# National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA)

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*As of 2025, NACVA has over 7,000 members and certificants. — Investopedia / Dennis Madamba*

> **Definition**
>
> The National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) is a trade organization for valuation professionals.

## What Is the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA)?

The National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) is an organization of professionals who provide valuation and litigation services for different types of corporate transactions. NACVA members receive training, education, and certification in [asset valuation](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/assetvaluation.asp) disciplines that they put to use in their respective professions. The organization also enforces standards of ethical conduct among its members.

The association uses the axiom: "The Authority in Matters of Value."

### Key Takeaways

*   The National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts provides training, education, and certification in asset valuation disciplines.
*   NACVA members work in careers that provide valuation and litigation services, including mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, and bankruptcy.
*   NACVA also provides accreditations of Certified Valuation Analysts (CVA), Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF), Accredited in Business Appraisal Review (ABAR), Certified Business Appraiser (CBA), and Master Certified Business Appraiser (MCBA).

## Understanding the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA)

The National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. NACVA members work in careers that provide valuation and litigation services, including [mergers and acquisitions](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mergersandacquisitions.asp), [initial public offerings](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/ipo.asp) (IPOs), and bankruptcy.

The NACVA also provides accreditations of Certified Valuation Analysts (CVA), Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF), Accredited in Business Appraisal Review (ABAR), Certified Business Appraiser (CBA), and Master Certified Business Appraiser (MCBA).

Across databases, software, certifications, and professional standards, the association's mission includes providing members with a range of high-quality resources to facilitate their consultants’ success by enhancing their efficiencies and giving them a competitive advantage.

As the art and science of business valuation have become increasingly more complex, the NACVA is playing a central role in positioning its members and candidates to meet these evolving challenges through ongoing educational materials, peer support, and professional standards.

In the field of business valuation, the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) is the only accredited organization by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

## Certifications

The certifications that NACVA provides focus on different areas of analysis and litigation.

**[Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA)](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/ava.asp):** CVAs focus on providing business valuations to consulting companies and their clients.

**Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF):** MAFFs provide assurance to companies that need financial litigation services. The certification requires prerequisites, experience, and passing a five-hour exam that tests the candidate on NACVA's Financial Forensics Body of Knowledge.

**Accredited in Business Appraisal Review (ABAR):** ABAR is the highest standard in the valuation field, particularly in business appraisal reports; however, ABAR has now ceased and active members need to recertify every three years but no new members can be certified.

**Certified Business Appraiser (CBA) and Master Certified Business Appraiser (MCBA):** These two credentials are considered to be the industry's most difficult to obtain. These credentials have also ceased being offered as the difficulty did not generate enough demand.

## Membership

The National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) provides a variety of different memberships suited to different needs and qualifications. The memberships are the Practitioner Membership, Ultimate Membership, Professional Membership, Affiliate Membership, Academician Membership, Government Employee Membership, Student Membership, and Legal Professional Membership.

Depending on the membership, the annual cost ranges from $79 to $599. Each membership comes with different benefits and access to different aspects of NACVA.

The benefits of membership include an entire support network for individuals wishing to pursue a career in business valuation. NACVA provides education, certifications, online learning, access to a variety of publications, industry-specific training, such as in [healthcare](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/health_care_sector.asp), software and database, litigation, and management

The organization also has a variety of support groups, such as a writer's guild, a mentor support group, a [pro-bono](https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/08/pro-bono.asp) group, a training team, and a speakers bureau.

"NACVA has trained over 40,000 CPAs and other valuation and consulting professionals in the fields of business valuation, financial forensics, financial litigation, and related specialty services in the business and legal communities," according to the group's website.

## How Do I Become a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA)?

There are six primary steps to becoming a CVA. These are (1) meeting the CVA qualifications and applying for the designation, (2) paying a CVA designation fee or becoming a member at NACVA, (3) studying the provided material for the exam, (4) passing the CVA exam, (5) participating in a peer-reviewed business valuation report, (6) and paying membership fees and completing the continuing education requirements every three years to maintain the designation.

## How Long Does It Take to Become a CVA?

To become a CVA, an individual must study for and pass the exam; however, to become a CVA, an individual must meet certain prerequisites. These include having a bachelor's degree in business management and/or an MBA, two or more years of experience in business valuation or related fields, and having performed 10 or more business valuations. The time to complete the above prerequisites will vary from individual to individual.

## What Does a Valuation Analyst Do?

A valuation analyst performs an appraisal of a business, which includes examining costs, risks, industry trends, budgets, timelines, cash flows, and a slew of other metrics to determine the valuation of a business.

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. "[NACVA's Beginnings](https://www.nacva.com/beginnings)."
>     
> 2.  National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. "[Certifications](https://www.nacva.com/certifications)."
>     
> 3.  National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. "[Classifications of Membership](https://www.nacva.com/membership)."
>     
> 4.  National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. "[Membership Application](https://www.nacva.com/assoc_subscribe.asp)."
>     
> 5.  National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. "[Qualifications for CVA Certification](https://www.nacva.com/cvaqualifications)."