Consumer feedback on the Becker CPA Review Course varies widely from very positive to negative. Becker is endorsed by the Big 4, so that if your employer is reimbursing the cost of your study materials, Becker would be a good choice because it is recognized as one of the better cpa courses.
However, if you’re paying for a CPA review course out of your own pocket, know that there are other review courses that cost much less, that may be comparable in quality (or exceed it, depending on who you ask) to the Becker course.
The main Becker CPA Review Course comes in three formats: live, online, or self-study CD. Live classes are taught at 200+ locations worldwide. Online classes enables students to participate in weekly online classes, then watch repeats whenever they like for however many times they like. The self-study CD allows the student to learn at his/her own pace by watching the lectures for any number of times s/he need to. All three formats cover the same materials and questions. The live and online classes are probably better options for less disciplined students and/or students that like to study at a consistent pace, whereas the self-study CD should be ideal for self-motivated individuals that prefer to go at his/her own pace.
Becker also offers Final Review courses, to past and current Becker students ONLY, to help with final reviews during the last days before the exam. The cost is $525 for current Becker students or $675 for past Becker students, for all four parts. Also, flash cards are available for $180 (current students) or $295 (past students). Opinions are mixed as to whether or not the final review courses or the flash cards are helpful.
People who have used Becker to pass all four sections at the first attempt will obviously vouch for Becker, and many people belong in this category. However, for those of us who failed one or more sections after using Becker (I unfortunately belong in this category), Yaeger has helped many of us to pass on the second try.
Some students comment that the Becker materials do not cover all areas, and that some areas are not covered in enough detail. The general consensus is that if you have a solid background in accounting and are familiar with most of the concepts, then Becker will provide a good review that will adequately prepare you for the exam. Otherwise, you may be better off choosing a CPA review course like Yaeger’s, which clarify difficult concepts in greater detail.
I personally prefer Yaeger over Becker. Another plus for Yaeger is that it’s cheaper than Becker. A complete Becker’s course (all 4 sections) costs around $1200+ more than the Yaeger Complete Home Study Course.
Another thing you should know about Becker’s course is that their course software expires one year from installation, whereas the Yaeger DVDs can never expire. Unless you’re committed to doing all 4 exams within 12 months, purchasing all 4 parts of the Becker course at one time is not recommended. Instead, you are advised to only buy one section at a time, and only buy materials for the next section after passing the exam for the previous section.
Yaeger also allows students to call a hotline where they can talk directly with the instructors on the video, including the owner (Dr. Phil Yaeger). This type of personal approach is unmatched by any CPA review course currently available on the market.
However, when it comes to pass rate, “students who prepare with Becker CPA Review pass at double the rate of non-Becker candidates” (source: BeckerCPA.com). Seeing that the pass rate for Uniform CPA Examination in 2008 was 47.49-49.10% (depending on the section), the Becker pass rate would need to be 94.98-98.20% to uphold that statement. This would make Becker’s pass rate higher than both Yaeger (88%) and Roger (86%).
Becker is no doubt a good program and has worked for a lot of people, but the catch is you may need to already know your accounting principles well and be willing to shell out more money to make it work for you. Alternatively, if you want to pay less, cut down your study time, and focus on materials that will most likely appear on the exam, then I would highly recommend that you try Yaeger.
The pass rates for the Uniform CPA Exam would INCLUDE Becker candidates.
You would need to remove the Becker candidates from the pass rates to validate their claim.
Product license lasts 12 months…however, CPA allows 18 months to pass – heaven forbid you don’t get past REG and find yourself with an expired code.
Becker is in it for the money.
Questions found in Gleim’s products are ENTIRELY more similar to those found on the actual examinations.
I wished I could get my money back from Becker – the 2:1 ratio they tout as being the passrate for using their product was clearly produced by a firm they were paying to make such determinations.