10 Best CPA Review Courses and My Recommendation

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Recommendation

10 Best CPA Review Courses and MyRecommendationMay 18, 2014 By Stephanie Ng

Here are a detailed analysis of the best CPA review courses that you

cant find anywhere else because it is written based on my own

experience and the sharing of numerous CPA exam candidates around

the world since January 2010.

Let Me Find The Best Course For You

I dont believe in people who say their course is the absolute best, because different

HOME ABOUT FAQ FREE E-COURSE

REVIEW COURSE COMPARISON DISCOUNTS



courses cater different needs. But I am confident that you will find one that suit you the

best here.

Becker | CPA excel | CPA Review For Free | Gleim | Kaplan | Lambers | MDS | Roger

| Wiley | Yaeger

You can also go straight to My Recommendations here

Becker CPA Review Courses

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 Beckers 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 attendance rate which I find ridiculous.

Recommendation



SKIP Becker. They do have great notes, but so do Yaeger (for lectures) and Wiley /

Gleim (practice tests). Unless you are so lucky to get a star lecturer (who tend to set up

their own shops), live classes are, in my own opinion, a waste of time.

CPAexcel

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.

Unlimited upgrade: Most generous in the industry a real, no-gimmick no-

nonsense offer. No more pressure of not finishing within 12 months and have to pay

an extra $1,000 for a retake!

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.

Weaknesses

A Bit Confusing At First candidates can pick and choose the offering and I find

it quite intimidating when I first visited the site. But then when you think about it, the

fact that they give you a choice could be a good thing, if you are willing to spend

some time to navigate around and learn about the various offers.

Better Suited For The PC-based learner. Since everything is delivered online or

DVD, 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.

Practice Questions May Underprepare Candidates. *Solved see below* I got

quite a few readers who only used CPAexcel that the practice questions were

either very different or too simplistic when compared to the actual exam. Many got

Wiley/Gleim as supplement.

*Update* CPAexcel is acquired by Wiley. Watch out for bundled discount available



from time to time.

Recommendations

Another highly recommended program users achieve 87% passing rate and the

course is endorsed by one of the Big 4.

Especially suitable for busy candidates juggling with work/family commitments.

CPAexcel has recently been acquired by Wiley. In my opinion this will only make

their product better.

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 arent annoying.

Some of the practice questions e.g. Information Technology within BEC are very

helpful.

Weaknesses

You cant work on the questions in the Exam Mode: that is, do all the questions,

time it, and get a score.

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 the other paid providers.

Afterall, it does take a lot of resources to keep the materials updated. There is no

free lunch in my opinion.

Recommendation

Definitely a site that you want to bookmark to get some extra multiple choice questions in

the future, but I wouldnt rely solely on CPA Review For Free for my study.

Check out my evaluation on CPA Review For Free here.



Gleim CPA Review Courses

Strengths

Great practice test prep software. Practice questions are tough and great for

those who want a higher comfortable level to pass the exam. Good supplementary

to other lecture-heavy courses.

Thoughtfully designed. Some readers find the Gleim Online merely a voice over

a powerpoint presentation, but once you understand how the Gleim system works,

its an effective way to teach you how to self-study.

Personal Counselor is a great help. If you sign up for the Gleim CPA Review

System, a personal counselor will be assign to take care of your needs in your CPA

journey. These counselors are accounting gurus but they coordinate with the in-

house experts to get you the answer, help tailor-made your study plans and cheer

you up.

Affordable. The full 4-part CPA Review System costs just below $1,000 most

affordable among the major providers.

Weaknesses

No lecture the Gleim online is an audio-visual presentation instead of a video

featuring a lecturer. I am fine but I understand that many students need to see a

face to learn a concept.

Books can be over whelming its very detailed. While some of my readers

really like the comprehensiveness, others seem to think its too lengthy. You will

need to pick and choose what is necessary for you to study.

Recommendation

Excellent choice for those who prefer self-study but need occasional help through

personal counselor.

A great alternative to Wiley test bank if you are looking for additional online test

practice questions.

Check out my evaluation on Gleim CPA Review



Kaplan CPA Review Courses

Strengths

Established name: Kaplan is well known for standardized test preparation, and its

Schewser brand is an authority in CFA exam preparation.

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

Cant think of a reason to recommend Kaplan, at least for now.

Check out my evaluation on Kaplan CPA Review

Lambers CPA Review Courses

Strengths

Established Provider. Lambers CPA Review has been around for 45 years,

although it is now part of a company called ExamForce.

AUD Is The Hidden Gem. Professor Garland is excellent and I can feel his

passion of teaching and helping the candidates. I only watched his first lecture but

what he says makes so much sense.

The iPod Courses Is Quite Popular. The ipod format is helpful if you are busy

and want to utilize all your dead time during commute and between meetings and

childrens naps. The screen is too small to view the practice questions though, so

you can take this mostly as an audio review.

Weaknesses



Good But Not Great. I really like the AUD lecturer and one of the lecturers in FAR,

but others remind me of the very average accounting professors.

Salespeople Are Quite Aggressive. I bet the salesperson has never taken the

exam or even seen the study materials before, so stand firm and make the decision

based on your own preference.

Few People Talk About Lambers. Similar to the issues faced by Kaplan.

Recommendations

Get AUD module if you dont like your existing provider.

Check out my evaluation on Lambers CPA Review

MDS CPA Review Courses

Formerly known as Martin, Dalton, Spettle CPA Review, MDS is now headed by Steve

Martin and is based in Ohio. Steve has been teaching CPA review courses for the last 28

years (since 1985). He is a former law update instructor and editor for the Becker course.

Strengths

If you live in Ohio and are looking for live classes, the MDS CPA Review looks like

a great option.

I personally like Steves style a down-to-earth type of guy who has the experience

in teaching CPA review courses and writes his own lecture notes.

Weaknesses

I havent got access to the product so I wont be able to comment on the features

and specific product offering, but at $1,895 I cant say it is very attractive in price

and product offering when compared to other major CPA review providers.

Recommendations

Go to this MDS CPA page for my preliminary evaluation.



Roger CPA Review Courses

Strengths

Entertaining lectures: Roger Philipp (the founder) has a very unique teaching

style entertaining and intense. Many of his students are die-hard fans.

Quality Is Guaranteed. Roger writes his own notes. He also records the lectures

for every class so you know for sure who is teaching you.

Weaknesses

No More Live Classes. Roger CPA stopped offering live classes since Feb 2013.

Its not as entertaining watching him on video vs in person.

Talking Too Fast For International Candidates? Roger speaks fast. If you are

not very used to the US accent it could be hard to follow.

Recommendations

If you like an instructor that can even make accounting somewhat interesting, give

Roger CPA a try.

Check out my evaluation on Roger CPA Review

Wiley CPA Exam Review

Strengths

#1 Selling Review Book and Test Bank. The book and test bank (test prep

software) are both very popular and proved to be useful for many CPA candidates.

Even competitors (Yaeger and Roger) choose Wiley to bundle-sell as

supplementary material.

Its cheap! The software costs ~$79 (all 4 costs $229) a good bargain in the

world of CPA exam prep course.

Weaknesses



Book Could Be Overwhelming. Especially when there is no guided review, it

could be discouraging to go over the entire guide. Too much material in my opinion.

Recommendation

Get the test bank if you need additional practice questions as supplement, or if you

are a retaker.

Check out my evaluation on Wiley CPA Review

Yaeger CPA Review Courses

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, youd 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 Unorganized. 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 but it could be a nuisance.

Recommendation

Great for people who need help in accounting concepts, or a real person that can

explain things to you via the myYaeger forum or even by phone.

Check out the demo to see if you are fine with the old-school teaching style. The



books and test prep software are good because they use Wileys.

Check out my evaluation on Yaeger CPA Review

My General Recommendations

I try to keep this list as objective as I can, but since many of you are asking which provider

I generally prefer (and I have a hard time keeping it with responding to comments and

emails), here you go

Go For CPAexcel If You Want To:

Study in short intervals by watching the bite-sized lectures

Track how much you study and how well you study using CPAexcels robust

analytical system

Have no worries about any extra cost if you decide to take some time off or need a

retake

Go For Gleim If You Want To:

Cut out the lectures and self-study effectively

Get personalized support from real people the personal counselor

Keep your CPA review affordable with full version below $1,000

Go For Yaeger CPA If You Want To:

Have an instructor to walk through hundreds of multiple choices with you

Get a great value for money (good lecture, unlimited access, live phone help, quality

homework)

Learn from someone with an impressive record (88% passing rate)

Thanks for going through this long post with me. Drop me a note below if you need

specific recommendation.

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Filed Under: CPA Review Comparison and Selection

Comments

Joelle says

April 20, 2010 at 9:17 pm

Thanks, your recommendations are very helpful.

Stephanie says

April 20, 2010 at 11:36 pm

Glad to hear that Joelle, and good luck to the exam! Stephanie

Carrie says

April 28, 2010 at 2:06 am

Very helpful! Thank you for the outlines,this is just the information I was

looking for!

1719

228

2161



Stephanie says

April 28, 2010 at 11:55 pm

Carrie, thanks for the encouraging words. All the best! Stephanie

Emma says

May 7, 2010 at 8:58 pm

This is exactly what I was looking for!! I wish I read this article before I started

studying. But lucky for me I didnt purchase all 4 courses. Thank you very much!

Stephanie says

May 9, 2010 at 4:09 am

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. Id love to include everyones

opinion here! Stephanie

Frank says

June 2, 2010 at 6:05 am



Thank you so much for your reviews on the CPA review courses. Its 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.

Stephanie says

June 2, 2010 at 7:42 am

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

Elton says

June 9, 2010 at 7:39 pm

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!



Stephanie says

June 11, 2010 at 2:44 am

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

Will says

June 28, 2010 at 8:42 pm

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 theyre useless for the CPA exam. Went to

FSU, if thats 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

Stephanie says

June 29, 2010 at 9:51 am

Hi Will,

If this is the case, why dont 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

dont 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 its kind

of a waste.

As far as I know, I dont think there is a tutor who only answers questions

on the CPA exam without selling the CPA review books I guess it

doesnt make business sense Anyway, let me know how it goes!

Stephanie

Kary says

July 23, 2010 at 5:14 pm

Does Beckers CPA review courses count toward total credit hours and

accounting hours?

Stephanie says

July 24, 2010 at 6:23 am

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

Sab says

July 27, 2010 at 5:40 pm

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 (Im in

California.)? I mean Im 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, Californias unemployement rate is quite high. I cant 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, Im concerned I wont be able

to pass it in 2010 since there are only a few months left. Then, Ill 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 Im just an average B student in

accounting courses(however, I got A in auditing class after lots of time

investment on studying. Its just pure memorization. Maybe thats why I got A). I

think Im 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 dont 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 its been a while. Does Yaegers material really teach us from

the basic?

Is Beckers lecture notes a part of its product bundle or is it distributed in a live

classroom setting only? Im 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 cant 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.

Stephanie says

July 27, 2010 at 11:20 pm

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 dont 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 wont 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 its 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 doesnt 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 dont 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 doesnt go deep at all

in most of these topics.

(4) Yaeger only teaches the stuff required for the CPa exam, so its hard to

say whether it is basic or not, because its not complete in my opinion. But

its similar case for all the major CPA exam review courses.

(5) Becker: I think they have an online version so you dont 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 wont 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



Sab says

July 28, 2010 at 2:55 pm

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

Stephanie says

August 1, 2010 at 6:26 am

Hi Sab,

I am glad you find the site helpful. Yes, I do care because I have been there

and I know its difficult any way you look at it. Anyway, all the best to you

Sab! Stephanie

Ruby says

July 29, 2010 at 6:21 pm

What is your opinion on Beckers Final review?

I am planning to buy Gleims prep test, cause they are cheaper

then get Beckers Final review two weeks before the exam. Thank you



Stephanie says


Hi Ruby,

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

isnt 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 Stephanie

John says

August 1, 2010 at 6:04 pm

Hey Stephanie this is amazing thanks for all the tipsmy question is can you

elaborate you mentioned they dont go very deep at all in most of these topics.

in an earlier postso 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 youre 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

theniguess because they want us to work for a while before we actually get

the license+??



Stephanie says


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. Thats 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. Thats 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

Vipula says

August 9, 2010 at 9:04 pm



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

Stephanie says

August 10, 2010 at 4:47 am

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.

Ive 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



Chod says

August 10, 2010 at 1:58 am

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.

Stephanie says

August 10, 2010 at 5:13 am

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

Vipula says

August 10, 2010 at 1:41 pm

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

Stephanie says

August 10, 2010 at 2:02 pm

Hi Vipula,

No CPA Examination Services doesnt do anything like that. Youll need to

rely on the CPA exam prep courses and I have outlined the pros and cons

of the major course providers above. Stephanie

Andrew says

August 12, 2010 at 3:29 am

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,

(theyre 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.



Mike says

August 12, 2010 at 4:02 am

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

Stephanie says

August 12, 2010 at 4:27 am

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 dont 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 havent already, please take a look my writeup on the CPA exam

changes in 2011.

Cheers,

Stephanie

Stephanie says

August 12, 2010 at 4:14 am

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for your comment for the site and I am really happy that you find the info

helpful. Isnt 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 werent 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 havent 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

Dont worry once you pick one CPA review provider and focus on it, things

wont be as overwhelming. Best of luck to the exam next year!

Cheers, Stephanie



Ramya says

August 14, 2010 at 11:09 pm

Stephanie,

Youre 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, Im 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 didnt 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 Im 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 Yaegers review. I was

hoping to find some comments from other users.

One last question, I have Beckers 2007 materials. Do you think I could use

those in conjunction with Wileys & Yaegers 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. Youve been really quick. Youve

been very inspiring!

Thanks

Ramya



Ramya says

August 14, 2010 at 11:14 pm

Stephanie,

Im sorry am gonna bother you with another question. I just want to make a

really calculated decision before I put the money If Becker isnt as good, why

is that they carry the Big 4 recommendation?

Thanks

Ramya

Stephanie says

August 15, 2010 at 12:29 am

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 havent 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 peoples 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, Beckers 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!



Jeff says

August 23, 2010 at 3:54 am

Hi Stephanie,

I think with your reviews Ive decided on getting at least the Wiley software, but

what about books? I have an extremely irregular schedule, so its impossible for

me to ever attend a class. Also, Id prefer to have some sort of books to review

before I sleep in bed

Out of the review courseswhich one has the best books?

Thanks!

Jeff

Stephanie says

August 26, 2010 at 3:23 am

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 cant 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

Russell Han says

August 26, 2010 at 6:32 pm

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 dont 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 dont 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 says

August 31, 2010 at 9:57 am

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. Its only 40 questions now (back then

when I took it it was 75 questions) and its 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 dont worry its 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

Brian says

August 27, 2010 at 8:52 pm

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!

Stephanie says

August 31, 2010 at 10:08 am

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

Vicki says

August 29, 2010 at 3:54 pm

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. Im 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?

Stephanie says

August 31, 2010 at 10:22 am



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 lets 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

Vipula says

September 1, 2010 at 2:00 pm

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.



Stephanie says


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 lets 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

Mike says


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 recd a 68 on AU..just took BE..not sure?

Stephanie says


Hi Mike,

Hmm on AUD, do you think its 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 cant get

it, then its 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

Farhan says

September 2, 2010 at 4:25 am

HI

would you mind telling us how flashpointcpareview.com program is ? what are

pros and cons? i d appreciate a lot

Stephanie says


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 its



quite positive easier to digest compared to Becker. They especially like the

notecards. While this is great I havent got enough data points to give an

opinion on this review program if you do decide to get it, Id greatly

appreciate if you let me know what you think about it. Thanks!

Stephanie

Numan says


Hi Stephanie,

It is really great to see someone helping the people in such a way. I would

request your advice on whether to go ahead with CPA or not? I live in Pakistan

and have done CA and ACCA. I plan to move to the US in near future. What is

the condition of the job market in the US/Canada for people having passed the

CPA exam? Your reply will be a great help for me as I have to make a decision.

Stephanie says


Hi Numan,

Theoretically, CPA is a title most applicable for public accounting (i.e.

auditing) firms, but from what I heard from my readers recently, many

corporations are looking for a CPA title among the candidates. So it is

definitely useful. Having said that, many accountants can secure a job

without the title so the CPA qualification is not like mandatory in order to

get an accounting/finance job in the US.

Is it a big hassle for you to go to the US and take the exam? Also, do you

think you can qualify for CPA exam requirements from any state? This



would be 2 important questions for you to consider whether to start your

CPA journey. You may also find this page for international CPA candidates

useful.

Hope it helps just come back if I can be helpful. Cheers, Stephanie

Farhan says


well Nauman, if you want to remain being an accountant and also moving to

USA, then i would suggest you go for the CPA exam.With your background, i

dont think you will have much difficulty passing the exam. Remember much of

accounting doesnt change and the only thing that will be new to you would be

US Taxation.

Stephanie says


Thanks Farhan and good point on the US taxation! Stephanie

Numan says


Dear Farhan,



Bundle of thanks for the guidance. I hope I am able to pass. And what are the

chances of getting a job in the Big 4, or any other good organization in the US,

once you pass the CPA? How much time it takes approximately to find one? I

want to be on my own soon after landing. Can you please tell me about some

good recruitment firms too.

Thanks again,

Numan

Stephanie says


Hi Numan,

Thanks for your kind note! Well it has been enjoyable (and a good break

from my day job and kids) running this site

And on the general note of using the CPA title to find a job in the state I

would think while it definitely helps, it is not a guaranteed ticket if you know

what I mean. Is it possible for you to work in Big 4 in Pakistan (not sure if

they have presence there)? It would be much easier for you to arrange a

transfer or something like that within the organization. Alternatively, any

US-based corporations in Pakistan might work.

Anyway, if you are aiming for the Big 4, you can check out my

recommendation on this book the steps and tips to break into Big 4 /

big accounting firms.

Cheers, Stephanie



Numan says


Dear Stephanie,

Thanks for the information. It is really amazing to see how you could spare time

for people, besides doing a job and looking after 2 kids. Thank you for this. I get

almost eaten up by just one kid of mine.

Coming to US is not a problem. I have got a business visa (5 year; multiple). So

I can come and go anytime for the exam. Also, i can study day and night for the

exam and that is not a major problem. My concern was just that if i take the step

towards attempting the CPA, will it help me getting a sponsoring employer in

the US? With my current visa, I can only visit for business purpose, and not for

work. I want to move to the US with my family. I hope CPA will help me in that,

because my current qualifications i.e. CA and ACCA do not seem to be very

useful in US.

farhan says


Nauman,

you can sit for the exam under Colorado Board, if you are a CA from another

country, they would allow you to sit for the CPA exam. Also , NASBA will be

allowing candidates to take the exam outside of the US in near future. I am not

sure when they will include Pakistan. But i have heard they have included Japan

so far. I live in Canada but since i live at the border, for me travelling to the

States is easy so i am not too concerned.

Stephanie, i am struggling with FAR and forgetting whatever i have learned in

last two weeks. I havent bought the Flashpoint CPA stuff yet . Since i spent

thousands of dollars on material already, i feel guilty spending more on the stuff.



Stephanie says


Hi Farhan,

Thanks for your help for Nauman. Much appreciated! Also, its good that

you remind me of the new CPA exam sites in Japan. I have done a quick

writeup for those who are interested.

Yes FAR is the most overwhelming of all! Why dont you tackle one sub-

section at a time after reading/listening to the lecture, work on the

practice questions for the concepts to sink in. This tactic works for me

pretty well. Yeah dont worry about getting extra materials if you have

existing ones already.

Keep working hard! Stephanie

Vipula says


Hi Farhan,

Thanks for the information that NASA is considering to take exams outside of

USA also. I live in Canada (Toronto) and its difficult to go to US to give exams.

I just hope that they include Canada also to take exams.

In case you hear anything related to this, it will be great if you can let me know.

Thanks

Vipula



Stephanie says


Hi Vipula,

So far no news on Canada as far as I know Actually Toronto shouldnt be

too bad if you can drive or take the Amtrak there? At least its much better

than India and other Asian countries

Stephanie

Farhan says


Vipula,

Sure , i would let you and everyone know here . Look at the bright side, it is still

easier for us to go to the states to take the exam compare to people from other

countries, where they have to come specially to take the exam. I am in Windsor

and the prometric site is 20 minutes drive from me. Logically speaking, Canada

would be included in very near future cus we are neighbors lol

Kontopia says


Stephanie:

Is the clearance sale for $799 at CPA Passmaster genuine? I am not sure if that

website, CPA Passmaster, that is selling Becker products for half the price is



genuine. Can you help me here? My Becker software is expired but Becker is

asking a huge amount of money plus a registration fee before they will renew

the software for me as a former Becker student which, I think, is unfair. The CPA

Passmaster website is offering to renew my software for $100. Is that genuine

and do you know of anyone who who has done business with them? Has any of

your forumers tried them? I have all the 2009 Becker Notes and the CD, the only

thing I need is the MC and the simulation in the Passmaster. I am only

interested in the extension of the software.

Thank you also for the info on Wiley and Gleim. I took the live fastpass class

with Becker and its a complete waste of time.

Please advise me on that CPA Passmaster website and their products.

Thank you.

Kontopia

Stephanie says


Hi Kontopia,

You are dropping me a note at the *perfect time* because I am in the final

stage of due diligence on CPA Passmaster. I dont want to give my

recommendation (or the lack of) before my full investigation but I promise

to have it done by next week. So please wait for a few more days.

If I do recommend this Becker reseller I will feature it prominently in the

header at the top of my website. Im sure you wont miss it

Please come back next week and have a look! Stephanie

P.S. Sorry to hear about your experience at Becker live class. I can totally

hear you. I set up this site mainly to tell people there are other options



Zachary says


Stephanie:

I love your website. Its the only place I have found that gives honest, thoughtful

reviews of different CPA review options. Others seem to be too biased.

I am a recent grad, again (undergrad in accounting in Dec 08 and a MBA Aug

10). I now want to go after the CPA certification and am pretty motivated to get

it. I am very disciplined I took my entire MBA program online and graduated

with a 3.9 gpa (and it was a very good, accredited university). I am unsure of

which review program to go after. Everyone I have talked to has used Becker,

but they took the exam 5+ or 10+ years ago and got it discounted. I know

Becker is great, I am impressed with their website but they are also extremely

expensive and are really out of my budget. I can not seem to find another

program that strikes me as much as Becker does though. I do not want to do

live classes, or online for that matter. I am better at self-study. I do not mind

reading or watching lecturers at home (as long as they arent boring and long).

Do you have any suggestions on review courses that have good self-study

programs and they wont break my poor bank account?? Maybe ones that have

a good mixture of text and software even? (If there is such a thing out there for

me).

Thank you for any advice you give

Stephanie says




Hi Zachary,

Thanks for your kind note! I am honored that this site is seen as honest

and thoughtful because this is the goal I am trying to achieve for this site.

I would say you can focus on the following 3 CPA study material:

If you are very disciplined and self-motivated (sounds like you are!), then

Wiley should be good for you and you can get the discounted Wiley CPA

books + software here.

If you are looking for a more integrated approach, CPAexcel has bite-

sized classes and you can sign up for a free trial and see if you like it. Their

program has just been endorsed by 1 of the big 4, and they are

considerably cheaper than Becker.

Lastly, Yaeger is always good if you are looking for lots of explanation on

the actual multiple choice questions you are working on. The lectures are

presented in DVD that you can watch at home. The filming is a bit

unpolished but thats why you get it at a much cheaper price than Becker.

Hope it helps! Would be interested to see which course/materials you end

up choosing. And all the best to your exam! Stephanie

Grezze says


Hi Stephanie,

I appreciate all the information here in your website its a big help for a person

like me. I found http://www.accountingcoach.com and theyre selling such

accounting materials in a very low cost. Do you think its a good supplement



materials to prepare CPA exam?

Stephanie says


Hi Greeze,

I also heard from a few of my readers that they are quite good and I like the

free materials on their site. In fact, Accounting Coach is under my list of

recommendations on my newly setup Facebook page.

If you find it necessary to clarify the accounting concepts, I would think its

helpful. Do let me know what you think if you decide to purchase so I can let

other readers know in the future. This site is helpful because of helpful

readers like you!

Regards,

Stephanie

Svetlana Primacheva says


Hi Stephanie;

I am very impressed with your website and am grateful that you took the time to

put it together. I was a chief accountant of smbs in Russia. I was planning to

sign up for Yaeger, but they told me that I need to take several US tax courses

first. ( I have taken financial and business accounting at a community college but

nothing specifically on taxes.) Do you know what courses are either required by



NASBA or the California Board of Accountancy or recommended before taking

the CPA exam?

Noreen Dratch says


Hi Stephanie,

Just wanted to drop a quick note about CPAexcel. My story isnt entirely unique,

but somewhat different. Ive worked as an accountant for 40 years Im 58

years old. Im actually working part time and could retire.

As a personal goal, I decided in late April (2010) to sit for the CPA exam. Its,

obviously, tough for someone with an MBA which was received 10 years ago.

Using CPAexcel and the Wiley software, I passed BEC the first try, taken July 1,

2010 Score 86.

Im so excited I cant believe it!! CPAexcel is absolutely great. Wiley was a

supplemental study tool only. The folks behind CPAexcel are intelligent and

always there to help.

Thanks for the forum.

Noreen

Stephanie says


Hi Noreen,

Thanks a lot for your note. Thats excellent! Mind if I quote you in my



CPAexcel review page?

Stephanie

Noreen says


Please feel free to use my comment(s). CPAexcel is great and the 2011

updates are terrific.

Noreen

Stephanie says


Thank you Noreen. And congratulations again! Stephanie

Alex says


Hi, Stephanie,

I was too worried about whether I was qualified to sit for the exam, so I only

visited your CPA requirement page, and left questions for you few mins ago.

Now I found a even better source you are sharing with us. I cannot thank you



enough for helping us save time on the CPA. Hope that more people can

benefit from you web and get their licenses. ( Also hope I will be one of them

)

Stephanie says


Hi Alex,

I am very glad you find the site helpful! If you need anything else just drop a

note and Ill try my best to help. Good luck to your application and exam!

Stephanie

Dan says

October 2, 2010 at 2:25 pm

Hi Stephanie,

I took your recommendation and have been using Yaeger since the end of

August. Im in the middle of studying for FAR.

I believe there are 3 teachers for this course. Cindy (who mainly teaches FAR)

is excellent. She has a great sense of humor and she hammers points home so

you wont forget. On a multiple choice problem, she will go over the wrong

choices and explain why they are wrong. She will also tell you for said MC

question, what other questions the CPA could ask based on the topic. She

really knows her stuff backwards and forwards and tries her bast to get you to

her level of understanding accounting.

HOWEVER, the other teachers SUCK. Phil is so monotone and boring. And its



more than that. He doesnt go into nearly the detail that Cindy does. Not only is

Cindy more entertaining, but shes a better teacher: plain and simple. Phil does

not go over the wrong MC questions, which really bothers me because on the

CPA exam there are often at least 2 answers that seem reasonably correct. Phil

also say all right every 5 seconds. Its like when a teenager says like all the

time. Maybe not that bad but almost. He probably says all right as much as

one of those dumb athletes say you know before every sentence.

The 3rd guy I havent taken instruction from yet but I saw the beginning of one of

his lectures and he seems worse than Phil.

So, not having taken the other courses yet, I would recommend only taking

Yaeger for FAR (Cindy mostly teaches FAR but occasionally you will get the

brutal Phil and the other guy).

Stephanie says

October 3, 2010 at 5:31 am

Hi Dan,

Thanks very much for your comment. It is interesting because many

readers told me they like Phil but I can see what you mean by the

monotone I will mention your comment in the Yaeger page so at least

ask the prospective buyers to check out Phils demo and see if they find

him ok.

Again, thanks for taking the time to let us know your opinion. I am sure it is

helpful to other aspiring CPAs.

Regards, Stephanie



Dan says


I havent experienced too much of Phils teaching so any reader can take my

comments with that in mind. I just finished Phils lecture on pensions. He did a

decent job explaining the material prior to going into examples but I dont like

the way he covers the multiple choice. The other teacher also seem to do a

better job of teaching test taking techniques. I guess I havent listened to enough

lectures from Phil to completely comment on his style but I definitely feel

confident saying Cindy is the superior teacher.

Now the 3rd guy I just got done listening to his lecture on leases. He is actually

not bad. He also does Auditing apparently. He is pretty dry and deadpan but he

is good at emphasizing certain points of emphasis.

Does Phil only teach REG? That would be good because I think that is the

section I feel most confident.

Stephanie says


Hi Dan,

Again thanks for your comments and the lively desription! I think Phil

Yaeger also teaches in other parts, but they may have changed from year

to year and so I cant say for sure for the latest edition but maybe you

can come back and let us know after you have viewed everything? That

would be immensely helpful. Thanks!

Stephanie



Kenneth says


Hi Stephanie,

Im coming from Hong Kong, and Ive been struggle for choosing Becker and

Yaeger.

With confirmation with Becker, there will be no live classes offered in HK

starting from 2011, but we can still buy their material in HK, the cost is similar to

United States. Its no doubt that Becker is most expensive one, I dont know is it

worth or not.

For Yaeger, Im not sure the video lectures offer by them is update or not, as you

know there are some changes for 2011 exam. And Ive no idea about the

CRAM series though Ive read their website info.

Stephanie says

October 11, 2010 at 10:01 am

Hi Kenneth,

I personally dont like Becker live classes anyway so its good that youll be

choosing Becker self-study vs Yaeger.

I have written a page specially on becker vs yaeger CPA review. Please

see if its helpful for you?

By the way, your experience will be able to count if your work experience is

supervised / verified by CPA from US, and possibly from Canada and

Australia (depend on which state). Whether it has to be supervised or not

will also be dependent on the state you apply to.

Just let me know if you have further questions! stephanie



Nico IL says


Hi Stephanie!

So Im scheduled to take REG on October 29. Using the Yeager CPA review

materials, Ive already managed to get through a significant amount of material.

However, Im kind of worried because Prof Yaeger seems to skip a lot of things

in the Wiley Book. From my experience, I managed to pass FAR and AUD (with

a reasonable margins 94, 89) because of fine details that I studied from the

Wiley Book and CPAExcel.

Do you have any knowledge of how much dependable Yaeger is? I mean, if he

says to skip that section, then is there really a reasonable probability that the

section wont be in the test?

I bought the Yaeger course because of the efficiency it offers, but am worried on

its effectiveness and scope

I appreciate any help or guidance!

Thank you very much,

Nico

Stephanie says


Hello Nico,

Nice to hear from you again!



Yes your concern is certainly understandable. I understand Dr. Yaeger

specifically skips those parts that has lower importance in the exam. This

is the way to do it for people with limited time. So I would recommend that

you follow the direction and get the basic done first; then if you have more

time, you can still work on the rest of Wiley, but at least for time

management wise this makes the most sense and you can feel more

comfortable because the most important things got covered.

An industry expert (who works for another CPA review course) told me

Yaeger is among his favorites. Thats why I feel comfortable

recommending the course to my readers. If you have any other thoughts on

Yaeger (good or bad) please let me know so I can get a more

comprehensive view on this course. Thanks!

And all the best to the studying and passing of REG!

Stephanie

Alex says


Hi, Stephanie,

Thank you for your comment about my post on the How to qualify for PA CPA

exam. One more question need your help. Recently, I use Becker for my BEC

study, and its homework seems not that hard, as the teachers cover almost all

the points in the lecture. Then I find out a free website:

http://www.cpareviewforfree.com . I register online, and do their test. I had to

say, really frustrating, I almost got more than a half of the questions wrong. Not

sure whether the questions on that web is too hard, or Becker chooses too

many straight forward questions. Please let me know whether I need to use



more than one material for the study. Thanks a lot.

Stephanie says


Hello Alex,

Hmm which BEC sub-topic did you try in CPA review for free? (by the

way I wrote about the CPAreviewforfree here.) If its IT, then its pretty

normal because Becker seems to underprepare candidates in this

particular area. For other areas it shouldnt be too bad.

If you have time Id recommend that you get a Wiley software CD and work

on more practice questions you can get a good discount at Amazon.

Otherwise, many candidates do find CPA Review For Free useful.

Keep working on the problems this is the best way to do it!

Regards, stephanie

Claudia J says


Hi, Stephanie,

Wow your site is overwhelming! A lot of useful information(: Thanks for clearing

a lot of questions!

I have a question though, Im trying to pass BEC in Nov (since its going to get

harder in 2011). I was thinking of getting the Wiley book, software, and the

Yaeger lecture. Is that enough? I know the schedule is tight but do you think its

worth a try?



Thanks for the advice and time!

Claudia J

Stephanie says


Hi Claudia,

Thanks for your kind words I am really glad you find the site helpful.

Getting Yaeger + Wiley sounds like a good plan (by the way, Wiley books

+ software come with the standard Yaeger purchase, so no need to buy

separately).

But the more important thing is that you stick with a study plan and work on

(1) the MC questions as suggested by Yaeger and (2) the rest in the Wiley

software as much as you can. The more you practice, the higher the

chance of success in my opinion.

For IT, Ill also recommend you try the free questions at

cpareviewforfree.com. This is a site run by a nice guy who owned his CPA

review course before selling out to Kaplan. They are really free no

strings attached as far as I know.

Best of luck! hope you can make it before 2010! Stephanie

Alex says


Hi, Stephanie,



I tried the Supply and Demand part. After I re-do the questions very carefully, I

found out the good result of BEC homework is because I just listen the lecture,

while when I do the CPA review for free, somethings get mess up. Thank you for

the good tip of the IT part, I will pay attention to that. By the way, Becker have the

Appendix for several charpter, how important is that? Do I need to go through

these readings? Thanks a lot.

Stephanie says


Hi Alex,

Great to know you score fine afterall. No worries then!

Back then when I studied with Becker I skipped all the appendices and

managed to pass. So I dont think its necessary (for BEC at least).

Actually, for FAR/AUD there is a page on financial ratios which can be

helpful. Thats the only appendix page I referenced to.

Cheers,

Stephanie

Alex says


Hi, Stephanie,

Thank you for your reply. I would like to mention an advantage of CPA review for

free. For us who work and prepare the exams. It is easy to log online and take a

small test while working, make sure you remember everything you study at

home (using Becker or Wiley). The website making a small break at work useful

for preparing the test.



Thanks.

Stephanie says


Thanks Alex! Ill quote you on my evaluation page of CPA Review For

Free. Hope its ok? Stephanie

Alex says


Hi, Stephanie,

Thank you for your suggestion, very helpful. Of course you can quote my

thoughts about CPA Review for Free. Im glad that I can help. Cheers.

Stephanie says


Great Alex. Youll see it here now Stephanie

Marla says




It has been so hard to decide between the reviews. Its like they all are apples

but one is a grannysmith, the next is a gala and the last is a red delicious, same

but different. I dont have the money to spend on a review and it not work. If I

havta get a loan to add to the mountain of student loans I want it to be the right

one. Your site helped me so much, and I trusted your evaluations because your

not a commissioned voice.

Thanks

Stephanie says


Thanks Marla! I am so glad you find the review unbiased. I do try hard to

make sure I include both pros and cons for each program.

Whichever course you pick, I wish you all the best! Stephanie

sanjay says


Hi Stephaine,

I am Chartered Accountant from India and I want to pursue the CPA course.I

have my friends in US who are working there as CPAs. I wanted to know if my

CA degree would be of any use in pursuing the CPA course.Will I get any

exemptions in the papers to be written or any waiver in the examination or

registration fees ? What are my chances of getting a job in the US after

completing my CPA degree? I am going to finance my studies on my own which

coaching institute do you think will be the best for me , here in India ?

Regards,



sanjay

Stephanie says


Hi Sanjay,

The CA was very helpful in the state of Colorado before Nov 2009 when

you get automatically qualified for the exam. But now the state requires

candidates to go through the foreign credential evaluation process. They

do general give ~40 credits from CA (I heard from my readers) so its still

considered an edge.

Michigan still allow you to get qualified with CA certificate alone, but

please pay special attention to the working requirements as it is rather

strict. You can find out the details for Colorado and Michigan here.

Hope it gives you some info to start with STephanei

Jeff says


Hi Stephanie,

Do you have a review or analysis of ExamMatrix? If not, do you have any quick

thoughts about their review course?

Thanks,



Farhan says


yes i wanna know about examatrix too

i am studying day and night for FAR and i still not feeling well i am physically

sick from studying ( i am not kidding) .. i like exammatrix concept of keeping the

material fresh by the structure of their software.. but i dont wanna experiment by

paying lol anyone has positive results with exammatrix for FAR? they have

sweet deal going on right now please contact me if you are studying from

exammatrix [email protected]

Dang says


Hello Stephanie,

What the different between 2008 (or earlier) Becker review and the current

2010 Becker review? I can only afford to buy it on ebay and the older version is

much cheaper than current version.

Stephanie says


Hi Dang,

I dont know the details, but there are accounting rule updates here and

there so this should be the main changes. I personally think it is ok to use

the old ones as long as you aim at a higher passing score yourself (like

80-85) to compensate for the mistakes made due to the new change of

rules.



Otherwise, just pick other CPA review courses many candidates pass

each year using any one of the above.

Hope it helps! Stephanie

nour says


Hi Stephanie,

I signed up to do my financial exam on Nov 30th of 2010, and I did it the first

time was on April of 2010 with Gleim material, I didnt pass it, found it very tough

lecture and too much info to learn, then I got Becker CD with the book, I havent

started to study for my Nov exam, but Im lost because my friend suggested me

to buy Roger as his way is interesting comapre to gleim and Becker, I dont

want to spend too much ( $400) on Roger and then fail again, what do you

suggest me to do, Im really lost and almost 5 more weeks to do my Financial

test??

thanks alot for all the info and replies,

Nour

Stephanie says


Hi Nour,

If youve got the Becker material, Id stick with it. As you said, you have

already invested a lot in the courses! Becker works for many candidates

and their materials are pretty good. The only thing I dont like is the price

and the live classes (which isnt applicable to you anyway).



Just focus on studying and get it done with in Nov. Best of luck! Stephanie

Janelle says


Hi Stephanie,

Im so glad that I found your websiteI just wish I found it a year and a half ago!

In September 2009, my friend and I decided to finally re-sit for the exam.

Coming from the Big 4, we really only knew of three different sources for review

materials and decided on the Bisk self study materials. Being the huge

procrastinators that we are, we only re-registered last week! We briefly heard

about the changes effective January 1st, but only started researching the details

recently and realized that we are royally in trouble!

Im thinking that we have the following options:

1. Purchase the re-vamped 2011 materials from Bisk (they will give us a slight

discount)

2. Use the 2009-2010 Bisk materials and supplement them with the 2011

materials from Wiley

3. Make a complete switch to Yaeger (thats really intrigued us)

Im wavering more with options 2 and 3. With the Yaeger materials, the text and

CDs are Wileys, and the only real difference are the old school lectures and

handouts. Is that correct?

In any case, your input would really help us right now.

Janelle



Stephanie says

Oc

Documents

10 Best CPA Review Courses and My Recommendation