Thanks for checking out my comparison of the Top 11 Best CPA exam review courses. I have personally tested, analyzed, and used every major CPA exam prep course on the market so you don’t have to!
In a market where everyone claims to be the best, it’s important to realize that there is no single review course that is “the best”. Each CPA prep course caters to a different type of student so you need to find the CPA study materials that best fits your learning style, budget and schedule.
That being said, a few of these companies definitely provide a better overall course than the others. To jump straight to my recommendations, please check out my Top 7 CPA Prep Courses comparison chart!
What Are The Best CPA Exam Review Courses?
Top 11 Best Online CPA Exam Prep Courses Comparison- Surgent CPA Prep Course
- Wiley CPAexcel CPA Prep Courses
- Becker CPA Review Courses
- Roger CPA Review Course
- Gleim CPA Study Materials
- Fast Forward Academy CPA Prep
- Yaeger CPA Review
- Ninja CPA Review Course
- Lambers CPA Exam Review
- MDS CPA Exam Review
- CPA Review For Free
Surgent CPA Review Course
(Rank: #1)
OVERALL RATING:
PROS
Experienced Instructors: Surgent CPA Review instructors all have at least 15-20 years of experience teaching CPA exam candidates. They offer insightful strategies and study tips in their video lectures that they have accumulated through many years of teaching. Their videos are concise and to the point which makes it easier to absorb and retain the information learned. Money Back Guarantee: Sign up for a 3-day free trial of their course to get familiar with it before making any buying decisions. They also offer a Money Back Guarantee, so if you complete their course and end up failing you eligible for a full refund. This shows just how confident they are in their product and that they are willing to put their money where their mouth is. Intuitive Dashboard: Surgent’s study materials are extremely easy to navigate and you’ll be cruising in and out of lessons with ease thanks to the revamped dashboard design that Surgent created. This is something with which other courses struggle, so it’s great to see one course put a lot of money and effort into making the prep program easy to use and intuitive.CONS
New CPA Exam Prep Company: Surgent is fairly new to the CPA test prep industry so there isn’t a lot of student feedback about their course yet. I will be watching them closely over the next year to see how students using their study materials perform on the CPA exam, so far it appears to be quite positive but the sample size is too small. Take Me To Surgent CPA ReviewWiley CPAexcel CPA Review
(Rank: #2)
OVERALL RATING:
PROS
Bite-Sized Topics: Each section is broken down into small 30-45 minute sections, which makes the CPA exam seem much less overwhelming. This is also great for anyone who has a full-time job or children and doesn’t have large chunks of time to study. TONS of Multiple Choice Questions: Wiley’s Platinum course includes over 12,000 multiple choice questions from previous CPA exams, which is more than any other course on the market. This allows you to get the repetition you need without worrying about seeing the same questions repeated over and over again. Unlimited Use: Once you buy their CPA study materials, they NEVER expire. This includes unlimited use of practice tests, videos, quizzes, and all other course materials. Wiley also provides free online course updates, so you’ll never have to worry about studying with outdated materials.CONS
- Best For Independent Self Studiers:
Becker CPA Exam Review Course
(Rank: #3)
OVERALL RATING:
PROS
Regularly Updated & Large Study Bank: Becker CPA Review has one of the largest databases of exam questions and provides over 7,200 multiple choice questions and almost 400 task-based simulations for practice. The Study Bank ensures that you won’t see the same recycled questions over and over again. Inconsistent Live Classes: Becker offers live classes that have been reported to be less than helpful by many students. There is a benefit of having a live classroom setting to gain a deeper understanding of CPA knowledge, but Becker does not do a great job at doing this. I recommend using a different CPA review course that will have a more engaging live classroom option if this is a learning strategy you would like to use.CONS
Cost: The cost of Becker CPA Review can be prohibitive as they have the highest prices out of all CPA exam prep providers. That being said, Becker does offer 0% financing options for the first 18 months to customers who qualify and they also run special promotions and discounts to help mitigate this concern. Take Me To Becker CPA ReviewRoger CPA Review Course
(Rank: #4)
Gleim CPA Review Prep Course
(Rank: #5)
OVERALL RATING:
PROS
Extensive Practice Tests: Gleim utilizes a variety of testing tools such as True/False quizzes, MCQ tests, Final Exam Reviews and Task Based Simulations to give you plenty of practice for the real deal. Their full review course includes over 9,200 multiple choice questions, which is significantly more than any other CPA prep course. Audio Review: Gleim’s complete course includes an audio CPA review for each section of the CPA exam. These provide an excellent way to learn the material during non-traditional study times like driving to work, and can be easily downloaded to your smart phone, iPod or mp3 player.CONS
Very Detailed Content: The books are detailed and use a significant amount of technical jargon. Although many students prefer a highly comprehensive course, others may feel overwhelmed by the information overload. Take Me To Gleim CPA ReviewFast Forward Academy CPA Prep Course
(Rank: #6)
OVERALL RATING:
Yaeger CPA Review Materials
(Rank: #7)
OVERALL RATING:
PROS
Best Customer Support: Yaeger’s Live Instructor Hotline provides responsive personal support that is superior to any other review course. This allows students to directly contact the instructors for help with any questions that arise while studying. Yaeger is famous for his promise, “Whether by phone or email – you can contact me and the other instructors personally almost anytime.” Easy To Follow Lectures: The lectures include step by step instructions to ensure that students are clear about the subject material. Instructors work hundreds of multiple choice questions with you and help you navigate through those tricky problems which give you the repetition needed to be successful.CONS
Old School Style of Teaching: Students with shorter attention spans may get bored by the traditional lecture videos. They are structured very much like most accounting classes you probably had in college and move a little slower than an independent self-study type of person might prefer. Take Me To Yaeger CPA ReviewNinja CPA Exam Review
(Rank: #8)
OVERALL RATING:
PROS
Components Sold Separately: You don’t have to buy the whole course, only what you need. Ninja is an ideal supplement to other review courses because you can choose to purchase only the popular Ninja Notes, audio or video lectures, or the multiple choice question bank for additional practice. Great Price: The price of Ninja CPA Review’s individual components is very affordable, so you can easily get extra practice for a relatively small investment. The Ninja Notes can be bought for just $67 per section, and the MCQ database is all yours for $497. Be sure to take advantage of the free demos on the website too!CONS
Not Comprehensive: Students looking for a comprehensive and in-depth review course should look elsewhere. Ninja is best for students who are pretty confident in their skills and are just looking for extra practice to hone their skills before the exam. Outdated Technology: The dashboard and design are outdated and the site is somewhat difficult to navigate. The multiple choice question database is also older and would benefit from some updates. Take Me To Ninja CPA ReviewLambers CPA Exam Prep Course
(Rank: #9)
OVERALL RATING:
PROS
Money Back Guarantee Program: Lambers is the only review course that guarantees you will pass or your money back. The only stipulation is that you must fail the same exam twice before you can get a refund which seems completely reasonable for this type of rare offer. Audio Course: The Lambers Audio courseware comes in both MP3 and CD formats. Also included are their resource CD’s which include Lambers Textbook as well as the instructor’s workbooks that they use throughout the lectures. The Audio Course is great for anyone who is an auditory learner as you will listen to professors work through hundreds of questions.CONS
Their lectures are pretty bland and can very easily put you to sleep. However, they do happen to be very organized and teach the material well. If you are looking for a CPA cure to your ADHD then this might not be the best fit for you. User Feedback Is Scarce: There are a lot less posts and feedback from students who use this course. This is probably because they do not market their product as heavily as their competitors. Despite the small amount of discussion though the general response to their course has been somewhat positive especially for the Audit section. Take Me To Lambers CPA ReviewMDS CPA Review Course
(Rank: #10)
OVERALL RATING:
PROS
Steve Martin’s Teaching Style: Steve has been in the CPA exam game for almost 30 years and has a lot of teaching experience. He focuses on helping students understand the most important concepts that are likely to be tested on and doesn’t get too caught up on all the little stuff. Video Lectures: As he teaches there are digital slides of the textbook on the screen to help you follow along. He uses an on-screen pen to underline the text as he talks which is not the most modern technology, however it does help keep to you focused more than a normal lecture.CONS
Software Lacks Analytics: The homework software doesn’t have any analytic tools to point out the topics you score well on versus topics that you need to improve on. You are given a test score at the end of each practice exam but there are no other statistics or performance charts that break down your score into subsections. Less Lecture Hours: The total course consists of 72 lecture hours which is considerably less than the other video review courses provide. Perhaps he is trying to focus only on the most important concepts, but there’s a chance he could be skipping over some important material here. Take Me To MDS CPA ReviewCPA Review For Free
(Rank: #11)
OVERALL RATING:
PROS
Lots of Multiple Choice Practice Questions: There are over 1000 MCQs to work through covering all 4 sections of the CPA exam. These are high quality questions and are similar to what you can expect to see on the actual exam. You are also able to create your own practice tests about a specific topic if you’d like. It’s FREE!: No strings attached, just straight up free study material. I was also impressed by how there are very few advertisements on the website, being that it’s free I was expecting to get bombarded with pop ads and other gimmicks.CONS
Not A Full Review Course: This course would be great to use a supplement to your primary study materials, however I definitely would not suggest using CPA Review For Free by itself. It’s not a guided review and there are no video lectures to help explain the material. Take Me To CPA Review For Free I hope this overview of CPA Review Courses has been helpful. If you would like a recommendation based on your specific background and experiences, drop me a note in the comments section below and I’ll get back to you shortly 🙂A working Becker CPA discount code is listed on the dedicated coupon page.
