M&A Certification by M&A Institute
MADEX – M&A Deal Expert
Prove your ability to analyse, structure, and execute an M&A transaction.
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What Is MADEX?
The M&A Certification for Real Deal Execution
Across the M&A Lifecycle, You Deliver What Each Stage Requires
Acting as the buyer-side advisor, you set the strategy, source and screen the target, run due diligence, complete the valuation and LBO feasibility analysis, arrange the financing, and carry the deal through negotiation, contracting, and integration.
At every stage, you are evaluated on the judgment and deliverables you produce, not on what you can recall.
What Makes This Certification Different?
Many credentials rely mainly on multiple-choice testing or just course completion. This one is not.
- One integrated assessment across the full M&A deal lifecycle
- Practical deliverables based on decisions, calculations, and required actions
- No multiple-choice questions
- Manual grading against defined professional rubrics
- A Competency Statement showing assessed strengths and development areas
Earning this M&A certification verifies you can execute a real deal as an M&A deal expert, a standard well beyond a simple course-completion certificate.
Key Points
- Assessment: Practical, case-based
- Exam: 3 Steps, 6 Hours (2 hours each)
- Timeframe: 14 months with the course or 2 months for Exam Only
- Passing Score: 70/100
- Review: Manually graded
- Credential: Certificate + Competency Statement
Download the Detailed MADEX Examination Guide
What does MADEX, our M&A certification, assess?
MADEX measures whether you can move through an M&A transaction as a deal professional—turning strategy, financial information, diligence findings, and transaction constraints into clear decisions and required actions.
Together, these capabilities cover the M&A lifecycle from acquisition rationale and target selection through diligence, financing, contracting, and post-merger value creation.
Three Steps, One Integrated Transaction
The M&A certification tests these capabilities through one continuous deal case across three timed assessments.
STEP 1 — M&A Strategy, Deal Sourcing and Due Diligence
30 points · 2 hours
Define the acquisition logic, identify the right target approach, assess material diligence findings, and recommend the required deal actions.
STEP 2 — Acquisition Financing and LBO Structuring
30 points · 2 hours
Assess debt capacity, diagnose financing issues, structure mezzanine capital, and evaluate investor returns.
STEP 3 — Negotiation, SPA and PMI Planning
40 points · 2 hours
Convert diligence findings into negotiation and SPA protections, then build a measurable PMI and value-creation plan.
MADEX is designed as a practical M&A professional certificate, testing the capabilities expected of an M&A Deal Expert, not simple recall from an M&A certificate course.
Download the Detailed MADEX Examination Guide
MADEX Exam Sample Screen
How do You Earn our M&A certification, MADEX?
Earning MADEX requires completing the three-step practical M&A certification assessment and achieving an overall score of 70/100.
1. Choose Your Route
Formal course completion is not required. Our M&A Full Course follows the actual M&A deal process and develops the same practical skills, decisions, and deliverables tested in MADEX. Completing it therefore provides strong preparation, but candidates who already possess the required knowledge may take the exam directly.
2. Complete the Three-Step Deal Assessment
| Assessment | Weight | Time | What You Demonstrate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 — Strategy, Deal Sourcing & Due Diligence | 30% | 2 hours | Acquisition logic, target approach, diligence judgment and required actions |
| Step 2 — Acquisition Financing & LBO Structuring | 30% | 2 hours | Capital structure, financing diagnosis, mezzanine structuring and investor returns |
| Step 3 — Negotiation, SPA & PMI Planning | 40% | 2 hours | Risk allocation, contractual protection and value-creation execution |
3. Complete and Submit the Deliverables
For each Step, complete the provided Word report template with your analysis, calculations, decisions, and required actions, then submit it within the two-hour limit.
AI tools may be used. The assessment evaluates the quality of your transaction judgment and deliverables.
4. Receive Manual Assessment
Every submission is manually graded against defined professional assessment criteria.
5. Pass the M&A Certification
Achieve a combined score of 70/100 or higher across the three Steps.
6. Earn the MADEX Credential
Successful candidates receive:
- MADEX — M&A Deal Expert Certificate
- Professional Competency Statement
- Credential ID and verification record
The Competency Statement records the capabilities demonstrated across the transaction lifecycle, making MADEX an M&A professional certificate focused on applied deal-execution capability.
How Can MADEX Help?
MADEX gives you more than an M&A certification title. It provides evidence of the practical capabilities you demonstrated across the transaction lifecycle.
- Strengthen your CV and LinkedIn profile with the MADEX credential.
- Show verified deal capability across strategy, sourcing, due diligence, financing, negotiation, SPA, and PMI.
- Demonstrate practical readiness for M&A roles, internal transactions, and deal-related responsibilities.
- Identify strengths and development areas through your individual Competency Statement.
Credential Awarded
MADEX — M&A Deal Expert
Certified by M&A Institute
Successful candidates receive:
- MADEX Certificate
- Credential ID
- Credential Verification URL
- Professional Competency Statement
- LinkedIn registration guidance
Choose the Right Plan
Both paths earn the same M&A certification. Choose based on whether you need the underlying coursework or already have it.