- What "ABAR Training" Means Today
- The Original ABAR Review Discipline
- CPE and Recertification Training Requirements
- The 2025 Attestation Change and Recordkeeping
- Inactive and Emeritus Status as Alternatives
- Training Paths for New Candidates
- Building a Practical Training Schedule
- How ABAR Exam Prep Supports Legacy Holders
- FAQ
- NACVA suspended new ABAR applications in 2016; the credential is terminated for new candidates but existing holders keep it active.
- Recertification requires 60 applicable CPE hours per three-year cycle plus a $400 fee.
- Completing 15-29 NACVA CPE hours earns a $200 fee waiver; 30+ hours earns the full $400 waiver.
- Since 2025, holders attest to CPE completion and keep supporting records for three years instead of reporting each course.
What "ABAR Training" Means Today
Search interest in "ABAR training" almost always comes from one of two very different groups: professionals who already hold the Accredited in Business Appraisal Review (ABAR) credential and need to maintain it, or business valuation professionals researching whether they can still earn it. The honest answer for the second group is that they cannot - the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) suspended the ABAR program in 2016, and it is now terminated for new applicants. There is no current ABAR exam to train for, no application window to schedule, and no new cohort sitting the credential this year.
That reality reshapes what "training" should mean on abartest.com. Rather than selling exam prep for a test that no longer exists, this site is built around three legitimate needs: helping existing ABAR holders understand and satisfy their annual membership and recertification obligations, preserving business-appraisal-review education and original case exercises for professionals who value the discipline, and pointing prospective candidates toward the active credentials that actually accept applicants today.
If you are trying to understand the basics before going further, start with What Is ABAR? and ABAR Meaning, which walk through what the letters stand for and how the credential fits inside NACVA's broader certification family.
The Original ABAR Review Discipline
Even though the exam itself is closed, the underlying skill set ABAR was built to certify is still worth understanding - particularly for anyone reviewing valuation work product, mentoring junior appraisers, or serving as a second-opinion reviewer on litigation and transaction engagements. ABAR-trained professionals were expected to critically evaluate another appraiser's business valuation report: checking methodology selection, data support, internal consistency, and compliance with applicable professional standards, then documenting findings in a structured, defensible manner.
Historically, preparing for this kind of review work involved working through original case exercises: sample valuation reports with planted errors, unsupported assumptions, or inconsistent reasoning that a reviewer had to identify and articulate clearly. That habit of methodical, evidence-based critique is the lasting value of the ABAR discipline, and it's the reason abartest.com continues to publish review-style practice material even though no new exam exists.
Core Review Competencies
Regardless of exam status, business appraisal review work generally requires fluency in the following areas:
- Evaluating whether the valuation approach and methods chosen fit the engagement purpose and standard of value
- Testing whether financial statement adjustments and normalization entries are adequately supported
- Assessing internal consistency between narrative discussion, exhibits, and concluded value
- Identifying compliance gaps against applicable professional valuation standards
- Writing clear, defensible review commentary that a client, court, or peer reviewer can follow
If you want a deeper breakdown of how these review skills map onto structured exam-style content, see ABAR Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 0 Content Areas and the related discussion in How Hard Is the ABAR Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026, both of which frame the discipline in exam-preparation terms for reference and legacy-education purposes.
CPE and Recertification Training Requirements
For existing ABAR holders, "training" is really a recertification obligation. NACVA requires 60 applicable continuing professional education (CPE) hours per three-year recertification cycle, along with a $400 recertification fee. This is the maintenance track that keeps the credential recognized - there is no re-examination involved, only demonstrated continuing education.
NACVA also builds in a fee incentive tied directly to coursework taken through NACVA itself:
- Completing 15 to 29 hours of NACVA courses within the cycle earns a $200 waiver against the $400 recertification fee.
- Completing 30 or more hours of NACVA courses earns a full $400 waiver, effectively eliminating the recertification fee.
Key Takeaway
If you're planning your three-year CPE cycle, front-load NACVA-delivered coursework whenever possible. Hitting the 30-hour threshold turns the $400 recertification fee into $0, which matters far more than any single training topic you choose.
It's worth noting explicitly that the former bonus-point system and the list of "recommended" courses that used to steer holders toward specific programs ended December 31, 2025. If you're relying on older guidance about bonus points or a recommended-course list, treat it as outdated - plan your CPE hours against the plain 60-hours/$400-fee structure going forward.
For a fuller cost breakdown, including how recertification fees compare to other maintenance costs, read ABAR Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
The 2025 Attestation Change and Recordkeeping
Another meaningful shift for legacy holders: since 2025, ABAR holders attest to CPE completion rather than submitting a course-by-course report to NACVA. In practice, this means the reporting burden at renewal time is lighter - you confirm you met the 60-hour requirement rather than itemizing every course.
That doesn't mean documentation stops mattering. Holders must retain supporting records - certificates, agendas, attendance confirmations - for three years after the reporting cycle, because NACVA may audit any attestation. Treat your CPE folder the same way you would treat evidence in a valuation file: organized, dated, and ready to produce on request.
Inactive and Emeritus Status as Alternatives
Not every legacy holder wants to keep meeting the 60-hour, $400 recertification cycle indefinitely. NACVA offers two separate maintenance paths for qualifying holders who want to step back from active recertification without abandoning their history with the credential:
- Inactive status - a holding pattern for holders who are not currently practicing in a way that requires active recertification but who want to preserve their standing for a possible return.
- Emeritus status - a recognition path generally intended for holders who have stepped back from practice, often tied to career stage rather than an intent to return to active recertification.
Both options are distinct from simply lapsing - they're formal statuses with their own qualifying criteria set by NACVA, so if either sounds like a better fit than the standard recertification cycle, confirm current eligibility directly with NACVA before assuming you qualify.
Training Paths for New Candidates
If you found this page because you're hoping to earn ABAR for the first time, the most useful thing this article can do is redirect you productively. NACVA is not accepting new ABAR applicants, but it does continue to accept new candidates for the Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) and Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF) credentials. Separately, the International Society of Business Appraisers (ISBA) offers its own review-focused credential, Business Certified Appraiser in Review (BCA-R). Neither CVA nor BCA-R is a renamed version of ABAR - they are distinct credentials with their own eligibility rules, exam content, and governing bodies.
| Credential | Status | Governing Body | Relevance to ABAR Holders |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABAR | Terminated for new applicants; legacy holders maintain via annual membership + 3-year recertification | NACVA | The original credential; not currently obtainable |
| CVA | Open to new applicants | NACVA | Primary active valuation credential from the same body |
| MAFF | Open to new applicants | NACVA | Financial forensics focus; complements review skills |
| BCA-R | Separate, active program | ISBA | Independent review-focused credential; not an ABAR replacement |
Before choosing a direction, it's worth asking whether pursuing any valuation-review credential still makes sense for your career given the ABAR program's closure. Is the ABAR Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and ABAR Jobs both discuss how the credential's legacy status factors into hiring conversations, while ABAR Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify lays out what qualification historically involved for context.
Building a Practical Training Schedule
Whether your goal is finishing a CPE cycle efficiently or working through legacy review-skill exercises for professional development, a simple weekly structure keeps the work from piling up right before a recertification deadline. The trick is to schedule CPE-heavy weeks early in the three-year cycle so you have a real shot at the 30-hour fee waiver, then use later weeks for lighter maintenance and recordkeeping.
Map the Cycle
- Confirm your recertification due date and current CPE hour total
- Identify NACVA course offerings that count toward the 30-hour waiver threshold
- Set up a dedicated folder for certificates and course records
Front-Load NACVA Coursework
- Prioritize NACVA-delivered CPE first to build toward the fee waiver
- Log each completed course immediately, even though only attestation is required at renewal
- Revisit original review case exercises to keep critique skills sharp
Fill Remaining Hours
- Add non-NACVA CPE if needed to reach the full 60-hour requirement
- Cross-check hours against the 15-29 and 30+ waiver tiers
- Verify annual membership is current before submitting attestation
Attest and Archive
- Submit the CPE attestation for the cycle
- Archive all supporting documentation for three years past the cycle end
- Decide whether inactive or emeritus status fits your next cycle better than active recertification
This kind of scheduling logic borrows from general study-planning habits - short focused blocks, spaced repetition of review skills, immediate documentation - but every block above is anchored to an ABAR-specific deadline or fee mechanic rather than generic exam advice.
How ABAR Exam Prep Supports Legacy Holders
Because there's no live ABAR exam to schedule, abartest.com focuses on the parts of the ABAR experience that remain genuinely useful: structured review-skill practice, plain-language explanations of NACVA's recertification mechanics, and honest comparisons with the credentials NACVA and ISBA currently offer. If you're trying to piece together exactly what ABAR involved historically, browse ABAR Certification, What Does ABAR Stand For?, and What Is ABAR Certification? for background, or use the practice test hub to work through original business-appraisal-review case exercises modeled on the discipline ABAR was designed to certify.
For holders specifically focused on the mechanics of staying recertified, ABAR Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts condenses the CPE hours, fee waiver tiers, and attestation rules into a single quick-reference page, and ABAR Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt preserves the original exam-preparation content for readers researching how the credential used to be earned. You can also return to the main practice site at any point to explore additional review-focused exercises.
FAQ
No. NACVA suspended the ABAR program in 2016, and it is terminated for new applicants. Existing holders keep their credential active through annual membership and three-year recertification, but there is no new exam to register for.
Recertification requires 60 applicable CPE hours per three-year cycle plus a $400 fee. Completing 15-29 NACVA hours reduces the fee by $200; completing 30 or more NACVA hours waives the full $400 fee.
Since 2025, no. Holders attest to having completed the required CPE rather than reporting each course individually. You must still retain supporting records for three years after the reporting cycle in case of audit.
Consider NACVA's CVA or MAFF credentials, both open to new applicants, or ISBA's separate BCA-R program. None of these is a renamed ABAR, so compare eligibility and content carefully before choosing a path.
NACVA offers inactive and emeritus status as separate maintenance options for qualifying holders who want to step back from active recertification while preserving their credential history. Eligibility criteria apply, so confirm directly with NACVA.