Becker and Wiley and Bisk, oh my!

November 11, 2009 6:57 AM

Have you taken a CPA review course? Which one, and why did it work / not work for you?

I'm trying to decide which course to buy, but there's so many options (Becker, Bisk, Gleim, Roger, Wiley, Yaeger, etc.) and, of course, they all claim to be wonderful. I'd very much appreciate your thoughts on the review course you took and if / why it worked for you.
I think that I would prefer a mix of methods, such as online videos, flashcards, and ability to ask questions of someone somewhere. And practice exams, lots of practice exams. An all-textbook review course would put me to sleep.
The only limitations are any software must be mac compatible, and real-world classroom attendance would be difficult unless classes are offered in western Massachusetts.

posted by otters walk among us to Education (6 answers total)

Best answer: I took yaeger and I would recommend it. It comes with DVDs and the Wiley textbook (you can also order a disk of practice questions). The good thing is they cover every topic in detail so you really learn the material as opposed to just getting enough for the exam. The only drawback to that is there is alot of DVDs and it takes some time to go through. Also you can call with questions. I called twice with questions regarding topics coverd on the exam and the phone was answered right away and my questions and more were answered. They also re-shoot the DVDs every 6 months so the material is fresh.
You didnt ask but as for any tips for studying you seem to have the right idea--keep doing as many questions as you can. I can't stress this enough.
posted by Busmick at 7:39 AM on November 11, 2009

Check your me-fi mail
posted by Busmick at 8:25 AM on November 11, 2009

Best answer: I took the Becker course. It was an in-class course, which also provided us with textbooks, flashcards, and online review test and access to the online courses. I passed the test on the first try! However, that was for the final written test, so with the new computerized tests, YMMV.

Following along with Busmick for tips: For me, it helped to write over and over and over all the silly mnemonics. I mean, I went through several notebooks going for rote memorization.

Good luck!
posted by Zoyashka at 9:07 AM on November 11, 2009

Response by poster: Thank you both for your advice and help.
posted by otters walk among us at 5:43 PM on November 11, 2009

My brother and I took Becker together, got a discount since we were considered a group and both passed.
posted by readery at 7:29 PM on November 11, 2009

I took Becker, signed up for the in-class course (@ Bentley College) and was blown away when I showed up, the "professor" clicks play on Windows Media projecting on the screen and walks out. I then proceed to watch the same video I would have received (did receive at the end of class) if I purchased the online or DVD course. I guess I was naively thinking I would get live instruction.

Having said that, the two presenters are good, but had vastly different styles. One would go line by line in the book and have me highlight nearly everything. The other (I forget their names) wanted me to note everything with underlines, circles, and boxes. The two different methods, usually in the same book, made it very confusing when I went back to review.

I did like the software, questions (there were a surprising number of questions repeated word for word in the exam) and practice tests.

I tried CPAExcel and had a hard time completing the courses.

One note, CPAExcel doesn't seem to expire (I've been able to access it for years); Becker has a one year expiration on the software.
posted by revan at 4:54 AM on November 12, 2009