Becker and UWorld offer two of the best CPA review courses on the market. In fact, they share the highest pass rate on the market, each boasting an impressive 94%. However, with stats that strong, it can make it tougher to decide between the two.
Fortunately, as a professional course reviewer, I’ve gotten the opportunity to spend countless hours in both courses. In this guide, I’ll share what I found to make that tricky decision a no-brainer, depending on your needs, learning style, and budget.
Without further ado, let’s settle the battle of Becker vs. UWorld CPA Review.
Who Should Pick Becker or UWorld?
Pick Becker for…
- Personalized support, like tutoring and coaching sessions
- Access to in-person and live online classes
- Higher-quality AI tools and a better user interface
Pick UWorld for…
- A massive library of over 1,400 video lectures
- Fans of Roger Philipp and Peter Olinto’s energetic teaching style
- A more flexible, “choose your own adventure” approach
UWorld vs Becker CPA: Course Comparisons
Becker CPA Review Courses
Becker is a major contender for the best CPA prep course due to their high pass rates, comprehensive support options, and stellar tech, featuring tools like AI exam review assistant Newt™ and a heavy emphasis on their adaptive learning technology, Adapt2U. All of this combines to create a reliable, connected, efficient experience to help CPA candidates tackle the quartet of exams with less stress and friction.
While their Concierge Package is significantly more expensive than most other CPA review courses on the market, the rest of their packages are right on par in terms of price, but thanks to 1:1 support and exclusive tools, they tend to edge out similarly priced packages with their high value levels. Plus, Becker has an outstanding reputation, with a 4.6-star average rating on Trustpilot. Though there are obviously some flaws, which we’ll dig into soon, I truly think Becker is a safe bet (perhaps even the safest) for most aspiring accountants trying to earn their licenses.
CPA Exam Prep Packages
Concierge: The most expensive package, but includes everything in the lower tiers plus a 100% money-back pass guarantee, 25 sessions each for both coaching and tutoring, additional workshops/digital content, a CPA license navigation session, and a CPE certificate program of your choice.
🧩 Best Match: Ambitious CPA candidates chasing the Elijah Watt Sells Award.
Pro+: Like Pro, but plus, adding the Becker Academy’s Financial Accounting Foundations course to refresh your memory on key concepts you may have forgotten since school.
🧩 Best Match: If the Pro Package appeals to you, but it’s been a while since you earned your degree.
Pro: Becker’s most popular option includes everything in the lower tiers, but adds a $1,000 money-back pass guarantee, five success coaching and personalized tutoring sessions, live virtual classes, in-person classes, a final review capstone course, flashcards, and one year of access to Becker CPE.
🧩 Best Match: This is the best fit for most students if it’s within your budget.
Premium: Includes everything from the Advantage Package, plus physical textbooks, making it ideal for those who learn best with hard copies of written materials.
🧩 Best Match: If you want the affordability of Advantage but need physical textbooks to study.
Advantage: If you want a strong bundle of basics, Advantage delivers, with a mobile app and game, unlimited adaptive practice exams, an AI exam review partner (Newt), over 900 video lectures, a combined 8,500+ practice questions/task-based simulations, nearly 1,500 digital flashcards, digital textbooks, 12 simulated CPA exams, and eight mini exam simulations.
🧩 Best Match: If you want Becker’s high-quality materials, but don’t need much to pass.
Check out my full analysis of Becker CPA courses in this review.
Pros
- Award-Winning Legacy: 90% of EWS Award winners since 2007 have been Becker students, and their high pass rate of 94% is matched only by UWorld.
- Entertaining Video Lectures: Becker videos are engaging enough that you can watch for hours, making it easier to retain the information on the first watch.
- High-Touch Support: Some packages include personalized tutoring and study coaching sessions, which can make a big difference if you struggle to clarify tricky topics on your own.
- Innovative Technology: Becker’s AI study partner is unique in the CPA prep world, making it easier to get questions answered while you’re diving into the material instead of waiting for a response.
- On-the-Go Friendly Learning: If you have a busy lifestyle, Becker’s highly-rated mobile app and game can make it easier to fit study sessions into your schedule.
Cons
- Fewer Questions and Videos: UWorld offers around 1,000 more question bank entries and 500 more video lectures than Becker.
- Support at a Price: Becker’s Concierge Package is one of the most expensive out there. While it offers unmatched support, the price is likely out of a reasonable range for most students.
Becker CPA Review
UWorld CPA Review Courses
Meanwhile, UWorld is a highly popular option in its own right. Based on research, I don’t think it’s as popular as Becker, but I do think it’s in the top five—and maybe even in the top two. Instructors like Roger Philipp and Peter Olinto are a huge draw to the course: lively, personable personalities who use mnemonics and analogies to break down topics and make studying less of a chore.
However, the two instructors aren’t as prevalent as more “standard” teachers in the lessons. With 1,400+ video lectures, their absence felt noticeable at times. Even so, I found several of the other instructors effective in their own right—clear, knowledgeable, and well-paced. I just personally would’ve liked to see more of Philipp in particular.
Nevertheless, UWorld still packs a punch, with unlimited access and partial money-back pass guarantees available in some packages. Plus, material-wise, they just have more compared to Becker: more videos, more practice questions, and longer answer explanations. Further, their 94% pass rate is the only one competitive with Becker (though it is important to remember that self-reported pass rates are usually based on students who meet specific requirements). These packages are hefty, and though there isn’t as much support as you might get from competing providers, UWorld is an impressive provider for self-study CPA solutions.
CPA Exam Prep Packages
Elite Unlimited+: This is the exact same package as Elite Unlimited, save for including a money-back pass guarantee that offers a refund of up to $1,000 if you follow the guidelines and fail your exams.
🧩 Best Match: Students who can best focus on their studies with the peace of mind included in a pass guarantee.
Elite Unlimited: Includes everything in the Premier Package, but adds unlimited course access, physical study guides, nine full-length mock exams (two per core section, one per discipline), and live virtual bootcamps for each of the core sections.
🧩 Best Match: This is the best UWorld pick for most aspiring accountants.
Premier: UWorld’s base package includes an impressive library of materials, including 9,000 MCQs, 500 TBSs, 1,400+ video lectures featuring Roger Philipp and Peter Olinto, digital study guides, unlimited practice tests and quizzes, adaptive learning technology, a personalized study plan, performance and progress tracking, TBS video walkthroughs, and a final review cram course.
🧩 Best Match: If you like the idea of UWorld but are using supplemental mock exams.
Pros
- High Pass Rate: UWorld reports a pass rate of 94%, which is the only other pass rate high enough to match Becker from among the popular prep providers.
- Video Lectures with Personality: Having both Roger Philipp and Peter Olinto is a real 1-2 punch; having two entertaining and energetic industry legends as instructors was a treat.
- Large Question Bank: UWorld’s 9,500+ combined MCQs and TBSs give them an edge of around 1,000 practice questions over Becker.
- Massive Video Library: Though it’s impossible to know without an exact hour count, UWorld very well may have the most CPA video content available, with over 1,400 lessons.
Cons
- Time-Consuming: 1,400 videos is a lot of content to get through, so if you prefer efficiency over depth, you may be a little frustrated with UWorld.
- Poor Use of Assets: The biggest complaint (and one I agree with) is that it’s amazing to have both Olinto and Philipp, but they should be in more videos than they are.
Take $1,600 Off UWorld CPA Elite-Unlimited Course
UWorld CPA Review
Comparing Becker and UWorld CPA Prep Features
| Provider |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $2,499 to $6,349 | $3,499 to $4,099 |
| Financing Available? |  Through Flex Pay | Through Affirm |
| Discounts | |  |
| Formats Available | In-Person, Live Online, On-Demand | Live Online (Limited), On-Demand |
| Pass Rate | 94% | 94% |
| Mobile Apps + Ratings | Study App(▶️ 4.8 Stars, 🍎 4.8 Stars)Accounting for Empires™(▶️ 3.5 Stars, 🍎 4.5 Stars) | Study App(▶️ 4.5 Stars, 🍎 4.0 Stars) |
| AI Study Assistant | Newt™ | |
| Mock Exams | 12 Full, 8 Mini | 9 Full |
| Video Lectures | Over 900 Videos | Over 1,400 Videos |
| MCQs/TBSs | 8,500+ | 9,500+ |
| Support | Study Coaching1:1 TutoringStandard Customer Service | Standard Customer Service |
| Start Today | LEARN MORE | LEARN MORE |
Why Choose Becker or UWorld Roger?
We’re about to get knee-deep into my experience with both courses, but if you want a quick “what do I do” section, here’s your wish, granted.
Best Fit for Becker CPA: I sincerely think Becker is a great option for most students; however, it’s a better fit value-wise for students who want quick responses and personalized support.
Best Fit for UWorld CPA: UWorld is a better fit for solo study. Whether you’re an introvert or just prefer to work alone, UWorld’s flexibility and practice tools are made for self-driven learners.
Comparing Course Experiences: Becker vs. UWorld CPA
The Course Experience: Navigation and Practice Tools
What is the actual experience like navigating through each course? What’s the dashboard like? How fast does everything load? And how good are those practice questions? That’s what I want to take a look at in this quick section.
Becker truly hits the nail on the head with their dashboard and organization. It’s stylish, professional, and everything loads as quickly as you’d expect from a provider of Becker’s caliber. However, one of my favorite aspects was by far the practice questions. I took the CPA exams myself back in the day, and simply put, Becker gets it.
The questions are a little harder than I remember, but from my research, I believe it’s on purpose. That high level of difficulty testing the same subject matter means more simple questions will be easier, obviously; if you can nail Becker’s practice exams, chances are, you’ll nail the actual CPA exam. This difference in difficulty has led to an effect called the “Becker Bump,” which increases CPA students’ scores roughly 15 points from practice to exam day performance.
Initially, I thought this was some sort of marketing tactic, but when I actually looked into this phenomenon, I found that it was actually students who coined it; some Redditors even reported score increases of over 20 points. It’s important to note that this difficulty might be frustrating to some, rather than creating relief down the line. So, know yourself and how your brain works before locking in.
As for UWorld, it’s a little more clinical and less aesthetically pleasing, but it’s still clean and professional, and everything worked exceptionally well for me. No loading issues here. As for practice materials, UWorld has approximately 1,000 additional test bank entries than Becker, and I do think they’re fairly similar to the exam. Some of my fellow students argue that they’re significantly more difficult, so I may have a bit of a skewed bias due to my experience. Regardless, I think they’re a great asset to helping you prepare for the CPA exam, and having that extra 1,000 options might make a difference for some candidates.
Plus, it’s worth considering that UWorld’s answer explanations are longer (~286 words on average compared to Becker’s ~151), which can make or break how helpful practice questions really are. If written explanations help you learn, UWorld may have an edge.
WINNER: Tied (Becker has a more appealing interface and harder questions, but UWorld has more)
On-Demand Video Classes
Becker CPA review lectures include both in-person and live online classes, and UWorld offers live bootcamps. All of this is valuable video-style content. However, because all of those are very different experiences, I wanted to focus on comparing the video content the two have in common: on-demand video lessons.
I’ll start with Becker, who delivers more than 900 videos in all of their packages. Becker does an excellent job of delivering quick, easy-to-understand videos that all tie together a larger concept, sort of delivering the main idea piece by piece. I never felt overwhelmed this way, and being able to finish lessons in a few minutes was helpful for creating little dopamine boosts that made me feel motivated and eager to keep going. Plus, it depends on the specific instructor, but a good portion of them are high energy and sometimes even fun to listen to, using engaging visual aids, analogies, and stories to bring life to dry subjects (think: platypus videos to drive home an LLC metaphor from Mike Potenza, easily one of my favorite Becker instructors).
Meanwhile, UWorld features a jaw-dropping 1,400+ videos, some featuring Roger Philipp and Peter Olinto. And obviously, the videos with either of those two are standouts. This is a little embarrassing, but I told you I’d be honest: I got a little excited every time I saw the video was taught by Roger or Peter, knowing I’d be able to lock in. Would I rather be watching Netflix? Of course. But as far as prep course videos go, these are easily some of the most entertaining out there. In particular, Philipp’s energy and sense of humor were such a treat. He moves around, he’s laugh-out-loud funny, and he has a great sense of student attention span. It seemed like every time I started to zone out, he knew it was time to raise his voice, say something silly, or ask a question to help viewers refocus.
However, there was a noticeable difference between Philipp’s excited, passionate energy, Olinto’s engaging, conversation-style lectures, and the other instructors. To be clear, the other instructors aren’t bad by any means; they just aren’t as animated. I wish more of the content were led by Roger or Peter, and I’m not alone in this. I do think the sharp contrast between two powerhouses and everyone else makes competent instructors feel worse than they actually are, however:
“Hot take but I like Jessie. Haven’t studied under Pete yet (AUD rn), but I really resonate with Jessie maybe because I’m an IT auditor as well. 🤷♂️ Dan Stone ain’t bad either.“
WINNER: Becker
Customer Service and Personalized Support
UWorld’s support is relatively limited compared to the personalized sessions you can get with Becker. However, you still get standard customer service, so I looked into it. I’ll be upfront: I personally didn’t have a problem with them. They didn’t answer my emails or support tickets at light speed, by any means, but I never waited longer than 24 to 48 hours. More to the point, you do get some live, personalized support from their boot camps, available in both iterations of the Elite Unlimited package. One student described the value this way:
“If you have 2-3 hours to kill, then I think it’s worth joining. It’s general overview to refresh your memory since there’s so much content.”
Becker, on the other hand, offers unparalleled support in the Concierge Package, but still a decent amount in their most popular option, the Pro Package. Depending on which you choose, you can get either 5 or 25 sessions each of coaching and tutoring. The coaching was excellent; obviously, I’m not actually taking the exams, but I think I pulled off the acting job. My coach did a phenomenal job of helping me figure out a good study plan for my schedule. We even worked on things like strategies for improving my test focus and endurance. I can see the tutoring being even more helpful for students, because we all learn differently, and that human touch can make a big difference.
“Becker guided me through passing scores for all four CPA exams. They led me to water and it was up to me to drink. Between support from a success coach, prompt academic support and an endless supply of practice problems, doing the work allowed me to achieve my goals, despite my fears and reservations along the way. Thank you so so much, Becker!!”
Zachary Smith (Trustpilot)
WINNER: Becker
Access, Guarantees, and Value
Both Becker and UWorld Roger’s CPA review programs offer unlimited access for every package but the lowest in the tier ladder. Further, both offer pass guarantees for the highest tier package, though Becker offers a 100% refund for Concierge and a $1,000 back guarantee for Pro, where UWorld has a $1,000 back policy for the Elite Unlimited+ Package.
So, access and guarantees are pretty well balanced. Let’s talk value.
Ignoring the Concierge Package, the two are priced pretty similarly. However, Becker is the only provider to offer high-touch support, in-person classes, and live online classes (not just bootcamps). Plus, just for some perspective, Becker charges well over $700 for one year of access to their Prime CPE subscription and for five tutoring sessions, so more than half the price goes into just those two things. However, UWorld tends to cost less, so while it may not pack the same degree of value, it’s more affordable.
WINNER: Tied (Becker offers stronger value, but UWorld is generally more budget-friendly)
Final Verdict
UWorld and Becker are two of the most popular CPA course prep picks for a reason, with strengths and weaknesses making each better than the other for different student types. Generally speaking, Becker is a better match for students who struggle with self-study. Live classes, coaching and tutoring sessions, Facebook groups, and speedy customer service ensures you’re never studying alone.
Meanwhile, UWorld is a better fit if you’re looking for self-study. The live boot camps are a great addition, to be sure, but I found the most value in UWorld’s large, high-quality question bank, extensive video library, and deep-dive answer explanations.
Whatever your next move, I hope you pass the CPA exam. You’ve got this!
FAQs
Becker offers more comprehensive support and structure, making it a better fit for most CPA candidates.
According to Becker, over 1 million CPA candidates have used their program, though exact market share data isn’t published.
Roger CPA Review was acquired by UWorld along with Wiley. Both of those courses have been integrated into UWorld’s CPA prep materials.
Both Becker and UWorld report a 94% pass rate, but these are self-reported and may depend on eligibility criteria.
Yes—Becker’s practice questions are often harder than the real exam, helping students feel more prepared on test day.
