IBSL Higher Diploma in Banking and Finance (HDBF) Exam study plan

Map the Banking domain syllabus into a one-page outline of sub-areas and weightings

Define the core functions and intermediation role of banks in your own words

List and explain the main bank business lines (retail, corporate, treasury, trade finance)

Draft a glossary of 30 core banking terms with one-line definitions

Explain the structure of a bank balance sheet and classify each line item

Compute key ratios (capital adequacy, liquidity, NPL, cost-income) from a sample dataset

Distinguish credit, market, liquidity and operational risk with a bank example each

Describe the purpose and limits of Basel-style capital and liquidity rules

Trace the steps of a loan from application to disbursement and monitoring

Apply basic credit assessment criteria (capacity, collateral, character) to two case scenarios

Explain how interest rate and FX risk affect a bank's treasury book

Summarize the main compliance duties (KYC, AML, sanctions screening) in a checklist

Consolidate Banking by re-deriving all ratios and definitions without notes

Map the Finance domain syllabus into a one-page outline of sub-areas

Define the time value of money and set up the core formulas from memory

Complete 40 mixed Banking practice questions and log every error by cause

Compute present and future values for single sums and annuities by hand

Calculate NPV and IRR for two investment projects and state the accept/reject decision

Explain the relationship between risk and return and compute a basic expected return

Interpret bond price, yield and duration relationships qualitatively

Read and interpret the three core financial statements and how they link

Compute profitability, liquidity, leverage and efficiency ratios from a sample statement set

Distinguish equity vs debt financing and their cost implications

Explain working capital management levers with a numeric example

Complete 60 timed mixed questions across both domains and record accuracy by domain

Re-teach the five weakest sub-areas to yourself in writing from memory

Build a one-page formula and definition sheet spanning both domains

Identify and close the three largest recurring error patterns

Complete two full-length timed mocks under exam conditions

Review every missed question and classify each as knowledge, calculation or misread

Recite the formula sheet and glossary from memory in a self-quiz

Finalize a last-48-hour revision checklist limited to high-yield items