[Kelestrel]

CPAexcel’s Video Gold Medal course looks like a really good bet for a review course, but I have some reservations and questions.

The 14 day trial version felt clunky, confusing, included multiple grammatical and spelling errors. I’m reluctant to purchase the product after the trial, as I’m not sure if I trust a product to give me accurate and complete information for the CPA exam if it can’t consistently form a complete sentence. Can anyone who is using the current version comment on the quality of content?

Do the Wiley CPAexcel study guides have content not included in the course? Would you recommend purchasing them to use alongside the Video Gold Medal course?

I’m not really sure how I feel about the videos. Do they cover a large portion of the course, or can I gain most of it through the study materials and slides?

How does the Self-Study Pack compare, content-wise, to the Video Gold Medal course?

And finally, I’d love to hear your comments on anything about CPAexcel’s value as a review course. Thank you!

REG Aug 16, 2014
FAR Oct 04, 2014
AUD Feb 15
BEC May 15

[univegabw]

I purchased the gold medal package with the $300.00 discount and the student discount also. I feel that it is probably lacking in usability features, but I can access it from laptop or my ipad without a problem and it really is easy to use. I think the study text that comes with it is very detailed if you want to compare it to say Ninja Notes that are more of a supplement to help cement topics.

I really don't enjoy the video lectures, but they are pretty in depth and repeat concepts in future lectures to allow you to keep it in your mind as you go. I haven't used the text all that much yet since I've been rewriting Ninja Notes and doing MCQs more. If you have any reservations I would try another program first to make sure you don't make a bad decision. I had been looking at CPAExcel for the cost benefit for a long time, but now I feel I could have maybe just utilized Wiley or Gleim books instead with a testbank.

A- 53, 55
B- Passed!
F- Not Yet Taken
R- 1/17/2015

[Kelestrel]

Thank you for your input! I am definitely going to be trying other programs, but I like how CPAexcel doesn't expire and provides any updates for free. Honestly, I'd buy the course no matter how it's set up if it had those two features and I knew it included all the material needed to pass. I've always been a good student so I guess I'm not worried about the format of learning, just that all the information I need to learn is contained in their product.

REG Aug 16, 2014
FAR Oct 04, 2014
AUD Feb 15
BEC May 15

[MikeHoncho]

@Kelestrel Personally, I think its a great review course especially for the money. I don't feel that the videos are completely necessary but I like to watch them when I have trouble comprehending a section. Plus if you have Apple TV you can stream the videos to your TV whenever your just laying on the couch. Otherwise the study text does cover the majority of the material (there are a couple of typos, but I would still consider the quality to be high). In college we had to buy Gleim each semester for certain classes, I feel CpaExcel does a much better job breaking down the sections into what they call “bite-size” lessons. It makes studying much more manageable. As for the Wiley Books, Wiley and CpaExcel are now one company. I heard on the forum that the books are the same now but I'm not positive. Also, I have seen videos from the Roger CPA Review course and those seem very entertaining. But this is just my opinion, everyone is different.

Done: 5/22/14

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."
- Ernest Hemingway

[Nuffsaid]

Book are not the same.

Old wiley books sold as “self-study”.

Old CPAexcel books sold with video gold medal course. (These books are MUCH easier to read than Wiley.)

[Anonymous]

CPAexcel is the only product I have used so far and it has helped me pass two sections. I rely heavily on the videos and take very detailed notes. That is just the way I learn best. There are a lot of grammatical errors but I got used to them.

[goldenpeanut]

Anyone know if the 14 day trial include all the lessons and practice questions? If I purchase the video gold medal course, what material will I get in addition to the material already in the 14 day trial ?

BEC 82 Gleim & Wiley TB
AUD 74, 74, 92 Becker & Wiley TB
REG May 2014
FAR Aug 2014

CISA Passed

[rbozung]

I used Becker years ago and did not pass. I am now using CPA excel and NINJA notes and so far have passed my first section that I took (BEC). My advice, focus focus on the MCQs. You will need to have other ways of absorbing the material available when you need a break, though. My strategy: first, retype the Ninja notes for the section you are taking. This did two things for me: 1. It gave me an outline of the entire subject which I re-read continuously whenever I was too tired to complete MCQs. 2. Reading over the outline throughout my studies helped keep fresh all of the information. I realized that I was becoming very familiar with the material that I most recently covered and was completely lost when looking at the everything I covered in the beginning. This happens since you can be studying over a period of 1-2 months. Next, I starting watching all of the videos. After each section, I typed up the note cards available with this section and highlighted any note cards that I wanted to write out later on actual hard copy index cards. Finally, I did non stop MCQs starting with only 10 at a time and including material from all topics. Again, this helped be consistently be exposed to the earlier as well as later materials and prepared me for the way in which the CPA exam tends to ask questions. Any time I was almost sick of answering the multiple choice, I would start writing out note cards, reviewing them and reading my NINJA notes. The main focus is the MCQs but what I learned is that you will get tired and need to find other ways to absorb the material. Each time you finish a mini test of the MCQs (I do this in exam mode) I spend twice as much time reading them over as I did answering the question in order to understand what I did wrong.

My method may seem tedious, but if you are struggling, it may help you. In short, I believe that CPA excel gives you enough practice questions to pass the CPA and is well worth it. The AUD lectures are unbelievable dry but the FAR lectures with Pam are extremely helpful. Some people have a gift for teaching and she is one of them. Pick and choose what works for you!

Link: Current CPAexcel Discount Codes

BEC - Passed
AUD - Passed
FAR - 10/28/14 (waiting results)
REG - Passed

[Author]

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