About Me

About meHello, my name is Stephanie and I am the person behind IPassTheCPAExam.com.

After a few years in banking, I went to work for my client in their Finance Department specializing in internal corporate finance. It was apparent that all senior guys in the department have a CPA qualification, and I figured I better get mine some day, soon.

As a coincidence, my boss gave me a challenge: To pass the CPA exam in one go within the year, just as she did more than 10 years ago.  As a non-accounting major with a full time job this sounded like a daunting task.

I Took Becker… But Ended Up Disappointed

In February, I took the challenge and immediately signed up for accounting classes and the Becker course. The course material was good but the live classes were a big disappointment (let alone expensive!) At the end I decided to skip all the classes and focused on studying on my own at home.

In November I took the exam and managed to get the following score:

  • AUD – 88
  • BEC – 87
  • FAR – 92
  • REG – 84

Complete success!

Diligent Research For Friends Have Led To Pleasant Surprises…

Possibly because I was able to finish off the CPA in one go and on my first attempt, many colleagues, friends, and friends of friends have been asking how I manage to achieve this.

I started to research more carefully on the CPA exam courses, and I am surprised that there are actually very helpful, affordable (and if not better) exam review courses besides Becker.

I have summarized my findings in CPA Exam Review Courses Comparison, and most people, after reading this together with their own research, decided to choose Yaeger CPA review.

And My Recommendation Is…

Yaeger and CPAexcel. And here is why.

1. Yaeger CPA Review

Although I didn’t study using Yaeger myself, I had the opportunity to review their entire course materials (in DVD) through the friends I have been helping with. I have to say the course (yes, not just powerpoint presentation, but real teaching with a white board and everything) is highly recommended.

Based on my experience, you really need to understand the concepts (instead of blind memory of the mnemonics) to pass the CPA exam. You also want to learn more about specific CPA exam tactics which the professors from Yeager cover throughout the course.

In addition, Yaeger CPA actually uses Wiley for the book and the homework, which I think is great because:

  • I’ve always thought the Wiley software is excellent but the book itself is overwhelming — the combination of Wiley book/software and Yaeger teaching solves this big problem with Wiley.
  • it shows that Yaeger is using whatever is best on the market (versus pushing students to use their own) and focus their expertise in teaching and explaining the concepts

You can take a look at my in-depth evaluation on the Yaeger CPA review, together with the pros and cons of this program.

2. CPAexcel

I am excited to add CPAexcel to my recommended list because, as I try to emphasize throughout this site, there isn’t any CPA review course that is absolute best, and the best is the one that suits your background and learning style.

What makes CPAexcel stands out from the crowd is this:

  • Bite-sized lectures that are easily digestible
  • Genuinely unlimited access until you pass
  • Lots of analytical tools to help evaluate your progress and make sure you don’t fall behind in your study

In short, perfect for those who are busy and needs every flexibility they can get.

You can take a look at my evaluation on the CPAexcel, together with the pros and cons of this program.

Yaeger Vs CPAexcel

Both courses have impressive passing rates (88% and 87% respectively) but in a way they cater to very different candidates.

Yaeger would be great for those who need help in explaining difficult concepts and in walking through lots of multiple choice questions. There is a telephone hotline available for follow up questions.

CPAexcel is excellent for those who can only study during lunch hours or while the kids are sleeping, and those who need a good system to keep track of their study progress.

The Bottom Line Is… What Does It Mean To You?

  • It means that a CPA qualification is completely doable for anyone willing to put in the time and effort.
  • It also means that you should NOT follow the crowd and pick the “big guys” and make the same mistake as I did. One of the reasons I set up this website is to tell all CPA aspirant that there are better, cheaper CPA exam review courses out there with more personal customer service and higher passing rate.

I hope this site can make CPA exam preparation less of a hassle for you.  Please leave a comment on my Facebook wall if you have a question or just to say hello!