Credit Business Associatesm
(CBAsm)
The Credit Business
Associate (CBA) is an academic-based designation which
signals mastery of three business-credit related disciplines:
basic financial accounting, business credit principles and introductory
financial statement analysis. There is no minimum work experience
requirement for this designation level and the course work needed
to qualify for this designation can be obtained through colleges,
local NACM Affiliated Association programs, self-study or nationally-sponsored
programs. There are two plans from which to choose to achieve
this designation, Plan A or Plan B.
CBA-Plan A (College, Self-Study
and NACM National Programs)
Plan A is best suited for those who
wish to complete the required courses at a college, through self-study,
an NACM nationally sponsored certificate program or who already
have a college degree. A combination of any of these methods (mixing
methods) is permitted under Plan A. CBA-Plan A applicants must
show evidence of successful completion (with a C average or better
for each course) of the following three courses:
- Basic Financial Accounting
- Financial Statement Analysis I
- Business Credit Principles
How to Complete the THREE Required
Courses under Plan A
The basic financial accounting
course should be completed before the financial statement analysis
course. The Basic Financial Accounting course requirement can
be fulfilled two ways:
- By successfully completing either one full semester or two
quarters of basic financial accounting at a college (four
year, community, or junior college), or
- NACM-National's is offering an online accounting course.
This option will replace the self-study method. The online
accounting course is an appropriate method of study for those
with some accounting experience or a basic working knowledge
of accounting. This method of study is not recommended to
those with little or no accounting experience.
There are three ways to satisfy the Financial
Statement Analysis I course requirement:
- By successfully completing either one full semester or two
quarters of basic financial statement analysis at a college
(four year, community or junior college), or
- By successfully completing the self-study course, How
to Read and Interpret Financial Statements. This
course is available through the NACM Education Department,
or
- Convention Certificate Session: Course equivalency may be
earned by attending the certificate session, Financial Statement
Analysis I, when offered. To earn course equivalency, you
must attend all parts of the course and pass a final exam.
The Business
Credit Principles course requirement can be completed three different
ways:
- This course requirement can be fulfilled by successfully
completing the NACM
self-study course, or
- This course requirement can be fulfilled by successfully
completing the certificate session, Business
Credit Principles, offered during NACM's annual convention.
To earn course equivalency, all 30 hours and a final exam
must be successfully completed.
- CAP Method: Successfully completing the Affiliated Association
sponsored course, Business Credit Principles, will fulfill
this course.
CBA-Plan
B: The Credit Administration Program (CAP)
Many NACM Affiliated Associations sponsor the Credit Administration
Program (CAP), which is a series of courses designed to prepare
candidates for the CBA exam. By successfully completing CAP with
a "C" average or better for each course, you may apply to take
the CBA exam. Please be aware that regardless of the composition
of the CAP program you completed, you are now responsible for
the completion of the current requirements.
- Basic Financial Accounting
- Financial Statement Analysis I
- Business Credit Principles
Each CAP course is comprised of at least 30 hours of class time.
Your local CAP sponsor will furnish you with end-of-course grades,
grade transcripts or certificates of completion. Click
here to learn more about the Credit Administration Program.
How to Apply for the CBA Designation
Once you have completed the course work under either Plan A or
Plan B, you should:
- Register with the NACM Education Department.
- Complete and send the CBA Designation Application form to
the NACM Education Department. You should submit your course
grade transcripts with this application.
