[Anonymous]

I am looking for recommendation on a CPA review course that is very structured (with homework assignments due, monitoring of my progress, etc…).

Please provide suggestions.

Thanks,
CPA002

[Chandler]

I use Wiley, which has everything you describe above. You can insert your test date and what days of the week you want to study, and it will give you a calendar showing you what assignments you need to complete each day before the test.

Most of the larger CPA courses are structured. My advice is to choose a course that will work with your learning style. Wiley has many “bite-sized” lectures that are anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes. Becker has fewer, longer lectures. I knew I would study better watching multiple shorter lectures throughout the day than watching one 2 hour lecture at night, which is why I chose Wiley. Hope that helps!

[Anonymous]

Thanks @Chandler! Good advice.

[Anonymous]

Becker actually changed it up and now has smaller “modules” which also makes it a bit more manageable to study. They also added “Skills Practice” which theoretically prepares you for SIMS. Also has a calendar and tells you what you progress is like.

[Anonymous]

I'm using Gleim. They have the same type of thing where you can type when your test is and how many hours each day you will be studying, then it creates a calendar for you. I have mine set up to send me texts each day I have a chapter due.

Each section is split up into 20 chapters (called study units), with each study unit split up into subunits. The books are laid out in outline form so they are very structured. There are also short video lectures for each subunit that are a good starting point before reading.

Also, with Gleim's adaptive study technology, it points you to exactly what you should be studying, be it reading, practice MCQs, or practice SIMs. Once you can answer MCQs and SIMs proficiently, it will mark that study unit complete and tell you to move on.

I actually find it a little frustrating because it is too structured for me. I want to be able to manually mark that I completed something even if Gleim thinks I need more practice, etc. But if you are looking for something totally structured, Gleim might be for you. The excessive structure is my only complaint – other than that I think it is great!

[habitual]

Becker is very structured. Like the others, you enter your test date and it gives you a study plan. I was not a fan of the new format, but the lectures are a lot shorter than they used to be which is great. The longest lecture I've watched is 45 minutes or so and then it will give you 15-30 questions over the topic. I think it really helps you learn the material before moving on to the next piece. Also, initially I was skipping over the “skills practice” because I thought it was a waste of time, but I have found them to be extremely useful. Instead of them just going over the book with you they actually give you real world problems and they walk you through how to do it. I haven't used any other review course, and my company paid for Becker… I know cost can be an issue with Becker, but in my opinion its worth it and I would have paid for it myself had my company not helped out.

[YXH425]

Make sure you try the free trial of Roger CPA, or search his class on youtube b4 you make any purchase. I personally tried most of the free trials and decided on Roger. He keeps you motivated and interested, works most effective for people like me who can't pay attention to long, plain accounting classes for more than five minutes straight. His test bank however is not top of the industry as his lectures, so I use ninja MCQ after I watch a big chunk of his lectures. This combination has been very effective for me, personally.

[Anonymous]

I use Becker. Becker is very comprehensive and overwhelms u with information. If you are only studying fulltime the amount of information is somewhat manageable. However, if you are working fulltime and studying fulltime, I would highly suggest another review course that simplifies the information being taught. Regardless of the review course there are no shortcuts with the CPA exam. Either u use your resources and study your ass off = hopefully Pass. Or, you take short cuts and usually fail. It's that simple – most of the time!!

Goodluck.

[Author]

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