[wizards8507]

I’m hoping not to get flamed like the fool who bragged about passing his exams without studying but here it goes.

I know the general trend around here is to spend $,000’s of dollars on review material, but I think a lot of people are wasting their money on Becker and these other guys.

IF you are a RECENT accounting graduate, AND;

You were a very strong accounting student, AND;

You’re a very strong test taker…

Then go ahead and try an exam with nothing but the Wiley test bank. That’s all I used and I ended up with an 80 on my first test. I know everyone is anxious to pass but isn’t it better to waste $200 on a failed exam than run the risk of wasting $3,000 on a review course that doesn’t do you any good?

I’ve only seen Wiley and Becker and I can say that Becker seems to make people completely neurotic. “Memorize the standard auditor report, word-for-word.” Really? REALLY? Deep breaths and think about the format of the CPA exam. It’s a multiple choice test. There is absolutely no need to recall knowledge or memorize something like that. You have the options in front of you, you just need to know which is correct. There’s no “fill in the blank” where memorizing a report could possibly help you (except for in the Sims where you literally have acess to the literature itself). The pressure to memorize TIP PIE ACDO and every other Becker acronym is not where you need to focus your energy.

NY CPA

[Keely]

Where in Becker does it say ‘memorize the standard audit report word for word'? I'm studying AUD using Becker right now, and I don't think there's anything in there about memorizing the report. If anything, Becker is good about telling you to be sure to understand the concepts thoroughly and not just memorize.

I will say I do not like Becker for AUD simply because I cannot stand Tim Gearty. He is the world's most annoying person to listen to. But if I pass, it'll be worth it. We'll see.

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[momto5]

I used Becker for FAR and made my own flashcards as I went. Took these along on my 30 minute ride to work (with my husband driving) so I could review. Can't say if they helped me or not for sure, but it may have helped keep things fresh in my mind. I sort of have to pay for the Becker materials myself as I am taking a college class that uses those materials. But at least I am gaining 3 credits with each class for about the same cost as the materials separately. The last two weeks before my FAR exam I got the NINJA notes to review. Didn't have a lot of time to review them like I would have liked to and wished they would have been written in the same order as the Becker materials, but you can't have everything, I guess. I am hoping to make more use of the AUD ones now that I have them all. I also went through a few practice questions from cpareviewforfree.com before the FAR exam also; it was nice to get a fresh perspective of the material for free. Again, I wish I would have had more time as I ran across these resources pretty close to my exam date.

I don't have any other experience other than Becker, so I can't compare. But I think it does depend on personal preference and how one learns. I definitely do better with watching lectures over just reading material, even though the lectures can sometimes be annoying. And I am not a big fan of all the highlighting – still do it, but I think the extra notetaking of the material is what helps me the most.

FAR - 92 (4/27/12)
AUD - 96 (7/17/12)
BEC - 92 (8/30/12)
REG - 91 (11/12/12)

[misanthrope87]

@Momto5

Nice FAR score!!

B 2/12 87
A 11/11 90
R 8/11 86
F 5/12 88

[Anonymous]

I spent somewhere around $1700 for Roger. If I had to to it again, I wouldn't. I watched maybe a quarter of the lectures for FAR and then couldn't take his hyperactive behavior anymore. I used the textbooks that come with the course to review but I could have just bought the wiley books for around $50 a piece or whatever they are.

I personally think I wasted money on my review course. I agree with the OP. If you are a good student, retain knowledge, and are fresh out of school, you could pass without one.

[Sandra]

Oh common CB- I had your back in the other thread, but now you're talking $hit about Roger? Roger = my BFF right now.

As for becker being the best- I think its super individual. I got a full Becker review for free (the only thing I have EVER won) and still ended up buying Roger because I didn't like Becker.

[Peanut]

@farinamh28, agree about the Becker flashcards for the most part, BUT wait until you get to AUD, they're actually pretty good. They stink for the other 3 though ha

AUD 81 (X4) Previous scores 59, 72, 72
REG 80 (X3) Previous scores 59, 60
FAR 75 (X2) Previous score 67
BEC 79 (X2) Previous score 58

[Anonymous]

Haha Sandra, not hating on Roger, I just couldn't handle it. I can see how his style would work great for some people. It doesn't work for me though.

I love his texts though. They are awesome.

[RedRage00]

I agree. I passed all 4 on the first try using Wiley test bank, book, and ninja notes. Becker is overrated! 😀

The secret is to put in the quality study time 😉

Texas CPA
Licensed, March 2012

[Author]

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