[Anonymous]

I have used Gleim and failed FAR and used Wiley and I presumably passed AUD based on my feeling after the test. I thought I would try to give you a review on what I liked about Wiley.

Wiley actually gives you the simulation questions along with the multiple choice questions with their base package. Gleim’s base software package only includes the MCQ questions. This is very confusing for someone trying to sort through all of the different software providers. Gleim includes their book for free with their software package so I thought I was getting a good deal by going with Gleim because I didn’t understand how important it is to prepare for simulations. I figured that any software provider would give me what I need to pass the exam. This leaves me wondering if Gleim just wants to try to upsale people to get their simulation wizard software when they find the software they purchased only prepares them for MCQ. If you look at Gleim’s website, they have all of these confusing bundles–they would do better to just to offer their Gleim online and their book–just keep it simple like Wiley.

Here are some features I liked with Wiley Test Bank:

* They have cool bar graphs that are very helpful to understanding sections where you are weak. They are very easy to use and you can easily include and exclude practice sessions you have taken from your overall score so you can exclude early sessions where you scored low and include later sections after you have become more proficient. A recent average is more helpful than a cumulative average that include all of your oldest scores.

* They have an option where you can test yourself on questions that you have missed more than a certain number of times. This makes you more productive during your final preparation because you can focus on MCQs where you are weak without having to suffer through questions where you already know the answer.

* They have a great button on the MCQs that gives you a text passage regarding the question so you don’t have to flip through the book. This was very helpful to me when I wanted to discretely do some test preparation at work.

*The simulations and MCQ questions were very representative of the actual exam.

These features helped me to prepare for the exam more efficiently.

As for Gleim, I think they have a decent product but I think their MCQ questions are maybe too difficult relative to the actual exam so you end up not preparing efficiently and I didn’t experience some of the benefits listed above.

One thing I didn’t like about Wiley is they couldn’t seem to get their test bank simulations updated for AUD clarity standards and they were very unclear about that process and posted a crappy .pdf of sims even though the questions were exactly the same as in the software! Furthermore, their authoritative literature wasn’t updated even through their research sims were up to date. I think it is weird that a company that makes CPA updates to their software often seems to have no clue how to get this updated and is even worse at communicating the facts I had to discover through trial and error.

Perhaps both companies could get a lesson on customer relations and clear communications.

Overall, though, I would give Wiley a thumbs up on a great program that gives you ALL the software you need to prepare for the exam in one simple package without all of the confusion options that Gleim has. My biggest advice…just by your book separately and don’t make that a deciding factor on which software to use!

[mtaylo24]

I like how on Gleim, you can take a test on one specific part. For example, if I only want to test on Internal Control, Sales and Receivable Cycle (auditing), I can test on that instead of the whole module for internal control. I still haven't found a way to do that for Wiley yet.

AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
FAR - (8/16)

[mtaylo24]

I like how on Gleim, you can take a test on one specific part. For example, if I only want to test on Internal Control, Sales and Receivable Cycle (auditing), I can test on that instead of the whole module for internal control. I still haven't found a way to do that for Wiley yet.

AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
FAR - (8/16)

[gingercpa]

Agree with you guys on both ends.

@ Akkula – for sims portion when you buy their test bank it comes with a book and it has so many simulations topic by topic. Almost similar to what they may be selling for $99.00. I would say in terms of organization and question selection I do like Gleim better than Wiley.

They also sell practice exam costing $30 which I suggest not to buy if you already have their test bank because it's all the repeated questions from the test bank that you may have already seen unlike Becker final exams where you can have new questions.

@mtaylo – do use Gleim test bank for Audit. It's one of the best for audit prep.

AUD:78-5/13
FAR:84-10/20
REG:79- 12/5
BEC:Feb
CAL Candidate

[gingercpa]

Agree with you guys on both ends.

@ Akkula – for sims portion when you buy their test bank it comes with a book and it has so many simulations topic by topic. Almost similar to what they may be selling for $99.00. I would say in terms of organization and question selection I do like Gleim better than Wiley.

They also sell practice exam costing $30 which I suggest not to buy if you already have their test bank because it's all the repeated questions from the test bank that you may have already seen unlike Becker final exams where you can have new questions.

@mtaylo – do use Gleim test bank for Audit. It's one of the best for audit prep.

AUD:78-5/13
FAR:84-10/20
REG:79- 12/5
BEC:Feb
CAL Candidate

[Anonymous]

I have both the entire system for Gleim and the WTB. I love that Gleim's questions are harder than what you would see on the exam because it prepares you better for the exam. When the question is harder than what you would see on the exam, I feel that is better preparation because you are prepared for harder questions, but the questions on the exam are easier.

I used Gleim's system for my 12 point increase in BEC from a 60 to 72. For my two scores in the 60s, I had no formal review course or TB, I just had a review book that I was reading cover to cover and taking my own notes. I'm also using Gleim now for my AUD retake in October. I feel much better prepared now using this system and I love what the system provides. Gleim may offer many different options, but that's because there are test takers that only want specific options when preparing.

[Anonymous]

I have both the entire system for Gleim and the WTB. I love that Gleim's questions are harder than what you would see on the exam because it prepares you better for the exam. When the question is harder than what you would see on the exam, I feel that is better preparation because you are prepared for harder questions, but the questions on the exam are easier.

I used Gleim's system for my 12 point increase in BEC from a 60 to 72. For my two scores in the 60s, I had no formal review course or TB, I just had a review book that I was reading cover to cover and taking my own notes. I'm also using Gleim now for my AUD retake in October. I feel much better prepared now using this system and I love what the system provides. Gleim may offer many different options, but that's because there are test takers that only want specific options when preparing.

[mtaylo24]

@gingercpa…Yup, i bought both Wiley and Gleim, and i find myself using Gleim for this exact reason…

AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
FAR - (8/16)

[mtaylo24]

@gingercpa…Yup, i bought both Wiley and Gleim, and i find myself using Gleim for this exact reason…

AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
FAR - (8/16)

[Anonymous]

If you want to get the Elija whoever gold star award, I would definitely go with Gleim. Wiley may be geared to those that just want to pass and not put in too much more studying than was necessary without having to retake. I was in the second category.

Had I not spent so much time on the nitpicky Gleim MCQ questions, I probably could have spent some time on the sims if they were in the software package I purchased. For me, studying efficiently is important and I think studying this way was what caused me to get stronger than other passing candidates on MCQ and weaker on the SIMS on my failure report. For a complete novice doing self study, it would have been nice if Gleim was more clear that you skip the SIM portion at your own risk.

I think some of the worst advice I read from someone here on this forum was that you just prepare for simulations by just doing a bunch of MCQs. That strategy screwed me on FAR, and I didn't make the same mistake with AUD.

Both prepared me well for my first MCQ testlet and were pretty much equal. I got hard testlets for both sections on the second two testlets. If I had to estimate, I would say that maybe Gleim was able to get me 3-4 extra correct answers on the second two sessions but that came at a large amount of additional study time but those 3-4 extra MCQs will probably not make a very material difference on your score. The time and effort to get those points may not have been worth it.

Anyhow, maybe I am being too hard on Gleim but when I buy the Wiley test bank I will really be able to evaluate FAR vs. FAR. That is the hardest section so maybe an AUD to FAR comparison isn't fair.

[Anonymous]

If you want to get the Elija whoever gold star award, I would definitely go with Gleim. Wiley may be geared to those that just want to pass and not put in too much more studying than was necessary without having to retake. I was in the second category.

Had I not spent so much time on the nitpicky Gleim MCQ questions, I probably could have spent some time on the sims if they were in the software package I purchased. For me, studying efficiently is important and I think studying this way was what caused me to get stronger than other passing candidates on MCQ and weaker on the SIMS on my failure report. For a complete novice doing self study, it would have been nice if Gleim was more clear that you skip the SIM portion at your own risk.

I think some of the worst advice I read from someone here on this forum was that you just prepare for simulations by just doing a bunch of MCQs. That strategy screwed me on FAR, and I didn't make the same mistake with AUD.

Both prepared me well for my first MCQ testlet and were pretty much equal. I got hard testlets for both sections on the second two testlets. If I had to estimate, I would say that maybe Gleim was able to get me 3-4 extra correct answers on the second two sessions but that came at a large amount of additional study time but those 3-4 extra MCQs will probably not make a very material difference on your score. The time and effort to get those points may not have been worth it.

Anyhow, maybe I am being too hard on Gleim but when I buy the Wiley test bank I will really be able to evaluate FAR vs. FAR. That is the hardest section so maybe an AUD to FAR comparison isn't fair.

[jeff]

If questions are “harder” – Make sure they aren't CMA or EA adapted questions – which often are beyond the scope of the CPA exam.

[jeff]

If questions are “harder” – Make sure they aren't CMA or EA adapted questions – which often are beyond the scope of the CPA exam.

[Anonymous]

Well, after gushing over Wiley, I have to say that their SIMS on FAR were not very representative of the difficulty on the actual exam. Thankfully I spent a lot of time working journal entries and sims from the Gleim book.

The ones in the book were much more difficult and representative of the exam. Wiley test bank is good for the MCQ but I think it leaves a lot to be desired on the sims for FAR.

The sims in the WTB for AUD were very good but the FAR ones need a lot of work.

After taking two exams, I will say that sims are just a whole different ball game and they need to be seriously studied. MCQs test the breadth of understanding but the sims test the depth. Sims also test multiple steps and application of knowledge where MCQs are more about one subject factual knowledge so they take different skills and ways to approach them.

Once I was getting in the 80+ on all of the sections of the WTB, I really focused on doing sims with pencil and paper. I found that going into depth on some of the sims helped me to understand some of the tricky MCQ questions that I didn't previously understand.

Not that I am sure I passed FAR yet and I don't want to jinx myself but I wanted to do a follow up on this topic after going through FAR again.

[Anonymous]

Well, after gushing over Wiley, I have to say that their SIMS on FAR were not very representative of the difficulty on the actual exam. Thankfully I spent a lot of time working journal entries and sims from the Gleim book.

The ones in the book were much more difficult and representative of the exam. Wiley test bank is good for the MCQ but I think it leaves a lot to be desired on the sims for FAR.

The sims in the WTB for AUD were very good but the FAR ones need a lot of work.

After taking two exams, I will say that sims are just a whole different ball game and they need to be seriously studied. MCQs test the breadth of understanding but the sims test the depth. Sims also test multiple steps and application of knowledge where MCQs are more about one subject factual knowledge so they take different skills and ways to approach them.

Once I was getting in the 80+ on all of the sections of the WTB, I really focused on doing sims with pencil and paper. I found that going into depth on some of the sims helped me to understand some of the tricky MCQ questions that I didn't previously understand.

Not that I am sure I passed FAR yet and I don't want to jinx myself but I wanted to do a follow up on this topic after going through FAR again.

[teeteenounouche]

Florida:
AUD: 73, 81! Thank you Lord!
BEC: 73, 77! Thank you Lord! and WTB
REG: 71, 82! Thank you Lord! and A71
FAR: 72, 78! Thank you God and my Mommy in Heaven!

CPA Excel, Ninja Notes & Audio, Wiley Test Bank, CPAreviewforfree

[Author]

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