ABFA certificate course
Who should attend?
The ABFA Certificate Course is the second level of the ABFA’s three-step Distance Learning Programme. It is a natural continuation from the ABFA Foundation Course, provides a solid base for the ABFA Diploma Course, and is an industry-wide recognised professional qualification in its own right.
Course content
The Certificate Course looks in detail at the management and control of invoice financing and provides an introduction into other asset based finance products. As a course of study, it is aimed to help students build their skills, knowledge and understanding of the industry.
Level
The course is primarily aimed at those students operating at supervisory level, Client Managers, Operations Managers, Auditors (or a similar level in their organisation), but is equally suitable for anyone wishing to gain a deeper knowledge of the invoice finance industry. It is significantly more detailed and requires students to have a greater capacity for learning than the Foundation Course.
The Certificate Course also counts towards the Diploma qualification.
Assessment
At the end of each section within a module there are review questions and actions. These largely require the student to investigate their own company’s procedures and practices. These are for discussion within the student’s organisation and are not assessed by the ABFA.
At predetermined intervals the student will be sent an assignment based on each of the modules, three assignments in total. These will require completion within a month and will be returned to the ABFA for assessment. The assignments will attract a mark of ‘fail’, ‘pass’, ‘credit’ or ‘distinction’, and only those students who pass will be able to continue on to the next module. The assignments will take the form of questions on various topics included in the module.
The grades awarded for these assignments will, in total, make up 40 per cent of the overall grade for the Certificate Course.
There will be the opportunity to re-take the assignments, but only students who have completed all three assignments with a mark of ‘pass’ or greater will be able to take the examination.
The examination will take place at the end of the 12 month course and will make up 60 per cent of the marks required to pass the Certificate Course. The examination will carry a 50 per cent pass mark and will be based on the content of the Certificate Course workbook.
Papers will be graded ‘fail’, ‘pass’, ‘credit’ or ‘distinction’, Students passing the whole course will receive the ABFA Certificate.
Study time
This is dependent upon the student’s level of industry experience and knowledge. The maximum commitment is expected to be five to six hours of study time per week.
Cost
£650 Members
£970 Non-Members
(This is payable on registration. Please note that VAT is applicable for the ABFA’s courses and that there is an additional £100 administration fee for examination and course deferrals.)
Registration deadlines
There are two registrations held annually:
1st February-31st May
1st August-30th November
To enrol please contact the Training Manager in your organisation or your line manager.
Registrations can also be made through the ABFA website at –
https://www.abfa.org.uk/publicdb/show_event.asp?event=313
Course structure
There are three modules consisting of the following:
Module One – Products and Services
On completion of the module students should have a detailed understanding of:
The history of invoice finance
Invoice finance products available in the market
International invoice finance products
Students should also have gained an introductory level of:
Other asset based finance products
Module Two – Processes and Management
On completion of the module students should have a detailed understanding of:
The concepts of marketing and sales
The new business visit and survey
Industry-specific risk areas
Invoice finance pricing
Client management
Auditing
Invoice finance fraud and risk
Client termination
Module Three – Technical and Legal Aspects
On completion of the module students should have a detailed understanding of:
Various business structures
Basic law of contract
Legal aspects of invoice finance
Insolvency
Debtor litigation
Financial analysis techniques used in invoice financing
Please note: There are two, one-day courses supporting the distance learning – Certificate Course Introductory Seminar and Certificate Course Legal Aspects Review. These one-day courses have been designed to assist students with studying for the Certificate Course.
Cancellation policy
Cancellations will only be accepted in writing (email is acceptable) and will be refunded in full up to four weeks prior to the event date, subject to a £30 administration fee.
Cancellations received between four weeks and two weeks prior to the event date will be charged at 65 per cent of the cost.
No refunds will be given for cancellations received within two weeks of the event date.
Name changes can be made free of charge at any time.
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