Do You Need a CPA Tutor?

Anyone who wants to be a Certified Public Accountant must pass the Uniform CPA Examination, commonly known as the CPA Exam. However, this test is notoriously difficult, and only about 50% of people who take it pass on their first attempt. Therefore, many candidates hire a tutor to pass the CPA Exam. Although working with a CPA tutor is no guarantee, many test-takers attribute their success to this extra help.

First, we’ll examine the CPA tutoring process. Next, we’ll see who can profit from CPA Exam tutoring. Finally, we’ll look at the benefits of hiring a tutor, the best options available, and the costs.

How Does CPA Tutoring Work?

Working one-on-one with a CPA tutor allows you to ask any questions you might have about the material immediately. In fact, that is the main benefit of hiring a tutor over using a self-guided CPA Exam review course. The CPA tutoring experience is entirely personalized to your needs.

While all good CPA prep courses or “apps” provide a curriculum to follow, many offer lots of great content. Still, that content and practice are developed with the average or typical candidate in mind, which may not be you (and that’s okay!). You might be really strong with concept X but need help understanding concept Y. A tutor can help you use the material you already have to develop a customized plan that is most efficient and effective for you.

You can always go to a generic tutoring website or ask for personal recommendations for CPA Exam tutors. However, if you choose a professional company that focuses on CPA Exam prep, you can be sure that you’re working with an expert tutor. Moreover, many companies offer guarantees that you’ll enjoy working with your tutor or that you’ll improve your score by a certain amount.

Usually, you’ll choose the CPA tutoring company you want and send them your contact information. After that, the company will match you with a tutor. Many companies offer both online and in-person tutoring options, though you may want to double-check what you’re getting while COVID-19 restrictions are in place. Additionally, some companies offer a money-back guarantee on the first tutoring session to ensure that you’re satisfied with the experience.

Who Needs CPA Tutoring?

Truthfully, anyone looking to take the CPA Exam can probably benefit from tutoring. However, you may see extra results from tutoring if any of the following apply to you:

  • It’s been a while since you got your accounting degree.

If you’re just out of school from getting a related degree, the material may be fresh in your mind. On the other hand, if it’s been a while since you’ve been in the classroom, you may benefit from some personalized assistance. Likewise, you may need a little help getting back into the habit of studying.

  • You’ve been working in one particular branch of accounting for a while.

For example, if you’ve been preparing tax returns as a part of your job, that part of the test may be easy for you. However, other parts of the test may prove much more challenging. A CPA FAR tutor can help with the Financial Accounting and Reporting section concepts that may be your weakness.

  • You’ve taken the CPA Exam multiple times without passing.

If you’ve already spent many hours studying but aren’t seeing results, there’s no shame in asking for help. You may not even know exactly what you need to improve upon. Thus, a CPA Exam tutor may be a necessary addition to your study process.

What Results Can You Expect from CPA Tutoring?

When you hire a CPA tutor, you’ll get someone who can not only guide you through the study process but also provide help with any material that you find difficult. Here are just a few of the CPA tutoring benefits over only relying on self-guided study or a review course:

  • More efficient use of study time
  • Personalized instruction
  • Potentially less expensive than a full suite of study materials

Who Offers CPA Tutoring?

If you search the internet, you’ll find no shortage of real-time tutors for CPA Exam prep. For instance, here are some of the more popular organizations that offer CPA tutoring:

Darius Clark CPA Tutor

CPA Exam tutoring reviews for Darius Clark say that his i-75 CPA review course is well worth the money. Additionally, he provides one-on-one Skype sessions to allow CPA candidates to ask any questions about the material. He claims that his tutoring sessions will add 10 or more points to your CPA Exam score.

You can also save 12% on i-75 when you use the code ipasscpa.

Tutor the People

CPA tutoring from Tutor the People includes one free hour with the purchase of a tutoring package. Moreover, the company guarantees that you will be satisfied after your first lesson, or they will refund the entire price. Its packages also include exam simulation software with over 6,000 practice questions and a customized study plan.

Becker CPA Private Tutor

Becker CPA one-on-one tutoring involves 1-hour private sessions with the company’s expert CPA instructors. However, these sessions are meant to supplement the company’s exam prep courses and will not completely guide you through all the material.

Five hours of one-on-one personal tutoring are included in Becker’s Pro Course, and the new Becker CPA Concierge Package includes 50 tutoring sessions for those candidates who really need personalized study. And to save you some money, I‘ve included Becker Pro discounts, as well as other Becker discounts, on my site.

MyGuru Tutoring

MyGuru Tutoring customer reviews show that the company has a 5-star rating on Yelp. The company offers a free initial phone call to discuss your current study methods and develop a customized study plan that includes in-person or online tutoring.

How Much Does CPA Tutoring Cost?

The prices for hiring a CPA tutor will vary by company and even by tutor. CPA tutors typically charge by the hour. However, you may receive discounted prices if you commit to a certain number of hours ahead of time. Here are the costs of the companies listed above:

  • Darius Clark: prices by request; however, if you use the code ipasscpa, you’ll save 12%.
  • MyGuru Tutoring: $99 an hour, less if you commit to 5, 10, or 15 hours
  • Becker 1-on-1 CPA tutor: $149 an hour (tutoring is also available via the Becker Pro and Becker Concierge packages)
  • Tutor the People: from $999 for 12 hours ($83.25/hour) to $2,599 for 36 hours ($72.19/hour)

Only you can decide whether CPA Exam tutoring will be worth your cost. It can undoubtedly be expensive. However, in addition to utilizing a CPA review course, some CPA candidates have found it vital in their preparation for a difficult test.

About the Author Stephanie Ng

I am the author of How to Pass The CPA Exam (published by Wiley), and I also passed all 4 sections of the CPA Exam on my first try. Additionally, I have led webinars, such as for the Institute of Management Accountants, authored featured articles on websites like Going Concern and AccountingWeb, and I'm also the CFO for the charity New Sight. Finally, I have created other accounting certification websites to help mentor non-CPA candidates. I have already mentored thousands of CPA, CMA, CIA, EA, and CFA candidates, and I can help you too!

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