Universal CPA Review is a new entrant in the CPA exam preparation industry. Co-founded by CPAs Matt Reinhold and Joey Reeve, the online platform utilizes visual learning techniques to help aspiring CPAs prepare for their exams.
The technique they utilize maximizes retention, comprehension, and recalling content. It’s one of the most affordable CPA review courses.
While it’s a fairly new industry entrant, Universal CPA holds a rather crucial competitive edge over other providers. Their course material is visually-appealing and taught uniquely and interestingly.
Let’s analyze Universal CPA Review and rate its study materials, pros, course features, cons, and test bank, so you can see if this is the best CPA exam guide for you.
Universal CPA Course Overview
Universal CPA is designed for visual learners. This is a refreshing change for all providers who still rely on traditional learning techniques like textbooks. The course includes a collection of video lectures alongside visually appealing study guides. The visual representation makes grasping course content including complex topics easy.
Unlike other providers, Universal CPA offers multiple-choice questions with detailed explanations. They also offer task-based simulations represented through video lectures. Universal CPA also adds study materials usually mapped to the AICPA exam blueprints. Universal CPA has also partnered with the Ultimate CPA Exam Guide (UCEG).
The main advantage of choosing Universal CPA is that the platform utilizes a visual approach. The approach helps you retain information as you study for your CPA exam. The videos provided on the platform are not only entertaining but come with detailed explanations.
Rather than purchasing the test bank as part of the course, it is a standalone supplement that you can buy as needed. When it comes to practice questions, Universal CPA has gone a step further to assemble practice questions from real tests. This way, you have an idea of what the actual exam will be like. Besides the authentic AICPA questions, you also get practice questions created by actual CPAs.
Universal CPA Course Packages
Universal CPA also gives you unlimited access, so you can use the course materials until you pass the exam. There is also an “Ask Joey” section. Here, should you get stuck when studying, you can quickly shoot a question to Joey Reeves.
On top of that, the company offers a 14-day trial of the course, so you can test out the course features, layout, and teaching methods used before you buy it. Universal CPA also has in place a great referral program.
You get a referral reward and the referred student gets a 25% discount. With Universal CPA, you can either opt for:
- The individual test bank that costs $250 per CPA section
- Individual exam where you pay $650 per section
- The complete package that costs $2,199 for the entire 4-part exam
Course Features
Universal CPA relies on retention, comprehension, and recalling content. Here are a few features of this course:
Universal CPA Course Layout
Universal CPA features a simple easy-to-navigate layout. The dashboard includes the course content at the bottom and an overall progress diagnostic tab at the top. Depending on the exam, the course will include six to nine chapters broken down into five to ten modules.
Universal CPA divides its course material into more manageable chunks. This helps maximize retention, comprehension, and recalling of content when needed. Most students report that the layout is clean and content is easy to navigate through. The fact that the content is organized logically makes Universal CPA a popular choice among aspiring CPAs.
Video Lesson Lectures
Universal CPA features more than 125 hours of lectures and video explanations. To make things easy to digest, the lectures are usually divided into 750+ bite-sized lessons. The video lectures are interesting and delivered engagingly.
Rather than just placing a camera in front of a lecturer, Universal CPA walks you through all the lessons explaining everything through visual aids. The lectures are also more entertaining compared to what other course providers offer.
Practice Exam Questions & Test Bank
Universal CPA features over 2,900 multiple-choice questions. While the question bank is small, the unique approach Universal CPA uses makes them stand out. The company insists on quality over quantity. They include detailed video explanations and well-written visual explanations after every question.
This way, you know exactly what you did wrong and what you did right. With a majority of other providers, you only get long text-only explanations that take long to read and may not be so easy to understand. Just like with their video lecturers, their video explanations are visually engaging.
This makes it not only easy to read but retain the content. Should you retake a quiz and encounter the same questions, the platform reshuffles the answers. This is to ensure that you are understanding the content rather than just memorizing whatever you’re reading. Universal CPA also includes over 50 task-based simulations.
Course Progress Tracking Tools and Study Planner
Universal includes a progress diagnostic tab at the top that helps you keep tabs on your progress as you continue preparing for your CPA. The platform allows you to generate an unlimited number of progress tests.
When you answer every question, you get a detailed breakdown plus explanations for each question. If you are taking a quiz and you encounter the same question many times, the answers get reshuffled to discourage cramming. The only downside is that the course doesn’t include timed mock exams to give you a realistic feel of what the actual exam will be like.
Study Textbook and Materials
Universal CPA includes a textbook to supplement your studies. The textbook uses more colors and visuals than what other CPA courses provide. Their study guides make a whole difference when you are trying to understand as much content as possible.
The study guides the easy to read, brief, and to the point. The guides are usually written in a well-digestible format, in plain English, and with a mix of humor. Most CPA review courses come in a drier and technical format making them difficult to comprehend. Universal CPA offers a guide for every module, and you can also take digital notes to study offline.
Digital & Printed Flashcards
Universal CPA doesn’t offer digital or print flashcards at the moment, and that’s one of the downsides of purchasing the course. Flashcards are important because they help you retain information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the most common questions CPA candidates have about Universal CPA review.
Does Universal CPA have course time limits?
Universal CPA is accessible from every device giving you a lot of flexibility when you are studying. The course has no access limits. You can access all course materials for as long as you want until you pass the exam. The course is usually updated regularly.
The only downside is that the company doesn’t have a dedicated mobile app or audio lectures. So, in some way, there’s limited flexibility when you are studying for your CPA exam.
Does Universal CPA have payment options?
Unfortunately, Universal CPA doesn’t offer a lot when it comes to financing options, but there are plans to include such in the future. Financing options are great for those who can’t afford to pay for the course upfront.
Universal CPA offers 3-12 month financing option plans, so you don’t have to worry about how you are going to afford it.
Fortunately, the course is already affordable as it is and they offer a rather rewarding referral program. If you get referred by someone already enrolled in the course, you get a 25% discount.
Does Universal CPA have CPA mentoring and coaching?
Universal CPA stands out because the company incorporates customer support throughout the course. Included is an “Ask Joey” section with every lecture, multiple-choice questions, and simulation exams.
There’s also a study guide where you can ask one of the co-founders questions when you are stuck. There is also a FAQs section with more than 1,300 Q&As addressing some of the commonly asked questions.
The response time when you ask a question is pretty quick; usually taking less than 24 hours to receive feedback. While you are waiting for a response, you can go through the FAQs section.
How much does the Universal CPA review course cost?
Universal CPA offers three different review course packages that cost between $299 and $649. They also have a monthly plan option that costs $99/month. This is an affordable CPA exam guide for any student who is on a budget.
What is the best feature of Universal CPA course?
One of the most popular features on Universal CPA is the unlimited access at an affordable price. No other review course on the market offers unlimited access to all of their study materials at this inexpensive of a price.
Is Universal CPA Review worth the price?
Universal CPA is a great deal for the price. It’s not a complete of a course as some of the leading test prep guides, but it’s also about half the price. Plus, you get access to the “Ask Joey” virtual CPA tutoring sessions that most other courses don’t offer. It’s worth the price.
Universal CPA vs Surgent CPA – Is Universal Better?
It’s difficult to compare Universal CPA vs Surgent CPA because Universal is a much smaller course. Both have their merits, but most CPA candidates would choose Surgent in this comparison because it’s a bigger course. Although for the money, Universal is a great deal.
Is Universal CPA Review the best prep course for you?
The course is a great fit for those who have been out of school and are looking for a comprehensive course. It’s also an ideal choice if you don’t mind repetition and want to practice and memorize lots of content.
If you’ve failed a CPA section or feel that you need to practice more in a specific area, this is the right course for you. Do you fancy self-directed study or prefer to study at a pace that you’re comfortable with? Universal CPA is just the perfect course for you.
Lastly, if you enjoy visual learning, Universal CPA engagingly delivers the course. They include animations, and colorful images to help you retain as much information as possible.
