with a list of weak subtopics
Financial Statement Analysis
Calculate liquidity, solvency, and profitability ratios from a given set of statements
Decompose ROE using DuPont analysis and interpret each driver
Identify common earnings-quality red flags and explain their analytical meaning
Convert reported figures into adjusted figures for comparability across firms
Your checkpoint
A full ratio and DuPont analysis write-up on a sample company, with a red-flag summary
Corporate Finance and Valuation
Compute cost of equity and cost of debt, then build a WACC from components
Apply DCF and comparable-multiple valuation to the same firm and reconcile the results
Calculate NPV, IRR, and payback for capital budgeting decisions
Explain how capital structure choices affect firm value and risk
Your checkpoint
A valuation memo valuing one company by both DCF and multiples, with stated assumptions
Equity Investments
Compare equity valuation models and select the appropriate one for a given firm
Compute required return using CAPM and interpret beta and market risk premium
Distinguish market efficiency forms and their practical implications
Analyze industry structure and competitive positioning to support an equity view
Your checkpoint
A one-page equity research summary with valuation conclusion and key risks
Fixed Income Investments & Derivatives and Alternative Investments
Price a bond and compute duration and convexity for a given set of cash flows
Explain yield curve shapes and the effect of rate changes on bond prices
Define and value basic forwards, futures, and options payoffs at expiry
Contrast hedge fund, private equity, and real asset characteristics
Your checkpoint
A combined fixed income and derivatives problem set scored at 70% or better
Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning & Ethics and Professional Standards
Construct an IPS from a client profile covering risk, return, and constraints
Apply portfolio risk and return formulas to a two-asset and multi-asset portfolio
State the core ethical standards and identify violations in short scenarios
Explain the portfolio management process from planning through monitoring
Your checkpoint
A written IPS for a sample client plus 15 ethics scenario answers with justifications
Financial Accounting and Reporting & Financial Statement Analysis & Corporate Finance and Valuation & Equity Investments & Fixed Income Investments & Derivatives and Alternative Investments & Portfolio Management and Wealth Planning & Ethics and Professional Standards
Take two full-length timed mock exams under exam conditions
Review every missed item and tag it to a domain and subtopic
Re-drill the highest-frequency weak subtopics identified across all mocks
Finalize a condensed one-page formula and concept sheet for final review
Your checkpoint
Two completed mock exams with error analysis and a final one-page review sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 70% on the 40-question Domain 1 set and clear every formula on the reference sheet from memory
Week 4: Complete the valuation memo and pass a self-quiz on WACC, NPV, and DuPont with no formula errors
Week 6: Score at least 70% on the combined fixed income and derivatives problem set
Week 8: Score at least 75% on both full-length mocks and show a declining error rate between the first and second