Fast Forward Academy is one of the lesser known CPA review courses out there, but that doesn’t mean you should overlook them. For starters, it happens to be one of the most affordable CPA review courses on the market!
Fast Forward Academy CPA review is streamlined and includes the most critical exam prep material you need. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles as some other courses (like a built-in video game…I know, shame on them) but is worth strong consideration if time and/or price are your absolute top considerations in choosing a CPA review course.
Let’s take a deeper dive and see everything Fast Forward Academy CPA Review has to offer!
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Contents
Fast Forward Academy CPA Review Course: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Super sleek and intuitive design
- Adaptive software and analytics
- Most affordable
Cons
- Lower volume of practice material
- No offline access, audio courses or mobile app
- No final review or cram course
Fast Forward Academy CPA Promo & Discount Codes
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Fast Forward Academy CPA Course Review
Background
Fast Forward Academy has dominated the Enrolled Agent (EA) test prep space for years and carried over that experience to the CPA exam. The result is an innovative, streamlined and efficient CPA review course designed to help you prep for the exam in less time than a traditional CPA review course.
Course Planner / Adaptive Learning Technology
Fast Forward CPA Review’s user interface is clean and minimalist compared to other CPA review courses.
The study planner includes a nifty little “Opportunities” section summarizing your mastery over the course content. It updates in real-time based on your success rate on the quizzes and simulations in the course and plainly shows you which areas you’ve mastered vs. which ones you need more improvement in.
The only downside I see is it lacks the fancy stuff that more expensive courses offer, like an integrated calendar and a pre-course diagnostic to measure your initial strengths and weaknesses.
The course is organized in a very logical fashion and it’s easy to navigate directly to all of the critical content (course dashboard, study planner, textbook, video lectures, quizzes, and simulations).
Fast Forward’s CPA course lessons give you everything you need in one screen. While watching a video lecture you can easily bring up the course text, corresponding accounting guidance, take notes and make flashcards. There’s even a “Discussion” button that lets you post a question to the FFA student community and get feedback. Having everything in one place like this makes things super easy to study.
While it’s missing some of the flashy features that other CPA review courses have, Fast Forward Academy’s clean and minimalist approach is appealing to lots of students.
Lectures
Fast Forward Academy CPA review features 80+ hours of content spanning 470 lectures, meaning most lectures are a manageable 15-20 minutes. Each lecture is focused on very specific topics, so you can pick and choose which ones to focus on if you already feel comfortable with certain subjects.
Another neat feature is that FFA’s lectures are linked directly to the course text, MCQs, and other study materials, so you can easily take notes, highlight items to review later, or test your knowledge as you’re learning. When you go to review any of these items later, they’ll also link back to the lecture in case you need to replay any of the lessons.
Below is a snapshot showing one of Fast Forward Academy’s lectures alongside the course text:
Textbooks
FFA’s textbooks are neatly designed and easily integrate into the course’s other features. FFA’s textbooks are available in both hard-copy and e-book formats, depending on which course package you choose.
In the side bar you can easily perform a search of the material and pull up the corresponding video lectures and accounting guidance. It’s also easy to add bookmarks, take notes and create digital flashcards directly from the course text, which can help you study efficiently.
The only downside I see is Fast Forward’s textbooks are a bit more condensed than some of the other course texts. This fits with the course’s streamlined and focused approach and works well for students who already have a decent grasp of the material and can learn well from watching lectures. It may not be ideal for those that prefer textbooks to have move detailed examples and explanations of the material.
Flashcards
Fast Forward Academy doesn’t offer pre-made flashcards, but their software allows you to create your own custom, digital flashcards on the fly. You can even link your flashcards to a particular text or lecture section so you can easily navigate back to the course material for more detailed explanations.
Self-made flashcards are a great study tool but can be time consuming to make. The lack of convenience by not including pre-made flashcards is a slight drawback, but Fast Forward’s flashcard creator stands out from the other review courses.
Multiple Choice Questions
Fast Forward’s multiple choice bank features 6,800+ practice questions, right on par with most of the more expensive review courses.
FFA’s multiple choice bank works quite well and has some nice functionality. I found detailed explanations behind each answer along with a direct link to the textbook section where the topic is discussed in further detail.
You can also flag questions that you’re “Unsure” or “Certain” of so you can keep track of your confidence level over the course material. This is super helpful as you complete the course and revisit topics, as you can focus on the most critical and/or challenging topics and save a bunch of time.
Simulations
Task-based simulations are critical to any CPA review course. Fast Forward Academy comes with 215+ simulations that closely mirror the format you can expect to see on exam day. FFA’s simulations are also integrated with Microsoft Excel, so you’ll be using the same tools you’ll see on the exam.
Practice Exams
Fast Forward’s practice exams closely follow the AICPA’s exam layout so it looks and feel very similar to what you’ll see on exam day.
You have the options to take the exams in “practice” or “exam” mode depending on whether you’re just trying to brush up on the material or if you’d like to simulate the actual exam day experience. Both are helpful at different points during your exam prep.
As with the quizzes, you’ll also have the opportunity to see which questions you answered correctly and incorrectly along with detailed explanations behind each answer. (PRO-TIP: Make sure to read these explanations, especially for the questions you get wrong!)
Fast Forward Academy Login and Course Access
Fast Forward Academy’s course and all materials are fully functional on any desktop, mobile, or tablet device. Unfortunately they don’t have a mobile app available, so some functionality may not be fully optimized for smartphones / tablets.
FFA also won’t nickel and dime you to extend your course license and comes with a true Access & Free Updates Until You Pass guarantee, which is better than some other courses offer.
If you’re not satisfied with their course then FFA also offers a 30 day money back guarantee, subject to their return policy.
Customer Support
Fast Forward Academy CPA review comes with access to an online community AND the option to ask an instructor a question. The Ask Questions feature is built right into the software so can easily inquire about a particular MCQ or a section of the text you’re having trouble with.
If you happen to fail a section of the exam, FFA will also offer you personal assistance from a coach to help you create a study plan that addresses your weaknesses as you prepare for the retake. This type of personalized service is above and is beyond what many of the other courses offer.
Financing and Discounts
Fast Forward Academy offers 0% APR financing, which is a great option for anyone that can’t afford to pay for the entire course up-front.
Even though they have one of the most affordable courses on the market, Fast Forward Academy also offers the occasional discount from time to time. I’ve worked hard to secure you their best deals to save you as much money as possible. Check below for the latest and greatest coupons and promo codes From Fast Forward Academy!
Free Trial
If you’re interested in Fast Forward Academy CPA Review but still aren’t convinced, be sure to sign up for their awesome, FREE 30-day trial that gives you access to most of the course content that you can expect from the full program.
Pricing and Course Packages
Fast Forward Academy is one of the more affordable CPA review courses on the market. They offer two different course options, the Online Course and the Smart Bundle, with the main difference being the Smart Bundle comes with printed textbooks.
Let’s have a look at Fast Forward Academy’s different course options in more detail and see which one is best for you:
Bottom Line
Fast Forward Academy takes a minimalist approach to CPA review, offering a highly efficient course at a very affordable price. The course doesn’t have as many flashy features as the more expensive courses programs, but with the money you save on this course you can always supplement with additional study resources like Wiley’s Online Test Bank or Surgent’s FREE flashcards.
With that being said, if you like the efficient learning approach but are looking for a course with more substantial offerings, I would consider courses like Yaeger or Surgent.
Fast Forward Academy Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately Fast Forward Academy doesn’t offer a mobile app for its course, but its course is well designed and responsive enough that it works very well on any modern smartphone or tablet.
No. Fast Forward Academy will provide FREE content updates for as long as you’re using their course, so you’ll always have their latest and greatest materials. Content updates are pushed through at least annually or more frequently depending on if there are any changes being made to the CPA exam.
Unfortunately FFA’s course is web-based so the only course materials you can use offline are their physical textbooks. You’ll need an internet connection to access the rest of their materials (course lectures, practice questions / simulations, practice exams, flashcards, etc.).
Fast Forward Academy comes with a risk-free 30-day money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with their course for whatever reason.
Fast Forward Academy provides a range of excellent student support options depending on what you need. They have an active online community where you can post a question or read through previous questions / answers that FFA’s instructors have responded to. This “Ask Question” feature is built directly into the course and is very easy to access. For more direct help you can also fill out a contact form and an FFA instructor will usually reply to you within 1 business day.
