[MissCarrot]

I am finally starting my CPA study. I’d say I have very little professional accounting knowledge or work experience. I am not too worried about the cost or the time limit as long as I can get it done. I know there are tons of similar topics on this forum already and trust me, I’ve read many of them. A lot of things are contradictory so I decided to start a new topic summarizing what I have read and hopefully, find a course that’s the best for me. I have a lot of time (6-8 hours) to study every day but I am not the smart kind or the best at focusing, so I am hoping to find something that keeps my attention for a long time. Anyway, here’s what I’ve learned about different courses from reading a whole bunch of threads. Please correct me if you don’t agree!

Roger:
– Very engaging lectures that keep you entertained
– Not for beginners, only for really smart/knowledgable people since the lectures don’t cover everything (unpopular opinion. Plz let me know if this is not true)
– MCQs are easy. Need Ninja as a supplement.

Gleim:
– Boring and lengthy lectures that make you lose interest quickly
– Too complicated for beginners
– Very challenging MCQs that get you over prepared

Wiley:
– A lot of technical issues
– Just the worst :/
– The most similar to Becker but at a lower cost
– Largest test bank

Becker:
– Only if your employer pays for it
– Companies choose Becker over competitors for a reason

Again, I know very little about each course. All the opinions above are from what I read. I didn’t include Ninja since it is only a test bank and I will probably buy it anyways.

[MissCarrot]

BTW, this was my thought process:
I started looking at Becker since we had a speaker to talk about Becker at school and it's the most well-known program. After initial researching on different courses, I chose Wiley over Becker since it's more cost efficient. But then I saw many reviews saying Wiley is the worst, while many are recommending Roger. I was ready to purchase Roger at that point, but I read that Roger doesn't go in depth and it's not for beginners. At the same time, I read great reviews about Gleim too. The only reason I am hesitating is because I'm afraid it's too complicated and boring for a beginner. From what I read, it seems like Glein is a good option for retaking any section. Ugh I am having a difficult time deciding. Please help!

[Skynet]

Each review course has it's pros and cons, but at the end of the day you have the ultimate responsibility to both motivate yourself and to put in the work whether you are a beginner or with years of experience.

[PNS2CLT]

You’re feeding into some misconceptions. All of the major review programs, and I’d add Surgent and Yaeger to your listing, offer the same/similar content – basiclly rehasing the exam’s blueprint. Thus, not one program is better tailored than another for a beginner.

Secondly, all of the major review programs utilize the same MCQ questions (previous exam questions released by the AICPA), although some add original content. The difference is going to be in explanations and presentation/accessibility of the questions. You do NOT need to purchase supplementary material, that’s a choice.

Thirdly, Becker is not the undisputed best. Becker donates millions of dollars annually to schools and state societies in exchange for preferred product visability and/or marketing. That the Big 4 went with Becker was more of a convenience — they were offered large volume discounts, and Becker appoints dedicated reps that take care of everything for them. In recent years, plenty of people have reported that their Big 4 office now allows them to select and seek reimbursement for another review program.

So, which program is right for you? You need to decide that, given only you knows what works best for you. Every program offers a free trial or free sample — spend a week or two exploring those, the proceed with the one you liked best.

The good news – you can pass no matter which program you use, so there’s no “wrong” answer. Ideally, you’d like to select the one that’s tailored to your strengths.

[Jimmy Dugan]

I wouldn't say any of these courses are right for a beginner, largely because the CPA exam does not cover beginner material. I used a couple of different courses (Roger first, then Becker) and I passed with both. Did all of the free trials on the other major names. The only real differences in any of these courses are the lectures and the content/format of the books. I liked the fact that the Becker books were around 400-500 pages while Roger and Wiley were 1,000+ for FAR and REG. There is no difference in any of the MCQ, possibly with the exception of Gleim, as I've read that they write some of their own questions to supplement the retired AICPA questions that make up 99% of the test banks in other programs.

The reality is they all have their strengths and weaknesses, and you can pass with any of them. It's hard to find useful advice on this topic because for every person that loves Becker, there is somebody else that loves Roger and hates Becker. Get all of the free trials and go with the one YOU like the most.

[Author]

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