Becker vs Gleim CPA Review

When comparing Gleim CPA Review and Becker CPA Review, it’s tough to determine which course is better. No one wants to spend a lot of time and money on a course that won’t help them learn. So let’s take a look at the format, software updates, price, and other important factors of these courses to see whether one stands out from the other.

Becker CPA vs. Gleim Cost| Course Access |Practice Questions| Course Audio |Course Format| Software Updates| Course Formats| Course Video

For the record, I’ve used both of these CPA courses; there are some major differences that you should know about before you decide which one would be the best for you. Take a look at our comparisons below to ensure you find the best prep course for your study needs:

Becker, which costs $3,393, is one of the more expensive CPA prep courses on the market. If you don’t need all four parts of the course, each part can also be bought individually for $1,131. Since most companies will sponsor employees who study through Becker, this cost is mitigated for many applicants. However, you may not be so lucky!

Gleim’s premium course is dramatically cheaper at $1,999. However, they also offer a standard course for $1,599. Gleim is actually cheaper than most other courses. Consequently, there really is no contest here, unless your employer is footing the bill.

Winner: Gleim CPA Review

Becker’s course used to only offer 18 months of access in order to match up with the 18-month “rolling” window examinees have to pass all four sections of the exam. However, they recently unveiled unlimited course access, meaning that CPA candidates can access their materials for as long as they need. Gleim CPA Review will also grant you near-unlimited access, which only ends once you pass the CPA exam. Furthermore, both courses stay up to date with the changes to the CPA exam, so you will have the most current materials no matter what. However, there’s a time limit on the Gleim updates that I will explain later.

Winner: Becker CPA Review

Becker CPA Review includes 7,200 multiple choice questions and 400 task based simulations. If that isn’t enough questions, you can purchase around 1200 supplemental questions as well as flashcards and a condensed final review.

Comparatively, Gleim has 9,200 practice multiple choice questions and 1,000 task based simulations. That’s more task based simulations than any other course on the market! This could be ideal for you since the new updates to the CPA Exam will include more task based simulations.

Winner: Gleim CPA Review

Gleim comes with an audio review course that can be downloaded and listened to on many different devices. Each section of this CPA exam review course consists of 20 short audio lectures that average 25-30 minutes each. This allows you to study without having to be in front of the computer.

Becker does not have audio lectures included in its course. Instead they are focused on creating a classroom experience with their live classes. Therefore, if you are an auditory learner, Gleim is the course for you.

Winner: Gleim CPA Review

Gleim comes with great video review lectures that are informative and entertaining. Although they aren’t the best in the business, these videos are more entertaining than their competitors. Becker’s videos are similarly informative but opt for a more professional presentation instead. Both courses have extremely strong video lectures, so it mainly comes down to personal choice on the style of the videos.

Personally, I prefer the direct and clear cut presentation of the materials Becker provides. However, aspiring students may want the engagement Gleim provides.

Gleim:

Becker:

Becker offers 3 different course formats: online, self-study, and live classes. It is one of the only CPA review companies to provide a live classroom course. These courses are great for students who learn best in a structured classroom setting. All Becker instructors are experienced CPAs and accounting, law, or business professionals.

Gleim is primarily a self-study course, but it provides study tips, guidelines and specific study tactics to help you work through the program successfully. Furthermore, the software is easy to navigate thanks to the detailed instructions seen throughout the course. You will also have access to a Personal Counselor for study advice and support.

Winner: Becker CPA Review

Becker ensures that its practice exams, simulations, and video lectures are all up to date with the changing CPA exam. The last thing they want is for you to be stuck studying with outdated materials (Example: all the new IFRS regulations recently added to the Audit Exam). However, the downside to this is that you will need to pay the cost of production and shipping to receive updated materials such as textbooks.

Like Becker, Gleim also ensures all course materials remain up to date. You will have 18-month period from when you purchased the course to replace your materials with the most up to date version for no charge. This is important to note because you technically have access until you pass, but your updates are only accessible for 18 months. Still, it’s a better deal than Becker!

Winner: Gleim CPA Review

So which CPA review course is better?

Well, Becker just barely beats out Gleim, I think it’s fair to say that Becker CPA Review is the better course. However, both courses have their own strengths and you need to find the course that fits YOUR learning style. That is why I recommend you check out both Becker and Gleim’s free demos before making your final decision. Best of luck!

GO TO BECKER CPA REVIEW!

Gleim vs Becker CPA Review

Written by: Bryce Welker, CPA

5 / 5 stars