Wiley CPA vs Becker | Which is a Better CPA Review Course?

While Wiley was once a top contender in our CPA prep recommendations, its recent acquisition by UWorld raises concerns about its continuity and future direction. Given these uncertainties and the potential changes post-merger, we cannot confidently recommend Wiley for CPA prep at this time. Instead, we wholeheartedly endorse Becker as a reliable and comprehensive choice for CPA exam preparation.

Wiley CPA and Becker CPA Review are both popular CPA exam study materials. There are several different things to consider when picking out a CPA exam prep course: video lectures, study textbooks, test banks, and overall course software. Comparing these criteria will help you find the best choice for your money!

So let’s take a look at these two top-rated CPA review courses and see how they stack up against one another.

Note – throughout this article, most comparisons made reference the 2023 Wiley CPA Platinum Review Course and the 2023 Becker CPA Pro package.

Becker CPA Review or Wiley CPA Comparison

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Wiley versus Becker CPA Course Offerings

Both Wiley CPA and Becker CPA have several CPA course setups to choose from.

If you choose Becker’s newest option, Concierge, you’ll have access to a dedicated Becker team and your own success coach, who will provide up to 50 weekly one-on-one, hour-long tutoring sessions. You’ll also receive the complete 4-part Becker CPA Exam Review course, which includes free content updates in line with the AICPA’s blueprint, including CPA Evolution, launching in 2024.

In addition, Becker Concierge includes a Review and bonus 900+ MCQs, printed and digital CPA review textbooks, flashcards, a mobile app, and an award-winning game. You can take advantage of personalized instruction with online virtual classes and live in-person classes, and you’ll have access to 8 simulated exams, 12 mini exams, and unlimited custom practice tests powered by Adapt2U Technology to help you prepare for the CPA exam.

But that’s not all! Becker Concierge offers exclusive access to over 7,000 MCQs and 400+ TBS questions, including exclusive SkillBuilder solution videos. And if you’re Exam Day Ready SM but still don’t pass, Becker will refund up to 100% of the Concierge CPA Review purchase price. Becker’s high pass rate is a testament to the effectiveness of its program, and with Becker Concierge, you can take advantage of a personalized approach to achieving your goals.

Plus, Becker Concierge includes a bonus one-year CPE subscription and CPE certificate, which means you’ll be able to continue your professional development even after you’ve passed the CPA exam.

If Concierge feels like “too much,” Becker has three other course offerings to choose from!

Wiley has just two products, but they are both solid options. Their courses feature four main components: video lectures, practice questions, study materials, and an online test bank. Their study materials include printed and digital textbooks, flashcards, and other tools to help you learn and memorize the material. So while there might not be a lot of handholding with Wiley CPA, they do offer solid study sources for self-starters who want to dig in and pass their CPA exam on the first try.

Wiley versus Becker CPA Review Prices

While Becker CPA is more expensive than Wiley CPA, this is because of several reasons. The Big 4 Accounting Firms consider it a top-tier CPA review course, as do many other industry experts. Because of this, many companies will outright pay for their employees to use these courses for certification.

If you’re one of these lucky people, congratulations! Becker is well worth the money since they have cutting-edge technology and software to deliver a high-quality and highly customizable study plan.

So what does Wiley give you for its reduced price? Well, a lot of practice questions, for one. However, there are some features you’ll miss out on if you pick them over Becker; more on that below.

Here are the prices for each course; they vary. Becker’s courses range from $2,499 to $5,999, while Wiley’s two courses are $1,799 and $2,199.

As you can see, Becker is more expensive when compared to Wiley. This all makes sense, though, when you consider everything else they have to offer.

Keep reading to see the differences.

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Who has better course access?

Here’s some good news; Regardless of where you choose to apply for CPA study materials, neither Wiley nor Becker will require you to pay for extended access. Hence, you can use all of the study materials from either course for as long as it takes to pass the exam without incurring additional fees. Plus, the test prep materials are updated while you are using them, so you never have to worry about studying outdated materials!

The only real exception here revolves around the fact that Wiley recently merged with UWorld. Although they currently state that all of their past product promises will be upheld, there is really no guarantee going forward.

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Who has the best test bank?

The Becker test bank includes over 8,300 multiple-choice questions and around 500 task-based simulations, along with 400 coaching videos. 

The Wiley test bank has 12,000+ multiple-choice questions, as well as 300+ task-based simulations.

At first glance, it might seem like Wiley is the winner here by having so many MCQs. However, the AICPA has shifted the CPA exam’s focus to rely more heavily on simulations than multiple-choice questions. There’s also one specific feature to Becker’s mock exams that you can’t get with Wiley.

Thanks to a slight difference in grading, students commonly earn higher scores on the CPA exam than they do on Becker’s mock exams. This is referred to as the Becker Bump and is one of the course’s strongest features.

For these reasons, Becker wins out with more than 180 extra task-based simulations, the Becker Bump, and all the MCQs you’ll ever need!

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Becker CPA vs Wiley Study Text

Generally speaking, Becker’s book tends to go into more detail than Wiley’s book does when it comes to many accounting subjects. Some candidates enjoy this, but others may prefer something simpler if they already have a good grasp of the fundamentals.

The Wiley study book is short and to the point. It isn’t filled with excess information, but that also means you won’t get as much value out of this aspect of their review course.

Ultimately, the better textbook is the one with more information, more substance, and more educational merit: Becker’s!

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Becker vs. Wiley CPA Flashcards

CPAexcel comes with a set of 1,000 digital flashcards covering all the topics, key terms, and study questions throughout the course. These flashcards can be accessed on your computer or any mobile device. However, several student reviews have mentioned that their mobile app doesn’t always work properly, so you might experience some issues if you try to access their flashcards on your phone.

Becker also provides over 1,400 digital flashcards for free with all three of their course subscriptions. You can also get a physical version with their Premium and Pro courses, making it easy to get some study time without having to stare at a screen.

Since flashcards are all about repetition and memorization, you can’t beat having more to study at no added cost. This makes Becker’s CPA flashcards the clear winner here!

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Study Material Updates

This is a great example of Becker improving their products based on customer feedback. At first, they didn’t offer free course updates; however, they’ve changed this policy in response to their students. Now, all their course subscription levels include free updates, making Becker a tremendous value compared to the competition that doesn’t.  

With Wiley, it’s a similar story: as soon as they come out with updates, your study guide will be automatically updated to reflect the new changes. This is great for candidates who take more than 18 months to pass the exam because the chances are that the AICPA will update something big within that time.

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Wiley VS. Becker: What’s the verdict?

Honestly, both of these courses have great attributes, and both will help you pass the exam.

But in my opinion, the clear winner is Becker.

Sure, you’ll need to pay slightly more than you would with Wiley. However, the study materials included with this course (including two fantastic mobile apps), and the glowing endorsements of the Big 4 accounting firms make this well worth your time and money!