Let’s face it: securing CPE credits can be stressful, and if you get a bad instructor, it’s worse than watching paint dry.
But with the right CPE subscription, your continuing professional education can be engaging, interesting, fun, and even lucrative. After all, CPE courses are meant for more than just compliance. It’s for CPAs to improve their careers.
You probably know Becker for their CPA review courses, but they also have a fantastic CPE program. It’s true—and today, I’m diving into one of the biggest CPE providers to help you figure out if it’s the right fit for you.
Let’s cover all the bases, from pricing to packages, so you can decide if the Becker CPE review course is right for you.
Is Becker CPE Right for You?
- If you value a wide range of learning formats, then Becker CPE is an excellent choice, offering live webcasts, on-demand courses, and innovative podcasts to fit any schedule.
- If career-focused learning paths are important to you, then Becker stands out with courses designed to build specialized skills in areas like tax, audit, and finance.
- If you need flexible scheduling options, then Becker’s Prime subscription is ideal, with webcasts available on nights and weekends.
- If keeping up with critical updates is essential, then Becker’s Prime package delivers timely content on industry changes, making it easy to stay informed.
- If you want a user-friendly platform with compliance tracking, then Becker’s CPE compliance tracker helps you meet state requirements and stay organized effortlessly.
- If you prefer to study on the go, then Becker’s CPE podcasts allow you to earn credits while multitasking, so you can complete courses during daily activities.
- If you’re looking for NASBA-approved, high-quality content, then Becker is known as the gold standard for CPE, offering reliable, relevant material across all packages.
Becker CPE Course Overview
Becker CPE courses build off of their impressive legacy in helping candidates pass the CPA exam, as well as the CMA and EA exams. They’ve helped millions of exam candidates pass, and now, they’re helping those same candidates fulfill their continuing professional education requirements.
But that’s not all. Becker also boasts the following stats:
- 4.8-star rating on Trustpilot
- 2,900+ accounting firms trust Becker for CPA exam prep and earning CPE credits
- 60+ years in business
- 96% satisfaction rate from students
- Their popular Becker EA CE Subscription (get both subscriptions from one provider!)
Needless to say, Becker has a lot to offer—and we haven’t even gotten to the CPE subscription yet! So, without further ado, let’s dig in.
Becker CPE Subscriptions
| Prime (1 and 2-Year) | Select | Essentials | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $799 ($1,429 2-Year) | $499 | $329 |
| Payment Plans | Yes, for 2-Year Only | ❌ | ❌ |
| Access Duration | 1/2 Years | 1 Year | 90 Days |
| OnDemand Courses | 700+ | 570+ | 475+ |
| Ethics Courses | 50+ | 50+ | ❌ |
| Industry-Specific Courses | 25+ | 25+ | ❌ |
| Webcast Times | Nights and Weekends | Weekdays | Weekdays |
| Webcasts with Live Q&A/Partial Credit | 1,000+ | 480+ | 480+ |
| Unique Courses | Critical Updates, Current Events, Hot Topics, Podcasts | Critical Updates |
Save with our exclusive Becker CPE discounts for the subscription or bundle that works for you.
Key Features
Becker offers fantastic features in all of their CPE courses, regardless of which package you choose. At a bare minimum, Becker’s CPE subscription offers the following:
- 480+ webcasts with live Q&A and partial credit opportunities
- 475+ OnDemand CPE courses
- 50+ newly-added course hours annually
- Unlimited consumption of CPE credits
- Downloadable course content
- All content approved by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
However, the Prime Subscription is where the magic happens. Not only does the higher-tier annual subscription come with hundreds of additional courses, including unique course options like Critical Updates, Hot Topics, and Current Events, but my favorite feature is Becker’s newest:
Podcasts for CPE credits.
I have no idea how this hasn’t happened until now, but I’m so glad that CPE pods are here!
The Prime Subscription also includes:
- Nights and weekends for webcasts
- A personalized CPE compliance tracker
- A monthly payment plan for the 2-year Prime Subscription
- Critical update courses in tax, A&A, and ethics (two 8-hour courses)
- 50+ board-approved state-specific ethics courses (Prime and Select)
- 25+ industry-specific courses
What Sets Becker CPE Apart?
There are a few key features that set Becker apart from the competition:
- Course Structure, Topic, and Learning Format Variety
- Focus on Compliance and Relevance
- CPE Podcasts
Let’s talk about it!
Course Structure, Topic, and Learning Format Variety
Becker sets itself apart not only with its wide breadth of topics but also with its unique structures and learning formats.
Regardless of your schedule, you can access live webcasts on nights and weekends with the Prime Package. Not into webcasts? There are hundreds of on-demand courses. Done with courses? Give podcasts a try. Seen everything already? Becker is always adding new content and expanding their CPE course catalog. Want to save a few bucks? Buy a Becker CPE course bundle.
Ultimately, if you tend to get bored by going through the same content in the same way, Becker is a fantastic option to mix things up, whether through topic, structure, or format.
Focus on Compliance and Relevance
Though every provider focuses on fulfilling CPE requirements, Becker’s team of expert instructors draws on their real-life experience to not only aid in compliance but also give CPAs relevant information that will help them in their careers.
Plus, Becker is known for being the gold standard in everything they do, so you can rest assured that the quality will not only meet but also exceed your expectations.
CPE Podcasts
And now, for the pièce de résistance—Becker’s CPE podcasts. Gone are the days of blocking off 8 hours to sit in one place and pay attention to a lecture. Now, you can take your continuing education on the go. Fold your laundry, take the dog for a walk, make a meal for your family, and still complete your CPE courses.
Some of their current pods include:
- AI in Accounting
- Access is Key
- The Private Equity CFO who “Loves her job!”
- The Fulfilled Family Office CFO
As you can see, it isn’t just chatting about the state of the industry for modern accounting professionals; it’s also about speaking with industry leaders to see how they find joy and fulfillment within their careers in a more typical podcast fashion. What’s not to love?
Pros
- Massive Variety of Courses and Formats: Like to mix things up? Becker’s got your back with every kind of topic and learning format imaginable.
- Gold Standard: Because Becker CPE is the gold standard, you know you’re getting compliant resources that are useful and interesting (yes, seriously—they’re great!).
- Podcasts: Yes, I’m bringing it up again! I love it when companies shake up the industry, and Becker has done exactly that with their podcasts for CPE credit.
- Comparably Priced: Often, Becker’s pricing is far above that of its competitors due to its high quality and excellent reputation. However, their CPE prices are right on par with Surgent and Gleim.
- Career-Focused Learning Paths: Becker doesn’t just offer CPE credits; they’ve designed career-focused learning paths that help you develop specialized skills in areas like audit, tax, and finance.
Cons
- Ethics Missing From Essentials Package: For many states, ethics courses are non-negotiable, so it’s a little disheartening to see such an important piece of the puzzle missing from this package. However, if yo need ethics, you can just choose their other package.
- No Gamification: Whereas competitors like Surgent offer gamified courses, Becker hasn’t caught up with the trend yet.
CPE Courses and Subscription Comparisons
Becker CPE vs Surgent
In my opinion, Becker and Surgent are the top two contenders in the running for the best CPE courses on the market. However, Becker slightly edges out ahead.
Surgent has gamified courses, which I love, but they’re missing Becker’s podcasts. Further, Becker’s courses are actually more affordable, especially with the 2-Year Prime Subscription. I also prefer Becker’s user-friendly interface and its excellent compliance tracker.
Bottom Line: Both are excellent options, but Becker comes out on top thanks to their podcasts, user-friendly interface, compliance tracker, and edge on affordability.
Becker CPE vs Illumeo
Illumeo is a stand-out CPE provider thanks to its large CPE catalog, micro-certification programs, and affordable price ($399 is its most expensive annual subscription).
However, Illumeo lacks in the CPE content department when it comes to webinars and live events. Whereas every Becker CPE subscription comes with 480+ live webinars (and up to 1,000+), Illumeo only offers about 40. That being said, Illumeo may be a good option if you prefer self-paced self-study and want to save money.
Bottom Line: Becker is generally of higher quality and offers more unique format options and topics. However, Illumeo may be a good choice for the self-study CPA who wants to save a few hundred bucks.
Becker CPE vs Gleim
The Gleim vs. Becker CPA rivalry is now heating up in the CPE space. However, in my opinion, it’s clear that Becker comes out on top (yet again—sorry, Gleim).
It’s honestly pretty weird comparing Gleim’s CPA exam review courses to their CPE content. It seems like they didn’t even really… try? Unlike the other options, Gleim sells their individual courses in a bundle based on hours, with the 100-hour package selling for $600. I counted all of the online courses in their course catalog, and there were only about 60 at the time of writing.
I feel like the CPA rivalry is relatively tight, but that’s definitely not the case when it comes to Gleim vs Becker CPE course options.
Bottom Line: I hate to make it this blunt, but I recommend Becker over Gleim CPE, regardless of your situation. It isn’t close.
Final Verdict
Becker CPE is my #1 pick for the best CPE catalog on the market, whether you want a subscription, course bundle, or individual course selection. It truly doesn’t get better than Becker.
Naturally, Becker has some of the best instructors who use their unmatched expertise to offer real-life examples that will help you learn, regardless of your learning style.
But beyond that, they prioritize helping real people build CPE around their lives with their CPE compliance tracker, flexible webcast schedules, downloadable study materials, and podcasts for CPE credit.
All of this at a price comparable to competitors makes for yet another major win on Becker’s scorecard.
FAQs
Becker’s CPE podcasts allow you to earn CPE credits while listening to audio content on relevant topics. You can complete these credits during everyday activities, adding flexibility to your CPE requirements.
Yes, Becker CPE courses are approved by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), ensuring they meet state compliance standards for CPE credits.
Absolutely. Becker’s Prime Subscription includes a personalized CPE compliance tracker so you can monitor your progress and ensure you’re meeting all requirements.
Yes, Becker offers 480+ live webcasts with Q&A sessions in all packages and up to 1,000+ in their Prime plan. Many webcasts are available at night and on weekends for added convenience.
Becker stands out with its high-quality content, variety of learning formats, and unique CPE podcasts. It also offers comparable pricing and a user-friendly interface, although competitors like Surgent offer gamified courses as a differentiator.
