CPA Exam Review Courses Comparison
Here is my analysis on the pros and cons of the CPA Exam review courses based on my own experience, sharing of friends working in Big 4, and comments from participants in all major accounting forums.
Let Me Find The Best Course For You
I don’t believe in people who say their course is the absolute best, because different courses cater different needs. But I am confident that you will find one that suit you the best here.
Becker | Bisk | Wiley | Gleim | Yaeger | Lambers | Roger | Kaplan | CPAExcel | CPA Review For Free
You can also go straight to My Recommendation here
Becker CPA Review
Strengths
- Excellent lecture notes, MCs and software. The materials are comprehensive and user-friendly.
- Big 4 endorsement. The live lectures are recommended by the Big 4.
- Materials constantly kept updated. Becker has a professional team to update the materials on a very regular basis. Their proof-reading is also done well so there are few typos and errors. If there are errors, Becker does a good job in posting in their website and letting everyone to see.
Weaknesses
- Overpriced. If you are paying full price on your own you are subsidizing those who get deep discounts from their employers through Becker’s partner program. Not Fair!
- Live classes way overrated. They show you a DVD in a classroom, tell you to “circle this, highlight that” for 8 hours straight. Quality of “lecturers” (whose main job is to turn on and off the DVD) is really mixed. Check out my experience at the Becker CPA Review Course.
- Expensive re-take. Software license expires in 12 months and this is often not enough time for many candidates. Re-take of classes costs $1,000+ (50% of retail price) with harsh attendence rate which I find ridiculous.
Recommendation
SKIP Becker. They do have great notes, but so do Yaeger (for lectures) and Wiley / Gleim (practice tests). Live classes are a waste of time, for me at least.
Bisk CPA Review
Strengths
- Recommended by Big 4. Recommended by 2 of the Big 4 for self-study courses.
- Bob Monette, one of the instructors, is legendary and is a nationally recognized CPA expert.
- Money-back guarantee is available for the software products — if you complete the course and fail the exam, you can get all the money back (see limitation below).
- Interesting features on CD on exam test customization and diagnostics.
Weakness
- Really mixed reviews: especially on Bisk CPA’s classic series. Many students believe Bisk is not enough to prepare for the exam and that the materials are not updated as frequently as other competitors (notably Becker and Wiley).
- The text book is exactly the same as the CD — so make sure you don’t buy both (CD is better)
- The other lecturers aren’t as good
- The money-back gurarantee is very restrictive — so restrictive that I don’t think many of us can ever qualify
Recommendation
- Can’t think of a reason to pick Bisk when competitors are offering more at a better price — make sure you read the pros and cons of all programs below.
- Check out my evaluation on Bisk CPA Review
Wiley CPA Review
Strengths
- Authority in practice tests. The homework and simulations are very popular and proved to be useful for many CPA candidates. Even competitors (Yaeger and Roger) choose Wiley to bundle-sell as supplementary material.
- It’s cheap! The software costs $79 (all 4 costs $229) — a good bargain in the world of CPA exm prep course.
Weaknesses
- Book is overwhelming. Especially when there is no guided review, it is very discouraging to go over the entire guide. Too much material in my opinion.
Recommendation
- Get the software, not the book.
- If you are an accounting major you may be tempted to get yourself only a Wiley book. But in order to pass the CPA exam, you need both knowledge AND tactics. There is no tactics in the Wiley book.
- Check out my evaluation on Wiley CPA Review
Gleim CPA Review
Strengths
- Great practice tests. Practice tests being very organized. Good supplementary to lecture-heavy courses.
- Affordable – see price comparison for details.
Weaknesses
- No lecture — the Gleim online is simply a voice reading the text on the powerpoint slides.
- Books and audios not useful — as quoted from a forum member, Gleim “reads like a dictionary”…
Recommendation
- Good for the disciplined and those who are good at self-study.
- Otherwise, forget about the full pack (which looks like a great deal) and opt for the practice test only if Wiley is not enough or not for you.
- Check out my evaluation on Gleim CPA Review
Yaeger CPA Review
Strengths
- Champion of the old-school approach. If you like someone who writes on the board and explains concept to you in the old-fashioned way, you’d appreciate Yaeger. I personally like the way they “hold your hand” and explain the multiple choice questions and possible tricks.
- Live phone support. This is quite unique, and you can often reach and talk to the owner (Phil Yaeger) himself.
- Good value for money. One of the most affordable guided review courses out there.
Weaknesses
- Old school. Obviously this can be a turn-off for some people.
- Somewhat disorganized. There are times when you would expect the team to retape the video (e.g. a typo on the white board, or the guy accidentally talked to his wife…) but Yaeger just let it go live. The ones I spotted did not affect the quality of the course itself but I can see some candidates find it annoying.
Recommendation
- Great for people who need help in accounting concepts, or a “real person” that can explain things to you (by phone).
- Check out the demo to see if you are fine with the old-school teaching style. No worries on lecture notes etc because everyone says it’s good. They also provide quality supplementary materials from Wiley.
- Check out my evaluation on Yaeger CPA Review
Lambers CPA Review
Strengths
- The ipod format is a “must-buy” if you are busy and want to utilize all your “dead time” during commute and between meetings and children’s naps.
Weaknesses
- Low key or not good? You don’t see a lot of past students actively promoting their products other than the ipod format, but it could be a reason of its low-key approach. Afterall, 200,000+ CPA candidates have picked Lambers for the past 43 years.
Recommendations
- Get Lambers if you like the ipod idea.
- Check out my evaluation on Lambers CPA Review
Roger CPA Review
Strengths
- Entertaining lectures: Roger Philipp (the founder) writes his own notes and lectures for every class. He is a good speaker.
Weaknesses
- Lots of access and viewing restrictions. Only 9 month access for online format — even worse than Becker.
- Slow response in message forum (main help channel) and no live phone help.
- It’s essentially a one-man band. Can he keep up with the expansion and quality?
- Check out my evaluation on Roger CPA Review
Kaplan CPA Review
Strengths
- Established name: Kaplan is well known for standardized test preparation, and its Schewser brand is an authority in CFA exam preparation.
- Free BEC course: believe it or not, Kaplan is offering their full BEC course for free if you are willing to pay the shipping cost (around US$15 if within the US). The audio course and flash cards are among the most popular study tools.
Weaknesses
- Too comprehensive: If Wiley / Gleim book is a dictionary, Kaplan is an encyclopedia.
- No one talks about Kaplan CPA: If you are good, people talk about it. But it is difficult to find any discussion at all on Kaplan CPA…
Recommendations
- If you have extra time, you can check out the BEC freebie first
- Check out my evaluation on Kaplan CPA Review
CPAExcel
(Updated on Aug 18, 2010)
Strengths
- Bite-sized lectures: This is a god-send for those who hate long lectures as much as I do. The lecture length ranges from a couple of minutes to ~ 30 minutes. A more efficient way to learn in my opinion.
- State-of-the-art technology: CPAexcel fully utilizes the online capability and churns out personalized exam plan and a collection of diagnostic charts and analysis for you, which I (as a financial analyst by profession) finds very attractive.
- Unlimited upgrade: no more pressure of not finishing within 12 months and have to pay an extra $1,000 for a retake!
Weaknesses
- You’ve got to be a PC-based learner. Since everything is delivered online, if you are a type of learner who needs “live support” (a real person to explain something to you, either in person or by phone); or if you are accustomed to highlighting, circling and dropping notes on the side of the textbooks, then CPAexcel may not fit your learning style.
- Would expect more past students to talk about the program. Given how unique and efficient the program seems to be, I am surprised that no many people talk about CPAexcel. There are good reviews, just not much. This may not necessarily be a “weakness” per se but it impacts the level of confidence I have on their products.
- Possibly underprepares candidates. Based on the limited number of comments I gather, it seems like many candidates decided to get Wiley (and to a lesser extent, Gleim) as a supplementary study material, and even a full set of Yaeger to complement CPAexcel. It seems to me that CPAexcel alone may not be sufficient for the CPA exam preparation.
Recommendations
- Depending on your learning style, CPAexcel could be a great choice, but expect the potential of getting Wiley / Gleim / Yaeger as supplement.
- Check out my evaluation on CPAexcel
CPA Review For Free
Strengths
- The questions are quite comprehensive and signing up is easy. There is no string attached (they may promote an ebook or something but they aren’t annoying)
- Some of the practice questions e.g. Information Technology within BEC are very helpful.
Weaknesses
- You can’t work on the questions in the Exam Mode: that is, do all the questions, time it, and
- I may not have spent enough time to make a firm conclusion, but I think the overall “usefulness” or relevancy of the questions is not as high as Wiley, Gleim and Becker.
My Recommendations
Go For Yaeger CPA If You Want To:
- Understand concepts and tactics at the same time
- Get the best value for money (good lecture, unlimited access, live phone help, quality homework)
- Learn from someone with the best record (88% passing rate)
OK! Thanks for going through this long post with me. I hope you will be able to make a decision today with this information. Let me know how it goes. Good luck!
* Update * Further Reading:
- How To Choose A CPA Exam Review Course: based on your background and study style
- CPA Exam Review Courses: Cost Comparison: a list of pricing by course providers and by product
49 comments
Thanks, your recommendations are very helpful.
Glad to hear that Joelle, and good luck to the exam! Stephanie
Very helpful! Thank you for the outlines,…this is just the information I was looking for!
Carrie, thanks for the encouraging words. All the best! Stephanie
This is exactly what I was looking for!! I wish I read this article before I started studying. But lucky for me I didn’t purchase all 4 courses. Thank you very much!
Emma, I am glad you find the info helpful. Feel free to list here (or send me a private email) the pros and cons of your program. I’d love to include everyone’s opinion here! Stephanie
Thank you so much for your reviews on the CPA review courses. It’s been nearly a year and a half since my last accounting course, and I was very tentative about which review to choose. Your advice makes me feel beyond relieved about investing thousands of my very hard earned dollars on the right study material. Thanks again.
Hi Frank, I have taken only one basic accounting course in college and I managed to pass. So you will be all right! I hope you can find a review course that best suits your need. If you have further questions on individual review course please feel free to post and I (and fellow readers) will try the best to help.
Cheers, Stephanie
Another fast growing CPA review source: http://www.cpareviewforfree.com.
Pro: TOTALLY FREE FOR MORE THAN 2100 questions, save your hard-earned money. very good explanation and very inspiring partner with you.
Cons: No Books, only online questions and PDF version questions plus explanation. But not matter because it is FREE!
Thanks Elton for your personal view of CPA review for free. I actually have a page dedicated to this — I might try to move your comment to that page later, just that it will be more helpful to people who are specifically looking for their info. Cheers, stephanie
Hey Stephanie, this helped a lot. I found Yaeger a couple of months ago and was interested in taking it, anyone who answers cpa questions over the phone wins hands down.
A question, though: For some reason I seem to still have all my textbooks from accounting. Audit from 2008, Tax 2009, Cost 2009, FAR books are the oldest from 2006, also Business law 2008. I know the CPA review tests recent updates, but it seems silly to say they’re useless for the CPA exam. Went to FSU, if that’s relevant, had a 3.5 gpa. Prefer the study solo appr0ach, with the ability to call or email someone with occasional questions. What would you recommend for someone who still has their textbooks, and can still remember most of the material somewhat? Thanks
Hi Will,
If this is the case, why don’t you get a Gleim software for one section first (cheap, around $30 I think?). Study the section as if you are preparing for the exam, and hit the MC questions right away.
If you can get say 70% of them right for the first time, then I would think you don’t need any review courses. Just keep doing it until you get a 100% correct and for the right reason.
The alternative is to get a Wiley software; but in case you get a lower score and you sign up for Yaeger, they will give you a Wiley software so it’s kind of a waste.
As far as I know, I don’t think there is a “tutor” who only answers questions on the CPA exam without selling the CPA review books… I guess it doesn’t make business sense
Anyway, let me know how it goes!
Stephanie
Does Becker’s CPA review courses count toward total credit hours and accounting hours?
Hi Kary,
Nope. Most states do count the credit hours of CPA review courses if they are offered by an accredited educational institution. Becker is a private business and not accredited. Same for other commercial courses I mentioned above.
But in my opinion these courses are better than the average review course offered in the local colleges though…
Hope it helps!
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for this wonderful website. I got a lot of good information about the CPA Review materials from you.
Today is July 28, 2010 already. Is it too late for me to apply CPA exam (I’m in California.)? I mean I’m just thinking about the exam these two days that maybe I should take the exam before all the changes on Jan. 1st, 2011 starts to affect. (I thought I would wait and work first to get hands on experience before taking the CPA. But, California’s unemployement rate is quite high. I can’t get a full-time job, not even an internship. So I have some free time right now).
I think it makes good sense to take FAR first. But, I’m concerned I won’t be able to pass it in 2010 since there are only a few months left. Then, I’ll have to prepare for the new material in 2011 with extra workload/new materials. What do you think? Should I take other subjects first in 2010 or postpone the entire exam to 2011?
My second question is: the “18 months” starts to click ONLY after the first subject is passed? Does it mean if it takes me twice to pass the very first subject I choose to take, the “18 months” starts to count from the date I pass(the second try)? I am a little bit confused by this rule.
I just graduated in May, 2010. I think I’m just an average “B” student in accounting courses(however, I got “A” in auditing class after lots of time investment on studying. It’s just pure memorization. Maybe that’s why I got “A”). I think I’m lack of confidence to take the CPA exam. But, my accouting professor encourages students to take it once no matter what. He said if we don’t try at least once, we might be regret someday.
Are those who passed the CPA exam usually the top accounting students ( the first half of the “A” students)?
Even though I just graduated in May 2010, I finished all my accounting courses in Fall 2009. So it’s been a while. Does Yaeger’s material really teach us from the basic?
Is Becker’s lecture notes a part of its product bundle or is it distributed in a live classroom setting only? I’m just thinking about to purchase an used one on ebay if I can find it. Yesterday I saw its 2010 CPA Review materialwas $699 down from $2800. But, today I can’t find it.
Thank you very much in advance for your time and patience to read my post. I really appreciate your suggention. Hope to hear from you soon.
Hi Sab,
Thanks a lot for your kind note on my site! responding to your questions…
(1) whether to take the CPA exam in 2010: yes, this is one of the FAQs. My personal opinion is to get rid of as many of the sections as possible given the uncertainty that you are a recent accounting graduate (while memory still sort of fresh…)
If in case you don’t pass FAR, my understanding from various CPA review courses (notably Yaeger, Becker and Roger) is that the 2011 syllabus is more like an addition of materials rather than a change of materials, so at least your study won’t get “wasted” and all you need is to study the IFRS (international financial reporting) bit, which of course is annoying but is doable.
So in short, yes I would encourage you to take FAR and try your best to get it passed within 2010, but if you need a retake it’s not a huge deal.
(2) the 18-month window: yes it starts to count once you PASS your first section. In other words, if you fail it doesn’t count. So it makes sense to get rid of the toughest one first which in my opinion is FAR.
(3) Whether only A student can pass CPA exam: oh no don’t worry CPA exam is a very different animal than the regular accounting exams in colleges. It covers a very board range of topics but it doesn’t go deep at all in most of these topics.
(4) Yaeger only teaches the stuff required for the CPa exam, so it’s hard to say whether it is basic or not, because it’s not complete in my opinion. But it’s similar case for all the major CPA exam review courses.
(5) Becker: I think they have an online version so you don’t need to attend live courses to get the notes. But self-study/online version costs the same I think… so you can consider the notes themselves costing $2800. For second hand notes, yes it is much cheaper but you will have the pressure to get it passed within this year because next year the stuff could be quite different and as a second-hand purchaser you won’t have any discount to buy the extra new materials you might need for the 2011 format. So it is something you need to consider.
hope it helps! Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you so much for your thorough response! Your interpersonal site could really encourage and comfort the people like me. I feel you do care. Thank you!
Sincerely, Sab
What is your opinion on Beckers Final review?
I am planning to buy Gleim’s prep test, cause they are cheaper
then get Beckers Final review two weeks before the exam. Thank you
Hi Sab,
I am glad you find the site helpful. Yes, I do care because I have been there and I know it’s difficult any way you look at it. Anyway, all the best to you Sab! Stephanie
Hi Ruby,
Stephanie
Yes much cheaper!
My personal opinion is that you get Gleim first (especially the software). If you can get all the practice questions right after a few times, then there isn’t really a need to get Becker. The best thing about Becker is the lecture notes. So if you get the final review you kind of miss the best part of Becker. Just my 2 cents…
Hey Stephanie this is amazing thanks for all the tips…my question is can you elaborate you mentioned “they don’t go very deep at all in most of these topics.” in an earlier post…so if a student was still in college and taking an exam on 3 chapters of tax, a student taking the cpa would be tested on more or less half of that same material, content-wise (say you were assigned 100 pages of the textbook, the cpa exam would cut down what you’re responsible for to 75 pages or so??
Also do you have any comment on why there is a disconnect between accounting in college and cpa exam? Why cant we just take the cpa exam after college and do away with all these review companies we should be ready then…iguess because they want us to work for a while before we actually get the license+??
Hi John,
Glad you find the site useful for you!
I have no affiliation with the CPA exam at all, but my guess would be that since they have to cram everything they want to test you in one big exam, they have to randomly pick a little bit here and there to make sure at least you have some understanding on the important topics.
I would think that if they are given the “luxury” to test you in multiple of exams, the format would probably be much closer to the ones we experience in college.
Another of my guess is that since the test is now computerized, the format has to be one that can be easily graded by computers. That’s why the majority is multiple choice with the remaining a “simulation” questions (which essentially is also MCs). There is a written communication tab but it counts for only 10%.
Because of the multiple choice format the tactics become very different from say a midterm/exam handgraded by the professor and the TA. That’s why I said it is quite a different animal than the ones we have in the college days.
Having said that, if you spend time in college learning accounting and business you will have a much easier time tackling the CPA exam than someone like myself who has only taken accounting 101. Hope it helps!
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Many thanks for such a wonderfull site u have prepared for all the CPA aspirants and CPAs. and Thanks to you as an individual for helping and encouraging others.
I would like to ask about course material of all the four papers. Is it going to be provided by the Colorado board (if i choose that state for CPA) or i will have to arrange seperately. In case they dont provide the course material then from whom i should purchase the material and how much it will cost me approximatey. If you have any other suggestion on this then please tell me.
Thanks.
Vipula
Hi Everyone, there is this website http://www.cpareviewforfree.com which provides free CPA questions and all you need is just register with your email. I have been using it for a while and it is very helpful. I think, anyone who is planning to take CPA exam might benefit greatly from this site. Good luck everyone and thanks Stephanie.
Hi Vipula,
Do you mean the CPA review course that teaches you how to tackle the exam itself, or the accounting courses used to fulfill the educational requirements?
The above is the CPA review course for the sole purpose of preparing for the exam and does not contribute to fulfilling the exam requirements. For this you will have to take a course at any accredited college/university and you can do it either online or offline.
I’ve got a lot of questions on this recently so I plan to write something about it. Stay tuned! (I will make an announcement in the mini course, and probably to say something on the side bar)
Stephanie
Thanks Chod! Yes I keep forgetting to add cpareviewforfree here. Glad you find them usefu!
Here is my review of cpareviewforfree… please feel free to contribute in the comment section as well.
Cheers
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
i mean to say the course materail or study material. for example in US CFA the CFA instutute send you the entire course material once you are registered. they send this in printed version. in the same way does CPA state borad also send any study materail or not; which consist all the topics, contents of the 4 papers.
I hope u got my point.
Thanks
Vipula
Hi Vipula,
No CPA Examination Services doesn’t do anything like that. You’ll need to rely on the CPA exam prep courses and I have outlined the pros and cons of the major course providers above. Stephanie
Thank God I found your site. I am still in school and planning on taking the CPA sometime next year and I am truly overwhelmed and discouraged. I am currently researching review/prep courses and it is overwhelming.
My professors seem to always recommend the Gleim books, and although its cheap I find it, (the books at least) boring and yes too comprehensive. For awhile I thought Becker was the only (besides Gleim) review course out there, (they’re heavily represented on my campus). I am now leaning towards Roger and Yaeger,( the latter I am now researching).
Thanks for your recommendation Stephanie.
Sorry, first post had errors.
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks very much for all your recommendations!! I am thinking of using Rigos review (textbooks only) with the Wiley software for the exam. Do you think it is good enough for the exam preparation? Any comments on the Rigos review? Also, do you think the new CPA exam in 2011 will be significantly more difficult than the current one?
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your comment for the site and I am really happy that you find the info helpful. Isn’t it amazing that professors around the country seem to stick with Gleim…? But I guess Gleim is very academic and that back then when they were candidates themselves there weren’t that many review course providers around.
Anyway, either Roger or Yaeger will be good! Roger is a bit more expensive starting from this year (I haven’t updated my Roger CPA page yet, but they had a pretty big price increase for the live classes) but Roger has his unique way of teaching which can be quite appealing. And of course I like Yaeger as you can see all over this site
Don’t worry once you pick one CPA review provider and focus on it, things won’t be as overwhelming. Best of luck to the exam next year!
Cheers, Stephanie
Hi Mike,
You are most welcome!
On Rigos, actually my boss took their courses way back (like 15 years ago, and it was a live class) and got 4 parts passed on her first try. But she was the only one or two who managed to do that in her class…
This is the only information I get on Rigos (I tried to search the term on major CPA exam forums, but not much luck). Somehow they are no longer as popular but if you can gather some good reviews from a few others, go ahead.
As for the 2011 CPA exam, I guess my honest answer is I have no idea. In fact, I don’t think anyone has a clue including the examiners. But what I know from them is that they may adjust the passing score accordingly in the first few months of 2011 such that the CPA exam pass rate remains more or less the same (at round 50%). They promise that they will be very transparent in terms of the pass rate, passing score adjustment and so on by publishing the data on their site at cpa-exam.org.
If you haven’t already, please take a look my writeup on the CPA exam changes in 2011.
Cheers,
Stephanie
Stephanie,
You’re doing a great job of maintaining this site. As a CPA aspirant, I am in the phase of choosing a review program and am confused. Becker, with all the negatives, on the face of it looks to me as the most prepared as regards the new changes in 2011. Besides, they are still the big name in the business. Having said that, I’m not someone who can cram and study for an exam using mnemonics. And reading these comments tell me that Becker does exactly that – plus I have bought Becker books and attended 2 classes in India in2007 (though I didn’t study anything and moved on to other things in life soon). Yaeger, on the other hand, is cheaper and carries your recommendation and thats what is making me consider this. But I’m scared – (1) its not a program heard by many people – even those in the accounting academic profession. (2) Not sure of their preparedness for changes in 2011. So, I have a question – in your review, you state that handouts are very good. Does that mean that they cover all that Becker does – in terms of content and quality of questions? Also, I would love to hear from anybody who has actually used this review course and has benefitted – yup, I read the testimonials, but we all know testimonials on the webpage of the provider may be no good. I was also wondering why there is no ‘comments’ section at the end of your evaluation on Yaeger’s review. I was hoping to find some comments from other users.
One last question, I have Becker’s 2007 materials. Do you think I could use those in conjunction with Wiley’s & Yaeger’s notes – or you think I could just throw the becker old notes (in case I sign up for yaeger or roger or something else).
Thanks so much for your responses in the past. You’ve been really quick. You’ve been very inspiring!
Thanks
Ramya
Stephanie,
If Becker isn’t as good, why is that they carry the Big 4 recommendation?
I’m sorry – am gonna bother you with another question. I just want to make a really calculated decision before I put the money
Thanks
Ramya
Hi Ramya,
Thanks for your note and I am happy you are spending time to pick the right course for you.
On Becker, yes I agree with what you said…
On Yaeger, I totally understand your concern as well, because I haven’t heard of them before as well.
Here is what you can do:
1. Go to the various CPA exam forum and search “yaeger” and you can get a collective of the program (actually, any program). Depending on how much thread you want to read, it could take a while but you can certainly get the feel from past users.
2. Watch the demo on their site and see if you like their teaching style.
Yes from the last time I looked at the DVDs, they should be covering the stuff you need to pass the exam.
On 2011, honestly I think every course provider can only try their best based on the new course guideline provided by AICPA. I would think they are pretty much the same in this aspect. I will keep an eye on people’s comment though at the beginning of the year.
Lastly, on the endorsement of Big 4 on Becker, I think there are lots of reason… part of it is that they endorse the program way before there are any choices (so there is a relationship); then, I am just blind guessing, but I am willing to bet that Becker gives a big discount to them to maintain this relationship… Becker does say they have “partnerships” with 1,500 institution. My interpretation of this is discount offers.
Anyway, Becker’s lecture notes is still excellent as I mention above. So in the eyes of the Big 4, why not.
Just my guesstimate and 2 cents
Best of luck in searching the right review course for you!
Stephanie
P.S. By the way, I have no idea why there is no comment on the Yaeger page. I wonder myself but this is something out of my control.
I did ask some readers who used the Yaeger review to give me comments, but they always just reply to the email instead of posting here… I will try again!
Hi Stephanie,
I think with your reviews I’ve decided on getting at least the Wiley software, but what about books? I have an extremely irregular schedule, so it’s impossible for me to ever attend a class. Also, I’d prefer to have some sort of books to review before I sleep in bed
Out of the review courses…which one has the best books?
Thanks!
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
Understand that you have irregular schedule, but is it possible for you to say watch a DVD or something? The only concern with just the Wiley books is that it can’t be integrated with other study approach so it is typically less effective.
If you can at least watch some DVD at home, then Yaeger is a good complement to Wiley. If you can only spend say half an hour each time on the study, then CPAexcel could be good because of the bite-sized lectures. Otherwise, Lambers has a ipod course which could be handy…
Sorry it might sound even more confusing for you… anyway my recommendation is Yaeger CPA if you want a direct answer.
Cheers, Stephanie
Hello,
First and foremost, I must mention that you have complied much-needed, value-adding information in this webpage! It looks like you have put into words what most people like me have only given a cursory look at or, have thought about, but have not been able to break down into directly comparable bullet points. Really good stuff!
I am composing this post to ask you about your experiences with the AICPA Ethics Exam. I plan on taking my final section of the CPA Exam, the Auditing and Attestation Section, next week. After this, the only remaining barrier left would be the (not so dreaded?) Ethics Exam.
I understand that you can purchase either the TEXT version or the CD version from the AICPA webpage. Then you can take the exam online and see you score immediately. Could you please tell me which form you would recommend and why? I guess for me, whichever form that is easier to navigate during the open book exam seems to be the better choice, and I would also like to be able to take my exam ONLINE. At this point, I don’t even know how I should approach this exam. Should I study A LOT first then take the exam, or just skim through the material first and then answer each question while taking advantage of the open book aspect of the exam?
I would greatly appreciate your reply. Thanks!
p.s.
I don’t understand why they let us take the Ethics Exam online privately; I bet the most UNethical people are loving this leeway (as they are getting together with their friends and family – just joking of course)
Stephanie, I noticed in one of your post said that you can not use the Becker courses for credit. Actually you can. You will take the Becker course through Keller. It cost more, but you get credit that can count towards your MBA and your CPA. Four of the credits I needed to sit came from the Becker classes. Thanks for your review, good stuff!
Hi Stephanie:
Lots of information here, will definitely help me in deciding which CPA review I should go with.
I am going to attempt to take FAR in the middle of November and REG at then end of November. I’m going to start studying now for FAR and then plan on studying for REG at the end of September. Do you think this is a realistic amount of studying time to successfully pass both of these tests?
Hello Russell, thanks a lot for your kind note! I am glad you find the site helpful.
There is more discussion on the CPA Ethics Exam here, but I would think taking it online is more convenient. It’s only 40 questions now (back then when I took it it was 75 questions) and it’s really not that bad.
If you go through the comment section of that page a reader mentioned that you can sort of skim through the material and hit the questions immediately. So don’t worry it’s not that difficult at all, and you can have 3 attempts (and if you contact AICPA, they will let you try again).
Congrats on being almost done with the exam! Stephanie
Hi Brian,
You are absolutely right – Becker (and other CPA exam review courses) can be counted if they are offered in accredited colleges. I guess what I meant is their “normal” programs that are offered in their centers, i.e. a commercial setting.
This is a good point – I will find a way to explain it better above. Thanks again! Stephanie
Hi Vicki,
How is your schedule and commitment? If you have a relatively “easy” job and not much family commitment, then yes you should give it a try. But if you have to take care of kids and work >50 hours per week with occasional overtime then it would be tough…
It also depends on whether you are familiar with the concepts. If let’s say you are not an accounting major and both financial accounting and tax are totally new to you, then you might want to postpone either one.
An alternative is to exchange one with BEC which *generally* is easier for candidates.
And in any case please make a study plan and stick with it!
Hope it helps, Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I am planning to buy Yeager review course (Bundle Buy) for preparing for CPA exam. I would like to know do i need to buy anything from any other review course or Yeager would be sufficient to pass the CPA exam.
I would like to apprear for all the 4 paper in one shot so based on your experience can u guide me how much time it will take to prepare for all the four papers. Currenly i m at Home and can spare alomst 5 hours a day for preparation. I m an average student in study with accouting backround.
Thanks in Advance.
How does your advice and suggestions change for someone that has been out of school for sometime (15+), working in CPA firm, mostly auditing, want/need CPA, so took becker review and rec’d a 68 on AU..just took BE..not sure?
Hi Vipula,
Based on the feedback of my readers, it seems like Yaeger is sufficient as long as you do as many practice questions from the Wiley book as possible. If you are super diligent you can consider getting Gleim as well (but let’s do it later, only when you think you have the extra time)
Again, if you are very disciplined, you can probably get prepared within 6 months to sit for the 4 parts in one go. Generally you might need up to 1 year to study for that… so it really depends how motivated you are. Given you have the accounting background it should be easier for you.
Hope it helps? Stephanie
Hi Mike,
Hmm… on AUD, do you think it’s because of lack of study time, lack of motivation or you simply get tricked by the questions? (if you work in the CPA firm, you must be very familiar with the concepts so this should be the issue).
I would think that if you get a Wiley book, work on your weakest areas (based on the report) and see whether you are able to get them all right (and for the right reason) after a few attempts. If somehow you still can’t get it, then it’s worthwhile to get Yaeger because they explain the MC questions in detail and where the tricky areas are etc.
Best of luck to your next attempt! Stephanie
HI
would you mind telling us how flashpointcpareview.com program is ? what are pros and cons? i ‘d appreciate a lot
Hi Farhan,
Never heard of it, but I have just taken a quick look with a bit of research in the CPA forums.
I did find a couple of people talking about flashpointcpareview.com and it’s quite positive – easier to digest compared to Becker. They especially like the notecards. While this is great I haven’t got enough data points to give an opinion on this review program — if you do decide to get it, I’d greatly appreciate if you let me know what you think about it. Thanks!
Stephanie
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