My issue with CPA-Excel

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #189280
    005
    Participant

    After having been studying for this exam for about a year now and using CPA-Excel as my main study source, I found something that really irks me with CPA Excel.

    They label themselves as being the material with “bite-sized lessons” consisting of short chapters … but if you look at it, they have the lengthiest materials out of everyone! Some of their explanations are simply drawn out with much more wording that is required… take for example, the FAR portion consists of 2 books, one having 574 pages, and the other with 527 pages…

    … like great, what’s the point of having “bite sized lessons” if you’re just going to have a billion of them?

    Other than that, I guess it’s working for me because I am 3/4 through… and their “Never-expiring” policy certainly is very nice…. but it’s just frustrating having to read through all the extensive definitions and explanations when it would be nice if they condensed this like some of their competitors do (Rodgers does a great job at this)… since, you know, not going over time is certainly an important part of passing this exam.

    Just thought I would share in case anyone is comparing exam review courses.

    BEC - ✔
    REG - ✔
    AUD - ✔
    FAR - 11/29/14

    CPAExcel, Ninja MCQs, and a sh*t ton of coffee

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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    Replies
  • #612765
    alboreland
    Participant

    I used it for Audit and I thought it was great because it breaks it down to 5 or so topics then neatly into subtopics. I thought it would work for FAR also, but I was disapointed. I don't like how there are so many lessons and they make smaller topics into full lessons just like major topics. I really wish I didn't spend the money, but it wasn't too much considering the amount I could have spent on anther course. I also don't like all of the bullets. You can expand a section, then expand then expand. You start at the left margin and I think it indents to the center of the screen for some sections.

    After taking the test and having experience, I know what topics that aren't worth all the effort and what topics are. I basically cherry pick the lessons and avoid doing the entire thing.

    #612766
    y_u_no_pass
    Participant

    Yeah for some of them there seems to be just too many lessons. FAR is really getting the better of me. REG and BEC were okay.

    Florida CPA!
    Took final exam 2/25/15.
    Sent in Application 3/12/15.
    Issued License 3/20/15.
    Used CPA Excel solely for all exams.

    #612767
    On2Sum
    Member

    How is it for BEC? Has anyone used CPA-Excel for BEC?

    FAR - 79
    REG - 76
    AUD - 94
    BEC - 77

    DONE! DONE!! DONE!!!

    "Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts"
    -Winston Churchill

    #612768
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @On2Sum I have.. it was pretty boring, but I think that it did a good job of preparing me for the most part… only gripe would be to include a little more coverage on COSO.. it's the first thing you do so maybe go back and spend some additional time on it before reviewing. Good Luck!!

    #612770
    y_u_no_pass
    Participant

    My biggest complaint with CPA Excel is that the first section is always memorization heavy and boring. Such as COSO for BEC. I didn't learn any of it until I was reviewing, because you really just have to memorize that stuff.

    Florida CPA!
    Took final exam 2/25/15.
    Sent in Application 3/12/15.
    Issued License 3/20/15.
    Used CPA Excel solely for all exams.

    #612771
    hzhao0802
    Member

    anyone complain at IT section using CPAexcel? when I get there, I really want to kill the book……..

    FAR - 88
    REG - 88
    AUD - 99
    BEC - 87

    #612772
    Juliemiddle
    Member

    Agreed…CPA Excel does definitely NOT have bite-size lessons. It takes more than 20 min. to ready the study text, review, and take the MCQs. The whole reason I bought it was for “bite-size” because I work full-time 🙁

    I have a feeling that they provide way too much info in their review material. And I'm probably studying way more hours than people with other reviews. But, on the flip side, I've passed every exam on the first try, except FAR. The only reason I failed FAR I didn't really put in the time for it.

    For BEC – it was fine. Dry & boring material…but, it's a CPA exam, after all.

    AUD: 84 - Oct. 2013
    BEC: 83 - Feb. 2014
    REG: 91 - May, 2014
    FAR: 68, 96 - Oct. 2014...DONE

    CPAExcel, Ninja Audio (all sections)

    #612773
    005
    Participant

    I agree Juliemiddle, that's the thing that makes me suck it up and keep studying, the fact that I've passed them without many trys. I've passed them all on the first try, minus BEC, which took me two tries (but the first time I came really close; 72)

    But still, sometimes I feel like I'm studying for more time than I should since they break everything out into such detail =/

    BEC - ✔
    REG - ✔
    AUD - ✔
    FAR - 11/29/14

    CPAExcel, Ninja MCQs, and a sh*t ton of coffee

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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