There’s a surprising trend in accounting reports: companies need more accountants than ever, but fewer people are chasing accounting degrees and CPA licenses.
Why is that?
Some say accounting isn’t as appealing as it used to be. Others think it’s because the CPA exam is tough, time-consuming, and expensive. Honestly? It’s probably a mix of both.
If you’re considering a CPA, a good prep course can make all the difference. When I looked into the best CPA prep courses, Surgent CPA Review ranked high—just after Becker and Gleim. Let’s explore what makes Surgent stand out in the top three. Plus, we’ll discuss some pros, cons, and tips from other CPA candidates to help you decide whether Surgent CPA is right for you.
Key Takeaways
- Structure: Surgent offers three comprehensive course options: Ultimate Pass, Premier Pass, and Essentials Pass, catering to different study needs and preferences.
- Content: Surgent’s courses cover all exam content, including the new Discipline Sections, providing students with a well-rounded preparation.
- Technology: Surgent’s Predictive AI Technology personalizes study plans, helping students study more efficiently and effectively.
- Value: Surgent’s courses and features offer a lot of value, with periodic discounts available, making it a competitive option in the market.
- Support: While support options are tiered based on the course package chosen, Surgent’s commitment to student success is evident through its 88% pass rate, pass guarantee program, and access to coaching sessions.
Surgent CPA Review Overview
If you want a unique and truly personalized exam review, you want Surgent. With over three decades of experience, Surgent is known for helping students pass faster through their student-centered study plans backed by predictive AI technology. Their A.S.A.P. technology only shows you material that is relevant to you and your skill set, and their ReadySCORE™ exam-readiness indicator helps you gauge your progress and stay motivated to pass.
All of this amounts to Surgent’s report that their students cut their study time by up to 50%.
While I’m impressed with many things within Surgent’s exam review courses, their commitment to the quarter-million students Surgent has served stood out during my review. Not only do they provide a killer course powered by experts, but in their top two packages, they guarantee you’ll pass. Period.
Condensing Surgent’s benefits into one article was tough, but I’ve streamlined the key options, features, and upsides to help you decide.
Surgent CPA Review Courses and Features
Accounting and finance professionals choosing Surgent have three options:
- Ultimate Pass
- Premier Pass
- Essentials Pass
Although I’ll highlight information about all three, for continuity’s sake, most of this review will be dedicated to their mid-range option, Premier Pass.
Ultimate Pass
Surgent’s Ultimate Pass has everything one could want in a program. So, it’s no wonder they boast a 88% pass rate among those who go through their course and hit their ReadySCORE™ target. On top of the 8,800+ MCQs and 450+ task-based questions, all Surgent students practice with, when you go with Ultimate, you’ll also receive access to an exclusive test with 1,000 extra questions.
Some other Ultimate Pass features include:
- Printed textbooks and flashcards for ALL sections (Core + Discipline)
- Audio lectures
- 1-on-1 virtual coaching with a Surgent study expert
- Ultimate customer support
You’ll also get one year of access to Surgent’s Unlimited CPE, IQ courses, and Gamified Learning.
It’s important to note that everything included in Premier Pass and Essentials Pass is also included here, but these special perks listed above are only for Ultimate students.
Premier Pass
Premier Pass allows you to access 8,800+ multiple-choice questions and 450+ task-based sims. You’ll know you’re all set to take the CPA exam thanks to Surgent’s readiness indicator, ReadySCORE™, which focuses solely on letting students know when they are exam ready.
Need extra study time?
No problem. Surgent’s access until you pass guarantee means you can study for as long as you need (not available with the Essentials Pass). I think this stands out as many states move to a 30-month pass model based on NASBA’s suggestion.
You’ll also get:
- Lecture study notes
- Access until you pass
- Access to all 6 exam sections (3 core and 3 discipline)
Essentials Pass
I guess most would consider the Essential Pass Surgent’s bare-bones option since it doesn’t come with add-ons. But because you still get access to their adaptive learning software, practice questions, and video lectures, plus:
- E-books & lecture study notes
- Customized study plans
- Study Companion App
- Unlimited practice exams
The real downside here is that you only have access for 30 months, so if you’re someone who wants all access until you pass, you’ll want to go with a different package.
Save $629 Surgent CPA Ultimate Pass
Pros
- All Exam Content Included: The CPA exam had a huge shake-up in 2024, dropping the BEC section and adding three new Disciplines. While Becker is my top pick for CPA prep, they only cover one of these new Disciplines in their main plan. Surgent, however, includes all three—BAR, ICS, and TCP—so you’re covered no matter what. This is a big plus if you’re unsure about your specialization or want the flexibility to switch gears as you study.
- Adaptive Technology: You can’t talk about Surgent without mentioning how advanced their technology is. I’ll go into more detail about this further down in my review, but I thought it important to mention it as a pro because, for most CPA candidates, this helps reduce study time significantly. This happens because the system’s algorithm lets you skip the content you already know while still mixing in what you learn to keep all the content fresh in your mind.
- Serious Success Metrics: The national pass rate for everyone taking the CPA exam is around 50%. For Surgent students, this percentage shoots up to 88% (on average). According to Surgent, these rates are calculated using a third-party platform that examines Surgent CPA Review students’ exam scores. Their ReadySCORE™ calculator has proven to be within 1% of actual exam scores. So, if you’re ready, according to Surgent, you’re sure to pass.
- IQ Skill-Building: One thing I can now say about Surgent that differs from previous reviews is that they’ve been busy with additions! Their Surgent IQ skill-building courses are a gamified way to handle one of the most dreaded professional responsibilities: CPE. I’m writing this in the middle of tax season, so I really enjoyed the Max the Tax series, which is a set of games that lets you practice interviewing tax prep clients and use the information plus knowledge on federal taxation to adjust their returns.
- Audio Lectures: I’m an auditory learner and always have been. Whether I’m learning about general principles or something more detailed, like tax laws or accounting for local government spending, listening has always been the best way for me to gain and retain information. So, while I can learn from a textbook or video lecture, accessing Surgent’s audio lectures and listening to them throughout my day would be a real game-changer in my prep.
Cons
- Study Time Discrepancies: As much as I recommend Surgent, this wouldn’t be an honest review if I didn’t mention the fact that their “50% less study time” has been challenged by some students. One Reddit user put it this way: “Now, maybe it’s just me, and I am slower at studying than the average person. But these numbers do not line up with Surgent’s main selling point. I was also doing an accounting master’s program while taking these exams, which would theoretically mean I should study less since I am taking classes that are meant to prepare me for the exams. Another one of my classmates using Surgent had the same issues and thoughts as me on this.” So, while I still suggest trying Surgent, I wouldn’t go into it thinking that they’re offering some quick fix for studying.
- Best Support is Being Gate Kept: There aren’t many things I give a “thumbs down to” when it comes to Surgent, but the fact that only their top-tier program comes with ultimate customer support is disappointing. This means that only Ultimate subscribers get responses to content & technical questions within a business day. Providing this for all students would be ideal.
How Does the Surgent CPA Review Stand Out?
Structure, Content, and Technology
In this category, I give Surgent a solid A+. Although less-than-stellar content was a complaint of customers in the past, recent upgrades in content have catapulted Surgent beyond many other prep providers. Although they don’t have an exclusive program like Becker’s Concierge, they are offering review course materials for all of the post-CPA Evolution exams, including the Disciplines. Adding the IQ courses and the CPE certifications is even more of a plus.
As far as tech, it doesn’t get better than Surgent, as it stands for Adaptive Study, Accelerated Performance Technology, and is a fancy way of saying that Surgent’s software looks at our strengths and weaknesses and creates a customized study plan for you. This is something that many students take for granted unless they’ve used another course and spent hours reading over material that they already know or don’t even have to know.
In addition to Predictive AI Technology, you can tell Surgent the date of your CPA exam and choose the days of the week you plan on studying the most to get an even more customized study plan.
“Honestly, I think Surgent is the most underrated study course. I single-handedly passed REG with Surgent after failing it on Wiley and Becker. I think Surgent’s “real score” tracker is pretty accurate, so I would suggest that method. I also did their 2-week free trial and passed on that alone (after having a mediocre base knowledge of REG from other study guides).”
Reddit User Thisistori
Videos
Surgent isn’t known for their videos, so this isn’t an area where I’ll sing their praises. Honestly, it seems to be a gamble and depends on which part of the exam you’re studying for.
One of the only Trustpilot reviews I could find said, “…It is recommended you watch their videos. However, not all professors sound like they know what they are talking about. They just read brief tidbits off a slide without providing real information.”
Other first-hand thoughts on this include:
- “I do watch all the videos, but for the most part, I think of them as a supplement. I rely much more on the text.”
- “They are a little too bite-sized for initial learning, but they do help when you are stuck on a topic.”
In summary, if video lectures are the only way you learn, you might want to look into other exam review courses like Becker CPA.
Practice Questions and Exams
With over 8,800 MCQs and 450 TBS in their review courses, you’ll never run out of practice questions with Surgent. Like with some other competitors, they have a reputation for being more difficult than the actual exam, with one accountant saying, “Yeah, many of the questions from Surgent are more difficult than the real thing, in my opinion. At least with my experience with AUD and using it for a little.”
I did read some reviews from users who thought that Surgent effectively prioritizes study material but noted that the multiple-choice questions are overly detailed and confusing compared to actual exam questions. Despite this, most experienced a consistent trend of scoring higher on the actual exams compared to their scores on Surgent’s practice exams.
So, while overly complex questions might be a bit intimidating, Surgent students know that if they pass the practice exams, they can ace the real thing.
Value
Now, let’s consider their money-back guarantee. You’ll notice that although they offer one, it wasn’t one of my course pros, and here is why.
To qualify, you have to do the following:
- Pay your full tuition for the entire course upfront
- Fail every exam section (one doesn’t cut it)
- Complete full practice exams and achieve a ReadySCORE™ of at least 75 in each section.
- Sit for each exam within four months of the date you begin studying
- Attempt all exams within 18 months of the course purchase.
In my opinion, jumping through all these hoops wouldn’t be reasonable, and you’d lose more money failing exam sections you’re not ready for than you could even get back with Surgent. So, while it’s good that they offer something, I wouldn’t depend on this as a safety net.
Support
It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of Surgent’s tier-locked support plan, but if you invest in Ultimate, it’s definitely a good addition. Knowing that you can get answers and support within a business day can help with anxiety around test prep. It can also assist with making online learning more personal.
It’s important to note that because all of Surgent’s courses are self-paced, you’re not going to get the same kind of assistance you would with live or in-person classes with another competitor.
Surgent CPA Review
CPA Comparisons: A Head-to-Head Review
Becker vs Surgent: Full Coverage vs Lean Prep
Becker is designed for candidates who want complete coverage of the CPA exam. Its curriculum is deep, structured, and highly guided, with extensive lectures and practice materials that leave very little uncovered—one reason it remains a top choice for first-time test takers and firm-sponsored candidates.
Surgent takes a much leaner approach. While its adaptive system can shorten study time, it often assumes a higher level of prior knowledge. Candidates who need detailed instruction, step-by-step explanations, or extra practice may find Surgent’s content too shallow compared to Becker’s all-in framework.
Bottom line: Becker prioritizes mastery and depth; Surgent trades coverage for speed, which can be a drawback for many CPA candidates.
Gleim vs Surgent: Volume vs Personalization
Want a lot of questions? Gleim is my go-to. It’s a strong choice if you learn best by drilling large volumes of practice questions and want exposure to as many scenarios as possible.
Surgent prioritizes personalization over quantity. Instead of working through endless questions, you’re guided by adaptive analytics that push you toward your weakest areas first. It’s less about repetition and more about efficiency.
Bottom line: Gleim favors high-volume practice; Surgent favors targeted review.
UWorld vs Surgent: Analytics vs Simplicity
UWorld offers a polished interface, strong performance analytics, and highly detailed answer explanations. I find it to be a great option for learners who like data-driven insights and a visually engaging platform.
Surgent’s platform is more straightforward. While it lacks some of UWorld’s visual polish, it excels at helping busy candidates stay focused and avoid overstudying with its adaptive core.
Bottom line: UWorld is feature-rich and analytical; Surgent keeps things simple and efficient.
Final Verdict
Surgent CPA Review offers comprehensive study options to help you pass the CPA exam efficiently. With a focus on personalized learning backed by Predictive AI Technology, Surgent stands out for its commitment to student success. While some aspects, like video lectures, may not be as strong, Surgent’s above-national-average pass rates and advanced and personalized technology make it a solid choice for CPA candidates looking for a reliable review course.
Get started with Surgent CPA if you think it’s right for you, or see where it ranks against other top CPA courses in this guide.
FAQ
For most students, no. Surgent is a top-recommended program for those looking for CPA exam prep. However, Becker’s experience and course options outrank Becker over Surgent CPA in most areas.
Surgent boasts a pass rate of 88% for those who successfully complete one of their CPA exam review courses with their recommended ReadySCORE™. This is much higher than the historical national average of 50%.
There is no magic number of study hours that can guarantee your passing of the CPA exam. Most candidates study a minimum of 300 hours.
