1) Course Materials

Also note that the best instructors will make their lectures as efficient as possible by allocating more time to explaining the harder concepts and less time on the easier ones. The best CPA review courses provides free lecture samples that you can watch before deciding to buy. 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.
The portability and accessibility of the media the study contents are available in should be considered when gauging a review course.

Also, when hunting around for a review course, be certain to note any expiry dates for the class contents. Some questions and simulations software will become disabled at a certain time after activation. The best type of course materials and software is the kind that doesn't require access to the net to view or use, and so does not expire. If you must purchase the type that does expire, ensure that you will have ample time to digest the materials before it expires on you.

2 ) Practice Questions

Having studied the study materials, the student is usually provided with practice questions to drill the knowledge into their memory as well as apply the concepts they have learned to real case scenarios.

Speaking of practice questions, some CPA review courses take the cover-all approach by making the student do every question that has the smallest chance of appearing on the CPA exam. While this may be the safe way to go, it can also be overly time-consuming. Many students simply run out of patience, and never manage to complete 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 exam. Obviously, this situation is a long way from ideal also.

This will ensure the top rate of return for the student's study time by allowing the student to target areas that may probably matter the most.

3) Student Support

Different CPA review courses provide various levels of customer support. Some review courses provide notice boards and forums to allow students to engage with instructors and with one another. Before buying a review course, ensure that it will supply the level of support you want. 4) Frequency of Updates

Some review courses update their course materials and practice questions more frequently than others, so be sure to take this into account when selecting a course.
One factor that many folks take into account, which has not been discussed, is cost. However , considering the typically substantial pay-raise that's experienced by many accountants after they become CPA-certified, it is suggested that you choose a CPA review course based on its quality and level of support from the instructors, rather than on cost. 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 improbable. You won't want to re-study for and re-sit sections of the exam because you decided to save a few bucks by buying a lesser quality review course. The only exception is when the course costs will be refunded by your employer, in which case you may need to take advantage of this, even if it might mean having fewer options to choose from.


For unbiased reviews of the top CPA review courses, including Yaeger CPA Review, please visit his CPA exam blog.