Editorial Policy & How We Review CPA Courses
Last updated: February 25, 2026 | Author: Bryan Kesler, CPA
CPA Exam Guide has been publishing CPA exam content since 2012. This page explains how I select, test, and rank the CPA review courses that appear on this site, how affiliate relationships and my ownership of Kesler CPA Review factor in, and how you can hold me accountable if something is wrong.
Who Reviews the Courses
All CPA review course evaluations on this site are written by me, Bryan Kesler. I am a Licensed CPA in North Carolina (License #41490), PwC alum, CPA Practice Advisor Top 20 Under 40, and founder of both CPA Exam Guide (2012) and Kesler CPA Review (2022). I have personally served 68,000+ CPA candidates through mentorship, study materials, and my podcast.
I am not a content team or a faceless editorial board. There is one person behind these reviews, and you know exactly who it is and what my credentials are.
How Courses Are Selected for Review
A CPA review course qualifies for inclusion on this site if it meets all of the following:
• It is a currently active product accepting new students
• It provides structured study materials for the Uniform CPA Examination (MCQs, simulations, textbook or lectures, or some combination)
• It has been used by at least some of my mentorship students, so I can cross-reference my testing against real candidate results
• I can obtain full paid access (not a demo or limited free trial) to test it
Courses that have been discontinued (Yaeger CPA Review, Fast Forward Academy) remain on the site with a discontinuation notice for candidates who may still be searching for them. They are clearly marked as no longer available.
How I Test Each Course
I purchase or obtain full access to every course I review. Not free trials. Full paid accounts with all features unlocked. Then I spend a minimum of 20 hours inside each platform studying real CPA exam content.
To make comparisons fair, I study the same topics across every course. Specifically:
• Lease accounting (ASC 842) and revenue recognition (ASC 606) in FAR
• Audit sampling in AUD
• Individual taxation in REG/TCP
This lets me compare how each course explains the exact same concept, which is the only honest way to evaluate them side by side.
When I test a course, I am evaluating specific things:
| What I Evaluate | What I'm Looking For |
|---|---|
| MCQ Explanation Quality | Does it explain why the right answer is right AND why each wrong answer is wrong? I compare the same topic's MCQ explanations across all courses. |
| Textbook Depth | Does it just state the rule, or does it walk through the full decision tree with worked examples? I read the same topic in every textbook and compare. |
| AICPA Blueprint Coverage | Does the course cover the actual AICPA Blueprints, or does it skip topics? I cross-check content against the published blueprints. |
| Platform Usability | How easy is it to navigate, find content, track progress, and switch between study modes? I test on both desktop and mobile. |
| Adaptive Learning | I deliberately answer questions wrong to see how each algorithm responds. Does it serve easier questions (bad) or redirect to source material (good)? |
| Video Lecture Engagement | I time how long I can maintain genuine focus. There is a real difference between a 12-minute focused session and checking your phone at minute 6. |
| Mobile Experience | I study exclusively on mobile for 3 days per course. Can you realistically study during a commute? |
| TBS Realism | I complete 10+ task-based simulations per course and compare them against actual CPA exam TBS formatting. |
| Support Responsiveness | I submit a real content question to each course's support team and time the response. |
| Student Results | I cross-reference my testing against feedback from 3,000+ mentorship candidates who use these courses daily. |
The detailed 10-point weighted scoring rubric is published on the comparison page itself.
How Rankings Are Determined
Courses are organized by what they are best suited for (e.g., "Best for Mentorship & Value," "Best for Big 4 Candidates," "Best Question Bank") rather than a simple 1-5 numbered ranking. Different candidates have different needs, and no single course is the best choice for everyone.
Rankings are based on the weighted scoring rubric described above, adjusted by real student outcomes from my mentorship program. When my personal testing experience contradicts what hundreds of students report, I note that in the review.
Affiliate commissions do not influence rankings. Courses that pay higher commissions do not receive higher placement. Kesler CPA Review (which I own and earn revenue from directly) is evaluated against the same criteria as every other course, and its known weaknesses are documented on the page.
Conflicts of Interest & How We Handle Them
I have two financial conflicts of interest. Both are disclosed upfront on every review page:
1. I own Kesler CPA Review. It appears in the comparison. I earn revenue when people sign up. I built the product, so I obviously believe in it, but I also know its weaknesses better than anyone and I document them honestly (no video lectures yet, smaller TBS library, gamification not for everyone).
2. I earn affiliate commissions on Becker, UWorld, Gleim, and Surgent when readers click links and purchase through this site. These commissions help fund the free content, podcast, and resources on CPA Exam Guide.
How I mitigate these conflicts:
• The testing methodology and scoring rubric are published so you can evaluate the process yourself
• I document specific weaknesses for every course, including my own
• I link to independent sources (Reddit discussions on r/CPA and r/Accounting) so you can see what candidates say without my filter
• Pass rate claims are labeled as self-reported by the companies, not independently verified, because nobody outside those companies can confirm the numbers
• My CPA license is publicly verifiable through NASBA
If you think a conflict is affecting a recommendation, email me directly. I take this seriously.
How Affiliate Links Work on This Site
Links to CPA review course websites on this site use affiliate tracking (via ClickMagick). If you click a link and purchase a course, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The course company pays the commission, not you.
Affiliate links are marked with rel="nofollow" where appropriate. The presence of an affiliate link does not change the editorial evaluation of the product. Courses without affiliate programs (or with lower-paying programs) are not ranked lower as a result.
For full details, see the Affiliate Disclaimer.
How Often Reviews Are Updated
CPA review courses update their platforms constantly. New features launch, pricing changes, and content gets refreshed for AICPA exam updates. I re-test each platform on the following schedule:
• Every 6 months: Full re-test of each major course (20+ hours per platform)
• Within 30 days of major product changes: If a course launches a significant new feature (like Becker's Newt AI, or Surgent's ReadySCORE update), I test and update the review
• Pricing: Verified quarterly and whenever a reader reports a discrepancy
• AICPA exam changes: Content coverage verified when new AICPA Blueprints are released or when exam structure changes take effect
Every review page shows a "Last Updated" date that reflects when substantive changes were last made. I do not update the date for cosmetic edits.
Corrections & Reader Feedback
If you find an error, an outdated price, a feature that has changed, or a claim you think is wrong, email me at bryan[@]cpaexamguide.com. I read every email and will update the content if the correction is valid.
I also monitor r/CPA and r/Accounting for feedback about both this site and the courses I review. When community consensus differs from my assessment, I investigate and update if warranted.
What This Site Does Not Do
• We do not verify pass rates. Becker, UWorld, Surgent, and others publish self-reported pass rates with specific qualifying conditions. I report what they claim but cannot independently confirm the numbers. Neither can anyone else outside those companies.
• We do not accept paid placements. No course company can pay to be included, ranked higher, or given a more favorable review.
• We do not publish AI-generated reviews. Every course evaluation is written by me based on hands-on testing. AI tools may assist with formatting or proofreading, but the testing, opinions, and recommendations are mine.
• We do not guarantee exam results. A review course is a tool. Passing depends on how you use it, how much time you invest, and your individual preparation. No course guarantees a passing score regardless of what their marketing says.
Questions about this policy? Contact me here. | Back to CPA Review Course Comparison | About Bryan Kesler, CPA