Wiley and Becker CPA courses offer two of the best options you will find today. The Wiley CPAexcel course is very popular and Becker CPA Review isn’t far behind.
These are two excellent choices for those preparing for the CPA exam. However, they are not the same. When you look at the different aspects of each, you will certainly see the differences.
An Overview of Becker CPA
Boasting a 94% CPA exam sections passed for their students, Becker CPA is a widely trusted option. If you’re preparing for the CPA exam, this is an option with expert instruction and excellent practice tools.
They offer materials that match the exam with up-to-date materials. You’ll be able to study smarter with the planner that they provide and create a realistic study schedule. Becker also offers experts with CPA designations to teach the courses.
Pros
- Offers unlimited practice exams
- Gain access to a very large video library
- Use a dozen practice exams to prepare
- Comes with extra textbooks, digital flashcards, and study notes
- You can get tutoring
- Has a large test bank of questions
- Offers live courses
- Provides a mobile game for accountants
Cons
- Uses long-form lectures
- More expensive than other options
- Customer service takes longer to respond
An Overview of Wiley
Wiley offers a program that won the SIIA CODiE Award in 2021. It won for Best College and Career Readiness Solution. You will get a team committed to helping you throughout the process. They even offer a pass guarantee, which ensures access to the study materials until you pass the CPA exam.
When you choose Wiley, you will also have access to a full team of professors that have a CPA designation. The instructors will answer your CPA Review Questions within one day, as well. This option gives you smaller learning lessons and plenty of study materials to prepare for the CPA exam.
Pros
- The textbooks correspond well to the live classes
- Has a very large practice question bank
- Offers a lower price than some CPA exam prep courses
- Gives you offline access to study materials
- Offers a virtual classroom series
- Provides smaller lessons to make studying easier
Cons
- Doesn’t offer a very good textbook option
- Videos tend to be a bit dry and less engaging than other programs
- The app has garnered several complaints
Wiley vs Becker CPA: The Format of the Course
You can choose from an online, self-study, or virtual classroom format with Wiley CPAexcel. Each course comes with a USB flash drive to give you access to all the materials offline. You also get DVDs with the video lectures. If you choose the virtual classes, you’ll get both live instruction and pre-recorded lectures.
Becker CPA comes with three different formats to choose from. They are the only CPA review company you will find with a live classroom course within their versions.
Both offer excellent choices, but since Becker CPA is the only one with a live classroom option, they win this category.
Wiley vs Becker CPA: The Books
When you get your books from Becker, you’ll get comprehensive books with a ton of information. You’ll have everything you need to study for the CPA exam. It’s all organized and structured with long sections.
Wiley gives you more plain-looking books without the same formatting or graphics. You will have more space to take notes, but they lack the same information that the Becker books come with.
When you choose Becker, you will get excellent book resources to help you study for the CPA exam. They come with more detail, which is great but can be difficult if you’re trying to study in smaller sessions.
Overall, the books from Becker CPA are better than those from Wiley CPAexcel. Becker wins this category.
Wiley vs Becker CPA: Flashcards
Both Wiley and Becker CPA offer flashcards. However, when you choose Becker CPA, you will get more than 1,400 digital flashcards with any of their course packages. With Wiley CPAexcel, you will get free flashcards at the end of each section. They do offer physical flashcards you can purchase for $150, which gives you 1,000 flashcards.
The digital flashcards from Becker CPA are accessible through your mobile device. They do offer physical flashcards if you choose the Pro course.
Both Wiley and Becker CPA offer excellent flashcards. For this category, it’s a tie.
Wiley vs Becker CPA: Exam Practice questions
You will get a ton of exam practice questions with either Wiley or Becker CPA. They both offer plenty of options, but they do it a little bit differently.
Wiley CPAexcel provides a combination of multiple-choice questions, true-and-false questions, and task-based simulations. They offer close to 12,000 total practice questions.
Becker CPA provides 6,200 multiple choice questions and another 580 task-based simulations. They don’t have nearly the same size practice question library as Wiley has.
Wiley is the clear winner when it comes to exam practice questions.
Wiley vs Becker CPA: The Cost
When you look at the cost of Wiley vs. Becker CPA, there is a pretty clear difference. Wiley CPAexcel offers a lower cost compared to Becker CPA.
Wiley CPAexcel Cost
- Pro – $2,199
- Platinum – $2,499
- Ultimate – $3,100
Often, you can get the Platinum and the Ultimate packages from Wiley for a deep discount. They are usually cheaper than the Pro option when they run a sale. Sometimes, they will take a full $1,000 off the Platinum course. You can also pay monthly with Wiley.
Becker CPA Cost
- Advantage – $2,399
- Premium – $2,999
- Pro – $3,499
It’s not uncommon to get the Pro package for a lower price than the Advantage when they run a sale, however. They also offer monthly payments with flex pay.
Both Wiley and Becker CPA offer free demos to let you try it out before you commit.
The price category is clearly going to Wiley, as they offer cheaper prices, whether they are running a sale or not.
Wiley vs Becker CPA: Access Provided
With Becker, if you choose the Premium or Pro option, you will gain unlimited access. You won’t have to worry about any expiration and you can access the CPA materials as much as you need.
Wiley CPAexcel also offers options without an expiration date. You won’t need to pay to renew or to get updated materials. It’s even possible to take the course as many times as you want. They even give you an entire year of access after you have already passed the CPA exam.
This category is a tie between Wiley and Becker CPA. Both offer unlimited access to their programs.
Main Differences Between Wiley and Becker CPA
There are a few specific differences to point out between Wiley and Becker CPA:
Wiley offers a full team of University Professors, all with CPA designations. Becker, on the other hand, has instructors that are professionals with a CPA designation.
You get an ask the instructor option with Wiley, but Becker doesn’t offer this option.
Wiley offers a pass guarantee on all packages. When you choose Becker CPA, you will have to choose an upgraded package to get this guarantee.
Becker offers around 6,200 practice exam questions. This might seem like plenty, but Wiley offers 12,000, which is higher than any other CPA exam prep course.
The lessons from Wiley give you bite-sized lessons and deep dive videos. You won’t get this same option with Becker CPA. They do offer some videos, however.
Flashcards come with all Wiley packages. Becker CPA offers flashcards, but they don’t come with all packages.
You will get more task-based simulations with Wiley than Becker CPA.
Becker CPA gives you 12 full-length practice exams. However, if you think you need more, Wiley offers an unlimited amount of practice exams.
Both Wiley and Becker offer video lectures, adaptive study technology, expert mentors, an exam planner, and a final review. They both provide plenty of study materials, but they do it in a bit of a different way.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wiley vs Becker CPA
Which is better between Wiley vs Becker CPA?
There isn’t a clear answer to this question. In some cases, Wiley is better with a lower price and high-quality features. They offer more practice questions, but some students may find Becker CPA to be the better option.
Will I get harder questions with Wiley than what’s found on the CPA exam?
It’s hard to say whether the practice questions from Wiley are harder than those found on the CPA exam. However, they do state that if you can score at least 95% proficient with the practice questions, practice exams, and flashcards, you will likely do very well on the CPA exam.
Can I finance the cost of Wiley or Becker CPA?
Yes, both Wiley and Becker CPA offer payment plan options for all their CPA exam prep packages.
Which option between Wiley vs Becker CPA gives me more study materials?
If you’re looking for practice questions, flashcards, and bite-sized lessons, you get far more from Wiley than Becker. They also offer unlimited full-length practice exams, task-based simulations, and deep-dive videos.
Both Wiley and Becker CPA offer a ton of study materials. Becker provides a better book with far more reading material, but Wiley offers more of the other resources.
Is the test bank from Wiley CPA a good choice?
Yes, you will get many more questions compared to Becker CPA. It comes with about 19,000 total questions in three formats.
What is the pass rate for Wiley vs Becker CPA?
While there may be claims on the websites out there about the pass rate for Wiley vs Becker CPA, this isn’t something that can really be identified. Becker CPA and Wiley both offer CPA exam prep programs that can help you pass. Both give you access to the study materials until you pass, too.
Should I get the printed flashcards?
You can get printed flashcards to make studying easier. They can be purchased separately or with the right package. Whether you need these flashcards or not depends on how you learn. They can be well worth the cost if you like to study with physical flashcards. If not, you might not need to spend the money since you can use virtual flashcards.
Are there any alternative options to Wiley and Becker CPA?
Yes, there are several other options, but Wiley and Becker CPA tend to be the most popular. A few other options include:
- Rocher CPA Review – It’s known for engaging video content and boasts a 91% pass rate. The software will help to fill in your weakest areas so you can use your time wisely.
- Yaeger CPA Review – Another option to consider, Yaeger is known as a great choice for those that have been out of school for quite some time. They are also a very affordable choice.
- Universal CPA Review – Maybe the least expensive option to consider, Universal CPA offers practice materials and a test bank for a very low price.
- Surgent CPA Review – Offering a very compressive package, this one is rather popular, too. Surgent offers custom study plans and a day-by-day path to help you prepare.
There are other options, too, but Wiley and Becker CPA tend to be the best on the market.
Will the content be updated?
Yes, with Wiley or Becker CPA, you will always have the most up-to-date content. Both offer software and content updates free, no matter which package you choose.
If you do want DVD options, you may need to pay a small amount to get the updated option. However, all online materials will be updated at no additional cost.
It may be easy to think Wiley CPAexcel is the better option between Wiley and Becker CPA. It’s more affordable and offers many features Becker doesn’t offer. However, this may vary from one student to another.
Becker CPA has better textbooks and may fit your learning style better than Wiley. Regardless, if you use Wiley or Becker CPA, you will be in better shape to pass the CPA exam.
Jordan Fabel
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