CPA means Certified Public Accountant. It’s a prestigious license and there are online CPA prep courses for anyone considering a career in the accounting industry.
A CPA license is hard to get because of the CPA Exam. Each section of the CPA exam is based on a specific area of accounting and needs candidates to display a deep understanding of that subject area. The sections include Business Environment and Concepts (BEC), Auditing and Attestation (AUD), Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR), and Regulation (REG). There’s only an 18-month window for candidates to pass all four sections.
Online CPA prep courses are courses that make studying for a CPA exam less daunting. It helps candidates study the material in bite-size pieces. These courses also accommodate various learning styles (online tutoring, chat, in-person lectures, etc.) through a variety of modalities.
In this simple-to-digest article, you’ll get to know
- Types of online CPA prep course
- Best CPA prep courses for 2022
Types of Online CPA Prep Courses
There are various CPA-related courses in accounting that students can take online through a variety of post-secondary institutions.
- Financial Accounting Course: These are broad courses on financial accounting usually taken during a student’s sophomore or junior year. Similar courses can be taken during graduate-level programs. This course covers the general theories related to the CPA profession and how financial data is reported. This theory-oriented CPA material can be easily communicated through text, therefore online technical requirements for financial accounting courses are minimal.
- Federal Taxation Course: Federal taxation refers to the policies, laws, and procedures concerning nationally mandated taxes on property, businesses, and individuals. It is usually an upper-level undergraduate CPA course topic and courses on taxation examine the tax laws of the current calendar year in many cases. Some courses on federal taxation might be specific and cover tax policies pertaining to companies or persons.
- Auditing Course: Auditing is another type of undergraduate CPA course that may be available online. Auditing courses use certain methods to investigate fiscal statements and is presented in a broad context, especially at the undergraduate level. It can be applied to many accounting subspecialties, including management, government, and public accounting.
- Cost Accounting Course: This is another common type of CPA subject in the accounting industry that deals with the management and reporting of expenditures. CPAs use cost accounting principles to help businesses and self-employed people with tax deductions and financial planning. cost accounting is explored by students as early as the junior year of a bachelor’s degree program. It is also commonly addressed in degree and graduate-level certificate programs.
- Accounting Information Systems Course: Accounting information systems courses are increasingly relevant to changing technologies in accounting and are included mainly in the certificate and graduate-level CPA degree programs. Students explore and learn how to use current systems, based on contemporary accounting measures demands. Online courses in accounting information systems may include technical components like specialized software that analyzes business processes and improves the efficiency of financial record-keeping systems through hands-on computerized methods. Understanding accounting is an excellent CPA skill acquiring, so courses in this topic are great for those wishing to study accounting online.
- Business Law Course: Courses in business law are common to many graduate CPA programs and teach the basic legalities surrounding businesses that apply to finance taxation and accounting. Business law may be a lucrative area of accounting, and some people may like to become certified accountants online.
- Financial Management Course: This course in advanced economics teaches students how to make quick and good decisions on behalf of an individual or a business as part of a financial firm. Students will study the financial trends of banks and major corporations to better inform their decisions.
- Forensic Accounting Course: Forensic accounting course is one of the many other CPA courses that can be explored online. Students learn to investigate financial fraud, serve as a witness or consultants, and how properly interview crime suspects.
- Government and Nonprofit Accounting Course: Online courses in government and nonprofit accounting cover the various ways organization accounting differs from personal or business accounting. Topics to be discussed usually include financial reporting, Governmental operating statement accounts, budgetary accounting, and more.
Best Online CPA Prep Courses of 2021
There are lots of online CPA prep courses and many considerations to take into account when searching for one. This includes cost, delivery of content, available graded practice exams, etc. Below are our picks for the best online CPA prep courses.
- Becker CPA course
- UWorld Roger CPA course
- Surgent CPA course
- Gleim CPA course
- Ninja CPA course
Becker CPA was one of the first CPA review courses and it dates back to 1957. It offers three different courses: Advantage ($2,399), Premium ($2,999), and Pro ($3,499).
Courses are self-paced and students can tune in for live online lectures or watch recorded videos. There are no audio-only lectures. There are 7,400 multiple-choice questions, 500 task-based simulations, and 275 hours of video lectures. There are also 400-plus SkillMaster videos that cover practice problem solutions. Real-person support is available through online tutoring or an online chat feature if you’re stuck on a problem. There is a 14-day free trial with unlimited access to course materials and a money-back guarantee.
Based on its exam prep students’ self-reports, Becker claims a 94% pass rate in 2020 and boasts more than 90% Becker students of all Watts Sells Award winners from the Accounting Institute for Success. The Watts Sells Award recognizes the highest performing students who pass the CPA exam.
Historically, Becker has been the most trusted and popular CPA exam prep course online that the largest CPA firms in the world trust to prepare their employees for the CPA Exam.
Pros
- Strong Reputation
- Simulated practice exams that mimic the actual exam
- Smartphone apps and video game
- Live class option
Cons
- Lectures can be long and boring
- Relatively expensive
- No audio classes
Roger CPA was created by Roger Philipp in 2003 with the goal of making CPA Exam studying more enjoyable. It offers two four-part CPA review courses: Premier ($1,899) and Elite ($2,999) and various deals and discounts are offered on its website frequently. For students who want to purchase courses for one exam, Individual Review ($399 each) and Financing options are available.
The courses are self-paced and include recorded video and audio lectures. There are more than 6,000 multiple-choice questions, 100 hours of video lectures, and no live courses. Real-person support is available to chat software.
SmartPath technology that uses artificial intelligence to predict learning needs helped Roger CPA Review to get a 91% CPA exam pass rate. Access to course materials is unlimited with the Elite package and there is a money-back guarantee.
Though Roger CPA doesn’t have a large question bank compared to some other courses on this list, the engaging and fun lectures help to remember challenging topics. It is great for students who have trouble focusing during lectures and are also looking for a more affordable online CPA prep course.
Pros
- Engaging and funny lectures
- More affordable than the competition
- Audio lectures
- SmartPath technology predicts learning needs
Cons
- UWorld app used for data-driven learning is not user friendly
- A multiple-choice question test bank is smaller than others
- Lectures cover high-level topics and are less detailed
Universal CPA Review is the only CPA review course to offer a visual learning approach to studying for the CPA exams. Universal is a relatively new CPA review program founded by Joey Reeve, CPA in 2018. The review course offers access to lifetime access to all four sections of their CPA exam study resources at a very reasonable price. Universal is a self-study review course that includes animated video lectures, animated study guides as well as 4,000+ practice multiple-choice CPA exam questions and task-based simulation. Universal CPA Review is also the only CPA review course to offer step-by-step video explanations for every single multiple-choice question as if you had a tutor by your side. Universal CPA Review is offering a 25% discount by using discount code XSCHOLARSHIP at the checkout.
Pros:
- Visual learning
- Video explanations for every practice question
- Ask Joey study resource
- Systematic approach by use of its mental maps
Cons:
- No live learning
- Video only no audio
- Newer review course
Surgent Professional Education has been available since 1985 while the Surgent CPA Review is a new program founded in 2013. It offers three four-part CPA review courses: Essentials ($1,599), Premier ($2,399), and Ultimate ($2,999). There are regular discounts and financing options available for all plans.
The courses are self-paced and include recorded video lectures and no live courses. However, there are live webinars to prepare for the exam. There are more than 400 simulations, 7,700 multiple-choice questions, and 350 video lectures in the library. Support is available via email, live chat, and phone.
Surgent CPA Review has an 88% CPA Exam pass rate through its proprietary technology, ReadySCORE – an artificial intelligence tool that helps students study effectively by targeting weak study areas. There is unlimited access to course materials and a money-back guarantee after a 15-day free trial.
Students get AI software from Surgent CPA Review that determines what topics need to be covered to ensure the shortest study time.
Pros
- Focuses on short lectures for efficient studying
- ReadySCORE technology provides exam score predictions and identifies weak testing areas
- Audio course available to listen on the go with the Ultimate Pass
- CPA Exam success coach sessions
Cons
- Recorded lectures only – no live classes
- Requires a lengthy initial diagnostic quiz
Gleim’s CPA course was created by Dr. Gleim who published his first CPA Review book in 1974 with the goal to offer an inclusive self-study option for those who couldn’t afford a live review course. Gleim CPA online prep course offers two four-part courses: Traditional ($1,599) and Premium ($1,999), and a Mega Test Bank ($999) for students who only want to purchase practice questions and simulations. Discounts and financing options are also available.
The courses are self-paced. There are recorded video and audio lectures, more than 10,000 multiple-choice questions, 1,300 task-based simulations, 350 simulations with exhibits, and no live courses. There are more than 3,000 more test questions for the same price compared to the next most affordable option ($1,599)
There’s a pass rate of 91%, a customer satisfaction rate of 99%, and real-person support through personal coaching and accounting expert support. There is unlimited access to course materials and a money-back guarantee.
Pros
- Affordable
- Support from a personal counselor for tailored learning
- Large library of questions and task-based simulations
- Optional test question bank add-on purchase
Cons
- No offline lecture option
- Video lectures could be more engaging
- Overly detailed studying tools can be overwhelming
Jeff Elliott created Ninja CPA Course. HEe first started a CPA Exam blog called Another 71 in 2008, before launching his CPA Exam prep review program in 2012. There is a library of multiple-choice questions and the program costs $67 per month subscription with no time commitment costs. You can cancel anytime with no additional payment obligation.
The monthly subscription includes audio lectures, a test question bank, a review book, Ninja Notes (with space to add your own notes), a flashcard app (available through Brainscape), and a cram course called Ninja Blitz. This program includes dozens of task-based simulations and more than 6,000 multiple-choice questions. There is a pass rate of 85% to 90% and the company’s private study forums offer online support through phone or email.
The ninja CPA course is an efficient studying tool and an inexpensive supplement to an online course that can be used as your main course and still serve as an auxiliary study aid with an excellent online support community.
Pros
- Blueprint study notes are bite-sized
- Affordable monthly subscription
- Comprehensive Ninja Blitz Cram Course for practice exam prep
- Access to private study forums and social network
Cons
- No video lecture options
- Less support and resources than the competition
- Not as well established as the competition
- Requires more self-discipline than others
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do CPA prep courses take?
It can take up to three years to complete 14 preparatory courses. It can be completed within one year however that depends on how many of the 14 preparatory courses the student is required to complete.
What online CPA prep course is the best?
Becker CPA course
Becker’s course is the best CPA prep course because it has undergone several necessary changes over the last few years and is now a trusted name in the industry. It offers tons of benefits to justify students’ enrollment in their premium course tiers.
What are the best Online CPA Prep Courses of 2021
- Becker CPA course
- UWorld Roger CPA course
- Surgent CPA course
- Gleim CPA course
- Ninja CPA course
Conclusion
Online CPA prep courses are courses that make studying for a CPA exam less daunting. It helps candidates to study the material down in bite-size pieces. These courses also accommodate various learning styles (online tutoring, chat, in-person lectures, etc.) through a variety of modalities.
Successfully passing a CPA exam earns you a CPA license. Each section of the CPA exam is based on a specific area of accounting and needs candidates to display a deep understanding of that subject area.
For any questions on Online CPA prep courses, leave a comment below.
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