Preparing for the CPA exam, and taking it, isn't cheap. CPAExamGuy.com helps future CPAs navigate their training …
A common way that people invest in themselves is to go to college, and later get specific training that is likely to advance their career.
In the field of accounting, becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a valuable, portable accreditation. It's the designation given by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; it sets apart those who have passed an exam and have met work experience requirements.
CPA exams aren't cheap. Better study!
The 14-hour exam comes in four parts. The parts run almost $200. Each! In addition, there are other application fees, and possibly travel fees because the tests are administered by computer.
Since the exams cost well over $1,000 — plus lots of time — it's wise to prepare thoroughly for them.
But here's the catch: The majority of CPA prep courses are expensive as well, some upwards of $3,000. Even the least expensive ones are about $1,000. Since taking the plunge on becoming a CPA is (hopefully!) a one-time journey, it makes good sense to gather reviews of the prominent CPA exam study courses before buying one.
Reviews of CPA exam prep courses — by a CPA
Enter Jason Galaif, creator of CPAExamGuy.com. From his About Me page, he's a CPA in southern California at a local firm. His journey to getting there wasn't the smoothest; he took three years and multiple attempts to pass all four parts of the CPA exam. This experience builds credibility with the CPA exam study process.
The main content of the site is reviews of more than a half-dozen CPA exam prep courses. Mr. Galaif has a page with a brief review and side-by-side of seven of the best ones, listing pros and cons of each. He doesn't shy away from ranking them.
Additionally, each CPA exam study prep course has a detailed review. This link has the review of the Roger CPA Review course, the one he ranks highest. It's typical of the other reviews on the site, and contains pros, cons, course features, additional features, and course materials. I can't see this information being gained any way except by actually investigating the course material and seeing what it's all about.
Each review has a place for visitor comments and questions, to which he's been responsive and helpful.
And, of course, there are prominent links to buy the courses (more on this below).
Other CPA exam materials and resources
In addition to the CPA exam study course reviews, there is a Resources page with a handful of products like flash cards, test questions, and audio lectures which can supplement a bigger course purchase.
I would expect a future accountant would want to save as much money as possible, right? 😉 There's a discount code page with deals that knock hundreds of dollars off of the course prices.
Rounding out the site content is a blog with additional articles which cover the different parts of the exam and other tips for studying and taking the exam.
Website stuff
CPAExamGuy.com overall is visually appealing and easy to navigate. It looks good both full-screen and on a smaller device.
This site is what's called an affiliate niche site. Most (if not all) of the products purchased through this site result in an affiliate commission for the owner of the website. (This doesn't typically make the products cost more, as the affiliate commissions are built into the price of the products.) What the site aims to do is create value (helpful reviews) which lead to people purchasing the products and triggering the commissions.
Knowing this, one has to judge the extent to which the site owner is motivated, or possibly biased, by the commissions. (This is a money-making venture for him, after all.) I did verify that Mr. Galaif is currently a CPA. With that designation come high standards for ethics, so I can't see things getting too egregious. Looking at the site content I don't really have any reason to think he's not being forthright. He looks like a guy who's trying to be helpful and make a bit of extra money doing so.
He does try to close the sale, though. On each detailed review page, there's a lightbox (a fairly in-your-face call to action that covers the entire page) that triggers the first time a reader gets down near the bottom of the review. The lightbox encourages you to buy the course being reviewed by offering a discount code. Whether this is too annoying to a legitimate visitor to the site is hard to judge (I don't count as one because I'm not in the market to pass the CPA exam).
Overall impression of CPAExamGuy.com
I can see the content on CPAExamGuy.com as being helpful to future CPAs as they study for their exams. In this way it provides value to its audience: people looking to take the CPA exams. All of the information on the site is free. And if it helps someone make the decision to buy a particular study course, then great! Everyone wins!
(I was compensated for this site review. All opinions are my own. Links to the site were removed on 1 June 2017 at the request of the new site owner.)
