Universal CPA Review 2023 | All You Need To Know

What is Universal CPA Review Course?

Universal CPA Review is relatively new to the CPA Exam prep scene but easily one of the most innovative and affordable CPA review courses you’ll find. Rather than trotting out the same old combination of university-style lectures and boring textbooks, Universal CPA Review is disrupting the CPA Exam prep industry by using visually-engaging content throughout their course and teaching in a way that’s more conducive to how their students learn best.

Their combination of bite-sized lessons and a visual-based teaching style gives you all you need to study effectively for the exam at an affordable price. To top it off, they also offer hassle-free unlimited access until you pass the exam, which is above and beyond what many courses offer.

In this review, I’ll break down each component of Universal CPA’s full review course to see if this is the best course for you.

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Universal CPA Review Course: Pros and Cons

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Universal CPA Discount Codes

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Universal CPA Study Materials

Universal CPA offers high-quality study materials and use visual-based teaching methods to help you prepare for the CPA Exam. Their study materials include:

• Visually engaging lectures
• 3,300+ Multiple choice questions
• 120 Simulations
• Unlimited practice exams
• Multiple course packages (Full course, Individual Sections)
• Monthly subscription option

How Do Universal Lectures Work?

Universal CPA Review has over 125 hours of lectures and explanation videos, divided into 750+ short, bite-sized snippets. Their lecture content is very digestible and easily fits into a busy schedule.

Universal CPA videos are much more engaging than your typical CPA review course. That’s because Universal CPA’s lecturers have an energetic teaching style and the lectures make heavy use of visual aids.

Don’t just take my word for it, though. See for yourself:

Universal Multiple Choice Questions

MCQs are where Universal CPA Review really stands out, as it easily offers the highest quality multiple-choice questions for visual learners.

Universal CPA Review comes with 3,100+ multiple-choice questions. However, Universal CPA punches above the weight with highly-engaging video AND written explanations of each answer and keeps things fresh by shuffling answers around whenever you revisit a question.

Other courses typically only include written, text-only explanations that take much, much longer to read.

Universal CPA Review questions are aligned to each subtopic/module in the course. You can flag certain questions to focus on later and create quizzes that only cover the questions you previously got wrong.

Universal Simulations

Universal CPA Review’s full course comes with 115+ task-based simulations. However, their quality > quantity approach means you’ll likely get far more out of their simulations than a typical course.

If you’re a visual learner, Universal CPA’s simulations are about as good as you’ll find.

Like their MCQs, Universal CPA Review provides short video and visual explanations after each simulation so you can learn why you got it right or wrong.

With Universal CPA Review you get all the tools you’ll see on the actual exam: a calculator, Excel sheet, and Access to look up authoritative guidance, so you can get familiar with how you’ll complete the simulations on exam day.

Universal Practice Exams

Universal CPA Review lets you generate unlimited practice exams. You can customize them any way you’d like by selecting the individual chapters and modules to focus on.

Unfortunately, the course doesn’t currently include any mock, timed exams. For a realistic feel for what you’ll experience on exam day, just set a timer and create your own mock-test environment.

Pro-Tip: 1-2 weeks before you sit for your exam date, generate a Universal CPA Review progress test covering the entire course to see which areas you must focus on most during your final review.

If you’ve been struggling with studying for the CPA exam, sitting down and working through a practice test with Universal CPA Review can give you some much-needed motivation and build your confidence.

Universal CPA Textbooks

Universal CPA Review has my absolute favorite textbooks in the CPA exam space.

First, they use way more visuals and colors than other CPA courses. This may not seem like a big deal at first, but tell me which textbook you’d rather read 2,000+ pages of during your CPA prep:

Exactly. The extra effort Universal put into their study guides makes a huge difference when you’re studying 300-400 hours.

Universal’s guides are written in a much more digestible fashion than other courses. They’re brief, to the point, and easy to read.

Each guide is associated with a particular module in the course. You can also take digital notes alongside the text or print the guides to study offline, so you have some flexibility to study and take notes, whichever works best for you.

Universal Flashcards

Universal CPA Review doesn’t currently offer any type of flashcards. This isn’t a huge downside, but worth noting.

If you really want flashcards, save your money and simply make your own. You’ll actually end up learning better this way!

However, from speaking with the team, they’re hoping to add flashcards sometime within the next year, so I’ll be sure to update this part of the review when they come out.

Customer Support

What’s nice about Universal is that they’re newer and smaller than the Beckers of the world, so you’ll actually get personalized responses directly from the course’s founders rather than a customer support center.

Universal does a nice job of incorporating customer support throughout their course by including the Ask Joey prompt alongside every lecture, study guide, multiple choice question, and simulations. Response times by Universal CPA Review team are quick (less than 24 hours)

They also have an FAQ section with 1,300+ Q&A pages that address the most common questions they’ve seen.

Universal Pricing and Course Packages

Universal CPA Review keeps things simple by offering all students the same version of its CPA review course.

If you don’t need their full course or want to save money, you can also purchase individual exam sections or a monthly subscription to their full course. No matter which you choose, you’ll have access to most of the same awesome exam content:

Let’s have a look at the different course packages in more detail and see how they compare:

More About Universal CPA Review

• Background
• Universal Course Planner / Adaptive Learning Technology
• Other Great Features

Background

Universal CPA Review began as a small CPA tutoring service in New York City to make CPA exam prep a little less brutal and emphasize using visual-based teaching methods.

After several years of experience and positive student feedback, the company decided to expand and build a full CPA review course around its unique teaching approach. Now that they serve students from around the world, they’re hoping to revolutionize the CPA Exam prep industry with their innovative approach.

If you’re a visual learner looking for CPA preparation materials, you should definitely consider what Universal has to offer. Unlike many other providers, Universal CPA Review lets you generate new practice tests each time with brand-new questions.

Universal Course Planner/Adaptive Learning Technology

The course consists of 6-9 chapters of material (depending on the exam section), each broken up into several modules (usually 5-10) or subtopics that divide the course content into more manageable chunks.

From a user experience perspective, Universal CPA Review’s course features a simple layout that makes it easy to navigate directly to the course content. In addition, the course dashboard includes an overall progress diagnostic at the top and the course content below.

Other Great Features

Free CPA Exam Study Materials

Free = AWESOME, right?! Some of Universal’s best study materials are free:

• Ask Joey FAQ (FREE!) – Ask Joey is a feature inside and throughout the course that makes it easy to ask the team at Universal a question if you’re having trouble with the course or are struggling with a certain topic.
• CPA Lecture and MCQ Playlists (FREE!) – Universal CPA Review is very active on YouTube. Many of their course lectures and MCQ explanation videos are accessible to anyone on their YouTube channel.

Universal Login and Course Access

Universal CPA Review is accessible from any device. This gives you plenty of flexibility in your study, although some content, like the MCQs, could be better optimized for mobile.

Universal also offers Unlimited access to its course until you pass the exam, along with automatic course updates, which is better than some courses offer.

The only downside I see from an accessibility standpoint is they don’t have a dedicated smartphone app, which is why some course content may not be optimized for mobile. An app would certainly be nice, but it isn’t necessary for a CPA prep course. Also, they don’t offer any audio lectures at the moment, so you have a little less flexibility in your study options.

What Do Customers Have to Say?

Universal CPA review is becoming one of the market’s most popular accounting exam prep courses. Thousands of students have used the course to help them pass the CPA exam, and the vast majority have been very happy with the results.

The course is constantly updated and improved, and customer feedback is always considered. Plus, the team behind the Universal CPA review is passionate about helping people achieve their dreams of becoming certified public accountants, which shows in their product quality.

One of the things that set Universal CPA review apart from other courses is the personal attention that each student receives. The course instructors are available to answer any questions, and they’re always happy to help.

Here’s what  Universal CPA Review students had to say about the course.

What Does Reddit Think About Universal CPA Review?

We scanned Reddit to see what users are saying about Universal CPA review. As it turns out, many students use Universal as a supplement to their primary CPA review course, or try them out after failing an exam or two.

See below for what some people are saying.

Universal CPA Discount Codes and Financing

Universal CPA Review offers several great financing options to help you spread out the cost of their course. Let’s have a look:

I’ve also been able to secure some cool and exclusive discounts to Universal’s CPA review course and test bank, so be sure to check below and on my discounts page for the absolute best deals and keep $$ in your pocket!

How to Get a Universal CPA Review Course for Free

First of all, take advantage of Universal CPA’s free YouTube channel. It has loads of content that will get you comfortable with their visual teaching approach and can be an excellent study supplement.

Universal CPA Free Trial

Universal CPA also offers a free 7-day trial. You’ll gain access to more than 450 review videos and really be able to test-drive the course. There’s even a free review demo that follows the AICPA blueprint.

Best Study Tips for CPA Exam

Passing the CPA exam takes a lot of work, time, and specific knowledge. The exam has tough multiple-choice questions, short written assignments, and task-based simulations. To become a Certified Public Accountant, you will need to follow these study tips to use your time wisely:

Design a Study Plan

To ensure success on the CPA Exam, it is essential to create a study plan and stick to it. The best way to do this is to find a study method that works for you and then create a schedule that you can stick to. For some people, this means studying for a few hours each day, while others may need to study for several hours at a time.

Various study methods can be effective, so it is important to find one that works best. For example, some people prefer to study alone, while others find it helpful to study with a group. Many different resources are also available, such as books, websites, and practice exams. If you stick to your study plan, you will be well on your way to success on the CPA Exam!

Use the Correct Study Tools

You need to make sure that you have a good study guide. This will help you understand the material and give you an overview of what you need to know. There are a lot of different guides available, so take some time to find one that fits your learning style. In addition, there are online resources that can be very helpful. For example, the AICPA website has a lot of great information, and many blogs and forums can provide valuable insights.

Study in Small Sets of Sessions

When studying for the CPA exam, divide your content into small sessions. Avoid taking long breaks between studying; this will help you stay focused and on target. Use the laptop and textbooks simultaneously to track your progress throughout the study materials.

Keep a record of all the topics you cover in every session and any topics you need help understanding. This will guide you through your CPA journey and help with studying so that you can tackle the most content in time for the exam.

Utilize Sample Test Questions

Practicing exam questions can help you get a feel for what the actual exam will be like and allow you to identify areas where you need additional study. Be sure to use high-quality practice exams to accurately reflect what you will see on test day.

Select a Quiet Study Area

This can help you focus and avoid distractions. For example, when trying to learn new material, it’s important to have a space where you can concentrate. That way, you can absorb and retain the information long-term.

If you can find a place where you can focus, you’ll be well on your way to the CPA exam. So take some time to find a location that works for you and stick with it. It’ll make all the difference during test day.

Why Wait Any Longer? Get Started With Universal CPA Review

Universal CPA Review may not have as many features as more established CPA review courses. Still, it’s fun and effective visual-heavy teaching style is designed for visual learners. It’s also super affordable so it can be the ideal supplement to your main CPA review course.

Universal CPA’s MCQ and simulation banks is also smaller than other courses. Still, the detailed explanation videos they created for every MCQ and simulation are above and beyond what the other courses offer. These will help you more deeply understand the “how” and “why” behind what you’re learning.

Universal CPA course comes at a budget-friendly price, so you can either keep your hard-earned $$ in your pocket or pair it up with other great CPA prep resources, like Gleim’s Mega Test Bank.

Frequently Asked Questions