Becker CPA Review - 3 Pros And Cons

Becker CPA Review is the most well-known but at the same time the most expensive. Is it really that good to worth such a premium? Let's take a look at the pros and cons of this CPA exam review course.

Becker CPA Review: Pros

1. Most Well-Known Brand Name

Becker has been around for more than 50 years, and the company has gained endorsement from all of Big 4 in terms of recommending and sponsoring their employees for the live lectures. Therefore, it is without question that Becker is the most reputable CPA exam review provider with one of the longest history and track records.

In addition, Becker CPA Review has partnership with over 1,500 accounting firms, corporations, universities, professional societies, and government agencies which proves that the Becker name is well-recognized in the industry.

2. Excellent Lecture Notes

I have to say their lecture notes are very well-organized and well laid-out. You might think this is nothing special, but if you have flipped through Wiley (which is very comprehensive, but poorly laid out) and Gleim (reads like an encyclopedia) you will appreciate Becker notes' user-friendliness.

When you are swarmed by the content and the lack of time to study, it is very helpful to have a set of notes that is both effective and easy to read and understand.

3. Professional With Constant Update

Becker CPA Review does put in a fair amount of effort and resources to keep its content up to date. It is also relatively free of errors and typos, which in itself is not a big problem, but it shows the professionalism and a publisher that you can trust. For occasional errors that they discover after publishing, they do a good job in posting updates on their website.

Becker CPA Review: Cons

1. Live Classes Are A Disappointment (To Me)

Because of the above, I chose Becker as my study guide without going through a comparison with other CPA exam review courses. I took the live classes and unfortunately, I have to say I was quite disappointed by the result.

Possibly because I have too high of an expectation, but I wouldn't have expected a course that costs almost $3,000 (now it's $3,065) to be merely a playing of the DVD in a classroom setting. Yes, there was a lecturer but for my case, he was nothing more than a guy who checked the attendance, corrected my homework, and answered a few questions.

While I liked the notes, the DVD was essentially asking everyone to "circle this, highlight that" which I find quite a waste of my time. The class was also too long - each module was 3-4 hours and for my course it was 2 modules every Sunday, so you are talking about almost 8 hours straight. I understand it is a challenge to make accounting remotely interesting but I would appreciate if they split up the course to make them more manageable.

2. Lots Of Hidden Charges And Restriction

Please note that as a Becker student you are supposed to pass all parts of the CPA exam within 12 months to get the discounted retake. Also, you need to have 100% attendance rate and achieve 90% accuracy in the homework in order to get the "Becker promise", i.e. tuition-free retake of the course. In my opinion this is too strict -- if I can get 90% right the first time I won't need to take any review course to pass the exam!

3. 35% More Expensive Than 2nd Expensive Competitor

Becker has recently raised its price once again to $3,095. This is 35% higher than the next expensive option, Bisk CPA Review, at $1,980.

For candidates who are not part of the 1,500 accounting firms, corporations and agencies that get free or deeply discounted Becker course, you are in a way sponsoring many of those who do. It is something you should consider whether it is a fair deal.

Is Becker CPA Course Worth It?

There are strong pros and cons when it comes to the Becker CPA Review Course. What you can do now is to compare Becker with its competitors, notably Bisk, Wiley, Gleim, Kaplan, Lambers, Roger, Yaeger, CPAExcel and a few others and determine which course best suit your study style and budget.

I have summarized the pros and cons of each of these programs in this page on CPA exam review courses comparison where you can take the time to objectively evaluate all of them. I have also written more on my experience on Becker CPA Review for those who are interested.

Best of luck to your exam!

Stephanie shares her experience in planning, studying and passing her CPA exam on her first attempt at IPassTheCPAExam.com