Becker is a review course. Yaeger is a teaching course. Are you ready for a high speed and low drag course like Becker? I never was.
I think of Becker as very expensive Cliff Notes. If you have the money, Becker has the most professional lectures and books. I love the mnemonics, for example. The lectures are fast paced and entertaining.
Yaeger combines the best of Becker (lectures) and Gleim (organized multiple choice questions). Yaeger gives a short lecture and then reviews the multiple choice questions in the Wiley book.
Yaeger is the only review course to go over multiple choice questions. Becker, Bisk and Gleim only give you a written explanation of the correct answer. Yaeger gives you a verbal explanation of the multiple choice questions. Additionally, Yaeger shows you why the multiple choice questions are tricky.
I struggled for a year with Becker and Gleim. Five weeks before my FAR exam I was convinced that I would fail. Therefore, I ordered the Yaeger review class. Yaeger was the bridge that got me from Becker lectures to Gleim multiple choice questions. Yaeger did in five weeks what Becker and Gleim could not do in one year. The major advantage of Yaeger is that they drill down to hundreds of multiple choice questions. Becker does not do that.
Yaeger has no peer when it comes to explaining multiple choice questions and simplifying the Wiley book. I would not have passed FAR without Yaeger. I cannot stress enough how important Yaeger is to your study plan!
When I wanted to review Dollar-Value LIFO on page F4-60 of Becker. I listened to Becker's DVD on Inventory, and guess what? Peter Olinto does NOT review Dollar-Value LIFO! He told us to be sure that we reviewed it on our own! Additionally, the Bisk Hot Spot on Inventory does not even mention Dollar-Value LIFO. Only Yaeger reviews Dollar-Value LIFO. Yaeger has a three step approach to solving Dollar-Value LIFO. Therefore, I pulled out my Gleim Test Prep and I solved all 9 multiple choice using my notes from Yaeger.
Becker always has their hands out for more money. Only 10% of the CPA candidates pass all four sections on the first try. I was not one of those candidates. I made the mistake of buying all four sections of Becker at one time. I never got to see two of the Becker sections because Becker expires after 18 months.
There is no such thing as a free lunch with Becker materials after 18 months. If you fail a section you will have to come up with a lot of money, even if you sent in a performance report showing that you completed 100% of the lectures, and got 90% of the homework multiple choice questions correct. It is going to cost you $250 ($155 for new materials plus $95 shipping) per section ($1,000 total). If you did not send in a performance report, it will cost you a “discounted price” as a former student of $550 ($455 materials + $95 shipping charges). That is a total of $2,200 for all four sections! That is in addition to the almost $3,000 that you paid for all four sections the first time!
One problem that I have with Becker is their lack of personal help. I have to come to this forum for help when Becker's explanations are not sufficient. When I do not understand something with Yaeger, I call up Dr. Phil Yaeger. He spent 1 1/2 hours with me over the phone for FAR!
Most CPA candidates have trouble with Becker's chapter 3 (FAR) and chapter 5 (cost accounting, etc.). Both chapters are a piece of cake after you finish Yaeger! I use Yaeger as my teaching course and Becker as my quick review course AFTER I finish Yaeger. Becker always makes more sense after I finish Yaeger.
Yaeger gives you the biggest bang for your buck. Give Dr. Phil Yaeger a call. You cannot beat the combination o f the Wiley book and Yaeger. Yaeger’s strength is going over the multiple choice questions in the Wiley textbook.
P.S. Do NOT buy the "live" Becker classes. Those classes are not live. You will watch the same DVDs that you get for the home study program.
