Commonly Asked Financial Modeling Interview Questions

Most financial sector jobs value experience. But, a well-learned and skilled fresher in financial modeling can always get to significant roles in an organization.  Financial modeling job interview questions concentrate on recovering skills to explore your ability to fulfill the job responsibilities well. 

Here we have gathered a list of the most typical and often asked financial modeling interview questions.  This guide is ideal for anyone preparing for an interview for a role as a financial analyst or others demanding knowledge in the field. It helps you prepare for the most crucial questions on concepts and financial modeling applications.

Suggestions for Answering Financial Modeling Interview Questions

This article focuses only on financial modeling interview questions, particularly the fundamental knowledge of creating Financial models employing software like Excel.

Known best methods for answering financial modeling interview questions are:

• Wait a couple of seconds to prepare your answer and recite the question back to the interviewer audibly (you buy enough time by repeating part of the question before you start answering)
• Employ a structured method to answer each question. This approach generally means you will keep points numbered one, two, three, etc.
• If you do not know the precise answer, say the things you do understand are relevant (There is no need to be scared to say that you do not know the exact answer. That is considerably better than assuming or making up stuff)
• Show your string of logic (indicate that you have a rational thinking process and can solve issues, even if you don’t understand the exact solution)

Also read: Guide to Financial Modeling Course

Top Financial Modeling Interview Questions and Answers:

1. What is financial modeling? How to make use of a Financial Model?

This is the foremost one you can anticipate among financial modeling interview questions. It implies analyzing your knowledge about the basics of the subject.

Ans: A financial model is just an instrument, built-in Excel, to predict or project a company’s economic performance into the tomorrow. The forecast generally relies on the firm’s historical performance. It demands designing an income statement, cash flow statement, supporting schedules, and balance sheet (a “three statement model”). Again, advanced models can be made, such as mergers and acquisitions, discounted cash flow analysis (DCF model), leveraged-buyout,  and sensitivity analysis.

We use the result of a financial model for decision-making and financial analysis inside or outside of the business. Inside a company, managers use Financial models to create decisions about:

• Raising capital (debt and equity)
• Earning acquisitions (businesses and assets)
• Developing the business organically (e.g., launching new stores, joining new markets, etc.)
• Selling or divesting business units and assets 
• Budgeting and forecasting (preparing for years beforehand)
• Funds allocation (prioritize which undertakings to invest in)
• Valuing a company

If you want to fascinate the prospective employers with financial modeling skills to hire you for finance-related jobs, enroll in our 360-degree Financial Modeling Course.

2. How do you build a financial model?

When you get such financial modeling interview questions, you may organize the answer into bulleted points in your mind and present them accordingly. 

Ans: There are ten main steps involved in building a financial model:

• Historical results and beliefs

The first step of building a financial model is gathering information from financial statements. Information from the past three years or more is crucial to calculate revenue growth rate, accounts payable days, gross margins, accounts receivable days, and inventory days. These metrics are then mixed with the financial analyst’s discernment to lay out the premises for the forecast duration as hard codes.

•  Make the income statement

With the forecast assumption in place, you can now create the income statement, beginning from revenue, COGS, till EBITDA.

• Complete the balance sheet

The next item you create is a balance sheet. Here you can forecast inventory and accounts receivable with the help of assumptions like AP days, AR days, and inventory days.

• Build the supportive schedules

Before finishing the balance sheet and income statement, you should make a schedule for capital assets like Plant & Equipment (PP&E), Property, and debt and interest.

• Finish the I/S and B/S

On the income statement, connect devaluation to the PP&E schedule and interest to the debt plan. You can then finish off the income statement by estimating the profits before taxes, taxes, and net income. On the balance sheet, connect the closing debt balance and closing PP&E balance from the supporting schedules. We compute shareholder’s equity by adding capital raised and net income and deducting dividends or shares repurchased from the previous year’s closing balance.

• Complete the cash flow statement

Upon meeting the balance sheet and income statement, you can make the cash flow statement utilizing the reconciliation process. Estimation of Operating cash flow is by taking net income, counting depreciation, and accommodating modifications in non-cash working capital. Financing cash flow is a part of capital expenditures in the PP&E plan, and financing cash flow comprises all cash inflows and outflows due to differences in deficit and equity.

• Complete the DCF study

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) research is a process of business valuation. It is accomplished by computing the free cash flows and discounting them to today at the company cost of capital (or necessary rate of return). You can then calculate the net present value (NPV) of the business.

• Sensitivity analysis & scenarios

Once the DCF analysis ends, you can include sensitivity analysis and scenarios to consider the effect on the company value that results from modifying other variables. These are good methods to assess the risk of an asset.

• Create graphs and charts

Offering financial analysis employing visual elements such as charts and graphs allows executives and management to analyze financial results better and recognize trends fast.

• Stress test & audit

It is significant to stress test extreme methods to see if the financial model acts as anticipated. Financial analysts should also analyze the model utilizing tools in Excel.

Also read: Is Financial Modeling Course Useful

3. Name three of the most prevalent financial modeling best practices.

These financial modeling interview questions implies to test your familiarity with the significance of best practices in financial modeling. By observing the industry’s best practices in financial modeling, the financial analyst can create financial models more competently. Users are capable of efficiently and quickly grasping critical information when they look at such financial models.

• Excel tips and tricks
  • Restrict or eliminate the usage of your mouse — keyboard shortcuts support speeding up the procedure
  • Break complicated calculations into easier steps
  • Learn the significant Excel formulas & functions (VLOOKUP, INDEX MATCH MATCH, CHOOSE, etc.)

• Formatting

Differentiate between inputs (assumptions) & outputs (formulas or calculations) employing formatting patterns — black font for procedures, blue font for inputs and borders, shading, etc.

• Model layout and structure

It is necessary to structure a financial model in a rational, easy-to-follow format. We achieve this by making the whole model on a single worksheet and utilizing the group process to make sections.

It is also the proper method to utilize the exact color theme throughout the entire model to make it look professional.

Also read: Financial Modeling Course Eligibility

4. How would you forecast revenues?

You can expect such financial modeling interview questions which directly intend to test your practical knowledge. You can reply to the question in the following manner: 

Ans: There are two methods for model building — constructing your model realistic or keeping it easy and robust.

The first-principles method recognizes various techniques to model revenues with high degrees of fact and accuracy. There are also industry-specific concerns that must be taken into consideration. For example, when predicting earnings for the retail industry, you indicate expansion rate and emanate income per square meter.

 When predicting revenue for the telecommunications enterprise, you forecast the market scope and employ existing market share and competitor research. When predicting income for service industries, you calculate the headcount and utilize the revenue per employee trends.

On the other hand, the fast and easy method to robust models summarizes how you can model gains in a much more direct way, with the advantage that the model will be more straightforward to use. In this method, you forecast the prospective growth rate according to historical figures and trends.

Also read: Can I Learn Financial Modeling on My Own

5. What do you mean by sensitivity analysis and how would you conduct one in Excel?

You are to be well prepared for financial modeling interview questions that will assess your in-depth subject knowledge: 

Sensitivity analysis is a device used in financial modeling to explore how various values of a set of independent variables affect a distinct dependent variable under specific conditions. For instance, a financial analyst may want to analyze how a firm’s profit margin may be affected 

when variables like the cost of goods traded and labor costs vary.  He can conduct a sensitivity study to test various sets of values for these variables and notice how the profit margin shifts accordingly.

One of the most helpful devices in Excel for conducting sensitivity analysis is the data tables, where you can display the output sensitivity by switching up to two separate variables. Tornado charts are also a significant method of demonstrating the effect of modifications on many variables at once.

6. How can you assure your numbers in a financial model are correct? What devices in Excel would you employ to audit your model?

These are direct financial modeling interview questions to test your proficiency in Excel.

• Model structure: 

By splitting inputs (constants alone) from processing and outputs (formulas alone), you can simply follow the source of inputs and confirm that assumptions are even (assumptions should be documented once only).

• Go to special:

The Go to a special operation in Excel lets you emphasize cells having specific content, like formulas, constants, and text. This allows you to review whether all information is constants and all results are formulas.

• Trace precedents & dependents:

Outlining precedents determine what foregoes the cell you would like to review (i.e., review which inputs are employed in a formula) while drafting dependents determines where an input cell streams into (i.e., which formulas utilize that input).

7. How are the three Financial Statements related?

If you face one of the financial modeling interview questions like “How are the three financial statements linked together?”, in an interview, you should not discuss many details but rather directly go to the  main points, which are:

• Net revenue from the income statement streaming to the cash flow statement and balance sheet 
• Devaluation is added back & CapEx is subtracted from the cash flow statement, which decides PP&E on the balance sheet
• Financing activities mostly impact the balance sheet and cash from finishing, save for interest, which is demonstrated on the income statement
• The totality of the last period’s closing cash along with this term’s money from operations, financing is the closing cash balance on the balance sheet and investing.

8. 8. What are the layout principles of a proper financial model?

Answer these Financial Modeling interview questions using acronyms – FAST.

• F implies Flexibility: 

Every financial model should be adaptable in its size and flexible in all situations (as contingency is a realistic part of any company or enterprise). The flexibility of a financial model relies on how effortless it is to change the model whenever and wherever it would be required.

• A implies Appropriate: 

Financial models shouldn’t be disorganized with excessive facts. 

While creating a financial model, the financial modeler constantly should comprehend what the financial model is, i.e., a fine model of reality.

• S implies Structure: 

The rational integrity of a financial model is of great significance. As the writer of the model may vary, the structure should be strict, and integrity should be maintained at the forefront.

• T implies Transparent: 

Financial models are to be such and founded on formulas that can be easily comprehended by different financial modelers & non-modelers.

9. What is the distinction between NPV & XNPV?

The answer to such Financial modeling interview questions will be concise. There is an obvious distinction between NPV & XNPV. Both of these calculate Net Present Value by examining the prospective cash flows (positive & negative). The greatest contrast between NPV and XNPV is –

• NPV considers that the cash flows arrive in similar time intervals.
• XNPV considers that the cash flows do not come in similar time intervals.

In the case of monthly, quarterly, or yearly payments, one can readily use NPV, and in the case of irregular payments, XNPV would be appropriate.

10. Choose a model you have made and walk me through it.

If you have already created a model, this question is super uncomplicated. Just open your laptop, go to the spreadsheet, and display the model you have made for any undertaking or business. Then describe how you have made the model and which theoretical aspects you have assumed while making that model and why.

Remember, this is one of the most significant questions of all. Because the model will evaluate your technical proficiency, you will walk the interviewer through it. The following questions for the remainder of the interview will be related to the model you have created.  So pick prudently.

11. Let’s consider that I have purchased new equipment. How it would concern three financial statements.

This may appear a bit like accounting questions. But to study the finance knowledge of a modeler, the interviewer usually asks this Financial Modeling question.

Here’s how you should respond to it:

• In the face, there would be no effect on the income statement.
• In the balance sheet, money will go down, and PP&E (Property, Plant & Equipment) will rise.
• In the cash flow statement, the acquisition of PP&E would be regarded as cash outflow or cash flow from Investment.
• After some years, there will be depletion of the PP&E, so the business needs to remove depreciation in the income statement, resulting in a smaller net income.
• Retained earnings on the balance sheet will get decreased.
• And in the cash flow statement, the devaluation will be counted back as a non-cash cost in the “cash flow from operations”

12. What are LOOKUP & VLOOKUP? What to employ when?

Usually, the interviewer likes to learn whether you are experienced in operating and excel in financial modeling or not.

• LOOKUP is a function that permits you to evaluate the value entered; then, locate it within a data range; once the data range is chosen, then the process reciprocates a value from the exact data range without requiring you to scroll through.

• VLOOKUP, however, is one among the sub-functions of LOOKUP.

The goal of the VLOOKUP Function is to explore for a value in the data range’s leftmost column, and then it locates a value in the exact row from a column you have selected.

• VLOOKUP is commonly used to design Comparable Comps where the reference information is kept in different sheets and is drawn together in a shortened Comparable Company Analysis table.

13. What is the most flawed financial forecast you have created in your life?

This is a very shrewd question.

You should handle it well.

Responding to this question is equivalent to responding about your shortcomings.

So, you need to be discreet.

You should never choose one financial model and speak about it. Rather select two models – one that you could not predict correctly and another where you accomplished. And you can start enumerating comparisions between these two. And inform the interviewer why one proceeded belly up and another has evolved one of your soundest predictions.

14. 14. Where do you choose the historical Financial Statements?

A most reasonable approach is to choose the financial statements from the SEC Filings or the Annual Report straight. This may affect copying and pasting the data from the annual statement to the excel sheet.

Many suppose that this job is for losers; nevertheless, this is the most significant job in making the financial model. Once you begin occupying the data, you will learn the subtle differences in the financial statements that the business may have done. Also, you will gain a good sense of the kind of things contained in the financial statements.

Many would claim that Bloomberg and other databases will deliver an impeccable financial statement. Nevertheless, you may encounter one difficulty while employing these databases. These databases employ a very standardized method to document financial statements. With this, they may contain/exclude key entities from one line entity to another and thereby forming confusion. With this, you may overlook significant details.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What are the six types of financial forecasting models?

The six types of financial forecasting models are: 

• Bottom-up financial forecasting
• Top-down financial forecasting
• Correlation forecasting
• Statistical forecasting
• Delphi forecasting
• Asset and liability management forecasting

2. 2. What are the three most typical financial Modelling best methods?

To minimize mistakes when making your financial models aware of the following five essential steps:

• Clarify the business problem
• Simplify as much as possible
• Plan your structure
• Build structural integrity
• Test the model

3. 3. How do you make a 3 statement model?

There are several actions required to create a three statement model, including:

• Input historical financial data into Excel
• Decide the hypotheses that will drive the forecast
• Predict the income statement
• Forecast capital assets
• Forecast financing activity
• Forecast the balance sheet
• Meet the cash flow statement

4. 4. What are financial modeling skills?

The most significant financial modeling skills are:

• Concrete knowledge of accounting
• Strong Excel skills
• Understanding how to connect the 3 financial statements
• Understanding how to make a forecast
• A rational framework for problem-solving
• Attention to detail
• Ability to clarify large amounts of data into an uncomplicated format
• An eye for layout and esthetics
• Clear presentation skills
• The capability to easily zoom in on points, and zoom out to the high-level system

Conclusion: 

Financial modeling interviews will not be restricted to only financial modeling queries. You should be thorough with general finance, accounts, excel & advance excel, general HR questions, and current affairs. The above questions will assist you to comprehend what type of questions you can anticipate in interviews and ways to answer them.

Train well, and we wish you all the best!