1:12 a.m. - 2010-06-19
CPA Review Course - How to Pick out the Ideal One?
Many accountants studying for the CPA exam depend on a CPA review course to help them get ready. A decent review course will decrease study time as well as maximize the possibilities of successfully passing the CPA exam. However, picking out a CPA course that meets the said qualities can be tough considering how many different courses are available on the market today. Some of the things you should think about when deciding on a CPA prep course are listed below.

Though all courses cover similar accounting ideas, every instructor describes them in different ways. Favorable review courses are only taught by engaging instructors who are capable of explaining tricky concepts in an easy-to-understand manner. Some courses offer samples of their lectures for you to view or listen to, so that you can get a feel of the lecturing style before deciding whether to buy the course or not. Alternatively, seek out online forums where other CPA-hopefuls gather, to read about their experiences with the various CPA courses, before making your final purchasing decision.
As well, the lectures can be made available through a range of media, such as live or recorded webcasts, CDs, DVDs, and/or USB. The portability and accessibility of the media the study materials are available in should be taken into consideration when judging a review course.

Some questions and simulations software will become disabled at a certain time after activation. As well, some courses have lectures that are only made available to a student for a certain duration before the access expires. The best sort of course materials and software is the kind that doesn't need access to the internet to view or use, and so doesn't expire. If you must purchase the type that does expire, make sure that you'll have ample time to digest the materials before it expires on you. 2 ) Practice Questions



Speaking of practice questions, some CPA review courses take the cover-all approach by making the student do every question that has the smallest chances of being on the CPA exam. While this may be a safe route to take, it can also be extremely time-consuming. Many students simply run out of study time, and never get around to finishing many of the practice questions, which does not prepare them well for the exam.

On the other hand, there are those review courses that don't provide enough practice questions to adequately prepare the student for the examination. Obviously, this situation is far from ideal also. The best CPA review course will contain only questions that are most certain to appear on the examination. This will guarantee the highest rate of return for the student's study time by permitting the student to focus on areas that will likely matter the most. Different CPA review courses provide assorted levels of customer support. On the other end of the range are courses that have minimal support, and in the middle are courses that allow students to e-mail questions to the coaches. Some review courses provide notice boards and forums to allow students to interact with instructors and with one another. Some review courses update their course materials and practice questions more often than others, so be sure to take this into account when selecting a course.
One factor that many people take into consideration, that has not been discussed, is price . However , considering the typically considerable pay-raise that is experienced by many accountants after they become CPA-certified, it is advised that you choose a CPA review course based mostly on its quality and level of support from the teachers, rather than on price. Considering that the average pass rate for the CPA exam is only 47.49-49.10% (pass rate for Uniform CPA exam in 2008 ), failing a number of sections is not unlikely. You won't wish to re-study for and re-sit sections of the exam simply because you decided to save a couple of bucks by purchasing a lesser quality review course. The sole exception is when the course fees will be reimbursed by your employer, in which case you can wish to take advantage of this, even if it might mean having fewer options to choose between.

For unbiased reviews of the top CPA review courses, including Yaeger CPA Review Course, please visit his CPA Exam Blog.

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