[sarebee912]

I graduated from undergrad in May 2010. I started the Becker live classroom review in June 2010 and then continued for all four sections through December 2010. By January 2011, I had sat for all four exams and subsequently failed all four exams. My scores were in the 60s with the exception of FAR which I scored a 73 (sad day when I received that score). At the time, all I used was Becker (live lectures as well as the supplemental at home coursework and questions). Since then, I completed my MBA and now I really want to conquer this exam. I think I probably rushed it initially and wasn’t focused enough.

I’m not interested in using Becker again because I already dropped a ton of money on it and have nothing to show for it. I’m looking into Wiley but wanted to see what anyone out there would suggest? And with Wiley, is it enough to buy just the books and supplement with the Ninja MCQs? Open to any and all suggestions!

[law0915]

From what I hear Wiley is too much material and too detailed. I like how Becker laid out everything and the lectures were invaluable to me. You can re-take Becker for a reduced cost.

REG 77 Feb14
BEC 13*, 79 Aug14
FAR 64**, 76 Nov14
AUD 89 Feb15

*Exited exam after first testlet
**Only studied F1-F6 out of 10 Becker chapters

Licensed Arizona CPA

[Icannotgiveup]

I like how Becker simplifies the material. But, I think Wiley is better because I need detailed explanations to understand the material. When I passed Audit I studied exclusively with Wiley (Yaegar). However, when I got stuck on a question I referred back to my old Becker books and their simplified explanations and mnemonics. I think Wiley was the solid foundation that helped me passed Audit and close enough (74) to passing BEC with only 3 weeks of studying.

P.S.If you took it all those years ago, you'll have to pay full price over $3,000 to retake it because Becker promise has expired.

Good Luck!

A - 2/2/15 - 76: PASSED
B - 7/20/15 - 74, 73
R - 7/24/15 - patiently waiting for 8/25 score release
F - sometime in October

[sarebee912]

Thanks for the input! Did you purchase the entire Wiley package or just the books?

[Icannotgiveup]

You're welcome 🙂

I bought the entire package.

What I do is read the book first then refer to the lectures for anything I don't understand.

If you prefer, you can buy only the books, but as long as you can watch some YouTube videos to explain things that aren't clear after reading the book, you should be fine.

A - 2/2/15 - 76: PASSED
B - 7/20/15 - 74, 73
R - 7/24/15 - patiently waiting for 8/25 score release
F - sometime in October

[FIFOisbetterthanLIFO]

I took Roger and really like him. He has a lot of energy and keeps you engaged as you can possibly be through the most boring of concepts. He is reasonably priced too.

I suppletmented with Wiley MCQs. Everyone says they are overpriced, however, Wiley will tell you why the answers are wrong and it will also give you a link to their e-book which basically explains why and how the correct answer is what it is. If you go through multiple choice questions and learn and read after each one, THAT is how you reinforce your weak areas.

FAR - Passed (82)
BEC - Passed (76)
AUD - Passed (89)
REG - Passed! (81)
AICPA Ethics

Licensed CPA

[Sleep Optional]

I passed using Roger Videos (all sections), Wiley MCQ Testbank (All sections), Ninja notes (All sections except for BEC), and Ninja MCQ (for audit only, and only for 3-4 days).

Personally, I loved Roger lectures. I studied in the library for a couple months with a friend who was using Becker and found Becker vids insanely boring. If I had to use Becker I probably wouldn't have made it because I wouldn't have the motivation to do it. In my opinion Becker teaches content more indepth. However I wasn't looking for learn everything- just enough to pass. And Roger did that incredibly well because he is quite a fun and laid back person; he makes learning fun (ok not fun, but less torturous).

Ninja Notes worked incredibly well for me. I rewrote FAR, AUD and REG a couple times. And I skimmed it before every exam at the Prometric test site. It's great as a refresher. I found ninja notes to be the best bang for the buck.

Wiley CPAExcel's MCs were great. It fully prepared me for the MCs however I don't believe the sims helped much. If I could go back in time, I wouldn't have bothered with the sims.

BEC: ☑ x1 attempt(s)
REG: ☑ x2 ''
AUD: ☑ x1 ''
FAR: ☑ x2 ''

Done!

[Zuly]

I know Wiley gets a bad wrap because it's too comprehensive or too detailed but I have to disagree. I actually like Wiley because it is detailed and the wording that they use is closer to the wording that is used in the MCQs from what I can tell as of now from the Audit book I'm using. Also, the layout of the Wiley book is very organized and if you're the type of person that can't read a whole chapter without getting distracted then Wiley is great. Each chapter is divided into subsections where you read a few pages and then it asks you to go and apply what you have read by doing MCQs only pertaining to the section you just read. I personally need this kind of organization to keep me focused. Also, can't speak to the other Wiley books but at least for Audit it gives you a really good explanation on the answers by telling you why the answer is correct and why the other three are not, and for audit that is especially important. I am currently using Roger for audit but I realized that as much as I like his lecturing style I'm doing a much better job of keeping on track using the Wiley book and then supplementing with the NINJA 10PT combo. If you want to keep the costs down you might want to look on Amazon to see if they have any used Wiley books…I bought the 2014 version for $5. Thankfully in Audit there isn't much that changed, only a few updates that I have already from Roger so buying it this cheap was totally worth it.

FAR - (11/01/14) 71 (02/07/15) 79
AUD - (04/30/15) 86
BEC - (07/21/15) 73 (10/01/15) 75
REG - (11/30/15) 55 (05/19/16) 74

[10keyLeah]

It definitely sounds like you rushed through and that the live courses were not the right study tool for your learning style. A common response you may get is that you should pass a section of the exam before moving to the next section. Or, take a section of the exam, and then study and sit for the next while you wait on your score from the first exam. If you pass the first exam, move to the next section. If you failed, go back to that section and re-take it before moving on.

It is possible to pass with just the Wiley books and a good set of MCQ's. I wish I had done this myself. Yes, you may need to do some extra digging around for sections you have trouble with, but I found that even with Yaeger, I ended up having to search and dig.

I'd suggest that you take a look at one of the books if you can and see what you think before jumping in.

Ninja Combo, Yaeger, Wiley -- Licensed CPA, May 2015

[scubacamper]

I purchased the whole Wiley package because it came with lifetime updates until I pass….knowing myself, I knew I would need that feature. 🙂

However, after reading through Jeff's materials, I wish I'd have used his stuff from the start.

For starters, it's a fraction of the price – and he lays things out in a way that is very easy to comprehend…especially 1973 Straightline (I laugh every time I hear that, but have remembered it when studying – that's from the Ninja audio for FAR)

B TBD
A TBD
R 57
F 62, 70, 65

[Anonymous]

@sarebee912, what review course did you decide to go with?

I am actually in a similar situation as you. I graduated in May 2011 and tried to pass the exam using Becker but wasn't successful. I was also distracted with my busy public accounting schedule. Now I have a new job and much more reasonable hours so wanted to give the CPA another try.

[Author]

Replies