Becker CPA Review 2024 : User Reviews

I passed all 4 sections by finding what study method worked best for me.

First, I watched all the lecture videos while outlining key notes – writing things down was necessary for me to actively listen and retain info.

After lectures, I did the MCQs and 1-2 sims for that module to apply the concepts.

Then I added a cumulative review of previous modules – each study session started with 30 MCQs and 3 sims from all covered content so far. I wrote down the rule for any wrong answers. This reinforced previous material.

I continued this process until finishing the content, leaving 7+ days for final review of weak areas before the exam.

In my experience, there’s a “peak timing” element – going too slow makes retaining early info difficult, but too fast misses key concepts. Cumulative MCQ sets throughout kept me progressing without losing comprehension.

The keys for me were:

Outlining lectures to engage and retain them

Progressing through modules with MCQs and 1-2 sims

Daily cumulative review sets to keep earlier material fresh

Leaving time to review weaker areas at the end

Finding the right pacing and review style is crucial – this system worked well for me across all 4 exam sections.

Despite some complaints about Becker’s prep course, I think it provides excellent preparation on its own. I used only Becker to study for the CPA exam, occasionally supplementing with Farhat YouTube videos when I wanted a break from practice questions. My scores were FAR 95, AUD 88, BEC 94, REG 94.

I’m not sure why some criticize Becker as insufficient. If the cost is the main concern, perhaps exploring cheaper options makes sense. But you likely won’t even remember the extra money you spent on prep years from now. To me, it was worth it.

The Becker video lectures covered all the material thoroughly. The multiple-choice questions and simulations provided ample practice to prepare me for the real exam. I also made sure to hammer my weak areas using the analytics Becker provides. Taking the timed practice exams was critical to simulate the real testing environment.

In my experience, Becker equipped me with everything I needed to pass all 4 sections of the CPA exam on the first try with high scores. As long as you put in the hours and do the work, Becker can prepare you to succeed. I would recommend the online course to others planning to take the exams.

I passed all 3 of the CPA exam sections I’ve taken so far on my first tries using Becker. I’m now studying for BEC and will take it in July. My approach with Becker is to first go through all the lecture videos and take notes. Then I do the multiple choice questions and simulations just to get familiar with the material.

Once I’ve gone through all the modules, I focus on mastering and reviewing the areas I’m weak on and any major topics. I don’t find the final review or mini exams too useful personally. Instead, I spend that time doing full practice exams for each section, with the same number of MCQs as the real testlets.

For simulations, I give myself a few minutes to try them and if I can’t figure it out, I immediately look at the solution explanation along with the skills video and textbook to learn how to do it properly. This strategy has worked very well for me to pass the first 3 sections of the CPA exam on my first attempts.

While Becker has its flaws, I think it provides solid preparation if you put in the time and supplement where needed. The lectures cover the material and MCQs give ample practice. Mastering weak areas and doing full practice exams is key. I would recommend the Becker course based on my experience using it to pass 3 sections so far. Just be ready to fill in any gaps on your own!

#studyplan

I passed REG and AUD in 8 weeks each with high 80s scores using this approach:

For each module, I fully completed lectures at 1.5x speed, outlining key points identical to the lecturer’s. Then I did the skills practices, MCQs, and sims.

If I got MCQs wrong, I moved on first before revisiting missed questions. This forced deeper comprehension rather than just memorizing answers.

After finishing all content, I did the final review, mocks, and re-did MCQs for sections I missed mock questions in. This identified weak areas needing work.

My process was:

Complete lectures, skills, MCQs, sims per module

Identify gaps from mocks

Review weak sections’ MCQs

Retake mocks, redo MCQs, repeat

Before the exam I hammered MCQs for shaky areas. This full yet efficient approach built confidence to pass my first time.

The keys for me were:

Outlining lectures for engagement

Gauging weak spots using mocks

Drilling MCQs in struggling sections

Retesting to confirm improvement

This strategy ensured comprehension while allowing targeted practice to pass the first time.

Becker is superior to other CPA prep courses in my opinion. I previously used Roger and failed FAR on my first try.

Roger has more engaging lectures but I didn’t retain the information well that way. Their practice questions were also subpar for exam preparation.

Becker isn’t perfect, but I feel exponentially more confident now using their materials compared to Roger. Becker’s comprehensiveness makes up for having less captivating lectures.

In summary – While Roger’s lecturer is talented, their course lacked the content depth I needed to pass. Becker better prepared me for the actual exam through robust materials, even if the lectures weren’t as lively. I stand by Becker as the best option based on my experience.

I’ve gotta keep it 100% honest after using Becker for a few months now. The layout and structure are great and all. But y’all, the content itself is kinda lackluster IMHO.

For example, so many of the MCQ and sim explanations are useless AF. The right answers just say “B is correct because…B is correct”. Like, where is the actual explanation though?! And they rarely break down why the wrong ones are wrong. Not helpful!

Also, when they update sections mid-study, it’s a hot mess trying to figure out what changed! I’d love it if they recovered the updated parts so we know exactly what’s different. But instead, my scores just drop and I have to re-do questions blindly since the lectures stay 100% complete. Annoying TBH!

Now don’t get me wrong, Becker has improved over the years. But there’s still room for growth IMO. The nonstop rave reviews are confusing given my experience!

Anyway, those are my constructive thoughts after a few months with Becker.

While Becker is a review course, they teach the exam content in an approachable way even if you’ve been out of school for a while.

You need some accounting foundation, but I passed two sections with Becker despite being removed from college for 4 years.

I did supplement with free I-75 YouTube videos on certain topics I struggled with like BEC IT and REG depreciation. Becker didn’t fully click for me there.

But Becker can prepare you to pass on its own for most content. Some folks just learn differently and need alternate explanations.

Bottom line – Becker teaches the material in a digestible way if you have an accounting baseline. Minimal supplementation may help strengthen shaky areas depending on your learning needs. But Becker provides nearly all the content needed to pass in my experience.

In my experience, Becker has the best course layout and test bank bar none. I used about 20% of i75’s lectures but relied on Becker for the other 80%.

I also tried Farhat and Ninja but found Becker superior overall. For the audit, I did need i75’s lectures at times. However, i75’s practice questions and simulations simply weren’t on par with Becker’s quality. Also, MCQs from Becker are like real exam.

Bottom line – Becker’s structured approach, coupled with its unmatched test bank of MCQs, simulations, and mocks make it the premier CPA prep course in my opinion. If you invest in Becker and fully commit to the program, you will be set up for success on exam day.

Initially, I chose Surgent for my studies but quickly regretted the decision as it didn’t meet my needs. I found greater success with Becker, particularly due to the videos for SIMS. While the explanations for multiple-choice questions in Surgent were mediocre, Becker offered clearer, more helpful insights. Another aspect I appreciated about Becker was the realistic practice exams and sims, which closely mimic the actual exam environment, helping to alleviate nerves on the big day.

In my opinion, the key factors for CPA exam success are your personal effort and dedication, as well as your accounting foundations. The specific review course you use is secondary.

Becker touts high pass rates, but they attract top students from elite programs and Big 4 firms who likely would succeed using any review course.

While some credit Becker for their success, at the end of the day it comes down to your own hard work and commitment to studying. No review course alone determines if you’ll pass.

I prepared for the CPA exam using Becker. I watched all of the video lectures and took detailed notes. After each lecture, I went through the multiple-choice questions and redid any that I had missed. I also took all of the practice exams Becker offered. However, I did not complete any of the simulation questions. Despite skipping the sims, I still ended up passing all 4 exam sections on my first try.

The final review course Becker provides was clutch for me since I had spread out my studying over several months. By the time I was done with all the materials, the final review helped refresh everything right before I sat for the exams. In the end, between the lectures, multiple choice practice, and practice exams, Becker fully prepared me to pass the CPA exam even without touching the sims. So I would absolutely recommend their prep course based on my experience using it and successfully passing on my first attempts.

#mystudyplan

I took extensive handwritten notes on each textbook chapter before watching the lecture. Then I re-took the following notes along with the videos.

After reading and lectures, I completed the chapter MCQs. Important concepts were made into flashcards for repetitive review.

I cycled through this process for every chapter – read, lecture, MCQ, flashcards. Then I repeated all modules 3-4 times as a review.

The constant note-taking and flashcards reinforced retention despite also working 55-hour weeks. This diligent preparation enabled me to pass all sections on my first attempts.

The keys were 1) aligning my learning style with intensive writing 2) comprehending content multiple times through reading, lectures, and MCQs 3) consolidating concepts into portable flashcard format. This system worked for me even with a demanding full-time job.

Where do I even start with Becker’s CPA review course? I mean, don’t get me wrong, the lectures are fine and the sims are pretty legit. But some of those multiple-choice questions are just bonkers hard for no reason! It’s like they go out of their way to make things confusing AF when the actual exam is tough enough already.

Then there’s Surgent over here making their sims look totally diff from the real test layout. I know they’re still teaching the right material, but talk about throwing me off! At least their MCQs keep it real.

If I’m dropping major coinage on one of these courses, they better let me replay lectures until I pass, ya feel me? Any program that’s all “one and done” can kick rocks. I need unlimited retries over here!

So in conclusion, Becker = solid but frustrating, Surgent = similar but odd format, and my #1 criteria = let me learn until I earn those letters after my name, regardless of how long it takes!

Honestly, 100%ing each module is a total waste of time for FAR, in my opinion. It takes way longer and isn’t necessary.

My strategy was to read the module first without lectures, then hammer the MCQs. For any I got wrong, I’d go back and peep the lecture quickly to review that concept.

I’d re-do the incorrect MCQs until I had each module’s MCQs 100% down. Then I moved on to the next section. You gotta make MCQs your main focus.

The sims weren’t worth the time since the real exam ones were way different. But Becker’s MCQs matched the actual exam super closely.

I also recommend taking those 3 mocks the week before your test to get used to the endurance needed.

And after you finish the material, knock out Becker’s final review online. It’s money for that last minute overall refresh.

In the final week, hit 100-200 MCQs a day to drill it all in. That’s how I got an 85 on FAR on the first go.

The key things that worked for me:

Focus on MCQs, not lectures or sims

Only use lectures to review MCQ concepts

Keep crushing MCQs until you nail each module

Do mocks for test endurance

Final review for a complete refresher

Cram MCQs daily the last week

That approach was efficient and got me a solid score. Give it a shot if the standard ways aren’t working for you

In my experience, the people who fail multiple times are those who didn’t use Becker or tried to go cheaper. Studying is still miserable even with Becker’s top-notch materials. So you might as well prepare with the most popular one.

I was fortunate to have Becker provided by my firm. I’ve tried other courses too and nothing compares to Becker’s comprehensiveness and quality. It truly has everything needed to succeed.

While cost is a concern for some, and cheaper courses work for those on a budget, Becker is 100% worth the investment in my opinion. It will save you from becoming one of those horror stories of failing repeatedly.

Bottom line – use Becker and you will pass the CPA exam. I highly recommend it based on first-hand experience of how thorough their prep is.