building a financial model from scratch (for a non-beginner)

hi there!

i am a CFA level 3 candidate & I worked with financial models before (we received them from borrowers' financial advisors)

But I have never built a three financial statements model from scratch. I may need to do this in an interview, with time constraint.

What do you recommend? I dont want to take a fresh grad course like wall street prep bcs it might be too basic/boring? Maybe I just need practice material?

Is there any other material I can go over or should I go down wallstreetprep road?

5,975 WSO Academy Investment Banking Session Reviews: 4.82/5

Class of '24 Oct 2026 Cohort

5.00/5

Investment Banking Short Resume Review / Recap

“Daniel really took his time to help me. Our session ran well past the scheduled time, and he went through every part of my resume in detail. He didn't just fix what was there; he also showed me how to think about it going forward, so I can keep improving it on my own as my experience grows. He was diligent, careful and very patient with all my questions, and at the same time kind and easy to talk to. It was clear why he has been so successful, and he shared what he knows openly. Honestly, if I hadn't met with Daniel, I think I would have missed out on a lot of opportunities down the line. He is an amazing mentor and I'm grateful for the time he put in.”

Class of '27 Jan 2025 Cohort

4.92/5

Investment Banking Mock Interview

“Great guy, kind and easy to interact with. To be honest, I did have a hard time understanding his accent for the first 5 minutes but I was able to quickly pick it up after that so my session was not affected. He was great at simulating an actual interview environment and asked great question tailored to me in real time. He was also very very very helpful with the actionable steps that he outlined during the last 5 minutes of our call. I am currently in the process of booking another session with him to make sure my technicals are absolutely bulletproof.”

See All 11,117 WSO Academy Reviews

1 Comments

WSO Monkey Bot

O

6y

Impedit deserunt aut maiores est quo ut reiciendis distinctio. Itaque vel sit et facere quibusdam et sit. Cum amet ad pariatur omnis quo illum exercitationem cum. Asperiores id debitis fuga aut sit voluptatibus excepturi.

Voluptas autem minus aut voluptatem placeat qui cum. Qui sed ab unde libero similique. Et voluptatibus et officiis.

Voluptas optio quo ut beatae sed. Qui consequatur ea et harum. Hic ab numquam id sint occaecati ipsum. Ut nulla quis voluptatem incidunt dolores reprehenderit sit. Eligendi voluptatum consequatur rerum. Voluptatem quo dolorem molestiae officia. Quas molestias molestiae quam labore non.

Aut quis consequatur facilis assumenda. Harum error velit minima perspiciatis voluptatem eos molestiae.

+137	UBS Catastrophic Q1-Q3 26, M&A -17%, Outside Top 10 in Americas, EMEA & APAC	37	1d
+59	PWP acquisition by Piper cancelled	22	2h
+29	Evercore poaches Baird DC Defense Team	18	6h
+28	Houston banking Gods ?	16	2d
+21	Normal for lateral process to go +2 months?	4	1d
+21	Best Houston Banks for Culture in 2026	14	11h
+17	Lack of talent in IB!	19	2h
+17	Internal lateral from coverage to M&A (focused on coverage)	4	16h
+15	How standard is weekend work in IBD?	6	2d
+15	Discussion Transaction Experience in Lateral Interviews	3	3d

1	redever	99.2
2	kanon	99.0
3	BankonBanking	99.0
4	Secyh62	99.0
5	DrApeman	98.9
6	GameTheory	98.9
7	Betsy Massar	98.9
8	CompBanker	98.9
9	dosk17	98.9
10	numi	98.8

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

building a financial model from scratch (for a non-beginner)

Score Breakdown

Feedback

Score Breakdown

Feedback

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

building a financial model from scratch (for a non-beginner)

See All Comments - 100% Free

Trending Content - Investment Banking Forum