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Posts Tagged ‘Yaeger CPA Review’

If you are in the market to purchase a CPA exam review course but are worried because the 2012 materials are not out yet, there are options you should be aware of.  Many of the review course providers have options for you to ensure you don’t miss out on the 2012 update.

Yeager – The Yaeger option is called the “Now and Then Plan.”  To qualify, you have to purchase all 4 parts.  You have 2 choices – you can either elect to take delivery of 1 part or 2 parts now.  The other 2 or 3 parts will be delivered in late December or early January when the 2012 update is released.   You only pay for the parts when they are delivered to you.  So, if you elect to take 1 part now, you only pay for 1 part.  You pay for the other 3 when they are delivered in December or January.

If you want to get one more part of the exam in this year, this is a great option.  Best of all, any discount codes still apply (the code scoresfull gets you $200 off).

Roger – Following Yaeger’s example, Roger is offering split shipments on its review materials.  When you check out, you simply click on which part(s) you want to receive in 2011 and which parts you want to receive when the 2012 update is complete.  Unlike Yaeger; however, it appears you need to pay for all 4 parts now rather than paying for the 2012 parts when you receive them.

Becker – Similar to Roger, Becker offers split shipments so you can order all 4 parts now to qualify for the 4 part discount, but you can choose which part(s) you want to receive for 2011.  Like Roger, you have to pay the full amount now.

CPAExcel – CPAExcel is unique in that it offers free online updates of its materials to all of its students.  If you have DVD’s, a USB or printed books, these updates are still delivered online – not through physical products.

Bisk – Bisk has no official program for updates.  Many students report that Bisk sends free electronic updates via PDF file.

Lambers – Lambers offers free software and video updates for one year.  Text books and flash cards do not qualify for free updates

Kaplan – Kaplan offers free content updates for 2 years, but these are PDF updates only, not updates to the videos.

Reviewed and updated January 15, 2012

Yaeger CPA Review has been around for nearly 35 years, but has flown under the radar compared with behemoths like Becker or Bisk. The owner, Phil Yaeger, has been teaching CPA exam review courses for almost 4 decades. The course itself is the only “teaching” course on the market.

Yaeger teaches you what to do, how to do it and why you are doing it that way. The other courses only teach you the what and how. For those looking for a deeper understanding of the material, this is very attractive.

The Yaeger review course includes 136 hours of video on either DVD or USB (your choice), the Wiley textbooks, Yaeger-authored handouts and the Wiley Testbank software for practice questions.

Price – $495 per part / $1,787 for all 4 parts – comes with free Amazon Kindle Fire

(using the coupon code KindleFire)

The Good

1. Best Pass Rate – You have the best chance to pass the exam as Yaeger has the top pass rate of any CPA review course (88%).  Passing the exam is why we all look for review courses, and Yaeger gives you the best chance to do that based on the statistics.

2. Personal Service – When you call, you get Phil Yaeger (the owner) or one of the instructors, not some customer service representative.  Other courses do not allow personal access to the instructors except through email or message boards which often take a lot of time to get a response.  The ability to get on the phone with Phil Yaeger or the other instructors is one of the most important advantages over the other courses.

3. Regular Updates – You get the most up-to-date information because the review videos are re-filmed in their entirety every year.

4. Unlimited Use – You can watch the videos an unlimited number of times and you do not “run out” of study questions – there is unlimited use.  Other review courses limit your usage and only allow you to watch videos a certain number of times or limit your study questions.

5. Convenience – For convenience and flexibility, you have 3 study formats to choose from – online, DVD, or USB.  Other review courses charge you extra for the USB option if they even offer it (many don’t even give you the option).  Yaeger does not charge extra for USB.

6. Price – If you go for the DVD option, Yaeger is similarly priced to Roger and CPAExcel.  If you go for the USB option, Yaeger has the best price of all the major review courses except Kaplan.  As a special added bonus, if you order all 4 parts, you get a free Amazon Kindle Fire.

7. Mobile Access – No matter which option you choose, you can access the Yaeger videos and study materials on your iPhone, iPad or other mobile device.

The Bad

There are a couple of potential draw backs to be aware of.

1. No Transfer Between Formats – If you answer test questions offline, the scores to not transfer over if you answer some questions online. This results in having different scores in different places that you’ll have to combine to get a complete picture of how you’re doing.

2. Guided Self-Study Only – The review is conducted entirely through video, books, and test questions. There are no “in person” classes.

The Bottom Line

Yaeger is the only teaching course, meaning they teach you not only what to do and how to do it, but also why you are doing it that way. If knowing the “why” helps you learn and retain information better, Yaeger is the course for you.

In my opinion, Yaeger also offers the most value for your money. They have the highest pass rate and are cheaper than most of the other CPA exam review courses.

Check out this CPA exam review course comparison chart (near the bottom of the page) before you decide which course to buy.