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◆ Models II · drill · Financial Modeling Keyboard Mastery track

Run the paydown waterfall

Paydown follows seniority — each tranche MINs against the cash that’s left.
Credit committee sits Thursday and wants the paydown schedule behind the leverage case. Three years of cash, two tranches (layers of debt, ranked by who gets paid first), strict seniority — the senior loan is repaid before the junior one sees a dollar, and no tranche is ever paid more than it owes. Foot the cash the business actually has for debt first, then walk it down the stack: every year opens where the last one closed.
train this drill → par 77s · optimal 73 keys · keyboard only · free
The shortcuts in this drill
Alt walks: tap Alt, release, then the letters in sequence — each key steps one ribbon menu. On a Mac, tap and use the same letters (KeyTips, Excel 2024+).
Shift+→⇧→ on macExtend selection one cell
Nudge a selection one cell at a time when the block you need doesn’t end at a data edge.
Ctrl+R⌘R on macFill right from the cell to the left
Same as fill down, but across — one quarter’s formula becomes the whole year in two keystrokes.
Ctrl+B⌘B on macBold
Bold marks structure: titles, total rows, anything the reviewer’s eye should land on first.
Alt h b p⌥ h b p on macTop border
Top border above a total row — the accounting ruling that says “this line sums the ones above.”
Shift+↓⇧↓ on macExtend selection one cell
Ctrl+C⌘C on macCopy
Copy starts almost every hand-off — grab a finished block once, then place it in the summary, the deck, or next quarter’s column.
Ctrl+V⌘V on macPaste
Plain paste brings everything: values, formulas, formats. Reach for Paste Special when you only want part of it.
Ctrl+S⌘S on macSave
functions you'll type: SUM() · MIN()
The optimal line
the par-setting sequence, straight through:
cash C9 =SUM(C4:C8) ctrl+r · ctrl+b + alt h b p · senior C12 =MIN(C9,C11) · C13 =C11-C12 · fill the pair right · D11 =C13 · C14 =C9-C12 ctrl+r · junior: ctrl+c the senior pair → ctrl+v on C17 · D16 =C18 · ctrl+s
More Models II drills
Roll it forward
Five years of fixed assets — capex adds, depreciation takes its cut, and every year opens
Run the interest schedule
A term loan that opens where it closed, cash interest on the beginning balance, and the co
Run the LBO math
One entry multiple, three exit years — the equity bridge across all four, then MOIC and IR
Sweep the revolver
Draw, sweep and roll one revolver across four years
← Revolver Covenant Table → all 74 drills
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