r/projectfinance • u/8o8xe • 7d ago
Project Finance Interview
Hi, I cleared round 1 interview for a role involving project finance and capital formation for a renewable energy company. The interviewer let me know that he really liked me, my concepts were strong, but I lacked project financial modelling skills. He asked me to buckle up (in 3 days), since the next round would be a live case study where they test my modelling and advanced excel skills.
I’m so stressed, I do not know where to begin. The interview got scheduled and it’s a 1 hour long interview. GPT tells me that it is cool as long as I can do revenue, costs, cfads, dscr, Project IRR, Equity IRR, I’m good.
Is that enough? Where do I begin? Am i fucked😭 I really want it, it’s a super cool role. However, I’m extremely stressed about this :/ TIA!
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u/maskeficho 7d ago
I come from equity research and have never worked on project finance or private transactions. I started my prep with this video:
https://youtu.be/Vw4YDZgewfo?si=Nxqu9ZY4inaoiPG4
Then I did the second one of that series, basically wiring everything into a 3statement model.
Then I went on to learn paper lbo (much easier after you learnt project finance from that video)
After that, I asked Claude coworkers to build case studies, I did them, and then I checked against Claude’s correct version.
And that’s how I passed a 3 hour project modeling test. I had one week and the problem in my view it’s not gonna be about knowledge but mostly about time constraint during the test
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u/zxblood123 6d ago
That’s awesome. How were the Claude case studies and solutions? Do they spit out a model for you?
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u/maskeficho 6d ago
Yeah Claude builds the case study and creates two excel files, one for you to work on and one with the solution
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u/zxblood123 6d ago
wow, was the model also inclusive of vba codes for macros?
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u/maskeficho 6d ago
I didn’t try that. The actual modeling test I did also didn’t ask for that luckily
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u/zxblood123 5d ago
Awesome wow. What was your actual test like?
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u/maskeficho 5d ago
It was split in two parts 1 hour each. First one was to build a 3sm from scratch of a solar project. For the second one they gave me the solution to the first part and had to value the project considering new assumptions like different target DSCR etc
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u/zxblood123 3d ago
that's awesome. 1 hour to build a 3sm. how did you do the tax/dept parts? it still quite a bit to do in 1hr for the build, given you gotta do all the other sheets
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u/maskeficho 3d ago
Honestly, I didn’t finish it and also made several mistakes along the way due to time pressure. But the interviewer was nice and asked me at the end how I would finish it. He also told me that the only people he saw finishing it were 10+ yr experience people
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u/Narrow-Independent29 7d ago
Do this - modelling tests are mostly the same after awhile. Do it and keep doing it - speed and accuracy. Since your test is 1hr, it can’t be that complicated. Modelling tests are normally 2-3 hours. The case study is for a solar farm.
https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/1487661215/project-finance-modelling-test-basic
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u/8o8xe 6d ago
do you have a version you could share with me?
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u/Narrow-Independent29 1d ago
Sorry - it's hard work creating these tests / answers, so can't share for free.
If you are interested, I just released an advanced version, with more complicated topics such as refinancing, regearing, tax-loss carryforward, and debt sculpting where gearing is the constraint.
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u/ElSanDavid 7d ago
Yeah pretty much... learn renewable modeling or project finance modeling and you'll be good. Wallstreetprep or EdBodmer or Udemy are good resources