The 9 Best CPA Exam Prep Courses
What's the Best CPA Review Program?
Whether you're just about to graduate from college or you've been wanting to build on your education and become a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) for a few years, there's no time like the present to prepare for the exam to further your career. To become an accountant, it just takes graduating with a bachelor's degree and getting hired by a company.
However, CPA designation is more prestigious because it shows an extensive knowledge of accounting and it takes effort to pass the rigorous exam administered by the state. Taking the CPA exam is not something that can be done on a whim. It's considered one of the most challenging exams for obtaining standardized professional credentials out there, which means you need to be well-prepared.
Tuesday, May 30th
2023 CPA Exam Prep Course Reviews
Wiley CPA Exam Review
Wiley CPA Exam Review combines 1:1 mentoring and live instruction with self-paced study in their test prep courses. For under $2,000, their most extensive course comes with everything you'd need to get prepared for test day. In addition, you can try out their platform for 14 days at no charge to you before deciding to sign up. If you do sign up and change your mind, you can get a full refund within 10 days. Wiley has a lot to offer and stands behind their product, so they've earned our highest rating.
Varsity Tutors
Varsity Tutors is a resource for people wanting group or one-on-one tutoring in a specific class or when preparing for a big exam. The company has a rigorous hiring process for their tutors and you can read all about them and their certifications on their website. To customize a schedule and tutoring plan for your CPA test prep, Varsity Tutors will reach out to you directly to get started and discuss pricing. They have incredibly high reviews from customers who say that the caliber of tutors here are top-of-the-line and that Varsity Tutors is one of the best resources for studying for the CPA exam.
Surgent CPA Review
Surgent CPA Review boasts that with just 89 hours of studying with their platform (as opposed to nearly 150 hours through other companies), you'll be ready to pass the CPA exam. They use adaptive technology to adjust to your current knowledge of the topics covered on the test to get you prepared faster without wasting extra time. They offer a ReadySCORE, which is a practice exam that lets you know when you're ready for the real test and outlines your strengths and weaknesses. Students can try out the platform for 5 days for free before selecting one of their 3 study packages. They also offer a pass guarantee where you can get your money back if you happen to fail all the sections of the CPA exam. Surgent CPA Review is an efficient way to study for the test and we recommend giving them your consideration.
Becker CPA Review
Becker CPA Review is a comprehensive platform that includes everything a student would need in order to pass the test. It is available in 3 different study packages - all costing over $2,000 each. However, Becker has an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau as well as very high reviews from students who say that this course is the reason they passed their CPA exam on the first try with a high score. You can try Becker for 14 days before committing to a purchase to give you an idea of how effective this test prep option might be for you. We are impressed with the company and see that it's a fantastic and reliable option for serious students who are willing to put in the work for their CPA exam.
Gleim Exam Prep
Gleim is a comprehensive platform to help students studying for the CPA exam. They have options for those wanting to study material for all 4 sections of the test or individual section help for those struggling in a certain area. Prospective customers can demo their system for free before signing up. Once you've paid for the highest package from Gleim, they let you access all the course material until you've passed the CPA test, so you don't have to cram or worry about losing this valuable resource if you fail the first time around. Students have had great success with this program, so it's absolutely worth your time to do a demo and give this course your consideration.
Roger CPA Review
UWorld Roger CPA Review offers competitively priced programs for students wanting to review materials for the full 4-part CPA test or study individual sections. They offer a 7-day free trial of their platform, so you should be able to get an idea of whether or not this will work for you before committing to one of their packages. UWorld has an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau and positive feedback from users, so this is definitely a great option if you're wanting to use a reputable company with a history of high pass rates (94%). We feel confident recommending that students give UWorld a try for CPA test prep.
Lambers CPA Review
Lambers offers CPA test prep courses for individual sections as well as the full 4-part exam. Their website is basic and doesn't include all of the information we'd like to see before committing to their CPA study materials. It would be nice to demo their platform, see a preview of their video lessons, or view all the ways they present information through the course. The best part about this company is that they offer a guarantee where you'll get your money back if you fail the CPA course twice after using their program. Other than that, we aren't wowed by what's offered here and we've seen more thorough courses offered elsewhere that we recommend trying out first.
NINJA CPA Review
NINJA CPA Review is designed to be used in addition to other CPA study tools or used as a stand-alone course. They put a lot of effort trying to make their website cutesy and funny, but we want to see more of what their study platform actually looks like. If you use NINJA CPA Review, you'll pay monthly per section that you want to study. Luckily they have a 30-day guarantee, but we'd rather see a free trial or a demo of their platform before wasting any time. They don't have quite as many features and tools as some other higher-rated companies, so we recommend looking elsewhere first.
HR Training Center
HR Training Center has a range of courses and seminars to help students across a variety of fields. Their website needs a lot of work and we felt like their CPA test prep course was just another product they're marketing to make money, rather than something that is continually updated to provide maximum value to customers. They don't have a demo or free trial, so it's always a little risky to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a product that you haven't seen beforehand. Overall, we aren't impressed with what's offered here, so it will be a better use of your time and money to look elsewhere for a CPA test prep course.
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There is nearly a 50% fail rate, so having the resources to give you the knowledge you need before going in will not only save you money (nearly $1,000), but also a lot of time. The exam is 16 hours long and broken into four sections, so it's not a test you want to keep repeating.
There are quite a few test prep courses available online to help students learn what they need to know before heading into the CPA exam. They're crafted by experts who are very familiar with the ever-changing nature of the exam, so you'll get a range of information to help you succeed on all the sections.
Most of these courses are available on your mobile device, so you can study and practice from anywhere at any time. Having a go-to resource for your CPA test prep is essential for even the most knowledgeable accountants in order to get the most out of your time and money.
There are many companies that offer CPA test prep courses. Consider the following factors when deciding which prep class to use:
- Price: How does the cost of one review program compare to others that are available? Do you have to subscribe for a long period of time or can you pay month-to-month until you are ready to take the test? What's included in the cost?
- Instruction method: Everyone has a slightly different learning style, so make sure you know how material is presented. Is it through videos? Text only? Are you able to work one-on-one with an instructor if needed?
- Guarantee: If you pay for a CPA test prep course and find that it isn't going to help you as much as you hoped, can you cancel at any time? Do they have a guarantee that allows you to get a refund if you use all their resources and still fail the test?
- Reputation: Is the company accredited with the Better Business Bureau? What do students have to say about the effectiveness of the course? You'll want to use a test prep company that has a strong reputation with helping people pass the CPA exam.
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best places to turn for CPA test prep. We hope this information helps you find the study materials you need to be confident and prepared going into your CPA exam!
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