Accounting Fundamentals

Uncover how accounting gives us insight into profitability, operations, growth, and the underlying drivers of the business.

Understand the role and importance of the financial statements and define various financial statement terms
Record transactions and learn how they move through the financial statements
Explore the format of the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement and prepare simple financial statements

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Corporate Finance Institute

Overview

Accounting Fundamentals Course Overview

Understanding the basics of accounting is a crucial skill for almost all finance professionals as it gives us insight into profitability, operations, growth, and the underlying drivers of the business. The Accounting Fundamentals course covers the importance of the financial statements and various financial statement terms. We will record transactions and prepare an multi-year income statement, balance sheet, and cashflow statement.

Accounting Fundamentals Learning Objectives

Understand the role and importance of the financial statements.
Define various financial statement terms
Explore the format of the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
Record financial statement transactions.
Understand how transactions move through the financial statements.
Prepare simple financial statements.

Who Should Take This Free Accounting Course?

This course is designed for anyone who wants to review the fundamentals and building blocks of the accounting process. It will also be useful for professionals who work in finance and want to review the concepts required for financial modeling and valuation in CFI’s later courses.

What you'll learn

Lesson

Multimedia

Exams

Files

This Course is Part of the Following Programs

Why stop here? Expand your skills and show your expertise with the professional certifications, specializations, and CPE credits you’re already on your way to earning.

Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) Certification

Skills Learned Financial modeling and valuation, sensitivity analysis, strategy
Career Prep Investment banking and equity research, FP&A, corporate development

Learn More

Commercial Banking & Credit Analyst (CBCA®) Certification

Skills Learned Financial Analysis, Credit Structuring, Risk Management
Career Prep Commercial Banking, Credit Analyst, Private Lending

Learn More

Financial Planning & Wealth Management Professional (FPWMP™) Certification

Skills Learned Financial Learning, Business Development, Investment Management, Practice Management, Relationship Management
Career Prep Financial Planner, Investment Advisor, Portfolio Manager

Learn More

FinTech Industry Professional (FTIP™)

Skills Learned Financial Technology Fundamentals, Data Science and Machine Learning, Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain
Career Prep Data Science and Machine Learning, Data Analyst, Business Analyst, Software Developer

Learn More

Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization

Skills learned Accounting, Financial Analysis, Reading Financial Statements and more
Career prep Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Corporate Development, Investment Banking, Private Equity, Equity Research, and more.

Learn More

What Our Members Say

Simple and Practical

Unlike several other courses i have taken and read to pass, this is so practical that the knowledge sticks

Oluwadamilola Adeife

Highly interactive course

I'm delighted with the 'Accounting Fundamentals' course! It's not only great but also highly interactive. The way it blends key concepts with hands-on activities makes learning engaging and effective. Thank you!

Rizza Mae R. Lagat

It was an interesting experience

The course really exceeded my expectations. The instructor was well educated and interactive. I really enjoyed learning about the basics of accounting. The video solutions for the assignments were also well-covered and thoroughly explained.

Mohit Sharma

Tremendous Learning

This was a great course that took the time to walk you through the materials, providing both simple and then more complex examples so you can work through the learning process.

Robert Biffle

it was a nice experience which make me more focus and eager to learn more

i never expect these marks but iam glad i made it and i want to do more

Matsosane Khoanyane

STEP TO SUCCESS

i would like to encourage students to pursue this course

Nalule Lunkuse Josephine

Information and interesting

It was a very good experience

Prince Kumar

Acquired the skills of Accounting Fundamentals

Greatly horned to have acquired the accounting fundamentals skills offered by CFI. It's been a great experience leaning how businesses operate financially.

Haninga Muchelemba

A great start

Just started with the course and finished the 1st fundamental course. It was a good course. The information was put across really well and the interactive sessions and exercises are well planned.

Meenal Agarwal

Cashflow statement

The clear explanation of cashflow statement is second to none. It gave me more insight into cashflow statement

Wisdom Ihejirikah

Covering the bases

Filling all the gaps in my knowledge on accounting

Leonardo gryner

LOvE it

Free course with immense knowledge !!

Momin Ahmed

it was easy to understand

the tuitor explained the videos in a way that even a beginner can easily understand the course

faith mbidzo

SIMPLISTIC

Somome like myself, Haven completed my ACCA part 1 in 2009 and attempted several ACCA part 2 papers. I still had no clear understanding about what items were to be added or subtracted from Retained Earnings. Via this course I finally succeeded in not only memorising the items but understanding the core rational behind why we subtract or add any item on not only the RE part of SOCI but how all others aspects/ items of assets, liabilities & equity affe t tye various forms of financial statements. Much Thanks ?

Kingsly Ako Enoh

Proud and excited

I am really proud and excited to have achieved my first milestone with CFI. I am looking forward to going for other milestones in the near future!

Shakeel Ahmad

Better cheaper faster

worthy to dedicate your time! very friendly, not borring, professional, and accredited!!!

Tumim Wolde

Am impressed with tutorials.

abdul majeed amadu

that is more knowledgeable and easy learning site

that is highly recommend for students studying because of its easy to learn and simply told matters.

rmkd rathnayaka

happy learning

one of the best platform to learn about the course and get certified.

Vaishnavi R

This course got some useful information, it can be very much useful to people who are studying accounting and business.

Lebogang Buhle Faith Ntema

Exciting and intersting course

One of the best accounting courses that I have ever experienced!

Ramy Mohamad

It was amazing

I really enjoyed. It was really knowledgeable.

Kumail Hasan

Had quite an engaging time and it was worth it

I love how that the course was explained in such a very simple way

Peter Akinyode

International course and powerful

If you have the desire to learn, you can search and keep trying. CFI is quite good at delivering its courses

Temy Kurniawan

Great

Loved the examples, so realistic

Gabriel Mtamba

Frequently Asked Questions

If you haven’t found your answer from our FAQ, please send us a message.

Contact Us

What are the requirements to take the courses?

All of our certification programs are open to students and professionals in various industries and levels of experience. Our curriculum is designed to teach what you need to know from basic fundamentals to advanced practical case studies. To take the courses and complete the exercises, students will only need access to a PC and/or Mac, Microsoft Suite (2016 or newer), and a stable internet connection. Click here to view the Technical Requirements

Can I download the Excel files and financial modeling templates for the course?

Absolutely! All the files and templates needed in a course are available for download. Just look for a module that shows Downloadable Files within the course dashboard. See here for a visual guide on how to do this.

How long do I have to complete the courses?

You will have yearly access to the courses as long as you maintain an active subscription. All the courses are self-paced as well so you can take your time in learning without worrying about any deadlines. Click here to compare our available enrollment options.

Are CFI courses officially accredited?

Yes, CFI is accredited by the Better Business Bureau® (BBB) to maintain training standards, the CPA Institutions in Canada, and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) in the USA. Most of our courses qualify for verified CPE credits for CPA charter holders. Please refer to this page to view all available CPE credits.

Are there any additional fees or costs?

None! The bundle price includes everything and there are no additional fees or charges to earn your digital certification. You can see our enrollment fees listed here.

What currency are your courses priced in?

All our online courses are priced in USD. As this is a recurring payment, we accept all major credit and debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

How do I earn my certificates?

Students must complete all the video lessons, quizzes, and final assessments in each course. You can retake the assessments as many times as necessary until you reach an 80% passing grade. For more information on how to earn a course certificate, click HERE.

How are the exams conducted?

Students are required to complete an online assessment (Multiple choice questions, Fill-in-the-Blanks, and Excel Questions) at the end of each course. You can take the exams on your own schedule and will need to earn at least 80% to pass the course and earn your certificate of course completion. Please note that course exams can be repeated as many times as you need. Students are also required to complete the FMVA® final exam to earn their certification. How to Take a Qualified Assessment

Can I email the instructor if I have questions?

While the courses are designed mainly for self-study, we are happy to provide email assistance for general or technical support inquiries. The Full Immersion bundles include a premium email support function that allows you to communicate directly with in-house experts regarding course content. This is one of the key features that sets the Full Immersion bundle apart and makes it a worthwhile upgrade over the more affordable self-study bundle. You can compare more features in our bundles here.

Will these courses help me advance my career?

Based on hundreds of reviews from thousands of students we know how CFI courses have helped so many people advance their finance careers. Our courses are designed to be extremely practical and simulate the experience of being trained as a professional financial analyst…the ultimate way to advance your career. For real-world examples and to help delve even deeper into the course concepts, please look into our free career resources library.

Accounting Fundamentals

Accounting Fundamentals Course Overview

Accounting Fundamentals Learning Objectives

Who Should Take This Free Accounting Course?

Accounting Fundamentals

What you'll learn

Introduction

The Balance Sheet

The Income Statement

The Cash Flow Statement

Course Summary

This Course is Part of the Following Programs

Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) Certification

Commercial Banking & Credit Analyst (CBCA®) Certification

Financial Planning & Wealth Management Professional (FPWMP™) Certification

FinTech Industry Professional (FTIP™)

Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization

What Our Members Say

Oluwadamilola Adeife

Rizza Mae R. Lagat

Mohit Sharma

Robert Biffle

Matsosane Khoanyane

Nalule Lunkuse Josephine

Prince Kumar

Haninga Muchelemba

Meenal Agarwal

Wisdom Ihejirikah

Leonardo gryner

Momin Ahmed

faith mbidzo

Kingsly Ako Enoh

Shakeel Ahmad

Tumim Wolde

abdul majeed amadu

rmkd rathnayaka

Vaishnavi R

Lebogang Buhle Faith Ntema

Ramy Mohamad

Kumail Hasan

Peter Akinyode

Temy Kurniawan

Gabriel Mtamba

Frequently Asked Questions