The Bisk CPA review course materials are offered in two study modes: guided reviews and self-directed reviews.
Guided reviews are complete instructions courses that are geared towards students that need to learn or review all concepts from scratch. These courses provide explanations to difficult concepts and well-analyzed answers to practice questions. Guided reviews are available in 3 different formats: the Bisk CPA Review Online, which involves live online lectures; the Bisk CPA review classic, which are available as CDs that you can learn from at your own pace; and the Bisk CPA Review Live, which are live classes that are held in selected cities in the US.
On the other hand, self-directed review materials are designed to help candidates to identify and strengthen weak areas and to fill specific gaps in their knowledge of accounting concepts. There are several options for self-directed materials. One of them is the multimedia software, which comes with a diagnostic exam to identify your weak areas and then provides specific instructions and practice questions to strengthen those areas. This software also includes CPA exam simulations that simulate the actual exam.
The most popular self-directed review materials are without doubt the intensive videos and “hot spot” videos. Intensive videos are available for each exam section and are designed to help you cram during the final days (or even hours) before an exam, whereas “hot spot” videos are created such that each video will explain a specific topic in great detail. The major difference between an intensive DVD and a hot spot DVD is that the former covers all the topics in a particular exam section while the latter focuses on a specific accounting topic.
Also available are Bisk’s textbooks, which contain similar materials as the software described above. Many students agree that it would be unnecessary to get both the textbooks and the software. If you’re on a small budget, you can give the textbooks a try since they’re cheaper than the software. Advice: get Bisk textbooks from amazon – they’re cheaper there than on the Bisk website. Click here to check out Bisk textbooks on Amazon.
When it comes to choosing a specific study option, you should note that many students find the intensive and hot spot DVDs useful, while student opinions are mixed regarding the classic and online courses. Also note that many students speak highly of Bob Monet’s lecturing style, so be sure to check out DVDs that are taught by this lecturer.
In summary, while Bisk DVDs are recommended for last-minute crams and clarification of specific areas, I would suggest that you use Yaeger’s CPA review courses for comprehensive coverage of all topics in each section. Yaeger’s materials focus more heavily on areas that tend to be tested more heavily on the actual exam, and less on areas that are less likely to be covered by the exam. Yaeger’s cram DVDs are also of high quality and are praised by many students for having prepared them well for the actual exam. You can find out more about Yaeger’s CPA review course by clicking here.