Which cpa review course is best

Becker CPA Review used to have some of the best analytics in the industry but strangely they took a major step backwards. Instead of allowing candidates to create custom quizzes at the module level, they shifted to using Adapt2U technology to make this decision for you.

Their reporting shows you how you are performing at the module level but they limit your ability to create a custom quiz to the chapter level. This leaves you with almost no control over creating targeted quizzes if you want to test yourself on specific topics that you identify from the reporting tab.

I would prefer that they mix Adapt2U with the ability to still create your own practice quizzes at the module level. From a usability perspective, one of the most frustrating things about Becker is that you can't select any of the text inside of the platform. Other courses allow you to select almost any text and then create a flashcard in 5 seconds from that text.

I assume they do this to curb piracy, but it really hurts your ability to grab important pieces of text from the question explanations or text and drop them into a word doc or a flashcard maker for later review. They also have a note taking system for each module inside the lecture but then don't give you a way to create a database of notes to search thru later.

The only reason to take digital notes is to be able to keyword search them later to save time but you can't easily do that with Becker. According to their website, they have very limited hours on the weekend. Expect 2 full business days for a response per their website. The majority of students study during the weekend and need a quick response which in my opinion shouldn't be more than 24 hours. When sending in an email I would recommend you batch your questions together to speed up the process.

If your firm is paying for Becker CPA Review and doesn't offer any other courses then I would consider using Becker despite the weaknesses in its usability. I would still recommend that you try other CPA review courses before pulling the trigger just to make sure that Becker is the right course for you. This will make all the difference. Becker CPA Review does offer some great Final Review, flashcard and test bank products that can be useful and more affordable than their whole course.

If you learn by absorbing material through video then Becker CPA Review is certainly designed for you. The typical video lecture goes for minutes which requires a lot of focus. Instead of going crazy in-depth with a textbook full of dry definitions where you get lost, they are taking the approach to create visually focused material.

Meaning that they are connect images and video to break down the complex in an attempt to make it simple and something you can more easily recall on exam day.

As with any new CPA review course, the question of quality and effectiveness comes into play, which I want to discuss below based on real data that I'm hearing from my students who use Universal CPA Review. Joey does a great job of teaching the material and I love that both Matt and Joey are working closely 1-on-1 with candidates who join their program.

This is rare in this industry and is one of the advantages of using a smaller course. To help with this Universal CPA Review includes video explanations for most questions to really help drive the why home for you. I do like the time and focus they have spent on creating infographics to teach the CPA exam content.

For many learners this will be much more efficient and memory producing compared to staring at blocks of text. Best way to experience this is to sign up for their free trial. As a startup, Universal CPA Review has significantly fewer questions 3, and not data analytics built into the test bank to help you focus on your weakest areas. You can still review individual quizzes which is great but not as powerful as other platforms, which is why I recommend Universal as a supplement at this time.

Universal CPA Review does not currently have a mobile app but their platform is setup to be mobile responsive. If you hate staring at blocks of text and need a mix of text and visualizations to quickly learn, then Universal CPA Review is what you need. Absolutely sign up for their free trial.

Fast Forward Academy has completely redesigned their course for to better compete with the more well known review courses in the industry. They don't quite have the reputation of my top 3 CPA prep courses which I believe shows in their pricing. If you are someone on a very tight budget or looking for something different then I'd recommend giving Fast Forward Academy's free trial a try.

More than 5, multiple choice questions and simulations and a fully functional CPA exam test simulator to help you pass the exam. The instructor Brian Hock keeps the content engaging but it's a bit difficult to follow the lectures and how they are organized in the platform. You have to click around to find the relevant text that pairs up with the video lecture. Fast Forward Academy has a searchable database of flashcards and notes that you can leverage to study efficiently.

You can also create your own flashcards directly from the text for later use which is a cool feature. The more questions you answer the smarter the Fast Forward Academy analytics will be in determining where you should spend your time.

It tracks what concepts you have mastered and which ones need work. Their CPA course is still fairly small and I don't have many case studies from my students using their platform yet.

Fast Forward Academy's platform works perfectly with the mentorship platform Ultimate CPA Exam Guide but currently you have to purchase both separately. If you have Fast Forward Academy and are struggling to pass then finding a mentor to teach how to use the platform is going to be key.

Fast Forward Academy CPA Review does not currently have a mobile app but their platform is setup to be mobile responsive. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles but it has quality content and great design to help you study efficiently. If you mix Fast Forward Acadmey with Ultimate CPA Exam Guide then you have a powerful combination of study tools and guidance to fully understand how to master the CPA exam and fresh study materials for you to learn from.

Fast Forward Academy is a solid budget friendly course that has all the content you need to learn in order to pass. I'd sign up for a free trial and compare it to several of the bigger name brand courses before making a final decision. They primarily focus on live classes and have recently branched into focusing more on a self-study platform. I don't have much experience with the platform and haven't heard any of my students using this platform so I don't have the data to complete a full review yet.

To assess your understanding of the material they have you take an enormous multiple choice question quiz. Based on your results they tailor the study units to focus on. In my opinion, answering a multiple choice question is not enough to assess a true understanding of the material and you could also answer question right for the wrong reasons.

Personally, I prefer to have more control over what I'm studying. The good news is that Surgent does allow you to take some manual control over your study plan so with some trial and error you can make Surgent CPA Review work for you. After reviewing the products offered I can't really recommend them to CPA candidates because of multiple instances where outdated material was included in the course.

Jeff did take action to remove the content but it still took close a year after I alerted him before he took action. Your money would honestly be better spent on hiring a CPA exam mentor that can teach you how to use your primary CPA review course.

After reviewing Lambers the course is not up to par compared to the other CPA review courses available. Was purchased by Fast Forward Academy and is now part of a free trial offered by them. Every CPA review course claims they have the highest pass rate and for obvious financial reasons.

Then when I failed my first section it destroyed my confidence in myself because I didn't understand failure was just part of the proccess! Best advice, ignore the advertised pass rates, find a course with a CPA exam support system and just dive into the process hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst, just in case.

This CPA courses works for recent college graduates, working professionals and folks who are looking for a career change. If you have failed the CPA exam, the first step is to recover from this devastating but not too uncommon experience. Once you have recovered from failure, the next step is to find fresh multiple choice questions to use so that you don't repeat the same questions over and over.

I recommend using the Gleim Megabank. It's what I used to pass the CPA exam after failing all four sections in a row. The next step is to pick the next exam section you need to sit for and whether it should be your retake or a brand new CPA section. If you are a college student or a recent graduate, then you will already have a fairly strong understanding of some of the topics tested on the CPA exam. Your goal needs to be to find a CPA review course that will help you strengthen and focus your understanding of what's tested on the CPA exam.

If you are working full time, it's hard enough to make time to study for the CPA exam. Thankfully if you make the necessary sacrifices, it CAN be done while working hours per week. The next step in this stressful reality is to find a CPA review course that will maximize your time down to the second.

They give you the ability to watch lectures, test yourself with flashcards and answer practice exams on the go from your laptop to smartphone and it's all integrated in one dashboard. Choosing the right CPA review course is easier said than done. Once you have made your decision to purchase the right CPA review course for your specific situation, the next step is to learn how to study the right way.

The first step is to understand your study personality and then focus on determining how to maximize the information delivery method that works best for you. CPAexcel breaks up the lectures, text and multiple choice into bite sized chunks so you are constantly rotating between CPA study activities.

Becker CPA Review has a rigid system of watching hour lectures then reading the text and then answering multiple choice in big chunks. Read my full head to head comparison here. Becker CPA Review's price tag is significantly higher and their lecturers tend to be a bit dry and less entertaining, but if you have a decent attention span get the job done. The real question now is which CPA review course fits your learning styles.

It really boils down to your study personality. If you are going to sit for the CPA exam soon then I highly recommend you compare the benefits, the study strategies and the course offers of each of these CPA prep courses below:. If you are paying out of pocket and are more of a self-studier who doesn't necessarily need the best video lectures then Gleim should be your go to CPA review course. Use the comparisons below to find the best CPA review course for you based on specific features to save you both time and money.

You can purchase an month Single package or an month Premier package, but neither of these will let you ask questions in the Study Hub, which can be a big letdown. In the rare event that you run into an issue with the curriculum or the service itself, there are a few ways of contacting and receiving support. Alternatively, students with Premier or Single packages can review previously asked questions on their Study Hub.

The most affordable tier provides 12 months of access, the Premier tier offers 18 months, and the Elite tier is unlimited. UWorld is a breath of fresh air for most struggling CPA candidates. Thanks to a unique teaching style, a conveniently designed course interface, and rapid response times for any customer concerns, UWorld Roger CPA Review is a strong offering for anyone looking to pass their exams with flying colors!

Gleim CPA Review is one of the oldest review and test prep companies on the market. Gleim provides the biggest test bank out of any CPA exam course company. They have also written some of the most detailed and comprehensive textbooks on the market today. The course has also been updated with new video and audio lectures that allow candidates to follow along with the materials and make bookmarks and notes during the lecture presentation.

This course is ideal for candidates who have been out of school for a long time or international students. This includes a sample quiz with 40 multiple choice questions and Task-Based Simulations. Actually, they offer both! This means that students will not only know that their material is always up-to-date; they can take all the time they need to prepare for the CPA exam. However, this company has been around for a long time, meaning that they offer a bridge between old and new study techniques.

Enjoy audio lectures and physical textbooks alongside your video lectures and interactive schedules! Fast Forward pioneered the idea of individual learning with their adaptive learning study course. Consequently, this course actively changes as you go through it to focus on the topics that you need more help with.

The idea behind this system is to focus on your weaknesses instead of drilling home your strengths over and over again. The concept of adaptive learning can help candidates learn concepts faster and cut their study time significantly if they are willing to embrace this approach. The new, updated Fast Forward CPA prep course also includes hundreds of hours of video lectures to help explain complex topics.

They completely redesigned the interface and functionality of the software, so all of the features are directly accessible in the study modules. They also provide way more study materials and information in their textbooks than in previous years. However, this CPA review course is compatible in its entirety on tablet or mobile versions of common web browsers. Ultimately, whether or not this is a decent compromise will depend on each student based on their individual needs.

If the CPA candidate requesting financing passes a credit check, they can set up a payment plan consisting of 3, 6, or 12 monthly installments. However, these new kids on the block have a lot going for them and are definitely still worth considering for any student struggling with the CPA exam. Yaeger CPA Review is a company that prides itself on providing great customer support. If you purchase a Yaeger course, you will be able to contact one of the presenters almost any time of the day.

Additionally, you will actually be able to communicate with the lectures and presenters themselves. You can call their hotline and speak to any one of them about your questions and they will help you understand the materials. Aside from their customer support, Yaeger offers a full premium review course with very easy to follow lectures.

There are several presenters that explain topics in great details, so you can follow along and take notes. The instructors also review hundreds of multiple choice practice questions in the lectures, so you can follow along with them. Their flashcards are also offered in physical format as well as digital; however, the rest of their study tools are only available in a digital format. In the past, Yaeger has offered students the ability to pay their enrollment fees in installments as a form of financial aid.

When Jeff Elliott decided to adapt his popular Ninja Notes into a fully-fledged educational course, he managed to pull off an impressive feat: adding more content and value without bogging down the flow or ruining what made the original so great in the first place. For students who have a light prep course budget and want to stretch their funding as far as possible, Ninja is an invaluable resource. By implementing a monthly subscription pricing model, students are free to study exam content relating to all four sections at any time with hassle-free cancellation.

Instead, the reasonable monthly fee for this course provides students with access to a plethora of study materials, including multiple choice questions, downloadable textbooks, and much more. You will have to sign up for a mailing list through your email in order to receive it, which may seem unconventional or annoying to some students; however, the free materials are helpful and provide an excellent look at what the full course has to offer. Furthermore, several of the downloadable study materials they provide can be accessed on a mobile device without much hassle, such as their audio content and digital textbooks.

However, their unique price model and community-approved pedigree make them worth checking out for students on a very tight budget. With so many CPA courses on the market, it can be tough to pick the best one for you. Becker CPA Review is built around giving you a customized and flexible studying experience. It does this via its study planner and study roadmap tools. Using these will give you a flexible and competitive study experience. Alternatively, Wiley CPAexcel has built themselves for studying in short bursts.

Lectures are designed to be short enough that you can listen to them during break times at work. Each lecture ranges from thirty to forty-five minutes. While both courses are good in their own way, Becker has the better overall package. Their short video lectures and dashboard are both designed to be as straightforward as possible. Not only are Becker discount codes frequently lower than Surgent, they offer more to justify the cost. This is done so that students will always work with the same teacher, making the course feel like a real life college course.

Roger is a good option at a lower price tag, but if you can afford Becker I would recommend choosing them due to their high quality study material.

Gleim and Wiley each offer massive amounts of test questions 10, and 12, respectively. This is due to their books being filled with technical jargon that may lead to information overload. Still, Gleim offers the largest bank of practice questions and TBS out of any course provider, giving them the win.

There are a ton of different supplemental study materials that you can use to add on to your CPA prep course to make sure it has everything you need to pass. The most popular supplements are test banks, mobile apps, flashcards, cram courses, and audio lectures. Keep in mind that purchasing supplements from a company other than your main review course can be a good thing. As a result, it gives you a different perspective and a better variety of materials. I think practicing multiple-choice questions is the best way to study for the CPA exam by far.

It helps you understand the topics and practice taking the test at the same time. Nothing is better than that. Thus, if you are going to get any supplemental study materials, I would recommend getting an additional CPA test bank. The Gleim test bank has long been hailed as the top-rated test bank in the industry. This method cuts down your study time. In fact, according to Surgent, their candidates spend less than hours per section studying for the exam. And, they can boast an overall There's nothing more satisfying when you're studying for this exam than watching your READYscore get stronger every time you work in the course.

And while I have never met Liz the accounting professor who teaches the videos , I feel like I know her just by watching the lectures. Surgent's prices position their courses as very economical options, especially when you utilize my discount code. If your budget isn't too tight, Surgent has some good features — an engaging lecturer, adaptive learning technology, online tracking, and a pass guarantee -- all in one nice package.

In fact, Gleim gives you hundreds of more practice TBSs than other providers. Gleim also has digital and print books, audio lectures, SmartAdapt courses, personal coaching, access until you pass, digital flashcards, and the Gleim Instruct Video Series.

The test bank is really the best I have seen, and you can use it to target your weak areas to the deepest levels. For instance, you can drill down not just to derivatives, but the type of derivative and more, all in the test bank. The Gleim practice questions are tough and great for those who want to build more confidence for passing. The Gleim CPA test bank is also well-loved for the huge number of questions it has. Not surprisingly, this test prep is a good supplement to other lecture-heavy courses.

Gleim is an excellent course for those who struggled with concepts while in college. What's more, if you like to dive into details, you may really appreciate Gleim's offering.

It's actually one of the best-selling supplements on the market, and you can use the free trial to ensure that you like what you'll get. Also, Wiley provides digital flashcards to study on the go. They focus your study time on high-quality problems versus endless busywork with easy MCQs. One of the members of the I Pass team used Roger to pass and still remembers many of the funny jokes and mnemonics Roger mentioned in his lectures.

This bundle comes with personalized phone calls with Phil Yaeger himself to set your study plan and review your progress. Plus, for a small monthly fee, you have access to a 1-on-1 instructor hotline that directly connects you to Phil Yaeger and other instructors for up to 2 hours per exam part per month. Wow—that is a lot of personalized instruction. Roger purposely skips the non-critical parts of the exam content.

As a result, some students love it, but others may struggle to catch up. If you want to know as much as you can about accounting for the CPA Exam and your career as all that extra accounting information is good for both , you won't get the content coverage you're looking for in Roger's course. Check out the demo to see if you like the old-school teaching style. If you do, you can save a lot of money by going with Yaeger it's my budget course recommendation or, at the very least, you could supplement with the cram course.

Lambers CPA Review has great customer support. The Lambers platform uses three learning modes to detect your content weaknesses and focus your studies. The Pre-Test mode establishes your baseline knowledge. Finally, the timed mock exams in the Simulated mimic the feel of the real exam. Lambers does not have any audio courses. The company also does not have an app, but the mobile site works well on tablets and smartphones. Additionally, this course is not comprehensive, as the course lacks high-level video lectures, flashcards, live online classes, or textbooks.

However, Lambers CPA test prep is an affordable test bank, although the amount of simulations is quite limited at this time.

The Lambers CPA courses drill you with practice questions to test your mastery of the content. If you already have an accounting background, you could benefit from this style of instruction. Otherwise, Lambers could be used as a test bank to supplement another, more comprehensive review course. Basically, the company focuses on visual learning. Universal CPA Review claims that you learn faster and retain information better from visual-based learning over traditional text-based methods.

Therefore, the Universal study guides use images, charts, and infographics to reinforce concepts. Likewise, the animated videos depart from the classroom-style video lessons offered by most CPA review providers. However, Universal CPA Review does not currently offer many of the additional tools used by other companies. For example, Universal does not have a mobile app, audio lectures, or flashcards if you plan to study on the go. Moreover, the course does not include timed mock exams, which are critical to practice before your exam day.

However, Universal makes up for the smaller test bank by including video explanations for every sample question. I try to keep this list of CPA prep courses as objective as I can. But, since many of you ask which provider I generally prefer, I'll tell you what I think are the best CPA prep courses and supplements.

The CPA Exam Blueprints reveal that the exam contains hundreds of questions about hundreds of topics. Additionally, the exam questions could be about anything relating to the topics. So, you'll need to answer a lot of practice questions to be ready to pass. A test bank is a collection of questions previously released by the AICPA or written by the review provider.

The benefits of using a big test bank include increased exposure to the exam content, opportunities to strengthen weak areas, and familiarity with the testing environment. You'll also enjoy a decreased chance of memorizing the questions. Test bank size varies greatly among CPA prep materials. That being said, a few review providers have compiled the biggest and best test banks available.

The Gleim CPA Mega Test Bank contains over 10, unique questions and simulations as well as detailed answer explanations for every question. Plus, it utilizes an adaptive learning algorithm so that you can focus on your weak areas. This test bank is a great supplement to any course. I recommend using one of these test banks if you prefer to drill questions and build your confidence by completing lots of practice exams and quizzes.

For study sessions that feel a little less like studying, watch video lectures. With video lectures, you can process information faster and retain it longer, deepen your understanding, engage with concepts more enjoyably, and have more convenient study sessions. With review courses providing comparable video lecture hour totals across the board, base your CPA course decision on the quality rather than the quantity of the video lectures.

Becker has the highest number of video lecture hours in the industry. Therefore, Becker covers more CPA Exam content in their video lectures than anyone else, making them the ideal course for audio and visual learners.

Finally, a team of CPAs, Ph. Ds, and accounting, law, or business professionals with real-world experience lead the Becker lectures, so the instruction is accurate, insightful, and helpful.

These videos feature high-quality, entertaining lectures led by Roger Philipp himself. Roger CPA Review aims to be an effective, efficient, and enjoyable course, and the video lectures greatly aid the achievement of that goal. In reality, Roger is a professional, energetic, and competent teacher, so his video lectures are among the best on the market. If you plan to integrate video lectures into your exam studies, you should hold out for video lectures that you love.

Rather, these questions test you for refined skills like application and analysis, as defined by the CPA Exam Blueprints.

You must do more than just memorize formulas to answer exam MCQs successfully. Instead, to achieve the levels of knowledge needed to perform well on the MCQs, you must consistently answer with exam-caliber practice questions. Fast Forward Academy. What's more, Becker provides only relevant CPA Exam questions, which will keep you from learning outdated concepts that are no longer tested. Gleim CPA Review is another course that has built its reputation on quality questions.

Gleim also supplies you with a mountain of MCQs. TBSs require you to use information provided to do things like fill out tax forms, enter amounts into a spreadsheet, or review a document. For this reason, they should be a significant element of your CPA study materials.

Some providers craft TBSs reflecting actual exam sims better than others, so you'll want to prioritize courses excelling in simulations. TBSs are too important to not position Gleim near the top of your list based on simulations alone. Due to their elevated difficulty and different types, the more practice TBSs you get, the better. Want to study for the CPA Exam on the go? Then make audio lectures the playlist of your exam journey.

All of the review courses with audio lectures allow you to download and access them via whichever listening device you desire. To determine which audio lectures you need, consider the amount of content coverage they offer do they skimp on the details or thoroughly address explanations and examples? These audio lectures cover the essentials and let you make the most of every minute until exam day.

On top of that, you can stream or download them according to your preference. Passing the CPA Exam involves making plans about the exam requirements, applications, dates, etc. Thankfully, when it comes to making a study plan, your course can help you out with a CPA Exam study planner.

Not every course contains a study planner. It should also be customizable in that it generates a personalized agenda incorporating your days off. Finally, it should adjust by recording your progress, modifying due dates as necessary, and holding you accountable. The study planner in Surgent CPA Review is definitely one of the best because it is based entirely on your schedule and your daily learning progress.

Your exam date and days when you're not available to study dictate your overall study schedule. Then, your daily study plan daily surge adapts according to how well you performed in previous lessons. The Gleim CPA Review study planner is just as good, as it also lets you insert all your schedule information and study preferences before revealing a realistic plan.

Equally important, the Gleim study planner adapts when you add or remove blackout dates. It also texts or emails you about missed study sessions. To ensure you pick the best test date and are totally prepared in time, you must determine how fast you want to pass, find time in your schedule for regular study sessions, average study hours a day, and figure out when you can finish studying.

The interactive study planners in these courses makes this entire process much easier. A good CPA course covers the exam content, a great course features a variety of study materials, and the best course goes above and beyond to support you as you study. In reality, phenomenal customer service is a hidden gem of quality CPA review, and only a few courses truly provide it.

Contact via phone, email, live chat, and social messaging comes standard for many CPA review providers. However, a select few outfit their courses with access to teams of experts. Such extra steps enable these providers to really distinguish themselves. Gleim CPA Review has an outstanding reputation for customer support for 3 reasons.

First, Gleim offers access to exam mentors called Personal Counselors who will help you create a study plan, supply advice, answer questions, and extend encouragement as needed. Second, the Gleim team also includes technical experts who will assist you with any computer or course access problems. Third, Gleim has made it easy for you to tap into the knowledge of their accounting experts by incorporating a practice question inquiry system into their course.

Surgent CPA offers its own trio of candidate services. Finally, the Ultimate course allows candidates to ask content questions of educators and responses are answered within 24 hours. With this in mind, you really should regard review providers who offer such extraordinary customer service and personalized coaching above those that don't. There are two scenarios in which you may prefer to cram for the CPA Exam: when you want to pass super fast or when you want to feel super prepared.

In either instance, a cram course can help you out. A cram course is a condensed review of critical exam topics with a limited period of access. They're basically a study insurance policy designed to ensure you have all the facts, definitions, dates, rates, and formulas memorized before exam day.

Though several are distinct courses, most cram courses are supplementary: you take them only after you've completed a more comprehensive CPA study guide. In some instances but not most , you can only purchase the cram course if you're already using another course from that review provider. Becker has a final cram course they call the Becker Final Review.

You should start this cram course weeks before your scheduled exam date. The course includes condensed reviews of the most important and challenging topics likely to appear on the exam. With 2 months of access, you get 10 to minute micro lesson lectures, practice questions on the lectures with in-depth explanations, and succinct digital textbooks. If you are very nervous about the CPA Exam and don't feel confident in your preparations as exam day closes in, you might want to invest in one of these quality cram courses.

They may not be the most technologically advanced study tool, but flashcards still offer some tried-and-true advantages that can help you pass the CPA Exam. Flashcards are great for memorizing definitions, formulas, journal entries, and anything else you're struggling to understand. While making your own increases your comprehension and retention of the information, buying pre-made flashcards saves time and effort.

Consequently, if you want to experience the convenience of these handy study aids without getting a cramp in your hand, you should purchase flashcards from these 3 providers.

Roger CPA Review gives you flashcard options.