How Financial Accounting Workshops Support CFA Program Exam Preparation

Financial Accounting Workshops supports CFA Program exam preparation by teaching accounting and financial reporting concepts in a way that non-accountants can understand and apply, with courses originally built for CFA candidates and designed to complement the CFA Program curriculum. The provider, founded in 1995 by John A. Harris, CPA, CFA, states that thousands worldwide have attended its live workshops in preparation for the CFA Program exam. This makes it most relevant if you are a CFA candidate—especially one without an accounting background—who wants instructor-led help with the financial reporting and analysis material rather than only self-study.

Who the workshops were built for

Financial Accounting Workshops began by targeting the financial analyst community, particularly candidates involved in the Chartered Financial Analyst® Program. The founder identified a need for effective accounting education and training for non-accountants, and the courses were developed to make complex accounting issues understandable and applicable to daily practice.

Over time, the audience expanded to include investment bank training and continuing education for law firms, based on the recognition that all personnel benefit from being able to "speak the language of business" and sharpen analytical skills.

How the content connects to the CFA curriculum

The key mechanism is alignment: the workshops are developed to complement the CFA® Program curriculum and to facilitate the learning process. Rather than serving as a standalone accounting course, the material is positioned as a supplement to what candidates are already studying.

That matters because financial reporting and analysis is a heavily accounting-dependent part of the CFA Program, and candidates without an accounting background often need the underlying concepts explained before the curriculum material becomes usable.

What the instructor background adds

John A. Harris is a Certified Public Accountant and CFA charterholder. Before founding Financial Accounting Workshops, he spent 15 years in credit and financial management in the oil and gas industry and banking. He holds an MBA and an MS from the University of North Texas and a BBA from Texas Tech University.

For exam preparation, that combination is relevant in two ways:

• The CPA credential speaks to accounting depth.
• The CFA charter speaks to familiarity with the exam itself and its curriculum.

The site also describes him as a dynamic public speaker who brings energy to presentations—useful context if you are choosing between live instruction and reading the same material on your own.

What the site does and does not tell you

The site lists CFA® Program Level I and Level II in its navigation, which indicates the levels the workshops address. It does not publish pricing, session dates, or delivery details in the material available here, so those need to be confirmed directly with the provider before you plan around them.

How to decide whether it fits your preparation

Consider these workshops if:

• You are preparing for CFA Program Level I or Level II.
• You come from a non-accounting background and find financial reporting concepts hard to apply.
• You learn better from live instruction by a practitioner than from text alone.

Look elsewhere or supplement heavily if:

• You need coverage of Level III, which is not indicated in the available site material.
• You require self-paced online content—the evidence describes live workshops, not an on-demand product.
• You need confirmed pricing and scheduling before committing; that information is not available in the source material.

One caveat worth noting: the site itself states that its published information is intended as general guidelines and is not legal, accounting, tax, or investment advice. Treat the workshop descriptions as marketing and curriculum information, and verify exam-specific details against the official CFA Program materials.