Is Wall Street Prep Worth It?
Trainees that complete Wall Street Prep’s Premium Package or live seminars are eligible for Wall Street Prep’s Certification in Financial & Valuation Modeling.
We often get asked, “Is Wall Street Prep worth it?”. So in the following post, we’ll address the most important considerations to ensure you make the most informed decision.
Wall Street Prep Certification Overview (2022)
Investment banks most often recruit candidates attending undergraduates and MBAs from top “target” schools, such as Harvard, Wharton, NYU, and Princeton.
While bankers are still recruited out of “non-target” schools, the process is less formal and structured.
Most prospective investment bankers pursue undergraduate degrees in finance, business, economics, and accounting, but it is not an application requirement at investment banks.
The statement above can be confirmed by the number of hires with liberal arts and engineering degrees, as banks focus on finding bright motivated students that can be trained internally and molded, regardless of prior education.
In fact, it is widely recognized that the primary determinant of whether a candidate will get an interview are GPA, the reputation of the undergraduate or MBA program, and past work experience.
The result is that those interviewing for investment banking jobs as well as those eventually landing jobs as incoming analysts (and to some extent associates) have a wide variance in relevant academic backgrounds.
Even for those with undergraduate finance concentrations, the academic skill set is not directly applicable; at most schools, students never learn how to actually perform the types of analysis or build the types of models they would find themselves building on the job from day one.
Industry-Recognition of Wall Street Prep Certification
Investment banks hire companies – such as Wall Street Prep – to provide the highest-quality, rigorous training programs for new hires, with some programs lasting over 2 months).
The objective of Wall Street Prep’s Premium Package Certification is for individuals to gain access to the same type of training provided to the top investment banks, private equity firms, and business programs (undergraduate and MBA).
That way, all candidates, even those attending less prestigious schools, have a higher likelihood of landing an offer at the leading firms, as they are equipped with the skill set necessary on the job.
The courses are made available directly to all students, new and experienced hires alike and are designed to enhance the skills and competitive profile of prospective investment bankers by equipping them with the skill set they will use daily on the job.
Wall Street Prep’s Certification Eligibility
Certification is issued only upon passing an online examination (70% is the passing score) which tests the concepts taught in the Premium Package and live seminars.
Upon passing the certification requirements, trainees can place the credential on their resumes since simply enrolling in a program does not signal to recruiters that one actually completed the program.
Is a Financial Modeling Certification Necessary?
The primary determinants of whether a candidate will get an interview are the following:
- Undergraduate/MBA Program Reputation (Target vs. Non-Target)
- GPA and Test Scores (SAT, GMAT)
- Networking Prowess
- Relevance of Past Internship (or Work) Experience
If you do not have those things in place, no certification will help you, so prioritize those first.
However, when those other elements are in place, the certification can help “round out” the profile.
Do Investment Bank and Private Equity Recruiters Care?
In a nutshell, some recruiters care while others do not.
The reason is that since Wall Street Prep works directly with corporate clients, the certification is a “seal of approval” of sorts that hinges on the reputations of the training providers.
At Wall Street Prep we consistently receive calls from employers to validate certification claims on candidates’ resumes – employers would only do this if the certification mattered.
For international students and students that come from a liberal arts background, certification is a highly effective way to demonstrate basic competence in financial concepts and modeling.
So those who complete the program and receive our certification have the option to place it on their resumes. While some recruiters might not view the credential as a “significant” resume booster, others believe that the certification does in fact enhance a student’s academic profile.
But frankly, understanding financial modeling can only serve to benefit you in interviews and on the job.
Downsides to Financial Modeling Certifications
It should be noted that some have argued that such a credential may potentially be counter-productive because it will expose the trainee to more challenging technical questions.
This is a red herring; it is true that the more candidates represent what they know during interviews, the more they will be challenged.
But this is not unique to candidates who complete a program like this: A finance major will undoubtedly receive more challenging technical questions than a music major.
But stronger resumes are also more likely to lead to an interview in the first place.
From our experience, if the candidate is careful about not “overselling” the experience, the advantages of using such a Certification as a credential far outweigh any perceived risk.
In closing, Wall Street Prep’s certification offers a way to gain confidence and succeed in interviews and during the networking process by providing students with intuitive, step-by-step training in what they would actually be doing on the job.
I highly recommend WSP. I did their self study program and learned an incredible amount of information you would never see at the university level in such detail. It’s not a waste of time if you truly learn and figure out how to market the information. Basically, you have to… Read more »
What is the validity of a premium package account once I register? I mean is there a maximum time limit for course completion once I enroll?
Hello,
What is the average number of hours in total needed to complete the Premium Package?
Is training program is good or online program? Do both provide certificate
EXCELLENT course, totally worth the money. I exceeded my boss expectations during my Investment Banking Summer Internship at a BB.
What is promo cod? how can I get it Promo Code:
where can I take the certification exam? I can’t find any link for the certification exam on the Wallstreet website? Thank you.
Hello, what are the key differences between FPAMC and Financial and Valuation Modelling (Premium Package)?
Can someone tell me if you should have a finance/business background to take this Financial Modelling Premium certification? Or is this supposed to be for beginners?
Mikel:
I would reach out to support at wall street prep dot com for further assistance with this.
Best,
Jeff
Hello,
I plan to take the ultimate excel vba course exams and it just seems to me that 138 questions are a lot for only 90 minutes. Do I only have two attempts?
Q1. With your premium package will there be exam for each 6 courses or will there be just one certification exam??
Q2. Can it can used as a designation like CFA or CA ??
Q3. Is your course updated to 2020 with new case studies??
Hello,
Do you have a full package of all online courses premium+powerpoint + project finance, etc.?
Best
Hi WSP team,
I just bought the Project Finance Modelling course, and I intend to get the premium package once I have completed it. I saw that the premium package comes with lifetime access . Is it the same for the project finance course ?
Many thanks,
Two questions:
1. Does the course have a lifetime validity ?
2. Do you provide financial aid ?
Thank you
Can I sit for the online exam and if I fail, make another attempt immediately thereafter, say 6 hours later especially if my mark was very close to the pass mark
Please I failed the wall street prep certification exam, how do I retake it?
For the course exams it says there is “one attempt”, what happens if you fail this exam?
I have 16 courses on my courses page, which ones are included in the certification exam? and can I know the weights for each course in the exam
Hello! Can I download the videos once I pay for the premium package?
Does the Premium Package access expire? How long do I have before I must complete the exam?
Would you recommend taking the online premium package course first and then also taking the boot camp in-person course for F & V modeling or is that essentially the same curriculum and redundant?
Hi,
How many retakes can we take in total?
Which courses are the most important to pass the Excel exam? Will the test cover all of the courses, or only a select few?
Hi Haseeb,
Another question. Do you train on Interview Questions and Answers. If so , which program is that? I could not find it in any of the packages. Thanks.
Hi Haseeb, I have graduated from Masters in Economics in Canada and I went back to my country and it has been almost years since. But I want to find a job in Toronto. You can say I am not a recent grad. Do you think Wall Street Prep only… Read more »
Hi, Where can I have the re-take of the examination?
Would the Premium Package benefit someone desiring to go into corporate finance, or is it mostly geared toward investment banking?
Would you say obtaining this certification helps when I’m applying to a top tier MBA program? Especially for someone who is not a finance major.
How many hours the exam and do I needs to pay the course and exam?
Hi,
I was curious as to what happens if you do not pass the exam? Whether it be on your first attempt or additional attempts.
Thank you,
Nick
Hi. I would like to know the format of the exam. How many attempts we get and is the exam taken online? Thank you.
I’ve purchased the 3-day Financial and Valuation Modeling Boot Camp package – will this give me access to the exams? Thank you.
Thanks Haseeb
Can we only appear for the examination without enrolling for the premium package?
I am willing to work with the team . thank you
Hi, guys
Once i fall the exam, would the second exam be same as the first?
so how long is the exam , how come some says 3 hours some says 90 minutes ?
I didn’t receive the excel shortcuts PDF. How do I get that with my premium package order?
Hi, im planning on taking the wallstreetprep exam , how should i prepare myself? i just finished watching the financial modeling lectures and was wondering do i have to watch the entire video listings ? LBOs etc … should i prepare myself by watching the videos or i should also… Read more »
Hi Just had a few questions about the exam:
1. Is the exam timed?
2. Will I be able to view the correct answers once I complete the exam?
Your response is eagerly anticipated
How many questions will be asked in the exam? and what is the expected allocated time? is it 50 MCQ questions or 24??
and how will the exam will look like one or few cases? and will there be theoretical questions?
Hi,
Can you elaborate more on how the exam is going to be like? what kind of questions should I expect? Will it be based on a case? Will I be tested on concepts or will I have to build a model?
How much financial knowledge is required before starting the Wall Street Prep course?
Hi. I am based in Botswana in Southern Africa and would like to know if you have practice tests that one can use to prepare for the exams upon finishing the course.
Dear Team,
Will i lose access to all the videos and materials of the premium (online) package if i pass the certification test?
Thank you for all the hard work you are putting into this educational platform.
hello i would like to know how much is it cost?
What previous college or technical knowledge in finance should I have before enrolling in your program?
I am working with a Broking House as a dealer from past 3 years and I have done my PGDM in Marketing. I have very good knowledge about stocks, commodities and derivatives. Do you think this certification will help me to take my career globally. And what is the fee… Read more »
Hello everyone. Just one question. I am a chartered accountant in an audit firm and i want to break in the financial sector, mainly the investment banking sector. I do have a BA in Economics, a Msc in Development economics (a mainly theoretical degree) and, of course, proven expertise in… Read more »