MBA CMB study plan

MBA CMB · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Residential Mortgage Banking (Residential CMB)

Map the full Residential CMB domain outline into a one-page topic tree covering origination, underwriting, servicing, and secondary-market execution
Define the core mortgage instrument vocabulary (note, mortgage/deed of trust, PITI, escrow, amortization) in your own words without notes
Trace a single loan from application to closing and list every document produced at each stage
Build a glossary of 40 Residential CMB terms with a one-line definition each

A 40-term Residential CMB glossary plus a one-page domain topic tree you can redraw from memory

Week 2

Explain the underwriting pillars (capacity, credit, collateral, capital) and how each is evidenced in a loan file
Compute front-end and back-end debt-to-income ratios and loan-to-value for three worked scenarios by hand
Distinguish conforming, FHA, VA, and jumbo eligibility rules and identify which guideline governs each
Describe the appraisal and title processes and the risks each is meant to control

A worked problem set of 10 underwriting calculations with your own answer key and reasoning notes

Week 3

Explain the roles of originator, aggregator, GSE, and servicer in the mortgage value chain
Summarize how mortgage-backed securities are created and what prepayment risk means for investors
Compare fixed-rate, ARM, and balloon structures on rate risk, payment risk, and borrower suitability
Identify the main federal disclosure and consumer-protection requirements that shape residential lending

A two-page value-chain and securitization summary that explains prepayment risk to a non-specialist

Week 4

Diagnose servicing economics: escrow administration, default management, and loss mitigation options
Rank the top residential risks (credit, interest-rate, operational, compliance) and match each to a control
Complete 40 mixed Residential CMB practice questions and tag every miss by topic
Re-teach your three weakest Residential CMB topics aloud in under five minutes each

A scored 40-question Residential CMB practice set with a written remediation list of your three weakest topics

Week 5

Map the Executive CMB domain into a topic tree covering strategy, portfolio management, capital, and risk governance
Explain how mortgage banking strategy connects to balance-sheet capacity, funding mix, and capital allocation
Describe the key performance metrics executives use to judge a mortgage business and what each reveals
Distinguish the executive lens on risk appetite and limits from the loan-level underwriting lens

A one-page Executive CMB topic tree plus a metric sheet of at least 10 executive KPIs with definitions

Week 6

Explain capital adequacy and liquidity concepts as they apply to a mortgage banking operation
Describe hedging of interest-rate and pipeline risk and when a hedge decision is appropriate
Analyze how pricing, volume, and margin interact when an executive sets product strategy
Outline governance structures for credit, operational, and compliance risk at the executive level

A written executive memo of roughly 600 words recommending a strategic response to a margin-compression scenario, with stated assumptions

Week 7

Connect loan-level residential decisions to portfolio and capital outcomes in an integrated argument
Complete 40 mixed practice questions spanning both domains and record the reasoning for each answer
Resolve every flagged uncertain fact by verifying it against a primary or authoritative source and correcting your notes
Draft concise answer frameworks for scenario-based executive questions

A corrected error log from 40 mixed questions plus three reusable answer frameworks for scenario questions

Week 8

Take two timed full-length practice exams under exam conditions and score both
Close remaining gaps by re-drilling only topics that scored below your threshold
Recite the core frameworks for both domains from memory without prompts
Finalize a one-page pre-exam review sheet limited to high-yield facts and formulas

Two timed practice scores with a completed one-page final review sheet

Week 2: You can compute DTI and LTV unaided and explain which guideline governs each loan type, scoring at least 80% on a 10-calculation set

Week 4: Residential CMB practice score reaches 75% or higher, with no more than two unresolved flagged facts remaining

Week 6: You can defend an executive strategy memo's assumptions and name the capital, liquidity, and hedging levers involved

Week 8: Both timed practice exams score at or above your target pass threshold, and the final review sheet is complete