[red07]

Hi guys,

I bought Becker in December and started off with FAR but life happened and I had to call it off, I also returned all the material back to Becker since i was paying out of pocket, it was no use paying for it every month when i wasn’t even studying. Now I’m back on track and starting off with BEC with the aim to get all the exams done before 2017.

Now coming to the main point, Ive taken trials through Wiley cpaexcel and Rogers, but i keep going back to Becker. I find becker’s style more suitable for me. But the price is too much and to be honest I want to purchase one part at a time. I have come down to wiley and rogers. Please anyone help me out in this. just want to start ASAP without wasting any more time.

i will be supplementing it with ninja mcqs and maybe notes.

Specifically for BEC which course out of these two do you think are best?

thanks in advance

[1koolcat]

Red07,

I have only used Becker, but I have gone on youtube to look at some of the videos from Rogers and Ninja. This might sound silly, but the instructor is very important to me. Sometimes people have engaging videos and sometimes the instructor has a boring voice or an annoying accent, which can be distracting. You might want to go on youtube and look at some of the material from the programs you are considering and see if you can stand to listen to the instructor. Also, I am sorry I drank all the Becker kool-aid. I am fine with the program, I just didn't need so much of it. When I was finishing my degree, the Becker people came to our school and put on a dog and pony show. I bought everything–all 4 sections, the final review, and all the flashcards. And I signed up for the in-person classes, 8 hours every Saturday. I wish I had experienced just one class before sinking all that money into a review course. What happened? Classes were too boring and too much to take on a Saturday after a full work week. I never used the flash cards or the final review. My time ran out, I only attempted one test, AUD, which I did pass. I am now paying for a second round of online Becker, section by section, although I do get a 50% discount since I fulfilled the “Becker promise” (watch all the videos, do all the homework). Of course, you might look at my scores and think, hmmm, you DID need all the materials and you should have used them. I deserve that. I have motivational issues. I just don't think the flash cards and final review was worth the money, since I didn't use them. As far as Wiley goes, many of my college textbooks were written by Wiley, and I go back to them when I need a better explanation on a certain topic. Becker is certainly well respected and widely used, but sometimes I think they make things too complicated and too wordy.

AUD - 77
REG - 73, 80
FAR - 69, 73, 79 and DONE!
BEC - 82

[EuroAddict]

Have to decide if Beckers is worth it to you in the end. You say it's your study style so might be worth it to pony up the money.

-----------------------------
BEC - 77, 03/2015 (first try)
FAR - 79, 05/2015 (second try)
REG - 83, 12/2015 (first try)
AUD - 84, 03/2015 (first try)

I got 99 problems but the CPA ain't one.

[Ag12thman]

If Becker is your style, it's worth it to take out a small loan or borrow from a family member (and hopefully pay them back gradually interest free). Many people will tell you to avoid Becker due to it's hefty price-tag, but I know a ton of people who will also tell you they could not have done it without the style that Becker employs. Those same people will tell you that it was worth every penny to them. So, if you consider the amount of money you will make over the course of your career, I think a preparation course that helps you earn the CPA as soon as possible is really invaluable.

Am I saying go out and get Becker as it's the only good course? Of course not. You'll find others on this site that have used the 10-Point Combo exclusively to pass all four sections. However, that will not work for a lot of candidates. Likewise, there are many on this site that used Wiley, CPA Excel, Yaeger, Gleim, and Roger and passed all four sections using only those exclusive preparation materials. My advice is you have to go get Becker if you keep “going back to it” (as you mentioned in your original post). If you don't, you are likely going to be wishing you had Becker after you already spent $1,500.00 on a different course. Just my opinion and/or 2 cents.

FAR: July 2016

[Jdn9201]

I vote Roger – I vetoed Becker because it didn't seem worth the $ to me. I had heard good reviews about Roger (mainly from a coworker who is using him). Roger's program has been great. His lectures are engaging and hes' very good at breaking down complex material into bite sized pieces. An added bonus is he is very funny – I laugh in almost all of his lectures. Considering how dry this material is, that's saying something. Although this process has been intense, it actually hasn't been as rough as I expected – I've passed all 3 exams on the first attempt and praying for the same for FAR. I can't speak for the other programs but Roger is awesome.

BEC - 88 8/29/15
REG - 82 11/14/15
AUD - 83 1/8/16
FAR - 80 2/29/16

[red07]

Thank you @1Koolcat, @EuroAddict and @jdn9201. I don't want to spend money on Becker when I know there are other review courses out there. i think I just started with Becker so I'm more inclined towards it, i need to get that out of my mind.

i am taking a trial with cpa excel and rogers and comparing mostly the lectures because I know i will be watching them. Im pretty good at reading and making notes so study guides should not be a problem.

@jdn9201, what is your study method with Rogers, and is there any advice you would like to give specifically for BEC, since thats what Im starting out with.

thanks

[REG-FTW86]

I like Roger's stuff. I don't like his MCQ though. I'd invest in Ninja for sure to supplement his material. I think Roger + Ninja Supplement's is a recipe for success. That's what got me my first pass and then my next two. If you're a lectures guy then Roger is good. I think about how much time is wasted with his jokes and stuff but I think he does that to keep you interested. Lectures are anywhere from a few minutes to the most I think I've watch was maybe 32 minutes (not common). So it allows you to watch, read, practice problems, and move on to next topic.

My method I use. I will watch Roger's lectures, then I will read the book and take my own detailed notes, and then I will review with Ninja MCQ and my own notes. On my last FAR test I didn't practice any MCQ until my review phase. I didn't like doing MCQ until I felt comfortable with the material is why.

Regulation For The Win!

FAR 57, 62, 77
BEC 70,77
AUD 54,78
REG 66, 62, 7/29

FAR.BEC.AUD.AUD.BEC.FAR.FAR.REG.REG

Roger CPA Review / Ninja MCQ Supplement

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time - Thomas Edison

[GorJess]

I'm using Gleim. Take a look at their review course. It's more affordable than Becker and Roger/Wiley.

There's a traditional one for $1,099 (last for 18 months) and a premium one for $1,399 (last forever until you pass). You can get it the traditional for $989 and the premium for $1,259. Gleim's format of the MCQs and SIMS look exactly like the actual CPA exam.

I couldn't get down with Roger. I never bought his system, but I viewed a few of his youtube videos and he's just too extra for me and annoying.

Began my CPA journey in 2012 using Gleim and mistakenly paid to take all 4 parts within 6 months:
AUD - 51, 47 (did not study properly)
REG - 39 (did not study at all, just took it on a whim)
Did not sit for FAR or BEC
I gave up in 2013... 🙁

Resumed my CPA journey in 2016 using Gleim again with the following plan:
FAR - study Feb thru Jun, take exam 6/5/16
AUD - study Jun thru Aug, take exam 8/28/16
REG - study Sep thru Dec, take exam 12/4/16
BEC - study Dec thru Feb, take exam 2/26/17

[Jdn9201]

Red07, my study method/plan has been a bit unconventional, so I'm not sure how much help I will be! For BEC and REG, my first step was I made pretests for every chapter based on MCQ's from Roger's test bank. If I made a 70 or higher, I skipped that entire chapter's readings and lectures. I've worked in tax for almost 10 years and I took BEC not studying at all back in 2014, and made a 74. Doing the pretests allowed me to cut out about 50% of BEC lectures and 30-40% of REG. That also allowed me to knock out BEC in 3 weeks of solid studying, and REG in 5-6.

For AUD, I would watch every chapter's lectures first, then I would read each chapter in the book and do the questions at the end. I studied in December (got off track some at Christmas) then left the 1st week of January to review. My review phase consisted of pounding MCQ's and doing practice exams. I occasionally had to go back to the book for some things that took me a while to learn (Audit reports, ugh). I don't take any notes though, so I may have not needed the book as much had I taken notes all along.

The best advice I have for BEC is don't spend too much time practicing the writing questions. They are only worth 15-20% of your score, and so many of the points come from repeating what the question is asking in the introduction and conclusion. You only need 1 paragraph of actual technical knowledge related to the topic, and you can get that if you are good at MCQ's on that topic. Roger does a really good job at preparing you for the written questions. I felt like my questions were all across the board. Also, make sure you focus on the big picture and concepts rather than too many specifics. Good luck!

BEC - 88 8/29/15
REG - 82 11/14/15
AUD - 83 1/8/16
FAR - 80 2/29/16

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