Wiley CPA Review 2024 Study Materials & Course Features

Wiley CPAexcel
Wiley CPAexcel

Course Rating: 

Acquisition Uncertainties: Wiley’s recent merger with UWorld has cast doubts on the future trajectory of their CPA prep offerings. Such transitions might introduce changes to the curriculum or the platform’s functionalities, causing apprehension among potential students about the course’s reliability and standards in the future.

Even after you finish your college studies, you have to pass the CPA exam to become a professional accountant. Using a CPA exam prep course will ensure that you know exactly what’s going to be on the exam, and it can help to prevent costly retakes that would delay the start of your career by months— or even years.

That’s what makes Wiley CPA Review such a helpful resource for so many students.

Wiley’s online CPA exam catalog is among the best CPA prep courses currently available online. By signing up, you’ll have access to live classes and practice tests focused solely on the CPA exam.

Keep reading this full review to learn how this course can help you advance your accounting career on your own schedule.

About Wiley

Wiley helps people enhance their learning and study for advanced certifications so they can reach their fullest potential. They’ve been in business longer than any other online accounting education company, and they frequently partner with universities and businesses to ensure their products meet the current needs of modern students.


John Wiley & Sons started more than 200 years ago and has always focused on accommodating learners looking to advance their skills in trades such as accounting and finance. Wiley provides study guides that are accessible for students and working professionals alike. Whether you’re currently enrolled in college or haven’t been in a classroom for 20 years, Wiley’s products will help you learn what you need at your own pace.

Wiley backs its products with “Access Until You Pass.” This means you’ll have access to all of the online learning materials until you pass your exam. Additionally, if guidelines change during your studies, then the materials will update for you, with no additional charge.

Course Snapshot

  • Over 17,000 practice questions
  • Eight complete practice exams
  • Live virtual classrooms
  • More than 140 hours of video lectures
  • Mobile app to study on the go
  • Guaranteed unlimited access until you pass

Wiley CPA Course Updates

Wiley recently updated their CPA course to match changes made by the AICPA to the exam. These changes reflect an evolving accounting industry and incorporate several important new additions. For instance, sections of their AUD and BEC study materials now place more emphasis on the proper use of Microsoft Excel, and terminology in FAR has been updated to the industry standard. Additionally, changes to come out of the CARES Act have been added to the REG curriculum, resulting in a fully updated course that’s in line with the modern accounting industry.

What’s Included With Wiley CPA Review Course

Wiley CPAexcel comprehensive study package

Wiley CPAexcel has several different options so you can choose what’s best for you. Each level includes:

  • FocusMeTechnology
  • Access Until You Pass
  • Study Guide in Print and eBook
  • Companion mobile app
  • 24/7 customer service
  • 14 day free trial

The focus of the course is the live classes. They’re online, so you can access them from anywhere. Licensed CPAs teach you how to take the exam while sharing their professional experience. Because the classes are live, you’ll also have the chance to ask questions about concepts you’re not understanding.

Wiley CPAexcel gives you access to eight complete exams. This level of prep helps you know exactly what to expect with the real thing. As you take practice exams, the software sees what you’re struggling with and adapts future lessons. That keeps you from wasting time covering concepts you already understand.

On your course dashboard, you’ll have an Exam Planner that will update as you complete lessons to tell you when you’re ready for the CPA exam. Just input when you’re going to sit for the exam and how many hours you can study each day; the planner will tell you when you need to start studying to be on the right path.

Pro CPA Review Course

The Pro package gives you a solid foundation of Wiley CPAexcel material for $1,599. You’ll have access to a massive test bank with more than 2,200 pages of study materials, 17,000+ practice questions, 4,000+ digital flashcards, and several sample exams.

You’ll also get the 4-volume CPA Study Guide as both an ebook and a printed manual. You can watch countless video lectures, simulation videos, and attend live online classes.

Platinum CPA Review Course

Wiley CPA’s Platinum package is the most popular. It’s in the sweet spot of offering many perks without being the most expensive option at $1,799.

This is a step above Pro, so you get everything offered in that base package. But for the extra price bump, you get some nice additional features that can be extremely helpful in ensuring you earn a great score on your first attempt.

This is what you get:

Platinum introduces access to expert mentors that offer 1-on-1 help. You’ll also benefit from Wiley’s signature 11th Hour Final Review Course, which is a special playlist of focused videos with test-taking tips to prepare you the week before your exam. And if you’re an international student, they even include free consultations to ensure you’re eligible to sit for the exam in the United States.

Pros and Cons

Now you know what Wiley CPAexcel has to offer, but your choice might not be crystal clear. Check out these pros and cons to see what’s good about Wiley’s CPA exam review program.

Pro – High Pass Rates

Wiley is transparent about its students’ success. They publish data about exam pass rates, with 9 out of 10 users passing all four sections of the CPA exam. Consider these average exam results:

  • 51% pass the AUD section
  • 59% pass the BEC section
  • 46% pass the FAR section
  • 56% pass the RED section

That puts Wiley’s success rate at 90%— much higher than other exam reviews can boast.

Pro – Authentic Review Materials

Wiley provides eight sample exams for you to take, but they’re not just making up the questions on their own. They use actual CPA exam content from previous years to create their study materials, sample questions, and practice exams.

Not only do you know that Wiley is using legitimate CPA materials, but they’re also constantly updating their curriculum. When the test format changes, they update the program immediately so you’ll have access to the latest information.

Wiley also uses CPAs to teach live online courses. You know you’re getting great information and career insight from the professionals. If you’re having trouble with a certain concept, you’ll be able to ask an expert and get an answer in real-time.

Pro – Unlimited Course Access

As of July 2020, you can take the CPA exam at any time. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy changed to Continuous Testing after previously only offering the exam each quarter.

Since you can take the CPA exam year-round, it only makes sense that access to study materials should also be ongoing. Wiley offers unlimited access to their study materials until you pass all four sections of the exam.

This constant access means that you can study and take the test on your schedule. Wiley won’t charge you ongoing subscription fees to access the material past a certain date; your one-time fee gives you access for as long as you need it.

Unlimited access goes hand-in-hand with Continuous Testing because there aren’t any restrictions for retaking sections if you fail. You can test more frequently, and with constant access to Wiley CPAexcel information via the mobile app, you’ll feel prepared again in no time!

Con – Uncertain Future Post-Acquisition

With Wiley’s recent merger with UWorld, there are concerns about potential changes in the curriculum, teaching methodologies, and platform functionalities. This uncertainty can make it challenging for students to commit to a program that might undergo significant alterations.

Con – Overwhelming Content

Some students have reported that Wiley’s CPA material can be overly detailed and dense, making it challenging to discern the most critical topics for the exam. This can lead to longer study hours and potential inefficiencies in preparation.

Con – High Price

The only con is the price of Wiley CPAexcel. With packages ranging from $1,599 to $1,899, you’re paying a hefty upfront cost. However, when you consider the value of what you’re getting, it’s definitely worth the expense. 

Also, it’s more affordable than some other options that cost more than $2,000 for their base plan. Since it’s an investment in your future, it’s better to see what you’ll get from Wiley CPAexcel. You can’t beat the quality of their materials, and if it helps you study and pass quickly, then you’ll see the payoff in terms of career advancement before you know it.

Here’s another tip to help you save on your exam costs— we’ve got exclusive discounts and promo codes that can knock a few hundred dollars off Wiley’s Platinum course.

Final Recommendations

In light of Wiley’s recent merger with UWorld, questions arise about the future course and caliber of their CPA prep content. Changes in curriculum or platform functionalities might affect the course’s consistency and efficacy. Until these uncertainties are addressed, considering alternative, well-established CPA prep solutions is recommended.

Comparison of Wiley CPA Course Offerings


Bite-Sized Learning

Wiley CPAexcel prides itself in being super efficient. Each section of the review course is broken down into smaller sections, which makes studying for the CPA exam seem a lot less overwhelming. This is great for anyone who has a full-time job and other obligations that prevent long, uninterrupted study sessions.

One of the best features of the course is the way that the material is divided up into smaller, more manageable topics.

Each main topic is broken into smaller subsections that will only take about 10-30 minutes of your time. This gives you the flexibility to squeeze in a study session even when you have less than an hour to spare. Chunking the information also makes it easier to process and memorize.


Huge Practice Question Test Bank

Wiley CPAexcel gives you access to over 17,000 practice questions and 500 task-based simulations, more than any other CPA review course on the market!

The practice questions in the Study Mode take the form of a short multiple choice quiz. This is a great way to check your understanding of the material right away without taking a full-length practice exam. You can speed through a large number of questions quickly to give you a ton of practice and immediate feedback.

Practice questions in the Launch the Exam mode look exactly like the official CPA exam. In this mode, you don’t find out if you got the question right immediately; the questions are graded after you have taken the entire simulated exam.

You can also customize your practice exams. For example, you can choose to retake one using only those questions you got wrong. Additionally, you can select how many questions you want on each practice test.

The task-based simulations include questions that have tables and other areas that must be filled in (i.e. not just multiple choice). Note that many of the task-based questions are very similar, with different numbers substituted for what is basically the same question. Additionally, the sheer volume of practice questions can quickly become overwhelming, making it difficult and tedious to make it through them all.


Wiley CPA online test bank

Simulated Practice Exams

Wiley CPAexcel identifies which questions you missed and then provides an explanation of how to get to the correct answer. This is very helpful because it helps you identify your weaknesses as you review each question. After understanding each incorrect answer, you can jump right back into taking the Simulated CPA Exam again.

The large test bank makes sure that new questions appear each time you retake the test, giving you the repetition and practice you will need to pass the actual CPA exam. You may want to keep taking the Simulated CPA Exam until you consistently score above 85-90%.


CPA Exam-Identical Software

The practice exams and simulations are presented in the same computerized format you will see on test day, including the specific time limits, break policies, and rules for moving through the exam content. This will familiarize you with the CPA exam format and the functionality of the built-in calculator and flagging system so you won’t waste any time on the big day.


Wiley CPAexcel video lectures and online study materialsVideo Lectures

Although most Wiley lectures are not particularly entertaining, they are gratifyingly short. Most are under 30 minutes, and many are significantly shorter (as short as 5-10 minutes!). Ultimately, any student with prior CPA prep experience will immediately recognize that these lectures aren’t as engaging or fast-paced as some of their competitors’ videos, like Roger or Becker.

Important information is displayed alongside the lecturer to help you identify the key points, and essential terms may be emphasized in bold. Slides can also be printed out as study aids or if you like to take additional notes.

Audio-visual learners will benefit from this format because they can listen to the lecture while reading the most important points and taking notes. Although I wouldn’t recommend skipping the assigned readings, the information that comes up on the slides and is explained by the lecturers will help you retain the most important information necessary to pass the exam.

Deep Dive Lectures

Another useful feature to help you improve your scores comes in the form of Wiley’s “deep dive lectures.” In these, experienced accounting professors lay out how to solve the most challenging problems on the CPA Exam step by step. This is extremely helpful if you’re a Platinum or Ultimate student: you can follow up with these deep dives by asking questions directly to your instructors, who will respond within two days.


Online and Offline Accessibility

There is no limit on the number of computers and devices that can download the software. The course is also accessible from smartphones and tablets via Wiley’s Android or  iOS apps.

In the past, Wiley’s mobile app hasn’t been as functional as other education programs for mobile devices. Fortunately, they’ve put in a lot of work to vastly improve their tablet and mobile compatibility, to the point where this is actually one of the best mobile resources for CPA exam preparation!

Wiley’s Partner Until You Pass Guarantee ensures that your course will always be up to date, no matter how long it takes you to pass, thanks to the free content and software updates. Hopefully, this means they’ll provide free updates to their app that improves its functionality and connectivity.


Weekly Special Offers

Every week or two, there are new Wiley CPA promo codes on their website. To find out what promotion they are offering this week, click here.


Additional Mentoring Available

If you need additional one-on-one instruction or want to discuss more complex questions, mentoring is included with the Platinum and Ultimate courses. You can post your questions on a discussion board and get answers from experienced professors or other CPAexcel users.

You can also search the archived discussions to see if the answer is already there, or get personal help on topics covered in the lectures and demonstrations of how to solve specific problems. In fact, this is probably the best way to have your questions answered in a timely manner, since some students have complained that instructor response time can be slow.


Virtual Classroom Series

Wiley CPAexcel offers a Virtual Classroom for Platinum and Ultimate students, which includes a combination of pre-recorded lectures and live online classes. Here, instructors focus on the most challenging questions that students frequently get wrong on the exam.

You can ask questions during the live presentation and interact with your peers, making it a much more interactive experience. There are also lecture archives, so you can look to see if a topic that you need extra help on has already been covered. And while this isn’t as involved as Becker’s live classroom courses, it’s still a helpful resource!


Our Suggestion

Final Recommendation: While Wiley has historically been a commendable program for CPA preparation, the recent merger with UWorld casts doubts about its future direction and quality. Despite its past successes, potential changes in curriculum or platform functionalities could compromise its effectiveness. Given these uncertainties, even with its strong track record, we currently advise exploring other established CPA prep options.


Pricing

Financing options are available, here.

Pro CPA Review Course

Price: starts at $2,199
Includes:

  • Bite-Sized Lessons
  •  Electronic Study Text
  • 7,500+ AICPA Past Exam Questions with Answer Rationales
  • 5,500+ Proficiency Questions
  • 4,200+ Digital Flash Cards
  • Student Discussions
  • 500+ Task-Based Simulations
  • Unlimited Simulated CPA Exams
  • Final Review
  • Exam Planner & Personalized Study Schedule
  • Diagnostic Exams & Strategy Support
  • Performance Metrics
  • 140+ Hours Video Lectures + Slides
  • Course Outlines (print or eBook)
  • Partner Until You Pass Guarantee – Free Content and Software Updates
Platinum CPA Review Course

Price: $2,499
Includes: Everything in Pro CPA Review Course plus

  • Professor Mentoring
  • 11th Hour Final Review Course
Platinum CPA Review Course

Price: $3,100
Includes: everything in Pro and Platinum CPA Review Courses plus:

  • Virtual Classroom Series
  • Online CPA Test Bank – offers an additional:
    • 4,400 AICPA Past Exam Questions with Answer Rationales
    • 148 Task-based Simulations
    • Replicates Prometric Experience
  • Flash Cards (print)
  • Focus Notes (print or eBook)
CPA Course Supplements

Certain elements of the program can be purchased individually as a supplement to the Pro courses:

  • CPA Focus Notes – starting at $40
  • CPA Flashcards – starting at $50
  • CPA Virtual Classroom Series – starting at $100
  • CPA Self-Study Pack – starting at $240
  • CPA Online Test Bank – starting at $150
  • CPA Study Guide – starting at $65
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