[reyortdor]

I’m sure this topic has been discussed multiple times on this forum, but until now I haven’t been a part of one. For those of you who paid for Becker, would you consider it worth the money?

REG: 90, 8/27/11
AUD: 91, 11/30/11
BEC: 92, 10/6/12
FAR: 91,11/3/12 DONE!!! PTL!!!

[jeff]

An older thread…hope it helps.

https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/is-becker-worth-the-money-1

[HustlinHustlin]

I am using Becker right now and though I can not say how well it prepared me for the exams yet, I have gathered my opinions on it.

I started out with the LIVE course format, went to most FAR classes and found that the Live just wasn't for me. I took Tuesday & Thursday courses and each class was a different chapter in the book so it moved at a pace I wasn't able to keep up with. Plus, I could not focus for the life of me after the first two hours. All that was on my mind was checking the clock to see if it was 10pm yet or what I was going to get to eat after the 6pm to 10pm class.

Like most on the site, I do like Peter Olinto's style of teaching, he throws in a few jokes that make it easy. But most of the courses are highlighting titles and writing side notes – which do seem to help. There are TONS of difficult mc for each topic. Which I think set your expectations really high but do take a lot of time.

Overall, my hang ups with Becker are that they are so money hungry! After attending my classes where the professor would point out mistakes in the book I was really kind of upset that I spent so much on something that had incorrect information. If they really are the best they claim to be and I pay them so freaking much can't they get an extra reviewer in there?

Also, it peeves me that it “expires” yet if you fulfill the Becker Promise by doing 90% of all the work within a month for live or a year for self study you can repeat the couse BUT they still make you buy new books!

I suppose my outlook with change after I take the exams, but in the case that I fail, I'm switching to Yaeger CRAM.

B 71 - 79 EXPIRED
A 69 - 75 EXPIRED
R 65 - 48 - 45
F 56 - 61 - 65 - 64

Becker, Wiley Test Bank, Wiley Text and Ninja Notes

"The fish who keeps on swimming is the first to chill upstream" -311

Experience - Done, like WAAAY done.
Still need 30 more credits, in basket weaving (gotta love new CA requirements)

[Minimorty]

You should use whatever you used to get that 90 in REG! lol

[Scrittrice34]

I am taking Becker as well in the live format. I really liked my REG instructors, but for BEC so far I have to say I much prefer the CD instructor Peter Olinto. His examples are a bit clearer, and I guess it doesn't hurt that I can watch the lectures in my PJs. I agree with HustlinHustlin that it gets hard to focus sitting for so long in the live classrom. (Probably due to the fact that after working 8 hours, a 4 hour lecture on internal controls is really the last place in the world I want to be.)

I felt very well prepared for the REG sims by Becker. I feel like I pretty much aced them. The exam did however through some random MCs at me though, and the areas that Becker said were heavy on the exam, sometimes did not come up at all. I guess I can't say for sure until Wednesday.

Overall, I like the self-study instructors. The tons of multiple choice are great, and their explanations of the MCs really help to drill the concepts into my head. I like Becker's final review and practice exams as well. Perhaps you can get this elsewhere, though? Not sure how these things compare to other options out there, but they are the things that I like best about Becker so far.

REG - 86 (11/22/11)
BEC - 88 (1/9/12)
FAR - 79 (2/29/12)
AUD - 71 (5/7/12) - Got a little lazy. Retake 7/30/12 - 85 on the retake woohoo!

Used Becker

[SwanCPA]

I used Becker my first time around. I guess I just thought they make it seem so easy. I did everything they told me and signed up for all 4 classes (online). Then, boom, boom, boom, boom….failed all 4 exams from July 2009 to November 2009. I might add that I scored very well in my college classes. I wish I would have gotten the advice to focus on one exam at a time, especially now that they are releasing the scores the way they are.

I use Yaeger now and I really like their full course. I only used the CRAM for my second attempt at BEC. I didn't have enough time to study so I thought I'd try it. Plus, I was at a point where I was either going to pass FAR or BEC and keep going or just be done. I took FAR first and thought I failed miserably so I didn't study very hard for BEC.Turns out I passed with a 75. 🙂 I guess that's what I needed to keep going.

You'll get there! Slow and steady….. good luck!

FAR- 63, 75
AUD- 61, 78
REG- 63, 74, 80
BEC - 63, 61, 75!!!!! I'm done!!!!

[Author]

Replies