3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great practice questions, July 22, 2010
This review is from: Wiley CPA Exam Review 2010, Business Environment and Concepts (Wiley CPA Examination Review: Business Environment & Concepts) (Paperback)
BEC was my fist exam and I was undecided about the CPA review material I should purchase. I really didn't want to spend $400-$500 per section to just study. I figured that at least 2 major names in the business used Wiley (RogerCPA and Yaeger) and the books are pretty cheap comparably, so I should start there. I actually tried out Kaplan Schweser because they offered their whole BEC package for free (+$15 shipping). I liked Kaplan's lectures but their practice questions were terrible (full of typos, unclear explanations). About halfway through studying I figured out that practicing Wiley's questions at the end of each module was the most effective way for me to study in my allotted time. I took the BEC exam last weekend and now I'm convinced that Wiley has the best questions. Wiley's questions are VERY similar to the actual exam. Make sure to take the practice test and go through the 50 AICPA questions at the end of the book (hint hint).
Some disadvantages of Wiley are the brief outlines the book uses for review. Trying to read Wiley for comprehension is tough, it has been compared to reading a dictionary. I found that if I skimmed the chapter, answered all of the questions at the end of the module, and reviewed the explanations of the questions I got wrong, I made the most progress in the least amount of time. That only worked for the subjects that I was already okay at and just needed a review on, not the subjects I needed to learn again. I have already purchased the Wiley book for REG and am thinking about using the Yaeger DVDs to relearn some of the material since Yaeger uses the Wiley books to teach from. Good Luck to you
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everything you need to pass BEC, December 26, 2010
This review is from: Wiley CPA Exam Review 2010, Business Environment and Concepts (Wiley CPA Examination Review: Business Environment & Concepts) (Paperback)
I read all the Modules, answered all the questions, and reread a few sections. And I passed the exam and save lots $$$!! I tried the Becker study guide, it didn't work for me. I preferred Wiley over Becker.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
My 3 Pros And Cons On Wiley BEC Book, September 18, 2010
This review is from: Wiley CPA Exam Review 2010, Business Environment and Concepts (Wiley CPA Examination Review: Business Environment & Concepts) (Paperback)
I run a CPA exam prep site called [...] where I answer questions from CPA application, CPA review course comparison, exam tactics to life after the CPA exam. I scored 87 on BEC back then, and I'd like to share my thoughts on the pros and cons of Wiley's CPA exam review 2010 on BEC. Hope you find it helpful.
PROS
1. Well-Written. The book is generally well organized covering all the hottest topics on BEC, including business structure, Economics, financial modeling and management, as well as the (most feared) IT and cost accounting.
2. Great Value-For-Money. This is one of the most affordable CPA review materials you can find anywhere. The book is also updated on an annual basis -- no wonder it is the best-selling CPA review books on Amazon (by the way, get this here instead of bookstore or Wiley's website -- cheaper here)
3. Competitors Are Using Wiley As Supplements. A few CPA exam review courses such as Roger CPA Review and Yaeger CPA Review use Wiley's books and CDs to complement their lectures. In fact, Yaeger's DVD course spend a lot of time going through Wiley's MC questions as a way to clarify the accounting concepts.
CONS
1. It Over-Prepares You. While I have to say this Wiley book is considerably "shorter" than the previous versions, it is still too comprehensive, and thus overwhelming and discouraging when you have to go through the entire book by yourself. Other study guides or lecture notes are more concise and present only the materials you need to know for the CPA exam.
2. Layout Not User Friendly. Since you may be buying the book without physically flipping through it, I think it will be helpful to describe the overall feel and layout of the book. Well, despite the colorful cover, the book is actually printed in thin newspaper print. The questions and answers are often straddle between pages so it is very annoying to flip back and forth to read the answers. It might not sound like a big deal, but many readers of my site have joined in the complaints in this particular aspect.
3. Not An Integrated Approach. If you like this Wiley CPA review book, I strongly encourage you to get the Test CD for the practice questions in computerized format. However, the Wiley book + software combo is still far from the "guided review course" with lectures and a channel for you to ask a question or clarify a concept. In my opinion, the guided reviews, be it a live class or a self-study DVD, is a more integrated and thus better approach.
CONCLUSION
Many candidates manage to pass the CPA exam with Wiley product alone, so it is a good set of review guides. What you need to do now is to determine whether you are disciplined enough to study without a guided review course, that you have the time and energy to read through the entire book, and that you won't be bothered by the relatively poor layout and format.
Please feel free to post comments if you have any questions and suggestions. Best of luck to your exam!
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