Has Anyone Taken A Live CPA Review Course?

  • This topic has 9 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 10 years ago by Anonymous.
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  • #195004
    Claudia408
    Participant

    Hello everyone,

    It looks like self-study with a review course and hammering MCQs is mainstream on how to study for this exam. But has anyone taken an actual live course to study? If so, which review course and what was the outcome/thoughts?

    I have been at this for about 5 months – 2 fails and not feeling so hot about my BEC retake coming up. I can’t deal with fail after fail and I know it’s my study strategy, not lack of effort or time which is causing me to fail. If I don’t pick up on a concept fairly quickly, I don’t do enough digging to understand it or I just struggle trying to get it. So maybe I need personal attention. It’s too late to take a live course for BEC, but I’m seriously considering it for all sections. Any feedback is appreciated!

    BEC - 75 (3x)
    AUD - 78 (3x)
    REG - 67, 66, Aug 1
    FAR - 54, Sept 8

Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
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  • #675403
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi Claudia408 – I know how you feel – here's my 2 cents I took a live Roger review course a few years ago and while it was good having people around you and you could ask him questions – being there for (I think it was 8 hours) was way too long to actually retain much, your brain just get's too tired – which meant you still had to do almost everything outside of class just like self study. I have heard of some people (and even considered it myself) getting tutors – if you're by a college you can see them listed on boards and while they're not specifically cpa material tutors they will still know cost accounting, econ and finance stuff. I also had a friend take a really good intermediate accounting class at a community college where the teacher taught it like a study hall – but that can be rare to find. Lot's of people take a few tries to pass these sections, I know I have so don't get too down on yourself.

    #675404
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I really missed having a teacher to talk to and ask questions of, but between Gleim's Q&A and this forum, it helped compensate for that. All the live classes I found in the area were too late at night/too long after a full day's work, and I felt like there was no way I could retain the information in that setting.

    #675405
    MaLoTu
    Participant

    Becker live will not provide you with personal attention, I don't know about the other programs. If you are taking Becker, the style of live lectures may be more a hindrance than anything if you are struggling to learn concepts. Most classes are 9 hours long and cover 2 units in one sitting, so it is a ton of information at once. At least with self study you can do smaller portions at a time.

    I failed 2 tests and then finally passed REG which was my third. Maybe you will have a breakthrough. I didn't do anything different from the first two to and I felt pretty similar to you. I couldn't figure out why my effort wasn't paying off. I think the more exposure you get to testing the better you begin to test. also diversify your material so that you don't just memorize answers.

    #675406
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    In Gleim, you can submit a question and a designated expert will answer it within a few business days. It's the few business days that gets me, when you really want an answer now because you're working on it now, and in a few days when it gets answered, you'll be on a different topic.

    Try changing up your methods. I found that there were several concepts in AUD I could not get down, so I made flash cards, and discovered that just handwriting the concepts (after all the studying) was enough for it to finally click. I had previously typed it out and that didn't do a thing. Keep drilling down and drilling down and keep doing MCQs on as narrow an area as possible until you get it. For Gleim, each section is broken down into 20 units, and each unit can have anywhere from a handful to over a dozen subunits, so when I was struggling with AMT, I did just the subunit that dealt with AMT over and over again until it made sense. I would create flash cards and study them, then after those were memorized, I'd work through the MCQs again and again until I was scoring well. And I used lots of mnemonics.

    Good luck!

    #675407
    rp 12
    Participant

    Though I haven't taken any live classes. But, I will echo the same feelings/opinions as expressed above. I too failed AUD 2 times it took off my 5 to 6 months of prep in total and failed it – I was for sure disappointed by myself, and felt like thorwing in my towel for the exam. For my 3rd AUD attempt I studied again everything, and made sure I read out every option of MCQ's and apply my concepts learned in TBS. I didn't just printed out copies of TBS solutions and reviewed it like “ok makes sense, yes this is how we do it…” I worked out all the TBS once.

    I am still doing self-studying approach. I still doubt myself at times will I pass my next part (BEC) in first attempt or not, but I think we got to go with the flow, and just keep putting the dedicated effort in knowing the materials. I hope this helps you!

    "Success in life comes when you simply refuse to give up, with goals so strong that obstacles, failure, and loss act only as motivation"

    AUD: 68, 62, 77✔ (expires 10/31/16)
    FAR: 53, 48, XX (retake 6/16)
    REG:
    BEC: 53

    #675408
    ruggercpa2b
    Participant

    I totally get what you are going through. I took a live Becker class back in 2011 when I was “studying” for the exam. Like other people mentioned we spent 8 hours in class and the instructor just went over the book exactly like Tim or Peter. She even gave the same exact examples. She never went over questions in detail or had an open forum of asking questions. I spent time going back over the material. I was never successful.

    In terms of not taking the time to dig into a concept I used to do that I consistently scored in the 40s and 60s. I never understood how people would say they were burned out when they were studying. My last audit retake I gave it my all and when I didnt understood a concept I dug into it. I read the Wiley textbook and would look up youtube videos and made sure I truly understood the material. And lo and behold I got a 73. I worked so hard and there and then realized what I need to to do be able to pass.

    You just have to put in the time and you will start passing.

    AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
    BEC - 8/20/2016
    REG - TBD
    FAR - TBD

    I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

    #675409
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @MaLuTo It depends on where you take Becker Live and the instructor you get.

    There is a GREAT Becker instructor, Liliana Hickman-Riggs, here in the Dallas, TX area who really invests in her “scholars.” Its not uncommon for her to go home after finishing a Mon/Wed class at 10-1015 and stay up another few hours preparing and sending additional study materials. She would send us emails at 1,2,3 in the morning. We all have her cell number and she is always willing to give you one on one time before or after class. Prior to Becker, she had her own CPA review course and so she gives a lot of other helpful tricks that you just don't get from Becker. She also has people who will travel to Dallas from all over just to take her Live Final Review classes.



    @Claudia408
    If you can afford it, it might be worth it to spend a weekend in Dallas, take BEC Live Final Review on Saturday, spend Sunday going over the notes and your weak spots, test here on a Monday while its all fresh in your head and then drive/fly home. You wouldn't be the first to do so…

    #675410
    Claudia408
    Participant

    Thanks for the input all! It sounds like the live class isn't worth it. I just save $1300! lol 🙂

    So I guess it's back to hammering MCQs!

    BEC - 75 (3x)
    AUD - 78 (3x)
    REG - 67, 66, Aug 1
    FAR - 54, Sept 8

    #675411
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    My experience with Becker Live was similar to MaLoTu's. Though it sounds like she did the fast track or whatever they call it (9 hour classes) where I went for 2 days a week for 4 hours a session.

    I started with Live classes and went to all of them for FAR and about half of them to AUD when I switched over, entirely, to self study. These were not interactive classes at all. The lecturer was simply reading from a script. And by 8pm, nobody was in a mindset to ask questions on complicated material. I always describe these lectures as having Accounting “thrown” at us.

    My turning point came durning FAR 8 and 9 (Government and NFP Accounting). After the Live lecture I did not understand this at all still. I tried working MCQ but just completely bombed it. So I loaded up the Self-Study with good old Mr. Tim Gearty and realized that the lecturer from the Live class was giving Gearty's lecture word for word. I went to the first couple of AUD classes after that but I had just started to work at the time and realized that Self Study was going to work better for me.

    Some people need the structure of a Live class that is scheduled and all of that. I'm normally like that actually. But I found that it was too much. The advantages of Self Study was I could go at my own pace, rewind the videos if I missed something, and start working MCQ right after the lectures (the sooner I start to apply the material the better I learn it). It definitely slowed down my process since I was averaging one to one and a half chapters a week but I feel I understood the material better.

    Finally, your milage may vary. Self Study worked for me but different people learn differently.

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