Wiley CPA Review: Pros And Cons Analysis

Wiley CPA Review is a program from the renowned book publisher, Wiley & Sons Ltd (which also published hot sellers such as the Dummies series). Wiley is in particular well known for its CPA Exam review courses. Its CPA study materials are popular and can be easily purchased in major bookstores around the world.

Typical Wiley CPA Review Users

2 groups of candidates typically choose Wiley as their study tool. Are you one of them?

1. A+ students in college’s accounting classes
2. Candidates on tight budget

1. The A+ Students

Good for you! You must have worked very hard on your excellent track record in accounting. You may naturally assume that the CPA exam is a breeze and so a Wiley book (the cheapest option) is more than enough.

But beware — the CPA exam is a very different animal from your typical accounting mid-terms in college. It’s tricky and its computerized format can be intimidating. Many students excel in their accounting courses fail the CPA exam.

Are you good at accounting AND exam tactics?

Clearly, you need both to pass the exam. Now, go ahead and test yourself using the AICPA‘s official sample questions as well as other free CPA questions available in other sites.

If you can consistently score over 70 (75 is the passing score), you could be one of the few people who can pass the exam with Wiley books alone. Go get yourself the Wiley CPA software now!

If it is difficult for you to get a 70+ score, don’t be despair because help is just around the corner. Check out the CPA Exam review courses comparison and pick one that suits you the best.

2. Candidates On Tight Budget

The CPA exam fee costs a fortune and you try your best to save every penny. Totally understandable, especially in this environment.

But if you think about the fact that less than 50% of total candidates pass the exam while 85%+ of review course takers pass every year, it implies that the passing rate of those who do not take the review course is very, very low.

The question for you is: do you want to take the risk?

Let’s talk about the cost because it’s likely your #1 concern. If you fail the exam, each retake of the 4 exams would easily cost another $1,000 (exam fee + reapplication fees); or would you consider a review course (that includes Wiley books and software by the way) that costs $1,550?

Or think about it this way: Based on Robert Half’s survey, a CPA earns 10% more than the non-CPA counterparts. Would you like to get your CPA as soon as possible to get this upgrade? $1,550 isn’t that bad in the bigger scheme of things.

I Don’t Know… Can You Just Tell Me The Pros and Cons?

Certainly! I am here to help.

Pros

• Can be purchased in bookstores (which means you can take a look at the material)
• Cheapest review course out there
• The Practice Test (Wiley CPA software) is very useful with 2,000 questions and full online technical support

Cons

• The Wiley review book is wordy and difficult to understand.
• It’s overwhelming and discouraging to read the entire book by yourself.
  • A solution: Get Roger or Yaeger C which teach using Wiley books and software and is substantially cheaper than Becker.

My Recommendations

If you know accounting, good at MC tactics (get 70+ in sample CPA questions) and very disciplined in studying, Wiley CPA books and software is perfect for you.

But if you pick Wiley for the wrong reasons (e.g. because Wiley is the cheapest option), then I urge you to think twice if you can honestly digest the materials and have the discipline to finish off all the studying on your own.

A “middle-ground” solution would be to take a guided course that utilizes the excellent Wiley software as teaching materials. Yaeger CPA Review does a good job in this regard.

Best of luck to your exam!