Every business, big or small, benefits from the expertise of a CPA. That’s job security like no other! But first, you’ll need to pass that exam!
CPA review courses can help you pass the CPA exam the first time–if you know which exam review provider to choose.
Wiley CPA and Becker CPA Review are two of the most well-known names in the CPA industry, but which one is better?
It may not be initially clear which course you should choose, so I compared Becker and Wiley CPA course features, study materials, and other points, so you will be able to make an educated purchasing decision.
Below, we’ll pinpoint the significant differences between the two. We’ll also give you the deets about each CPA review course, so you’ll be in the know before selecting a CPA review course.
Let’s get started!
With Wiley CPA’s recent acquisition by medical test prep giant, UWorld, there’s now uncertainty about Wiley’s continued support. This makes us hesitant to back the product until further decisions are made.
Wiley vs Becker CPA: Which Course Has the Best Format?
For years, Becker has offered three different CPA course formats: Advantage, Premium and Pro. Recently this has changed. Becker now focuses on three main options Advantage, Pro, and Concierge. In addition, Becker proudly states that they are the only CPA review company that provides a live classroom course. For students who prefer a regimented classroom experience, Beckerâs CPA review courses provide a distinct advantage.
All live instructors are experienced CPAs who understand what students need to know to pass their CPA exam. Additionally, their Pro course includes up to five free 1-on-1 academic tutoring sessions live through Webex. This is one thing that makes Becker a trusted CPA exam prep provider.
Becker also has a fourth option: Concierge! It includes all of the original Becker perks but supports them with a team of CPA experts that will walk you through the licensing process from start to finish. From a licensing navigator who helps you with the process to up to 50 hours a week in one-on-one tutoring, Concierge is a truly one-of-a-kind CPA review course.
Wiley CPA also offers several formats for CPA prep courses. But unfortunately, they can’t match the educational value provided by the Becker CPA exam review; hopefully, they can fix this in the future!
| Wiley CPAexcel Review Features | Becker CPA Review Features | |
| Study Materials | 22,000 pages of online study pages, a comprehensive program, and live courses offered | 4-part comprehensive review course covering hundreds of topics, live courses offered |
| Video Lectures | 200+ hours of video lectures, 475 TBS videos, 400 master skill videos | 140+ hours of video lectures, 500 TBS videos |
| Adaptive Study | â | â |
| Question Bank | 12,000 practice questions, + 600 task-based simulations | 8,000+ practice questions + 500 task-based simulations |
| Flashcards | 4,000 digital flashcards, 1,000 printed flashcards | 1,400+ digital and printed flashcards |
| Full-length Practice Exams | 8, simulated exams, unlimited practice exams | 12 simulated exams, unlimited practice exams |
| CPA Review App & Game | â | â |
| Updated around CPA Exam Blueprints | â | â |
| Exam Planner | â | â |
| Final Review | â | â |
| Ask-an-Instructor | â | â |
| 1-on-1 Tutoring | Add-on package | Five sessions included (more with Concierge) |
| Pass Guarantee | â | â |
| 1-Year CPE Subscription | â | â |
Winner:
Wiley vs Becker CPA: Who Has the Best CPA Lectures?
When it comes to CPA exam test prep, video lectures are important, but so is reading material. When comparing the Wiley CPA review lecture to the Becker CPA review course material, both companies offer quality prep information.
Both provide material guided by the CPA exam blueprints and keep it updated regularly. Still, Becker’s CPA exam review has been vetted for decades and is more digestible/engaging. So, the Becker CPA review course gets the win for this one as well.
If we are talking about the most engaging CPA videos, that award actually goes to UWorld Roger CPA review, another universal CPA review offering we recommend. But since this is a Wiley CPA vs Becker CPA review article, we’ll stick to comparing these two.
Wiley CPA review course options have several CPA test prep video lectures that are thorough and laid out in a manner thatâs easy to understand. However, they arenât the best CPA video lectures on the market and have been called dry by students.
In comparison, Beckerâs CPA video lectures carry a more professional and direct air. Between the two courses, I prefer the video lectures provided by the Becker CPA review course for their clarity and distinct professionalism.
Undoubtedly, Becker CPA review courses are a step above the rest.
Winner:
Wiley vs Becker CPA: Which CPA Course Has the Most Practice Questions?
When it comes to CPA exam review practice questions, there are lots of great options out there. Gleim CPA review course offerings boast an awesome test bank. Yaeger CPA review courses and Surgent CPA review courses are also considered top CPA prep companies. But what about Becker and Wiley CPA review courses?
Both Becker and Wiley CPA course plans have similar offerings on this front. Wiley CPA has a large bank of 12,000+ practice questions and 500+ task-based simulations. Becker CPA review offers a selection of 8,000+ multiple choice questions and 500+ task-based simulations.
After doing some basic math, you can see that Wiley offers more practice questions, but Becker CPA Review has more task-based sims.
So while Wiley CPA vs Becker offers more for CPA course candidates who just want practice questions, other CPA exam prep candidates may find the sheer volume of them to be overkill.
Additionally, some students have mentioned that Wiley’s task-based simulations (TBS) bear similarities to other questions, which means you might find some repeats. Still, both banks are much better than competitors like the Kesler CPA review course.
Finally, consider the increased reliance on task-based simulations on the actual CPA exam. In order to accommodate this change, Becker placed more emphasis on their TBS than Wiley CPA. They’ve also tweaked the grading system for their mock exams, which gives many students to earn a huge boost to their exam scores.
When considering these factors alongside their still robust 9,200+ bank of regular practice questions, we believe that Becker provides the better content in this category. It’s just a matter of quality over quantity!
Winner:
Wiley vs Becker CPA: Which CPA Exam Prep Course Has the Most Flashcards?
Not all CPA prep courses offer digital flashcards to help students pass the CPA exam, but the best CPA review providers do. From financial accounting to business environment topics, the review information included on these digital flashcards can be the difference between passing and failing the actual CPA exam.
Both of these CPA exam review courses offer flashcards as a part of their product. In the case of Becker CPA Review, they provide digital and physical flashcards, with they printable flashcards available in Concierge and Pro. Their digital flashcards are accessible in either a print edition or through iOS (Apple), Kindle, and Android mobile devices.
Wiley CPA flashcards aren’t printed. Instead, Wiley provides their CPA candidates with 4,000+ digital flashcards. However, the app they use to provide students access to these cards is prone to disconnects and general functionality issues.
So while you may get a larger volume of Wiley CPA flashcards, you’re probably not going to be able to access them very easily.
Although we do think Wiley CPA study materials are great in general, the glitches make Becker CPA review courses the winner by default.
Winner:
Wiley vs Becker CPA: Which CPA Review Course Has the Best Mobile App?
As previously mentioned, both Becker and Wiley CPA offer mobile support via a dedicated app for both Android and iOS devices. However, these two companies don’t provide the same level of quality control when supporting their apps. And let’s face it, you need quality when preparing to pass the CPA exam.
Take a look at the review pages for Wiley’s apps, and you’ll see several common complaints. These include not being able to access all of the CPA course desktop-compatible study resources on their mobile devices and poor video quality when attempting to save them for offline use. On the other hand, neither of Becker’s mobile apps has these problems.
Speaking of other apps, Becker CPA review also has Accounting for Empires, which is included with their Pro and Concierge packages. This is a fun mobile game that allows you to get even more CPA exam practice without feeling like you’re studying at all. Because of these two top-notch apps, Becker’s review course is the clear winner in this category of CPA study materials!
Winner:
Wiley vs Becker CPA: Which CPA Review Course Has More Updates?
Both Becker and Wiley keep their CPA exam preparation software up to date. If you want the most relevant practice exams, simulations, or video lectures, you wonât have to worry about being underprepared for your CPA exam, no matter which you choose.
Ultimately, both courses know that the CPA exam changes constantly; thatâs why they make it easy for you to have the most up-to-date study materials. So, for updating written communications in their CPA courses, it’s another tie!
Winner: Tie
Wiley vs Becker CPA: Which CPA Review Course Has Better Value?
One of the most important things to consider when searching for top CPA review courses is the price tag. After all, it doesn’t matter how awesome a review course is if CPA candidates can’t afford to invest.
Some test prep offerings, like Yaeger CPA review, offer monthly subscriptions, while others, like Gleim CPA review, require payment upfront.
When it comes to the cost of the course, the Wiley CPA exam review beats the Becker CPA review in affordability. Becker is the more expensive choice, with its lowest price tag of $2,499 (although they do offer some fantastic discounts). On the other hand, CPA courses are cheaper, with their Platinum Course costing only $1,799.
A single section for Becker’s CPA prep course costs $849, while Wiley CPA doesn’t offer single sections anymore. Additionally, Becker offers free retakes under their Becker Promise and has financing options, so it’s not hard to make the investment with this CPA review course! Still, we will rule Wiley as the winner for this one since you’ll save big bucks with their program options.
Winner:
Wiley CPA vs Becker CPA: Which CPA Review Course Has Better Access and Support?
When it comes to CPA review courses, many exam review programs have limited access. Some CPA exam review courses only give you access to materials for a year, some for 24 months. Others less, others more.
Both Becker and Wiley offer students generous study windows under the assumption that passing the CPA exam doesn’t always happen on the first try. With Wiley’s CPA exam review, youâll get free course repeats in the case of Wiley. So, if you fail, you can keep studying with your Wiley CPA study materials. Becker gives you unlimited access until you pass, but neither allows you to log in forever. Because of this, the best CPA review for this category ends in a tie.
Unlimited academic support is a part of the Becker offering, and they provide it through both phone and email options. Wiley offers 24/7 support as well, stepping it up a notch and including a live chat feature for Wiley CPA candidates who need assistance.
All in all, both companies do a good job of giving students access and providing assistance when needed. However, due to Wiley exam prep’s recent merge with UWorld, there’s a possibility that their traditional test prep courses may not be offered in the subsequent year. For this reason, we have to go with Becker.
Winner:
Wiley vs Becker CPA: Which is the Best CPA Review Course Overall?
At first glance, you might think that Wiley CPA has a better CPA review course. After all, they have a lower cost and lots more practice questions. But here’s the truth:
Becker CPA review offerings have higher-quality live classes, video lectures, flashcards, and mobile apps. Their practice question bank is one part of a comprehensive bundle of study materials. Plus, their Concierge program is something that isn’t offered by any other test prep provider on the market. This is a stark contrast to Wiley, who only has a gigantic number of practice questions and little else to supplement them.
Ultimately, both courses have the study materials it takes to pass your exam, but Becker actually puts the effort into making these features all equally helpful. Plus, the recent Wiley sell-out to UWorld means they might not even be around for long.
For this reason, we have to side with the Becker CPA review comprehensive offering. Becker matches CPA prep courses that are the best of the best, hands down.
If you’d like to learn more about CPA test prep, check out our list of the top CPA review courses and find one that fits your needs. The factors mentioned above are important to consider when choosing a course. After all, you donât want to risk your valuable time and money on a course that doesnât lead you to success!
Take Up to $1,000 Off Becker CPA Pro+
Wiley vs Becker CPA Review: Frequently Asked Questions
Which CPA review is best?
Overall Becker CPA Review Becker offers you peace of mind knowing that the top CPA firms trust Becker to prepare their staff for their CPA practice exams. Becker CPA Review was one of the first CPA exam review courses. Established in 1957, they are known for their high-quality materials, realistic practice exams, helpful practice questions, digital flashcards, and more. When compared to Surgent CPA prep, UWorld Roger CPA review, Yaeger CPA review, and more, Becker still ranks as the best CPA review course on the market.
Does Becker CPA Review have digital flashcards?
Yes. Becker review courses come with access to both printed and digital flashcards. This, along with practice tests and practice exams, can help you pass the CPA exam on the first try. This is why Becker is considered the best CPA review course on the market when it comes to test prep.
Does Wiley CPA review expire?
The written course materials, videos, quizzes, and CPA simulation exams provided with Wiley CPA exam prep are unlimited and have no expiration date. Thatâs right, this isnât an âaccess until you passâ kind of course: itâs access forever! So if you need extra study time before you take the actual exam, that’s no issue. Additionally, it can also be accessed on your mobile phone or tablet, whether it be an iOS-based or Android device. This includes the iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone, and Samsung Galaxy.
Is Wiley CPA better than Becker CPA Review?
No. Becker CPA review has higher-quality live CPA classes, written communications, and video lectures. Wiley CPA review test prep does cost slightly less and has more practice questions, but their video content and mobile app need a lot of improvement. Check out the free demos for Wiley and Becker if you want to see some of the differences in their study materials for yourself. Or, if you want free CPA practice exam options, you can give those a try as well. But overall, we recommend Becker CPA Review (Becker also offers some impressive discounts on their CPA exam prep course offerings).
How much does Wiley CPA Review cost?
The Wiley CPA Platinum course costs $1,799. Wiley charges only $800 for specific sections of their study materials, and they do not have admin fees (plus they offer you the chance to repeat the course for free). So, if you want to study for a certain CPA exam section, consider Wiley’s CPA study material options.
Does Wiley CPA offer financing?
Yes, if you want to enroll in a CPA prep course, Wiley offers financing through PayPal Credit. This is a great option considering there is no interest if paid in full within 6 months. Many employers provide reimbursement for CPA prep costs, so consider speaking to your financial accounting department about payment options as well.