I Pass the CPA Exam was asked if a $799 “Becker” program being sold online could possibly be legit. After asking the owner of the site peddling the stuff, Stephanie asks Becker directly if they allow affiliates to sell their product wholesale to other retailers so they, in turn, can cut the price. Something about this just doesn’t seem right, why would Becker want to get ripped off on its own product, which it routinely sells for $3,000 (give or take)?
When in doubt, maybe you should ask the review course:
I continue my due diligence and ask Becker directly whether the serial number from CPApassmaster would indeed verifiable at their site. This is their answer:
“The only legal site for Becker material is www.becker.com.”
Well, I would appreciate if Becker can just be a little bit more helpful in terms of explaining this further, but knowing how Becker is (big and institutionalized with little “real” customer service), this is probably the best we can get.
Then, I heard from industry sources that in fact Becker is trying to stop this offering via an injunction, and supposedly Becker can render all their materials with serial number from this reseller unverifiable if / when they are allowed to do that.
Interesting. I agree with Stephanie’s assessment that whoever she spoke to at Becker is probably just some hack in a headset who barely knows what the CPA exam is, let alone is high up enough to actually comment on their policies.
It would be interesting to hear this directly from, say, a Becker high up. Hint, hint. Perhaps a qualified Becker manager would like to get in touch and clear the air.
UPDATE: Becker spokesperson Molly Tarantino wrote me last night to clarify Becker’s policy on unauthorized dealers. Please consider her comments before going for a cheap review course that is NOT offered directly from the company:
Becker Professional Education does not support materials purchased through unauthorized dealers. Only materials received directly from us are guaranteed to be authentic. Unauthorized dealers, such as CPAPassmaster, are either in violation of their license with Becker or selling counterfeit materials. Counterfeiting is illegal and purchasing counterfeit products supports this illegal activity. This type of activity is especially troubling since it is occurring within a profession whose foundation has always been and always will be based on ethics and integrity.
Here’s a kooky idea! Pass all parts of the CPA exam within the allotted period of time! We must protect the public interest and not protect the interest of those who do not exert enough effort to study for the exam.
Bruh…you seem like someone who is a fun time. You still writing all your entries down using paper and pencil?
Bruh…is that the replacement of the old slang “homey”? Anyway, if you can’t pass all parts within 30 months you have no business being a CPA. Part of having the CPA license is DEDICATION.
Go ahead….Bruh, throw out some more four letter words. Here’s a four letter word for you…WORK!
You are a complete pussy. Go whine to your therapist that passing the exam is good for. 2 1/2 years. Maybe a Gofundme can help buy you some IQ points.
Complain about regulation, but don’t complain about an exam that a moron can pass.
Yes I once passed all parts of the CPA exam at the same time, way back in 1996.
Took me another ten years to get the experience requirement.
Time limits on the testing of content is part of the way to test the mastery of said content. It’s not the only indicator but it is still a powerful indicator of mastery. Honestly, the fact that you can test each of the sections separately as opposed to the entire content over 2 days makes the current system more than reasonable in order to ensure mastery. I became a CPA under the 2-day regime but I will be the first to say that it was unnecessarily rough and nothing more than a barrier to entry. The current system seems fair to ensure mastery of the content and to ensure the credibility of the CPA credential.
I have conflicting feelings about this one.
Against:
I do not think we should ease the standards because there are whole cohorts of people who worked themselves to the breaking point to pass these exams while working at the Big4.
Their performance at work wasn’t given a break because they were studying, while those that choose to ignore the exam weren’t judged either. So this only benefits those that never focused on the exams and choose to focus on work to only keep kicking the can down the road…which lead to expectations being raised for everyone.
It also tells you what people thought of the certification at the Big4, it was a cursory certification and not something taken seriously. It also just shows you how much emphasize has been placed on increasing revenue versus actually protecting the public or providing the client value for something a lot of the company see as a burden/cost to do business.
For:
I think the time limit is dumb, it does benefit you to pass all the sections as quickly as possible because all the sections tie together in some ways. But I also realize it’s unrealistic for most people nowadays to devote so much time to a certification that seems cursory in a lot of ways.
Meaning I am sympathetic to those not in the Big4 with a lot of responsibilities; whether its kids, elderly partners, or just life in general. Those are the people I think we shouldn’t penalize with a time limit. It’s just dumb to be honest and we are losing out on a lot of talent.
Conclusion:
I think because we cannot exempt people properly, the deadlines should just stay.
I’m more worried about giving those in the Big4 a pass because of the impact they have on the broader business community. I’m also saying this as someone who had a lot of personal obligations that impacted my early career at the Big4 where I made massive sacrifices to pass the CPA sections along with performing.
This isn’t the worst idea I’ve ever heard.