Roger CPA Review was founded by Roger Philipp in 2001 after his teaching experience in Dauberman CPA Review, Mark’s CPA Review and Stanley Kaplan CPA review.

Originally began as live classes in San Francisco, the review courses have expanded into the online format with optional offline lectures on a USB drive, and students outside of the US can take the classes. Roger boasts a 88% pass rate with over 85,000+ students went through his CPA review program.

Roger CPA Review Program Overview

Let’s take a look at the 4 offerings — online,  offline (USB), cram courses and audio courses.

1. Online Classes

• Accessible anytime and anywhere with an Internet connection.
• 100 hours of instruction directly filmed from live classes. The lectures are broken down into bite-sized chunks, ranging anywhere from 5 minutes to 50 minutes.
• 12 18 months of viewing access.
• The course comes with lecture books (Roger’s proprietary work that correspond to the online lecture) and simulation software (Wiley).
• Content updated every 6 months.
• Ability to customize the course with offline lectures via a portable USB drive, and a 6 month extension.

2. USB Classes

Same as Online Classes except:

• You get to watch the lectures as many times as you want.
• No need to rely on internet connection.

3. Cram Course

• Available online and flash drive.

4. Audio Course *New!*

• Approximately 42 hours of lecture on the most heavily-tested exam material.
• Available as an mp3 download.

What’s the Strengths and Weaknesses of Roger CPA Review?

I didn’t take Roger and didn’t have friends who took the course, but I understand that Roger is popular in the Bay area where his course is originally based.

Roger CPA Review: Pros

1. It’s Personal

Roger is experienced (>20 years of teaching CPA review) and personally teaches every class and writes his own book. Quality is guaranteed and no need to worry about the quality of instructor you will get from big institutionalized CPA review course such as Becker.

Feb 2013 update: Mark Dauberman has joined Roger as Senior Editor, helping with the course textbooks and other course related initiatives. Roger Phillip used to work for him at Dauberman CPA Review.

2. Entertaining Teaching Style

Roger is truly a dynamic and engaging speaker. You’ll love it if you are into rap talks and this sort of cool stuff:

3. Course Extension

Roger CPA Review offers an extension on any or all sections for both the 4-part online.

Roger CPA Review: Cons

1. Help Can be Slow?

Some readers told me about the slow response from the message board, the main help channel. It may not be as good as something like a live phone help, but it is still better when compared to self-study books such as Wiley, and the self-study versions of Becker, Gleim and Bisk.

Here is Roger CPA’s response. Looks to me that the message board is well taken care of:

“We have two professional moderators on our Homework Help Center that are professional CPAs and go through and answer students’ questions. We always encourage students to go through and see if their questions was already asked, because oftentimes they were. Additionally, if there’s a lapse in response time, it’s because the moderators are generating the best answer.”

2. Talking Too Fast?

A notable comment from my readers is that Roger talks too fast. If you are a native English speaker growing up in America who live or work in a fast-paced environment, this is not an issue. But if you are a “mature” candidate, accustomed to the “Old School” style of learning or you are an international candidate, you may want to double check the demos before making the decision.

Bring Me to Roger Now!

Roger CPA Review is the choice if you get bored easily and prefer a lively instructor to make studying easier. You can check out more demos here.

Read Roger CPA Review: Accounting can be Fun with this Course on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Kaplan Review is huge in standardized test market, and one of the CFA study guide top sellers through the Schweser brand. How about Kaplan CPA Review?

In fact, no one really talks about Kaplan CPA –  Do they cover CPA exam at all? Are they good? Let’s take a look.

I have to profess that I don’t have first-hand experience in Kaplan CPA. I do get a review from a kind “industry insider” who told me that Kaplan has been pretty fickle about its CPA review program — for the last 20 years the company has launched big and then withdrawn from their CPA review program at least 5 times…

Anyway, just to be fair to Kaplan I have done a review on their products based on the demo provided, as well as the feedback from 30+ users that I have contact with via my mini course.

So, why Kaplan in the first place?

Kaplan CPA Review Course Description

Kaplan Live Online Review Courses

• Weekly real-time online classes, with interaction with instructor in the virtual classroom
• Classes are recorded and are available for 24/7 review
• 24 months access to online tools

Self-Study Online Review Courses

• Online courses from the most recent recording
• One-on-one instructor access: they promise an answer by an instructor within 24 hours
• Self-paced study anytime, anywhere, and on your own schedule
• 24 months access to online tools

Demo of Videos

Here is a demo on FAR. There are demos on other parts of the exam in YouTube:

Kaplan CPA Pros and Cons

So let’s take a look into why you should (or shouldn’t) pick Kaplan:

Pros

1. Innovative Services.

They have an interesting service called “Instructor-led Office Hours“, essentially a CPA is available online and real-time to guide you and answer questions.

2. Selected Good Products.

Audio CD and (arguably) flashcards are good. If they fit your style of learning, go for it.

Cons

1. Book Is An Encyclopedia.

Taking BEC as an example, the book has 25 chapters vs Becker’s 5 chapters. It has like 800 pages vs Wiley’s 400 pages. If it is even more comprehensive than Wiley, Kaplan goes way overboard. I heard people say Wiley reads like a dictionary. If so, Kaplan would be an encyclopedia.

2. Video instruction is So-so.

This is specially the case if there are much better alternatives out there. Do check out the demos yourself.

I was told that online instructor to answer questions from students are often not reachable or you have to wait for a few days to get back the answers.

3. Minimal Readers’ Feedback.

After running this popular site for almost 4 years, I have collected hundreds if not thousands of readers’ comment on various CPA review courses, and I have been relying their first-hand experience in my evaluation.

I have to say that Kaplan is rarely used by my readers, and even if I identify one, they don’t seem to be enthusiastic telling me about it.

What Do You Think?

Here is the link to Kaplan CPA Review.

If you remain undecided, you may take a look at my top 10 CPA exam prep course comparison page for the strengths and weaknesses of major providers.

Read Kaplan CPA Review: Pros and Cons on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Wiley CPA Review (now known as Wiley CPAexcel Exam Review) is the #1 selling preparation book for this and other accounting exams. Test Bank is also very popular.

This page is meant for a summary of Wiley CPA review, notably the test bank (test prep software). You can find a more detailed review on the review books here.

Wiley CPA Review: Pros and Cons of the Test Bank

In this evaluation I will focus on the online version of the test bank. It is the same as the Wiley test prep CD-ROM you may see in bookstores, but with additional features.

The Pros

1. Gives You Enough Varieties of Questions To Pass

Many readers asked me which test preparation software is the best, especially Becker vs Wiley. It’s hard to pick the best because it largely depends on the individual’s budget, background and learning style, but in my opinion, Becker test prep software tends to reenforce key concepts covered in the Becker lecture notes while with Wiley you get more variety and some of the more obscure questions.

In fact, Becker students who really want to pass the exam on their first try often get the Wiley CPA review (test bank) as a supplement. Few people do it the other way around, because getting Becker as a “supplement” would be too expensive.

2. Application Replicates Real Exam Experience — At Lower Price

The application looks very much like the one you will see in the real exam. Given the exam is 100% computerized, I believe it is a must to get a lot of practice on screen vs using pencil and paper.

I have to say that other providers e.g. Becker and Gleim have software that look pretty much like the real thing too, but you save money by getting the most affordable one from Wiley.

3. Available For Immediate Access

Once you place an order, a PIN (a chain of random letters and alphabets) will be emailed to you immediately and you can copy-and-paste the PIN to activate the account.

Instead of buying the CD-ROM with all the hassles (waiting for delivery and installation), you have a great, easy and happy start of your CPA exam preparation.

4. Flexible Customization — Less Stressful and More Productive

For every study session, the application lets you pick everything from the subtopics to the number of multiple-choice and simulation questions. As long as you are disciplined enough to go through all the topics yourself, it could be a more flexible and less stressful (thus more productive) process for you.

5. Regular Updates Without Extra Cost and Hassle

The questions are automatically updated on a regular basis and any errors identified are corrected if you are using the online version instead of the CD version (CD version now comes with the ability to sync online, but it’s extra step for you).

The great thing about this especially towards the end of each year is that you don’t need to wait until early next year to get the updated version, since this is continuously done rather than once every year.

6. Online Reporting and Analysis to Keep Track of Your Progress

This is a new enhancement for Wiley — the latest version comes with a lot more features such as view by subjects, by raw score or by percentages, and a number of customization features.

The Cons

Nothing is perfect, so it’s important to identify the limitations of the Test Bank:

1. No Money-Back Guarantee

A number of other providers have some sort of money-back guarantee. Wiley has none. This is obviously a limitation, but given it is much less expensive many readers don’t mind and see this as a necessary investment.

2. Copying-And-Pasting Not Allowed Onscreen

If you are trying to copy the questions onscreen and paste in a Word document for example, it cannot be done. This creates some inconvenience if you want to show a particular question to a professor or if you want to keep the question for later reference.

This shouldn’t be a big deal for everyone , but to work around this issue you can simply bookmark the question (by clicking on a little red flag on the screen) for easy identification later.

3. Online Subscription Version Does Not Work Offline

The previous version allows users to download the test bank to their computers. The 2014 version no longer allows us. If you do not have a stable internet connection, you may want to get the CD-ROM version instead.

Now, What Do You Think?

All in all I believe this is a powerful application with reasonable price. Here is a summary:

	Test Bank Online Format	Test Bank CD Format
Candidates with tight budget
Those who are self-disciplined
Those with some accounting knowledge
Those don’t need video instruction
Great variety and no. of questions
Immediate access after purchase
Automatic updates
Practice offline (i.e. without Internet connection)

Special Offer For IPassTheCPAExam.com Readers!

You can get the Test Bank at the official Wiley website, but if you buy it here you can get a good discount. (I just choose to profit less The product and customer support is exactly the same)

Please note: This is NOT the review book but the Test Bank i.e. the online practice questions. No physical product will be shipped. To get the Wiley CPA exam review books please click here.

4-Part Complete Set (2014)

(Our price is better than the CD-ROM version on Amazon!)

2014 FAR Test Bank

2014 AUD CPA Test Bank *SOLD OUT*

2014 REG CPA Test Bank

2014 BEC CPA Test Bank (Only 8 PINs Left)

If you need more in-depth analysis, I have a detailed walk-through of the Wiley CPA test bank here.

Read Wiley CPA Review 2014: Why They have the Best Test Prep Software on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

You may have come across Black CPA Review, a guided review course launched in November 2011.

Who is Black?

Black CPA Review is founded by Paul Black. Not much info on Paul and his team is provided on the website, but I understand that Paul writes this review course after becoming a CPA.

Black CPA Product Offering

Here is a sample video instruction by Paul on breakeven analysis:

• Over 120 hours of instructional videos
• Proprietary review books for each part of the exam (PDF)
• Audio review – audio recording of the study outlines
• Flashcards (PDF)
• Adaptive testing software with >5,000 questions and >250 simulation questions
• 24/7 access to live instructors

You can get a free demo here.

My Preliminary View on Black CPA Review

Black CPA Review is kind enough to offer me full access to their product for review. Let me give you my impression on the product based on their website and sample offerings.

Pros

1. The Transparency is Appreciated

While I’d like to know more about Paul’s background as he seems to be the owner, instructor and operator of this review course, he is doing a good job in sharing a full sample of a selected subject in each of FAR, AUD, REG and BEC. I believe the sharing is among the most generous among all the CPA review course providers.

2. Affordable: Complete Set at $995

It is considerably more affordable when compared to other major CPA review course providers.

3. I Like the Audio Review

I appreciate the fact that the audio review is an effective stand-alone product. Many traditional review courses require that you open the book and follow the pages when listening to the audit. This defeats the purpose most of the time because these days, people listen to the audio review precisely because they can’t open the book, e.g. when they are driving.

4. Practice Questions Using Adaptive Learning System

The test prep software is run by a sophisticated program that helps candidates learn from their answers. Specially, the software analyses the performance of each section and then feeds the users with more questions that they struggles with.

5. 24/7 Access to Live Instructor

Students can contact instructors through phone and email. Paul himself usually tries to answer if he is available.

Cons

1. Experience of Lecturer in Doubt?

Unlike the founders from other CPA review courses, Paul does not seem, or at least he doesn’t disclose, to have worked in Big 4 or have experience in teaching CPA review or accounting classes.

Also, while I understand the videos are vetted by “curriculum specialists” there is not enough information to give me sufficient comfort on the quality of the products.

2. Video Lectures Not Very Engaging

Paul presents the materials well in the sample video. The white board behind him reminds me of Yaeger’s old school approach which I believe he is trying to replicate.

However, the video lectures don’t seem to add much value. To me at least, I could have learned the same thing by reading the book. It isn’t entertaining as Roger, or engaging as Cindy at Yaeger or Garland at Lambers (AUD).

The setup (lighting and quality of audio) is not very professional.  This is minor but it echoes my concern in #1.

3. Flash Cards Inconvenient to Use

The flash cards are available electronically. This saves shipping cost, but you need to do a lot of cutting and gluing to create a stack of cards.

The solution, as suggested by Black CPA Review, is to fold the piece of paper in half: questions one side and answers on the other.

4. Gleim is Equally Affordable Too… Or Should I Simply Get Exammatrix?

Black CPA Review is selling less than most of the major review providers. However, Gleim CPA Review System, also costing below the $1,000 mark, has more comprehensive test prep software and review system.

If you like practice questions with adaptive learning technology, Exammatrix provides a similar platform at a lower price. The decision depends whether you find the rest of the product (video lectures, flashcards, audio, text book) worth the extra money.

Conclusion

Paul Black is like a friend who recently got his CPA and who is willing to explain the concepts in the book via video, and sharing the stack of flashcards he used earlier in his study. It is a good choice if you prefer this learning style.

However, if you are looking for a professor or experienced lecturer, you may want to explore other options here in this CPA review course comparison page.

Any Feedback, Comments and Ideas?

Given Black CPA is a relatively new product I’d love to hear anyone who has given it a try. Share your experience on my Facebook page!

Read Black CPA Review: My View on the Pros and Cons on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Surgent Kolar CPA Review, founded by Liz Kolar and John “Jack” Surgent in 2013, is a new player in the CPA exam preparation industry.

Who is Surgent Kolar?

Liz has been teaching CPA Review in the US for more than 20 years. She has experience in public accounting at Coopers & Lybrand and teaching full-time in several universities.

Jack is CEO of Surgent McCoy CPE, a major provider of tax and financial-planning seminars to CPAs in the US. He also manages a CPA firm specializing in taxation and financial planning for high-net-worth individuals and closely held businesses.

Surgent Kolar CPA Review Offering

This is an integrated and guided review course with video lectures, proprietary textbooks, study notes, practice questions and practice exams presented in one online platform.

You can take the self-study course at the comfort of your home (or office), at any time of the year, and at your own pace. There is unlimited viewing within a 24-month period. Extension is available with extra fee.

1. Video Lectures

The lectures are viewed online, either on desktop or on portable devices including iPads, tablets and android devices. There are altogether 101 video lectures:

• FAR: 37
• AUD: 22
• REG: 23
• BEC: 20

If you read my book, you know I am a big fan of “active learning”. Traditional CPA review courses have long lectures that drag on for 3-4 hours. I personally don’t think this type of passive learning is effective.

I am glad to know that Surgent Kolar CPA’s lectures are often 1 hour or less, and total number of lecture hours (~80) is fewer than most courses. This way, you can spend more time on active learning through practice questions.

2. Study Notes

Study notes, together with the video lectures, are developed in house.

3. Practice Questions

The test prep software is licensed from ExamMatrix. There are 5,600 multiple choice and 250 task-based simulations to help you get familiar with how the actual exam works. These questions are presented in an adaptive-learning software to help you focus on weaker areas.

4. Other Features

• The online Study Planner calculates the required study time by entering the date of the exam and days of the week you plan to study.
• Students can contact by phone and email. The turn-around time is typically 24 hours or less.
• Surgent Kolar CPA review courses are offered in some local colleges in Pennsylvania  for academic credit to help meet the 150 credit-hour rule.

Here is a introductory video on what Surgent Kolar CPA Review is offering:

My Thoughts on the Strengths and Weaknesses

Pros

1. Award-Winning Lecturers

Liz is not only an experienced teacher, but a great one. She has won awards such as PICPA (Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs) Outstanding Educator of the Year.

Jack has personally presented over 1,800 live seminars in the past 25 years and has been named Outstanding Discussion Leader by various professional organizations.

Liz and Jack not only teach the materials, but also go over 100 multiple choice and simulations in the lessons, which I find very helpful.

2. 87% Pass Rate

Surgent Kolar does not provide proof on this statistics, but assuming this percentage is correct, the record is impressive. This puts them on level-playing field with CPAexcel, Roger and Yaeger — all with impressive 87-88% pass rates.

In comparison, the average CPA exam pass rate of all candidates is 49.4% in 2013.

3. Adaptive-Learning Software

The software creates a “reference report” that shows a list of recommended reading based on questions you have done wrong (i.e. your weaker areas). Students can rely on this report for more targeted review vs the traditional method where students are expected to read the book from cover to cover.

Note: you can also get this software directly from ExamMatrix if you don’t want an integrated review course.

Cons

1. It’s All Good, But Nothing Particularly Stands Out

I believe Surgent Kolar CPA Review is offering a strong product. However, it’s hard to recommend this vs others in the market.

Many top providers have distinct selling points. For example, Roger CPA review is well-known for its entertaining teaching style. Gleim offers a review system that guides students how to self-study, while Wiley CPAexcel is a powerful combination of Wiley’s content and CPAexcel’s state-of-the-art online platform.

2. Relatively Expensive

Most CPA review course (with a notable exception of Becker) price their review courses slightly below $2,000. Surgent Kolar CPA review complete set costs $2,000. The difference is small, but with similar features and study tools, I wonder if it has the best value for money.

Note: There is a monthly tuition plan of $165 per month, which could be a good deal for those who are confident in passing the exam in a few months.

3. No Testimonial and Recommendations from My Readers (Yet)

My CPA review course evaluation relies heavily on first experience of my readers. Since this CPA review course is relatively new, I haven’t got any comments yet. This by itself is not a weakness, but it is hard for me to recommend without getting feedback (positive or negative) from my readers.

You can check out Surgent Kolar CPA Review website here. If you have any comments, thoughts and stories on this CPA review course, please drop a note below. Thank you!

Read Surgent Kolar CPA Review: My Pros and Cons Analysis on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Gleim CPA Review is one of the most popular CPA exam review courses often recommended by college professors. However, competition is getting intense… is Gleim still good for the new CPA exam format?

Get Instant 10% off Gleim CPA Review System
Discount automatically applied

Gleim has generously offered me a complimentary access of their Gleim Online and Test Prep Software, so I can now run a thorough evaluation on behalf of readers.

Gleim CPA Online Video Walk-Through

There are actually quite a bit of misunderstanding related to Gleim’s product on various CPA exam forums. I encourage you take a look and see for yourself what’s been offered here:

Test Prep Software

Here is an inside look of how the software works together with its many features:

My Thoughts on Gleim CPA Review’s Pros and Cons

Pros

1. Gleim Has a Strong Team

Did you know that the Wiley CPA Exam Review book was originally written by Gleim? Dr. Irvin Gleim and his wife wrote their first CPA books in 1974, and Wiley took over the publishing in 1980. Dr. Gleim stayed as a co-author (with Delaney) for 10 years, until 1990.

(Try google “wiley cpa examination review 1989″ and look for the author)

2. Highly Recommended Test Prep Software

Gleim CPA review has very good questions and simulations with helpful features.

As a CPA, CMA/CFM,  CIA and CFII with a PhD (and Professor Emeritus at University of Florida), Dr. Gleim has vast knowledge in every aspect of accounting. Gleim CPA Review is the one with quite a few “tricky” and “out-of-the-blue” questions to make sure you are well covered.

3. A Learning Tool that Teaches You How To Self-Study

I can see that Gleim has put in a lot of thoughts when they designed the Gleim Online. I appreciate the detailed instruction and the specific guideline, such as the study tactics, recommended number of hours of study, down to each section of the sub-units.

Not only that this will help you achieve the goal of passing the CPA exam, it’s also an invaluable skill useful for your career.

4. Very Affordable Price

Gleim’s CPA Review System is retailed at <US$1,000 (and a 5% discount offer here — see below). It is the most affordable integrated review material among the major CPA review providers.

5. Access Until You Pass and Money-Back Guarantee

The “Gleim Guarantee” is a no-gimmick, generous offer in my opinion.  If you do not pass the CPA exam sections for which you have purchased the Gleim CPA Review System, you will receive your choice of either a refund for CPA Gleim Online or unlimited Continued Access to all online components of the Gleim CPA Review System until you pass.

Cons

1. The Book Could be Overwhelming

I have access to the book via Gleim Online. While I appreciate the very detail discussion on every topic, I could see that some candidates find it hard to read, or too much to read. I personally prefer a more bullet-point format with more white space on each page.

Having said that, if you follow the study guide in Gleim Online, you will see that students are not required to read the whole thing but just focus on the parts they are not familiar with. This makes the book much less tedious to read.

2. The Video is Too Brief?

The video is an audiovisual presentation that highlights the main points in each unit. It doesn’t go into the details, but is purposely designed so. The presentation is only part (and not the main part) of what is offered. If you follow the suggested study steps, I don’t think it is an issue.

3. Gleim Online Not Really Interactive?

It’s fair to say that for the video part of Gleim Online, there isn’t a lecturer who walks you through the notes or the multiple choice questions. Gleim CPA is designed for candidates who are willing to self-study. If you are looking for a lot of lively and interactive elements, it may not be your best choice.

4. Designed for the Disciplined

Gleim tries hard to show you how to self-study. But then, no one is going to push you to do that. Whether you can stay disciplined throughout the few months of studying will make or break your success with Gleim CPA.

My Conclusion: Great Choice for Self-Study with Good Discipline

In my opinion, the Gleim CPA Review System is a unique and effective learning tool. I highly recommend it if:

• You prefer to study on your own, without the need to watch a lecturer teaching in the videos and ask questions via chat rooms and online portal;
• You are well trained to read condensed text if there is a need to dig deeper into a topic;
• Applicable to the test prep software: You need a good resource as a supplementary practice test material, especially for those who understand the concepts, but need more practice to get that extra 5-10 points to pass the exam.

Remember This Discount Link!

Read Gleim CPA Review: Free Demo and Special Discount on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Exammatrix specializes in online test prep software for major accounting and finance professional exams. The company is the first computer-based CPA review created more than 20 years ago.

What’s Great about Exammatrix CPA Review’s Unique Feature

Exam matrix’s test prep software is run by a sophisticated program that helps candidates learn from their answers. Specially, the software analyses the performance of each section and then feeds the user with more questions that he or she struggles with.

Not only the candidates are guided to work on their weakest areas, they also don’t need to waste time in drilling the topics they already know. This method increases the learning efficiency substantially.

With 3,000-4,000 questions available for any major CPA review providers, I can see the benefit of a virtual “hand-picking” of the most important questions for you get more practice on.

How the Adaptive Learning Tool Works

Here is a screen shot of the dashboard I extracted from the demo, with explanation (point 1-4) below the image:

1. Performance panel: showing the status of your progress i.e. at the assessment, adaptive learning or the review phases of the course.

2. The performance panel also shows the score and the cumulative study time to keep track of your progress.

3. Study history panel: score result of the last 5 sessions. You can click on the point on the graph to review that session’s performance and study questions.

4. Progress by category panel: the 5 major section of the CPA exam (in this case, FAR) is listed with the worst performing category at the top. You can click on the performance bar to start studying for that particular section.

How Does It Compare to the Actual CPA Exam?

Interestingly, the multiple choice questions in the CPA exam are also adaptive.

In the actual exam, if you do well in the first testlet, you will be given a more challenging set of questions. What’s different from the Exammatrix platform is that the difficulty is not based on your weak areas, but based on the performance of previous candidates when they answered them as pre-test questions.

Exammatrix CPA Review Pros and Cons

Pros

1. Test prep Software with Adaptive Learning Capability

For most people, this is the reason why they pick this CPA review provider. For “border-line” candidates and retakers, it is the most efficient way to get the 5-10 extra points they need to pass.

2. Pass or Refund Guarantee

Candidates can get a refund or free update as long as they are qualified for this guarantee program. Some of the qualification parameters include spending an average of one minute on objective questions, an average of 15 minutes on task-based simulations, attaining 50% accuracy in practice questions, and attempting the exam within the subscription expiration date.

3. Affordable Option

The 12-month online subscription for 4 parts is $599. The package comes with 4 electronic reference books. The pricing is close to Wiley Test Bank without books, which sounds like a better deal.

There are also options to get a 24-month access at $899. Individual sections are available at $189 (12-month access) and $119 (6-month access).

Cons

1. Exammatrix CPA is Not an Integrated Review Course

Exammatrix CPA Review does not have video lecture, summary notes, flash cards, and audio supplements. It is primarily a test prep software.

If you need help in understanding concepts, you may need to consider another set of materials and use Exammatrix as a supplement.

2. Reference Books Inadequate as Study Materials

The reference books that come with the package cover only the basic concepts. You cannot rely on these books for thorough review.

3. Signing Up Could be a Hassle

There is a demo available, but it is no more than a video showing the software in action with a voice over i.e. not much value add than what I have told you above.

After signing up, you will get emails from Exammatrix CPA asking you to sign up for yet another demo (which supposedly is live demo). It is not a very user-friendly experience in my opinion.

My Thoughts on Exammatrix CPA

If you need a comprehensive book that explains the concepts with examples, or a lecturer who goes through the multiple choice questions with you, Exammatrix CPA review may not be your best choice.

However, if you learn by working on practice problems, this could be an intriguing offer.

Read Exammatrix CPA Review: Software with Adaptive Capabitiliy on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Yaeger CPA Review is one of the most popular CPA exam review courses in the market today. It prides itself on the old-school approach, innovative student portal and flexible pricing. Let’s take a look and see if Yaeger suits your budget and learning style.

 Get Up to $225 Off
With Our Coupon Codes!

Who’s Yaeger Anyway?

Phil Yaeger launched his CPA review course in 1977 with 13 students in Washington DC, and later on established himself as the largest CPA review course provider in the DC metropolitan area. Since the CPA Exam turned computerized in 2004, Yaeger CPA Review has been able to provide its homestudy DVD course via the internet to candidates around the world.

Despite the ambitious expansion plan, Yaeger CPA Review remains a family business with its unique old-school style, which is refreshing given the CPA review market is dominated by big, established institutions like Becker.

Yaeger CPA Review Product Offering

1. Homestudy Courses

This is the standard course available as 4-part complete set ($1,787-1,887) or as single-part ($595). The course can be delivered online, via USB drive or via DVD.

Video Lecture + MyYaeger Student Portal

• 120 hours of video lecture.
• Unlimited viewing (online version: valid for 18 months).
• Wiley CPA Review Interactive textbooks covering multiple choice questions, exam simulations and guidelines.
• Built in quizzes and questions.
• Daily, weekly, and monthly course calendar and management tools.
• Link to download instructor-authored handout.
• Community chatroom with professors and other students support your online studies.
• Access to Yaeger CPA Review instructor hotline.

2. Yaeger At Your Pace

Complete set with same offering as the above, but each part will be delivered at your request (i.e. only when you ar ready). This prevents you from having out-of-date materials.

There are two payment options:

• Lump-sum price of $1,887
• Initial price of $369 + monthly subscription of $99

You get a better deal with monthly subscription if you can pass the exam within 16 month.

3. Cram Courses

These cram courses cover key concepts for last few weeks of final review.

There are two payment options:

• Single parts at $225-295: Delivered online (6 month access) or via USB drive (unlimited usage but $30 additional).
• $9.97 per day: $99.7 automatically billed every 10 days until cancelled.

4. Listen n’ Learn Audio Lectures

• Complete set at $445 and single part at $125.
• A complement to the homestudy materials.
• Delivered as mp3 download.

5. Yaeger in a Flash

• Mobile flashcard apps at $79.99.
• Over 2,000 flash cards.
• Available in iphones, ipads and android smartphones.

6. *NEW* Yaeger CPA Review Quiz Generator

• AICPA released licensed content.
• Over 5,000 questions delivered online.
• Mobile Ready – Tablet AND Phone Access.
• $97 cent per section per day: each part costs $0.97 x 30 = $29 per month.

Yaeger CPA Pros and Cons

Here are my reasons why you should consider Yaeger as your CPA review of choice:

1. Old School Approach that Works

I know it doesn’t sound terribly exciting on the term “old school”, but in the case of CPA exam preparation, this style of teaching really works.

We want a teacher — a real person — who talks to us and actually uses a white board to write down the calculation and explain every step. This is the Yaeger’s approach, and you may be surprised to know that this seemingly conventional, down-to-earth way of teaching has become almost extinct.

In a typical CPA review live class, the instructor hands you a written explanation for the multiple choice questions and that’s it. I guess this is the most cost-effective way to run a course for a big institution, but is it the best way to teach students?

In Yaeger CPA Review, Phil and his team of professional instructors go through hundreds of multiple choice questions one by one, and explain why they are tricky and how you can master them.

2. Concept + Tactics = 88% Pass Rate

Not only the Yaeger CPA instructors (Phil, Cindy, Gary) are good at explaining the concepts, they guide you how to put yourself in the shoe of the examiners so you’ll know exactly what they want to test you (or trick you). My favorite is Cindy Simpson who has especially gifted in explaining tough areas e.g. cost accounting and the fact that she enjoys sharing all her “tricks” with us.

Yaeger CPA first-time students are able to achieve an overall 88% pass rate — when you think about it, this means almost 9 out of 10 of these students manage to pass the CPA exam on their first attempt. The overall pass rate is only 49.4% in 2013.

3. Biggest Problem of e-Course… Solved

Live classes are not available in Yaeger CPA review, which means that access is available online, or via USB/DVD. Some of you have reservations on these “e-courses” because there isn’t a way for them to ask questions.

Yaeger provides a solution by offering a “hotline” where you can ask question by phone, even after business hours. If you don’t like asking a question on the phone, you can leave a message at the MyYaeger Student Portal and the instructors will respond to your questions directly.

4. Flexible Pricing

It may not be the most affordable review course out there, but Yaeger provides the most creative and flexible pricing.

The monthly and daily subscription plans allow considerable savings for those who can pass the exam in a short period of time.

Yaeger CPA Video Lecture Demos

These are actual video courses in 2012 and 2013. You can get the latest free demos on Yaeger’s website.

Sample 1: FAR

FAR’s instructor is Cindy Simpson. You can see how she goes through one of those dreaded simulations:

Sample 2: REG

Phil Yaeger himself teaches REG. Let’s look at his teaching style:

You can check out the latest demos in
Yaeger CPA Review Website

But Then, Yaeger Has Its Limitations

1. Do You Like Old-Style Teaching At All?

Well, I suppose not everyone likes the old-school style of teaching in the first place. So this is one negative.

Along the line, the lectures aren’t as entertaining as, say, Roger CPA Review. There are times when we want to dose off even though the stuff is important — this happens especially in AUD for many candidates.

Also, on individual lecturers, Cindy Simpson gets 100% positive review from my readers, who is considered smart, clear, and has a good sense of humor. She is the principal lecturer in FAR.

Dr. Yaeger is probably the most “old-school” and is generally liked by students, but I have readers who find him “monotone”, repetitive and have some pet phrases (“ok?”) which he finds a bit annoying. But if he helps us pass the exam in one go, no complains…

For Gary who teaches AUD, he sounds like a classic accounting professor at school. You know what I mean. A few readers also commented that he tends to skip over some sections and they need to get supplementary materials (Gleim test prep software in her case) to make up for it.

In short, do check out the sample video above as well as those on Yaeger’s CPA site and see if you are ok with the style.

2. Too Much Options and Confusing Pricing?

It took me half an hour to summarize their product offering as shown at the beginning of this page. You might spend more time to understand what they have as a customer.

There are also quite a bit of “half-hidden” costs e.g. international shipping, extra fee for USB or DVD delivery, discount applied in one package but not the other…

Also, for the new daily subscription of Yaeger Test Bank, access for each part of the exam per month is $0.97 x 30 = $29. If you need 5 months of access or more (e.g. in case of a retake), it will turn out to be more expensive than the Wiley test bank.

3. No Free Upgrades and Guarantees

You need to pay $125 each part for 2014 upgrades. Also, review courses such as Gleim offers money-back guarantee which Yaeger CPA does not provide.

4. Not That User Friendly

This is a comment from one of my readers:

I spent more time trying to figure out the handouts more than I should have. The modules are out of order. It would be nice to be able go straight through without going to different sections of the book for each module. They could have at least put it in order with page number. The inconsistent format on the “questions to do” page. Skipped modules on the table of contents and (missing 10,18,19, etc) don’t know why it starts at 7 either.

I may get a reason for the above once I start watching the dvds but I must say, ive already sent to much time trying to figure out the handouts.

It can be an acceptable compromise if you like their flexible offers and pricing, but this is something you may want to consider.

Can I Just Get Wiley? I Heard the Test Bank is Excellent

Wiley test bank is great in my opinion. In fact, Yaeger agrees and that ‘s why Yaeger CPA Review is using Wiley’s books and software as their teaching material.

Wiley is good but is even better if you have Yaeger going through the book and practice questions with you. In short, no worries as you will be using Wiley, and the cost of the book and software is already included in the Homestudy pack.

Should Retakers Get Yaeger?

If you are only 5-10 points away from the passing score, then you can consider getting only the CRAM course. Please note however that the CRAM course does not come with the “student hotline”.

I used the Yaeger AUD Cram and it helped add 13 points to my score !!! I had failed with a 70 when I used Becker. Then I purchased the Wiley book with the Yaeger Cram and got an 83 !! Thank you! I’ll definitely buy the Cram for my last two sections.” ~ Mona Mody

For Limited Time Only…

Coupon codes exclusively for IPassTheCPAexam.com readers/visitors!

Any Other Concerns?

Drop me a note if you have other concerns, or questions about Yaeger CPA. In the meantime, take a look at their site and the demo here:

Read Yaeger CPA Review: $225 off with this Discount Code on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Here is the most comprehensive analysis of best CPA review courses that you can’t find anywhere — because it is written based on my own experience, sharing of industry insiders and numerous CPA exam candidates around the world since January 2010.

Let Me Find The Best Course for You

I don’t believe in people who say their course is the absolute best, because different courses cater different needs. You can narrow down your choices based on your accounting background, budget and learning style.

Most Popular CPA Review Courses

Overall Impression	Biggest brand name in the market	Bite-sized lectures backed by Wiley	Online system that helps self-study efficiently	Fun and engaging lectures	Thorough explanation Old-school approach
# Lecture hours	100	80	30 (FAR only for now)	100+	120+
# MC questions	6,500+	5,500+	9,200+	4,000+	4,300+**
# Sim questions	250+	460+	1,000+	200+	164+**
Audio Review				$449 extra	$465 extra
Flashcards	$99 / $179 extra
Final Review / Cram Course	$495 extra			$645 – 970 extra
Free Trial
Money-back Guarantee*
Access	12 – 18 months	Until you pass	Until you pass*	18 months	18 months
Pass Rate	Twice non-Becker students	87%	n/a	88%	88%
Price	$3,360	$1,800 (check coupon)	$891 (with coupon)	$1,695 (check coupon)	$1,977 (check coupon)
Recommendation and Analysis

* Conditions apply. Please check the respective review course providers for details.
** Yaeger is currently using Wiley test bank in the bundled package. Yaeger test bank (developed in-house) is in BETA and is available separately.

Top 10 CPA Review Course Comparison

Here is a more extensive and comprehensive list of top CPA review courses, each with my analysis of their strengths and weaknesses.

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 Becker’s partner program. Not Fair!
• Live classes way overrated. They show you a DVD in a classroom, tell you to “circle this, highlight that” for 8 hours straight. Quality of “lecturers” (whose main job is to turn on and off the DVD) is really mixed. Check out my experience at the Becker CPA Review Course.
• Expensive re-take. Software license expires in 12 months and this is often not enough time for many candidates. Re-take of classes costs $1,000+ (50% of retail price) with harsh 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.

Wiley 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.

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

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, it’s 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

• Video Course for FAR, for Now. I am excited about the Gleim Instruct Video Course and I’ve got great reviews from my readers so far. Having said that, for other parts only the originalaudio-visual presentation instead of a video featuring a lecturer. I understand that many students need to “see a face” to learn a concept.
• Books can be over whelming. It’s very detailed. While some of my readers really like the comprehensiveness, others seem to think it’s 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

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. It’s 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

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, you’d appreciate Yaeger. I personally like the way they “hold your hand” and explain the multiple choice questions and possible tricks.
• Live Phone Support. This is quite unique, and you can often reach and talk to the owner (Phil Yaeger) himself.
• Good Value For Money. One of the most affordable guided review courses out there.

Weaknesses

• Old School. Obviously this can be a turn-off for some people.
• Somewhat 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 Wiley’s.
• Check out my evaluation on Yaeger CPA Review

Other Major Review Course Providers

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.
• It’s Affordable. A good bargain in the world of CPA exam prep course: single-part test bank costs $150 $127 for single parts, and $575 $495 for complete set (discount is available at my site here).

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

CPA Review For Free

Strengths

• The questions are quite comprehensive and signing up is easy. There is no string attached — they may promote an ebook or something but they aren’t annoying.
• Some of the practice questions e.g. Information Technology within BEC are very helpful.

Weaknesses

• You can’t work on the questions in the Exam Mode: that is, do all the questions, time it, and 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 wouldn’t rely solely on CPA Review For Free for my study.

Check out my evaluation on CPA Review For Free here.

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

• Can’t 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 children’s 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 don’t 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 Steve’s 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 haven’t got access to the product so I won’t be able to comment on the features and specific product offering, but at $1,895 I can’t 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.

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 CPAexcel’s 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.

Read 10 Best CPA Review Courses and My Recommendation on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

CPAexcel was developed by a team of professors back in 1998 and has been part of Wiley since November 2012. CPAexcel is one of the fastest growing CPA review providers, and its product appeals to international students because of the sophisticated online delivery platform.

For this month only…
Your CPAexcel Video Gold Medal (VGM) Course will come with
Free eFocus Notes

Check our Exclusive Coupon Code

Why CPAexcel Gets in My Recommended List

1. 87% Pass Rate And Big 4 Recommendation

Not only that the 87% is impressive, I appreciate the way they explain how they come up with the statistics so I feel that this is a number I can trust instead of another gimmicky claim with no proof.

CPAexcel has recently got the endorsement from one of the Big 4. While I don’t think a Big 4 endorsement should be the deciding factor, it gives comforts to candidates not familiar with this brand name.

2. No-Gimmick Unlimited Access Until You Pass

The first thing I really like about CPAexcel is their no-nonsense approach to protect CPA exam candidates.

Most of the major CPA exam providers offer a variety of “promises” to those who may not be able to pass the CPA exam on their first attempt. Some offer a discount if you reach a certain attendance rate; others may offer you continued access with limited time frame.

All other CPA review course providers charge extra for updates after a specified date. When you realize that more than 50% fail to pass the CPA exam each year, this is a very important point to consider.

If you are busy and have lots of commitments at work and family, but still want to give CPA exam a try, CPAexcel is great because it allows you to take time off (if needed) and get back whenever you are ready, without the extra cost.

3. More Digestible, Thus More Effective Bite-Sized Lessons

Instead of a half-day, or even full-day course once a week, CPAexcel’s online capability allows candidates to study at their own schedule and own pace with “bite-sized” lessons. Judging from my own experience in Becker live class, this is a definitely plus.

The lessons typically take 30 minutes to complete, which many of us can do during lunch time — and assuming you have an one-hour break, you’ll still have another half-an-hour to digest the materials and work on a few MC questions. You can also use the remaining lunch hour in student discussion and professor mentoring.

And frankly, even if you have the time, accounting isn’t too much fun and I would much rather learn from short online videos vs. a 4 hour long lecture. Accomplishing a little at a time is more motivating.

4. Impressive Analytical Tools To Keep You On Track

One of the reasons why candidates fail is time management — they don’t set aside enough time for final review, or they don’t finish studying all the materials. CPAexcel can provide a great solution to these candidates.

I am very impressed with the personalized exam plan functionality that builds in with the candidate’s accounts, and let me tell you exactly what it is.

Before you begin the study, you are asked to enter the exam date, or the number of hours you plan to devote to studying each week.

Once you enter the information, the system spits out a detailed schedule of a list of assignments (the actual course work) and “exam planner events” (reminders e.g. submission of application) with specific date and number of hours required. There are also check boxes that you can check upon completion.

If you need somebody to help keep track of the study progress, no one will ever do a better than this computerized exam planner.

The CPAexcel platform is very “high tech” that allows to track your progress to the second and generate lots of cool charts for you. If you are analytical, you will love it.

Walk-Through of CPAexcel Online Platform

Experience Sharing From My Reader

I think CPAexcel is a stellar review course– the bite-sized lessons are perfect for those studying while working full-time. The system support staff is extremely responsive and quick. I also liked the student discussions and best of all, exam tutor. The course was well worth the price ($1500 for all 4 parts), and the unlimited updates is a definite distinction.”

— Renata

Every Course has its Limitation. This is What I Feel about CPAexcel

1. A Bit Intimidated By The Many Choices

Possibly because of its numerous capability and choices for candidates, you may at first find the CPAexcel platform a bit intimidating.

I was overwhelmed and hesitant to look further, but once I watched the course demo I felt better. All in all I don’t think this is such a big deal once you take the time to sort out the different offerings.

2. Great For PC-Based Learner, But…

CPAexcel is showing everything on the computer. I understand that students learn best in different mediums. If you are NOT one of those who can live in front of a monitor and stare at the screen for a long time, this may not be something suitable for you.

I also understand that many students are accustomed to underline, highlight and take notes on actual books to facilitate their learning. You won’t be able to do this in CPAexcel.

Note: I used to think that CPAexcel won’t work well in countries where there are constant electric black-outs or with poor internet connection. But I realize that they are now offering both online and DVD access. I don’t know how they do it, but the amazing thing is that the access modes can be synchronized.

3. Some Find The Lectures Too Summarized

Got a few similar comments from readers. Take this example:

Their lectures although short and sweet are very general and usually do not touch upon the specifics of the topics at hand.  For example, I had to get my old intermediate accounting book and do research on how the Accruals and Deferrals work, now I am having to go back to that same intermediate book in order to refresh my memory on the Single and Multiple step Statement of Cash Flows because the lecture just touched upon their purpose but no exercises were shown.

Anyway, I am committed but it seems to me I will have to put in a lot more time more than the ½ hour they advertise.” ~ Maria

In short, if you are a fresh grad, then no problem at all; but if you need more guidance because you are a non-accounting major or have been out of school for years, then take note of this.

4. Fewer Recommendations From Past Students?

I would think that such a stellar platform would garner lots of great recommendations from past students. But when I search through the CPA exam forums, it isn’t the case. Don’t get me wrong — they do get good reviews but the number of reviews is less than the big guys as well as smaller ones such as Yaeger and Roger.

But then, after running this site for more than 1 year now, I realize — to my surprise — that forums are not as objective as we may think because the moderators can delete or block posts as they wish. Since then, I have been relying a lot more on the feedback from my own readers, who have kindly taken the time to drop a note in the comment section as well as via email.

I am happy to report that an overwhelming majority of my readers who commented on CPAexcel give positive review. To add to the list, here is a recent comment  from a reader submitted via the contact form:

I am pretty impressed with CPAExcel so far. They have 98 Task Based Simulations for FAR alone, and include aggressive accounting updates (for example the Conceptual Framework, which as of 2011 Becker is still teaching as the old framework).

Plus, their bit-sized study sessions are written a bit clearer and cleaner than Becker, and closely follow self-study CPE courses as well. I like that. I am using their auto-study plan for FAR on May 30th, so we will see what happens!” ~ Dennis

(Thanks Dennis for the sharing)

Sign Up for the Free Trial!

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If you want to study with CPAexcel right away, they are now offering a free set of eFocus Notes with the purchase of their 4-part Video Gold Medal course.

Enter coupon code* upon checkout: IPASS-FOCUS

* Note: This coupon code can be used with CPAexcel’s 20% student discount. May not be used with other coupon codes.

Read CPAexcel: New Coupon with Free Printed Flash Cards on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Wiley CPA Books (now known as Wiley CPAexcel Exam Review after Wiley’s acquisition of CPAexcel) is a collection of study tools offered by the authority in professional book publisher, Wiley & Sons Ltd. It is the #1 seller of review materials in CPA exam preparation for many years.

What is Wiley offering and why is it such a hot seller? More importantly, is it suitable for your needs? Let’s take a look.

What You can Expect from the Wiley CPA Books

If you are a first-time candidate, you will find the first 4 chapters of the book pretty useful. It introduces the basics of the CPA exam including how gradings are done, the computerized format of the test, and what to do/not do at the exam site.

Chapter 5 is the main section of the book with the study materials, multiple choice questions and simulations. Then, there are 3 appendices with a FAR sample exam as well as some released questions from AICPA.

So What’s Great About The Wiley CPA Review Books?

1. Comprehensive and Well-Written

Considering the need to squeeze everything on financial accounting in one book, I think the Wiley CPA book are organized and well written.

Using the FAR book as an example, the content is divided into 14 modules covering concepts and standards for financial statements, identification and calculation of various items in the statements and transactions, accounting and reporting for governmental entities and not-for-profit organizations.

Each module is around 30-50 pages of study materials with with lots of multiple choice questions and simulations for you to practice.

2. Content Enough to Get You Pass Without the Frills

Since the CPA exam covers a huge number of topics but never goes too deep in any subject, the Wiley CPA books are written specifically for that. It does not give a lot of background information on the accounting concepts because the authors assume that you know the material.

In other words, it is a hard-core, no-nonsense book — It covers just enough materials to get you pass. With Wiley alone you probably won’t score 99 and be able to show off your Watts Sells Award… but for me, who cares. I pass the CPA exam and that’s enough for me.

3. Great Value-For-Money

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

If you don’t need a real person to talk to you or video instruction to go through the concepts again, then I would think this set of Wiley CPA books is the best deal.

For example, the book is retailed at $260 and together with the Test Bank (which you MUST get, see below) at $575, the whole package is selling at $755. Better yet, you can often get substantial discounts, as shown below.

When compared to most other CPA review courses which sell at almost $2,000 these days, The Wiley book + test bank combo is costing less than 1/2 of the price. When compared to Becker at $3,360… it’s a steal!

4. Competitors are Using Wiley as Supplements

A few CPA exam review courses such as Yaeger CPA Review use Wiley’s books and test bank to complement their lectures. In fact, Yaeger’s DVD course spend a lot of time going through Wiley’s MC questions as a way to clarify the accounting concepts. This shows that Wiley’s book + test prep software is the best in trade.

The Cons

1. “Too” Comprehensive?

I guess the flip side of being very comprehensive is that it can be overwhelming — While Wiley seems to be addressing this long-time issue with more bullet-points, the 2014 FAR book is still, again, a huge, scary, 1,104-page of condensed text.

I guess as a textbook it is doing as best as they can, but I can see that some students would prefer the materials delivered in, say, video format with some interaction discussion on the practice problems.

2. Relatively Poor Touch and Feel

Since you could be purchasing the book online without physically flipping through the book, I’d like to bring this to your attention. All books in this Wiley series are printed on newspaper print, which may not sound like a big deal but is surprisingly a common compliant from my readers.

3. Not an Integrated Approach

This may not apply to everyone, but for those who need a lot of hand-holding on learning / relearning the concepts, a guided review, be it a live class or a self-study DVD, is usually a more integrated and thus better approach.

This is not a criticism to the Wiley CPA books but an acknowledgement on its limitation, considering the Wiley’s significant price discount.

If you are a qualified CA or CPA from another country, an accounting major, or an accountant or auditor, I don’t think you need to worry about this — you are likely ok with Wiley CPA Books + Test Bank.

Thanks… But Should I Get The Books or Not?

If you have forgotten all your accounting or you have never taken an accounting class, then I would suggest that you pick another CPA review course on this list here.

If you are relatively familiar with accounting, capable of intensive self-study for at least several months, and don’t mind reading pages and pages of small texts, then this set of Wiley CPA books is a very logical choice. In fact, many candidates pass the exam with these books alone.

You Can Now Get These Books at Big Discount!

2014 Wiley CPA Exam Focused Notes

These notes are essentially the summary of the Wiley CPA Review Books. They cannot be used as a replacement of the text books, but it is a good tool for your review or as supplement to other review courses.

I would suggest that you write your own notes on flash cards for better retention of exam materials (and your money), but if you don’t have the time or you are just not the note-taking type of person, then these notes are created just for you:

Wiley Test Bank Review

The Test Bank, with thousands of practice questions in computerized format, is an integral part of your CPA exam preparation.

In my opinion this is the best among the Wiley’s products and you can get a summary pros and cons analysis here, plus a discount of $80!

Read Wiley CPA Books 2014: Up to 25% Off! on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Bisk CPA Review is part of Bisk Education, one of the largest providers of e-learning programs in the US. Bisk CPEasy is the best-selling CPE courses for practising CPAs.

Important Update:

Bisk CPE and CPA Review division was acquired by Thompson Reuters on September 10, 2013 (news here), and the business is expected to roll into Thompson Reuter’s Checkpoint Learning System, a leading CPE and webinar provider. In my opinion, Thompson is interested mostly in Bisk’s CPE business and whether the new owner will continue to support the CPA review division becomes uncertain.

In light of this development and mixed feedback from readers on Bisk’s product, I decided to remove Bisk from my Top 10 CPA Review Course list.

Bisk CPA Overview

The company was founded by Nathan Bisk in 1971. Mr. Bisk is both an attorney and a CPA with public accounting experience from Ernst & Young and Arthur Anderson. He has been publishing and teaching CPA review for more than 30 years.

Bisk CPA Review has been partnering with several universities (e.g. University of South Florida and CUNY-Medgar-Evers) where you can take on-campus courses based on Bisk’s program.

There is a money-back program from Bisk CPA’s online and multimedia software products, but the criteria is very restrictive. I was told from a reader that you have to complete AND spend over 1 minute for each question to get qualified. I will call and find out one day, but in the meantime, you can check with Bisk at 800-404-7231 for details.

Bisk CPA is available in the following format:

• Guided review: online access, audio CDs, DVDs, live review
• Self-study: software CDs and textbooks

How Much Does Bisk CPA Review Cost vs Competitors?

The pricing varies with different products, but the all-in-one classic package is $1,899, considerably more affordable than Becker but in line with other review course providers.

Bisk CPA Review: Pros And Cons

Pros

Well Established. Bisk CPA review has almost 40 years of history.

Endorsed By 2 of the Big 4. Both E&Y and KPMG have chosen Bisk as their preferred online CPA review courses. (For live courses, the Big 4 are still sticking with Becker).

One “Magical” Lecturer. One of the main lectureres, Robert “Bob” Monette, is a nationally recognized CPA expert and a favorite among many students. He seems to have the magic to transform complicated accounting into simple concepts.

Cool Features. The Multimedia software (the CD) has some interesting features. For example, you can use “Create A Custom Exam” to pick the chapters and questions that you want to focus on. The CD also tracks your progress and statistically shows your strength and weakness in each chapter.

Cons

Overall Mixed Review. The text books have really mixed review. Some find them good enough, while other believes it underprepares them to the extent that they have to buy an extra review course as supplement. This is especially the case for Bisk’s “classic” review course.

Duplication. The text book exactly the same as the CD, so don’t buy both.

The Other Lecturers aren’t as good. Note from a few readers: the lecturers other than Bob Monette tend to talk too fast and rush through the materials.

Very Restrictive Money-Back Guarantee.  If my reader’s information is right, I honestly think most of you can’t qualify.

Limitation On CD Features. The Create a Custom Exam feature, while helpful, does not randomize the questions for you. This defeats the purpose if you want to use it as a tool to retake the questions in different formats.

My Recommendations

If you really like Bob Monette, you can check out Bisk CPA Review website here. If you are interested in their text books, you can get them via Amazon. Typically Bisk CPA review books are priced slightly lower (~$10) than Wiley CPA books.

Still Not Sure? What Should I Do Now?

Feel free to check out my CPA review provider comparison on the pros and cons of each program. Good luck!

Read Bisk CPA Review: My Pros and Cons Analysis on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

If you live in the greater Chicago area and would like to take a CPA review course with real lecturers in classroom setting, then NIU’s CPA review course may be the answer your are looking for.

NIU CPA Review Course: An Overview

Northern Illinois University (NIU) has been offering CPA review courses in 4 locations in Chicagoland, namely DeKalb, downtown Chicago, Hoffman Estates and Naperville:

• 54 hours of class time in FAR
• 48 hours in AUD
• 42 hours in REG
• 27 hours in BEC
• Total: 171 hours

NIU CPA Review Strengths and Weaknesses

Pros

1. Live And Real Lecturer (Not TAs!)

Debra Hopkins, who teaches FAR and AUD, has been teaching the CPA review course for 40 years. The majority of other lecturers are CPAs (if not, they are PhDs) with real teaching experience in an academic setting.

This is quite different from one commercial CPA review that provide “lecturers” to mark attendance and answer a few basic questions.

Update: It is with great sadness that Debra passed away in a automobile accident in September 2014.

2. Credit Hours can be Counted Towards CPA Exam Educational Requirements

NIU is an accredited educational institution and therefore courses provided by NIU can be credited and counted towards the CPA exam requirements, at least for Illinois. Specifically, you can get 3 credit hours by taking either FAR or AUD module of the course.

Please note that there is an additional charge of $1,340 (in-state) and $2,300 (out-of-state) respectively if you choose to use the credit for fulfilling the requirement.

(If you are interested in taking a review course that can be counted towards the 150 credit hour requirement, check out Roger CPA‘s latest offering here)

3. Audio Lectures Available For Make-Up Or As Additional Learning Tool

There are audio recordings that you can get from the self-study courses for those who cannot attend the courses in the great Chicago area.

Cons

1. Debra Is Not Teaching Every Class

Debra Hopkins has been instrumental in leading the NIU CPA Review, but she is no longer the director and she only teaches AUD (Audit and Attestation). I heard that she is effectively retired, but you can double check with NIU CPA Review directly to confirm.

The NIU CPA Review faculty has 13 professors and lecturers — they may all be really good but there isn’t a demo (other than Debra’s) to show their teaching styles.

2. The Self-Study Option Is Not Very Attractive

You will be getting the audio recordings from live classes, but at $2,620 for 4 parts it is pretty expensive, especially when competitors are charging less with video instruction, new generation portal, proprietary lecture notes and mobile apps to provide an integrated teaching approach.

3. No Test Prep Software?

I am not too sure about this but I cannot find any mentioning of practice questions in computerized format (they did ask students to check out the samples from AICPA website). In my opinion it is a must to get familiarized how it works given the test is 100% computerized.

The simple solution is to get a good test prep software yourself with a couple hundred dollars of investment.

What Do You Think?

If you live in the greater Chicago area and would like to attend live classes, then NIU CPA Review could be a very good fit for you.

While self-study course is available, it is not their strength. If you are not able to attend their live classes, I would think that there are more established players that solely offer self-study courses and can do a better job in this regard. Check out the other CPA review courses for comparison. Good luck to your exam!

Read NIU CPA Review: Pros and Cons Analysis on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Becker CPA Review  is the most well-known guided review course in the accounting industry.

The live lecture course is endorsed by the Big 4.  Becker has partnerships with prestigious MBA courses such as Kellogg to provide a hassle-free way to fulfill the CPA exam requirements for the candidates. Becker is also the only major company that provides live-classes in major cities around the world.

As a result, Becker CPA commands a significantly higher price for its products – $2890 $3,065 $3,315 $3,360 $3,393 in any format (live class, home-study, online).

So, is Becker CPA THAT good? I am a past Becker student and I would like to share my experience.

Becker CPA Review Course Revealed

In order to provide a fair and objective review of all major CPA review courses, I decided to expand the Becker CPA review page to give a thorough and impartial evaluation of the program, in addition to my personal view based on first-hand experience.

What’s Great About Becker CPA Review

1. Excellent Lecture Notes and MCQs

As a past student of Becker, I have to say Becker’s notes are very good. They are comprehensive and the layout is user-friendly. They try to use different font and format to highlight important areas and leave plenty of space to write your own notes.

The multiple choice questions are also well written and help you sink in the concepts you just learned and get you prepared for the exam very well.

This is a typical testimonial from Becker CPA’s website:

Becker’s approach to review is concise and focused. It doesn’t overload you with extraneous or esoteric material. It teaches you to rely on your own understanding to get to the right answer.”

Tyler S. Wright (Watt Sells winner)

What’s Not So Great About Becker CPA

1. Live Classes are Overpriced and Overrated

The live classes are a waste of time, my time at least.

My classes were simply a group of people sitting in front of a screen watching the Becker DVD. There was no interaction and no live lecture from the tutor, whose main job was to turn on and off the DVD and announce it’s time for lunch.

Note: I understand that there are live classes with “real lecturers” instead of the just screen. For your own protection you should check whether this is the case in your area; if not, you might consider taking the self-study course instead.

2. Content of The DVD: Circle This, Highlight That

Let’s talk about the DVD. The lecturer in the DVD is supposed to guide you through the lecture notes, but what he does really is to read out the notes and asks you to “circle this, highlight that”… I could be wrong but I don’t pay $3,393 for this elementary school type of instruction. This research from the University of Mississippi has shown the ineffectiveness of this method.

3. “Unreliable” Quality of In-Class Teachers

The in-class tutors have little value-add. Their task, other than turning on/off the DVD, is to assign and correct your homework as well as to check attendance and see if you are qualified for the “Becker Promise”. I see them as a bunch of junior accountants hoping to make extra bucks on the weekends. Absolutely no passion with minimal teaching experience.

Note: this is my personal experience, and I understand that there could be Becker CPA courses exist somewhere with excellent lecturers or TAs. Ask around for the reputation of the course in your area and make an intelligent decision.

4. Long, Boring Class

With this type of classroom setting and quality of tutors, it isn’t hard to imagine that the classes are extremely boring (I know accounting is boring, but still…)

As if it isn’t enough, the classes run from 9am to 6pm with 1 hour lunch break in between. Typically, I tried to stay focused for the first 2 hours, then for the third I would inevitably zoomed out… after lunch I had to keep doodling (or mechanically circling and highlighting as told) to stay awake. At the end of the class, I would be lucky if I still remembered the content in the first 2 hours.

5. I Gave Up

I concluded that it was such a waste of time that I skipped the last one month and a half and switched to self-study at home. It was much, much better. But because of the low(er) attendance rate I was not qualified to retake the class at a discount if I fail the exam — something I find ridiculous when compared to what Becker’s competitors are offering.

A Note on Price

As you may notice Becker CPA charges >$3,300 for the 4 classes, a substantial premium to any competitors. You may not realize, however, that the Big 4 and most accounting firms get a deep discount from Becker.

For example, my readers told me (one working in a mid-sized accounting firm in the US, another at HSBC in India) who can get Becker lower than Yaeger’s price. As they advertise on their site, there are 1,500 such “partnerships”.

What does it mean? It means that if you are paying a full fee like me, you are subsidizing everyone else and are being, in my opinion, ripped off.

My Conclusion

I can understand that you may feel more comfortable sticking with the #1 brand name in the CPA review industry. If this is the case, I would recommend self-study course over the live classes.

But I urge you to check out Becker’s competitors that may better suit your background, budget and learning style. You can find my CPA review comparison on the pros and cons of 10 major CPA review programs.

Whether you agree with me or not, feel free to drop a note on my Facebook Page. Best of luck to your exam!

Read Becker CPA Review: Why It is Costly and Overrated on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Lambers CPA Review has been teaching the CPA Exam review course since 1966 (that’s going to be 46 years!) and has grown to become the largest review course in the competitive New England area.

They pride themselves in developing the teaching method based on years of classroom experience, and that they are able to pick only the topics that matter to the exam — so candidates spend their valuable time on “possible, but not probable” subjects.

Lambers CPA Review Product Range

1. Video Lectures

Lambers’ complete video lecture series is a great choice for those to prefer to study at the comfort of their home:

• 134 hours of studio-quality video filmed on location in the classroom.
• Video of their best instructors using the Lambers instructional technique of lecture, case examples, and illustrations.
• Lectures can be replayed over and over, or stopped so that the candidate may work a problem or refer to the textbooks.

Here is a YouTube video clip from Lambers CPA Review via YouTube on FAR:

2. Books

The Lambers textbook for CPA exams are comprehensive and at the same time written for the sole purpose of passing the exam. The questions for each section are also well selected and useful for candidates to reinforce key concepts and principles.  The package also includes an introduction to the CPA Exam Introduction, Simulation DVD and accompanying workbook.

3. Software

Lambers’ software runs on all Windows operating systems and is a powerful software with the following capabilities:

• Over 4,300 questions taken from prior exams
• Simulations based upon the new CBT exam
• Lambers CPA Text Books included (electronic format) for instant reference to difficult areas
• Diagnostic exams – we run pre-tests to establish baseline knowledge. Future practice helps hone in on problem areas so study time is taken where it is needed the most
• Lambers Test Prep –  available in Online version
• Free Updates Forever

4. Audio

You can get a feel of what it is like below. Please note that this is an AUDIO course so it is normal that no graphics or video is shown.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Lambers CPA Review

Pros

1. The Textbooks are “Born in the Classroom”

This means that the textbooks are written by actual Lambers CPA Review Instructors.  This is important because they see in the classroom what the students have trouble with, and adjust the book content accordingly.  Many of the other CPA books out there are written by very bright people, but they may not have taught in the CPA Review classroom.

2. AUD Course is a Hidden Gem

Lamber’s AUD module is taught by Garland Granger, and he is an awesome teacher with real passion both in his expertise (auditing) and in teaching.

I got a complimentary DVD from Lambers and I was very, very impressed by Professor Granger’s video lectures. Instead of diving straight to the theory or practice question like most lecturers do, he leads us to see the overall picture of auditing — why it is required, what’s the importance. It makes so much sense and I keep saying to myself, “wow, this is REAL teaching!”

Here is a youtube video clip featuring Professor Granger in the CIA exam, just to give you a feel on his teaching style (international candidates may find his southern account a little bit strong, but he does speak very clearly):

3. A Well-Balanced Product

You can’t really find a lot of raving reviews on Lambers, because they have a traditional, low-key style and that there isn’t much that make Lambers stand out (e.g. the entertaining aspect at Roger, the unrivaled customer service and new portal at Yaeger)… but the bottom line is, they are good enough for people to pass the exam

4. Lambers Free Repeat Guarantee is good for one year (with free updates) and there is no software purchase requirement or homework requirements. It isn’t the best deal out there, but better than Becker for sure.

Cons

1. No Entertaining Lectures. If you are looking for the star lecturers such as Pete Olinto at Becker, Bob Monette at Bisk, and Roger himself at Roger CPA Review, then no, Lambers don’t hire these entertaining lecturers. But thye do have teachers such as Garland Granger who are highly respected in the industry and have decades of experience.

2. REG and BEC Courses are Good, Not Great. And I Don’t Like Their FAR Course.

Lambers seem to give a lot of freedom to their lecturers so their styles are drastically different. In other words, if you like a particular course it doesn’t mean the quality or style is the same in the others. Garland Granger is awesome, Arthur Reed is good, but there is one FAR lecturer whom I really don’t like — he tends to jump right into the practice questions without any basic explanation, and repeats himself a lot. I’ve got similar feedback from a few readers.

3. Low Resolution and Technical Issues with DVDs

As you can see from the above videos, the resolution is quite low and that’s exactly what you’ll see in the DVD. Lambers told me you will work on improving this in the next version.

I personally had some issues with my own complimentary DVDs and heard the same from a few readers: all the practice questions came out blurred and I couldn’t follow what the lecturer was saying. Lambers did send us another copy as replacement, but this could be a hassle and a waste of valuable study time.

Summary of What Lambers Offers

My Recommendation

If you are a retaker of AUD, or that you have no experience in auditing and need hand-holding on the audit process, Lamber’s AUD is an excellent choice.

REG and BEC are okay and you can take a look at the Lambers CPA demo on DVD, audio and the sample chapter download on their site. I would probably skip FAR.

Read Lambers CPA Review: AUD Course by Garland Granger is a Hidden Gem on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Roger CPA Review was founded by Roger Philipp in 2001. Originally began as live classes in San Francisco, the review courses have developed into an interactive e-learning platform.

Roger boasts a 88% pass rate with over 85,000+ students went through his CPA review program.

(Click here for recommendation and free demo)

Roger CPA Review Program Overview

Let’s take a look at the 5 offerings — basic online,  premium online, offline (USB), cram courses and audio course.

1. Basic Online Course

Accessible anytime and anywhere with an internet connection — on desktop, mobile phones, tablets and other portable devices.

The course comes with video lectures, corresponding books, proprietary test prep and flashcards:

• 100 hours of video instruction broken down into bite-sized chunks, ranging anywhere from 5 minutes to 50 minutes. Content updated every 6 months
• Course textbooks in both electronic and print format
• 4,000 multiple choice practice questions

This package includes:

• 18 months of viewing access
• Homework help center access
• Study planners

2. Premium Online Course

Same as basic online course with these additional benefits:

• Video viewing access extended to 24 months
• Include offline lectures in USB drive

3. Offline Lectures

Course delivered via USB drive. Same as Basic online classes except:

• You get to watch the lectures as many times as you want (but no automatic updates).
• No need to rely on internet connection.

4. Cram Course

• Designed to reinforce your understanding of the most heavily tested CPA exam topics.
• Great choice for retakers if you need 8-10 extra points to pass.
• Available online or in USB drive.

5. Audio Course

• Approximately 42 hours of lecture on the most heavily-tested exam material.
• Available as an mp3 download.

Why More and More Candidates Choose Roger CPA

Roger CPA has always been popular in the Bay area where his course is originally based. The momentum has really picked up in the year as Roger stops teaching live classes and focuses on developing new and innovative products.

1. 88% Pass Rate + Entertaining Teaching Style

Roger CPA aims to be the “Effective, Efficient and Entertaining” CPA review course.

Founder and video lecturer Roger Philipp is very experienced with more than 25 years of teaching CPA review. He made his name with entertaining and engaging lectures and is still personally teaching every class. This is a big plus when compared to some institutionalized CPA review courses where quality of lecturers is not guaranteed.

Some review courses teach you to memorize the exam content with very little explanations. This is tough for those who have never worked in Audit for example. Roger actually teaches you Audit like in a way that makes sense.

Here is a video clip on one of his lectures:

In case you are wondering, Roger CPA Review is not a one-man band. For example, Mark Dauberman has joined Roger as Senior Editor, helping with the course textbooks and other course related initiatives. Mark founded Dauberman CPA Review in early days and had years of experience teaching CPA review courses.

2. An Effective and Integrated Review Course

The course comes with 100 hours of video lectures, together with corresponding books, 4,000 practice questions and flashcards. You can either access the course online (desktop or any portable devices), or offline via USB.

There are also cram courses designed to reinforce your understanding of the most heavily tested CPA exam topics — a great choice for retakers who are looking for 8-10 extra points to pass.

3. Innovative Products… and It’s FREE!

Since 2014, Roger and his team has developed these free tools that allows convenient study on-the-go and utilize down-time:

(a) MC Question Mobile App

• An iOS app introduced in early 2014
• >3,500 quizzes based on AICPA-released questions and expert-written answers and explanations
• Include diagnostics (instant score reporting), re-quiz on weaker areas and features such as bookmarking, calculator and time clock.

(b) Digital Flashcard

It makes a lot of sense to deliver flashcards on portable devices, and I really appreciate that Roger offers this for free.

4. Homework Help Centers

Customer service is originally a negative in my Roger CPA evaluation. The service level has greatly improved and is now something Roger is proud of.

Specifically, the Roger team provides expert CPA moderators for quick, comprehensive answers and assistance on the most challenging concepts you encounter as you study. Here is additional information from Roger’s team to address my previous concerns:

We have two professional moderators on our Homework Help Center who are professional CPAs and go through and answer students’ questions. We always encourage students to go through and see if their questions was already asked, because oftentimes they were. Additionally, if there’s a lapse in response time, it’s because the moderators are generating the best answer.”

It may not be as good as something like a live phone help, but it is still better when compared to self-study books such as Wiley, and the self-study versions of Becker, Bisk and Lambers.

5. The Basic Package is a Good Deal

At $1,695, the basic review course is a great value for money.

That’s Awesome, but What are the Limitations?

The good thing about the limitations is that it either doesn’t affect all candidates, or there are ways to work around it.

1. Talking Too Fast?

A notable comment from my readers is that Roger talks too fast. If you are a native English speaker growing up in America who live or work in a fast-paced environment, this is not an issue. But if you are a “mature” candidate, accustomed to the “Old School” style of learning or you are an international candidate, you may want to double check the demos before making the decision.

2. No Free Updates

You are given 18 months of access in the basic course, and have an option to extend for another 6 months. The cost isn’t much ($50 per part) but some other providers offer unlimited access until you pass.

3. New Test Prep Needs Improvement

Roger used to rely on Wiley test bank. The team developed their own set of practice questions recently and understandably there are rooms for improvement.

For now, readers mentioned that there hasn’t been much variety of the practice questions. It feels a bit like “hit or miss” when going to the exam. If this is a concern, you can always get the Wiley test bank as a supplement.

Summary of What Roger Offers

My Conclusion: Great Choice if You Get Easily Bored!

I highly recommend Roger CPA Review if:

• You prefer a refreshing and “cool” review course
• You need an engaging and dynamic instructor to help you get through this beast

Check out the free demo first…	… or grab the special offers now

Read Roger CPA Review 2015 (Check Out His Amazingly Motivating Lectures) on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Are there really sample CPA Exam Questions out there for free?

It might be hard to believe, but there are CPA exam questions available for everyone to use on the Internet.

The following is a collection of free CPA questions I can find. Note that there are various limitations expected from any freebies.

Free CPA Questions: 5 Choices

1. AICPA Official Tutorial and Sample Tests

This is a must-try in my opinion. There are only a few free CPA questions in the sample test, and the purpose is for you to understand how the questions (especially the simulations) are formatted so you don’t need to spend time to figure it out during the actual exam.

• Pros: This is a must-try in my opinion, especially if you rely only on textbooks and have no access to the questions in computerized format.
• Cons: This is only a sample test and definitely not enough to prepare you for the exam.
• Link: Official CPA exam tutorial and sample tests

2. Wiley CPA Test Bank Free Trial

CPATestBank.com provides a free version of its CPA software for 24 hours.

You can learn more about the CPA test bank in my review and a more detailed walk-though on this page. IPassTheCPAExam.com is an authorized Wiley reseller of test bank and you can order it with a very good discount here.

3. Gleim CPA Free Trial

Gleim CPA Review System also provides a free trial. To find out whether Gleim fits your learning style, click here for my evaluation on this course.

4. CPA Review for Free

It’s not as good as the paid CPA review courses in my opinion, but worth a try if you have extra time. You can get my evaluation on CPA Review For Free here.

5. Questions Released by AICPA

The AICPA recently released questions are also a good review tool. These questions are free, but it is only helpful if you get a set with answers and explanations provided. The major CPA review course providers have incorporated these questions in their practice question database.

So There is Free Lunch Afterall?

Not really, in my opinion. These resources are great, but these free CPA questions are either on trial basis only or insufficient to get you fully prepared for the exam.

Unless you are really tight in budget, I would go for the full CPA exam review course, because my time is very (if not more) valuable. If you haven’t already, check out my review courses comparison which lists out the pros and cons of each review course below together with my recommendation.

You can also sign up to my 10-day mini course which delivers practice tips and advice to you via email.

Read Free CPA Questions: Where to Get Samples? Are They Good Enough? on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

One of my Facebook readers Jennifer has introduced me to MDS CPA Review. I have to say I haven’t heard of them before, but after some research I am happy to present my findings as well as some preliminary thoughts on this CPA exam review for your reference.

I am currently reviewing this product, and will update this post once I complete the evaluation. Please get the latest update from my Facebook page

Who IS MDS CPA Review?

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 27 years (since 1985) . He is a former law update instructor and editor for the Becker course, and has written and recorded part of REG, FAR and AUD classes for Becker CPA Review. Beside Steve, there is another instructor as well as two staff who take care of the marketing and sales.

MDS offers live classes at the Ohio Society of CPA office in Dublin, OH as well as self-study courses online.

What Does MDS CPA Review Provide In The Course?

I haven’t got the chance to review the actual courses, but from looking at the video on their homepage, the guided review course is quite interesting.

The video is showing the lecturer (Steve) talking on the screen and at the same time there is a screen capture of the lecture note with the instructor highlighting and outlining on what he is saying.

My First Impression

Steve mentioned that there are 70 hours of lecture in the self-study course, together with the homework software, a book and a stack of flash cards.

1. The Video

70 hours of lecture is considerably less than the typically 100+ hours in other major CPA review courses. It can mean good or bad — if it is concise and to the point, I don’t see the need to go beyond the 70 hours; but it can run of risk of being too summarized and not comprehensive enough for the exam.

2. Homework Software

It is essentially the test prep software that is available in Becker, Wiley and Gleim for example. It mimics closely the format of the actual CPA exam which is helpful (but I have to say almost every competitor does that these days).

It also has a button that you can click to show you the explanations of each answer.  For example, if C is correct, then it explains why C is correct and why A,B, and D are wrong. I find this pretty useful to show explanations on both correct and incorrect answers.

One feature that it lacks when compared to, say, Gleim is that there isn’t an anlaytical tool for you to mark the correct/incorrect answer for further reference.

It may or may not have it but the video that I watched did not show other analytical tools such as performance graphs, the average time you need to finish each questions and other useful statistics that come with other popular test prep software.

Again, it may be there but I may not be aware of it. This maybe something you want to ask MDS if you are interested in their offer.

Steve Martin did mention that there are 5,000 multiple choice and simulation questions in the database which is comparable to (or even more than) other CPA review course providers.

3. Textbook

Steve Martin writes the book himself. From what I could see from the video, it does look organized and user-friendly with an outline format. It isn’t thick at all — which could mean (1) very condense and to the point;  or (2) it doesn’t contain enough information.

I did read about one comment in a CPA exam forum that the candidate finds the materials not sufficient to prepare for the exam. But then he took the exam back in 2005 and his one-and-only-one comment may not be representative. I will work hard to collect feedback from my readers.

4. Flashcards

I do like the flashcards in terms of the look and feel. It is nicely printed with 175 cards concentrating on the key concepts, which I think is what flashcards are used for.

I also got another comment in the forum who spoke highly of the cards, but again one comment is not statistically reliable.

5. Customer Service

Steve does sound like a nice, down-to-earth type of guy. He said that whenever students have any questions, they can email him. He reminds me of Phil Yaeger a few years ago, before their major upgrade in online platform.

Would You Give MDS CPA Review A Try?

I would love to hear from any one of you who have or are seriously thinking of giving MDS a try. Unlike the rest of the post I am going to leave the comment section open so please do let me know your thoughts.

For general inquiry on other topics on the CPA exam, please ask me a question via my Facebook page.

Thanks and good luck everyone to your CPA exam.

Read MDS CPA Review: My Preliminary Evaluation on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

Surgent CPA Review (formerly known as Surgent Kolar CPA Review) is founded by John “Jack” Surgent and Liz Kolar and in 2013.

Background and Overview

Jack is CEO of Surgent McCoy CPE, a major provider of tax and financial-planning seminars to CPAs in the US. He also manages a CPA firm specializing in taxation and financial planning for high-net-worth individuals and closely held businesses.

Liz has been teaching CPA Review in the US for more than 20 years. She has experience in public accounting at Coopers & Lybrand and teaching full-time in several universities.

Surgent CPA Review Offering

This is an integrated and guided review course with video lectures, proprietary textbooks, study notes, practice questions and practice exams presented in one online platform.

You can take the self-study course at the comfort of your home (or office), at any time of the year, and at your own pace. There is unlimited viewing within a 24-month period. Extension is available with extra fee.

1. Video Lectures

The lectures are viewed online, either on desktop or on portable devices including iPads, tablets and android devices. There are altogether 101 video lectures:

• FAR: 37
• AUD: 22
• REG: 23
• BEC: 20

If you read my book, you know I am a big fan of “active learning”. Traditional CPA review courses have long lectures that drag on for 3-4 hours. I personally don’t think this type of passive learning is effective.

I am glad to know that Surgent CPA’s lectures are often 10-20 minutes, and total number of lecture hours (~80) is fewer than most courses. This way, you can spend more time on active learning through practice questions.

2. Study Notes

Study notes, together with the video lectures, are developed in house.

3. Practice Questions

The test prep software is licensed from Abitus (other licensees include ExamMatrix, Ninja CPA and Black CPA review). There are over 6,000 multiple choice and 250 task-based simulations to help you get familiar with how the actual exam works. These questions are presented in an adaptive-learning software to help you focus on weaker areas.

4. Other Features

• The online Study Planner calculates the required study time by entering the date of the exam and days of the week you plan to study.
• Students can contact by phone and email. The turn-around time is typically 24 hours or less.
• Surgent CPA review courses are offered in some local colleges in Pennsylvania  for academic credit to help meet the 150 credit-hour rule.

My Thoughts on the Strengths and Weaknesses

Pros

1. Award-Winning Lecturers

Liz is not only an experienced teacher, but a great one. She has won awards such as PICPA (Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs) Outstanding Educator of the Year.

Jack has personally presented over 1,800 live seminars in the past 25 years and has been named Outstanding Discussion Leader by various professional organizations.

Liz and Jack not only teach the materials, but also go over 100 multiple choice and simulations in the lessons, which I find very helpful.

2. Adaptive-Learning Software

The software creates a “reference report” that shows a list of recommended reading based on questions you have done wrong (i.e. your weaker areas). Students can rely on this report for more targeted review vs the traditional method where students are expected to read the book from cover to cover.

Note: you can also get this software directly from ExamMatrix if you don’t want an integrated review course.

3. Pass Guarantee

If students fail the CPA exam after studying with Surgent, they will refund the tuition to the course, or provide continued access to the program until they pass. (For details and restrictions, please refer to the terms and condition)

Cons

1. It’s All Good, But Nothing Particularly Stands Out

I believe Surgent Kolar CPA Review is offering a strong product. However, it’s hard to recommend this vs others in the market.

Many top providers have distinct selling points. For example, Roger CPA review is well-known for its entertaining teaching style. Gleim offers a review system that guides students how to self-study, while Wiley CPAexcel is a powerful combination of Wiley’s content and CPAexcel’s state-of-the-art online platform.

2. Relatively Expensive

Most CPA review course (with a notable exception of Becker) price their review courses slightly below $2,000. Surgent Kolar CPA review complete set costs $2,000. The difference is small, but with similar features and study tools, I wonder if it has the best value for money.

Update: Surgent CPA review is now reasonably priced at $1,595.

3. No Testimonial and Recommendations from My Readers (Yet)

My CPA review course evaluation relies heavily on first experience of my readers. Since this CPA review course is relatively new, I haven’t got any comments yet. This by itself is not a weakness, but it is hard for me to recommend without getting feedback (positive or negative) from my readers.

You can check out Surgent CPA Review website here. If you have any comments, thoughts and stories on this CPA review course, please drop a note below. Thank you!

Read Surgent CPA Review: My Pros and Cons Analysis on I Pass the CPA Exam!!

CPAexcel was developed by a team of professors in 1998 and has been part of Wiley since November 2012. CPAexcel is one of the fastest growing CPA review providers, and its product appeals to international students because of the sophisticated online delivery platform.

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Why CPAexcel Gets on My Recommended List

1. 87% Pass Rate and Big 4 Recommendation

Not only that the 87% is impressive, I appreciate the way they explain how they come up with the statistics so I feel that this is a number I can trust instead of another gimmicky claim with no proof.

CPAexcel has recently got the endorsement from one of the Big 4. While I don’t think a Big 4 endorsement should be the deciding factor, it gives comforts to candidates not familiar with this brand name.

2. No-Gimmick Unlimited Access Until You Pass

The first thing I really like about CPAexcel is their no-nonsense approach to protect CPA exam candidates.

Most of the major CPA exam providers offer a variety of “promises” to those who may not be able to pass the CPA exam on their first attempt. Some offer a discount if you reach a certain attendance rate; others may offer you continued access with limited time frame.

All other CPA review course providers charge extra for updates after a specified date. When you realize that more than 50% fail to pass the CPA exam each year, this is a very important point to consider.

If you are busy and have lots of commitments at work and family, but still want to give CPA exam a try, CPAexcel is great because it allows you to take time off (if needed) and get back whenever you are ready, without the extra cost.

3. More Digestible, Thus More Effective Bite-Sized Lessons

Instead of a half-day, or even full-day course once a week, CPAexcel’s online capability allows candidates to study at their own schedule and own pace with “bite-sized” lessons. Judging from my own experience in Becker live class, this is a definite plus.

The lessons typically take 30 minutes to complete, which many of us can do during lunch time — and assuming you have an one-hour break, you’ll still have another half-an-hour to digest the materials and work on a few MC questions. You can also use the remaining lunch hour in student discussion and professor mentoring.

And frankly, even if you have the time, accounting isn’t too much fun and I would much rather learn from short online videos vs. a 4 hour long lecture. Accomplishing a little at a time is more motivating.

4. Impressive Analytical Tools to Keep You On Track

One of the reasons why candidates fail is time management — they don’t set aside enough time for final review, or they don’t finish studying all the materials. CPAexcel can provide a great solution to these candidates.

I am very impressed with the personalized exam plan functionality that builds in with the candidate’s accounts, and let me tell you exactly what it is.

Before you begin the study, you are asked to enter the exam date, or the number of hours you plan to devote to studying each week.

Once you enter the information, the system spits out a detailed schedule of a list of assignments (the actual course work) and “exam planner events” (reminders e.g. submission of application) with specific date and number of hours required. There are also check boxes that you can check upon completion.

If you need somebody to help keep track of the study progress, no one will ever do a better than this computerized exam planner.

I also appreciate that the CPAexcel study plans are well thought out. For example, the lesson plans are larger at the beginning. Even if you are a bit behind the suggested schedule towards the end, you should still be okay.

The CPAexcel platform is very “high tech” that allows to track your progress to the second and generate lots of cool charts for you. If you are analytical, you will love it.

Walk-Through of CPAexcel Online Platform

Experience Sharing from My Reader

I think CPAexcel is a stellar review course– the bite-sized lessons are perfect for those studying while working full-time. The system support staff is extremely responsive and quick. I also liked the student discussions and best of all, exam tutor. The course was well worth the price ($1500 for all 4 parts), and the unlimited updates is a definite distinction.”

— Renata

Every Course has its Limitation. This is What I Feel about CPAexcel

1. Great For PC-Based Learner, But…

CPAexcel is showing everything on the computer. I understand that students learn best in different mediums. If you are NOT one of those who can live in front of a monitor and stare at the screen for a long time, this may not be something suitable for you.

I also understand that many students are accustomed to underline, highlight and take notes on actual books to facilitate their learning. Text books are available, but if you are a text book learner, you aren’t taking full advantage of what CPAexcel is offering.

Note: I used to think that CPAexcel won’t work well in countries where there are constant electric black-outs or with poor internet connection. But I realize that they are now offering both online and DVD access. I don’t know how they do it, but the amazing thing is that the access modes can be synchronized.

2. Some Find the Lectures Too Summarized

Got a few similar comments from readers. Take this example:

Their lectures although short and sweet are very general and usually do not touch upon the specifics of the topics at hand.  For example, I had to get my old intermediate accounting book and do research on how the Accruals and Deferrals work, now I am having to go back to that same intermediate book in order to refresh my memory on the Single and Multiple step Statement of Cash Flows because the lecture just touched upon their purpose but no exercises were shown.

Anyway, I am committed but it seems to me I will have to put in a lot more time more than the ½ hour they advertise.” ~ Maria

In short, if you are a fresh grad, then no problem at all; but if you need more guidance because you are a non-accounting major or have been out of school for years, then take note of this.

3. Confusing Product Line

This has nothing to do with the quality of the courses, but I do have readers who have second thoughts because they don’t know what to pick.

Let me explain.

Wiley CPAexcel has two main product lines:

• “Full course” which is the original CPAexcel products
• “Self course” which is the original Wiley products

These two product lines carry different text books and practice questions, but there is an option where you can get both. This is the “Platinum course” — the most expensive but also the most popular choice. Wiley is kind enough to offer 15% off its Platinum course to my readers.

To learn more about the difference between CPAexcel and Wiley, check out my separate page here.

Summary of What Wiley CPAexcel Offers

My Conclusion: Great Choice for Busy Professionals on the Go

I highly recommend Wiley CPAexcel if:

• You prefer a learning tool that allows studying any time, anywhere, and fully utilizes down time;
• You appreciate a highly customized study planner that tracks your progress and weaker areas, and sends reminders by email;
• You like no-gimmick free trials and unlimited access until you pass the exam.

Sign up for a free trial…	… or get instant 15% off with coupon code IPASS

Read Wiley CPAexcel 2015: Free Trial and 15% Off Platinum Review Course on I Pass the CPA Exam!!