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Surgent CPA Review Guide for 2023

When you need to prepare to pass the CPA exam on a short deadline, the Surgent CPA Review is an effective solution.

Surgent offers complete customization and unparalleled efficiency, so you can focus your limited study time on areas that will help you the most.

Affiliate Note: We have an affiliate relationship with all products reviewed on this page. If you make a purchase through one of our links we will be paid a commission. This is done at no additional cost to you – in fact, we work hard to get you the best discounts possible for each course. See our full affiliate disclosure here.

Surgent has been a leader in CPA coaching since 2013, with high-caliber instructors and CPA exam experts. Along with AI software, predictive scoring, and detailed reports, Surgent CPA Review offers a high-tech, personalized approach -- one that yields great results. The company tracks student success and estimates that their students can prepare for the CPA exam in an average of 46 hours, which is 80% faster than other courses.

Read on to learn how the Surgent CPA Review course works, pros and cons, and whether it’s the right program to get you exam ready and teach you how to study for the CPA exam.

Surgent CPA Review ratings are published on their website. In 283 published reviews, most customers have enjoyed the platform enough to leave a 5-star rating.

Customer feedback indicates a good user experience, great customer service, and engaged coaches. Users generally find the platform easy-to-use and effective for passing the CPA exam.

To see how Surgent CPA Review compares to other popular review courses, check out our CPA Course Review or read our Surgent vs Wiley CPA comparison.

Surgent CPA Review: The Pros and Cons

Here’s a deeper look at the pros and cons of the Surgent CPA Review:

Surgent CPA Pros

  • ASAP adaptive learning
  • Unlimited Access
  • Financing Options

Surgent CPA Cons

  • Free trial is only five days
  • No Offline Course
  • No Audio Lectures

Surgent CPA Review Pros

ASAP adaptive learning

Surgent’s ASAP technology is award-winning. This adaptive learning technology begins with a series of multiple-choice questions. The algorithm then assesses user knowledge and creates a customized study plan based on the answers. Through the study process, this program can intuitively recommend content that addresses weak areas. This increases efficiency in mastering essential concepts.


Unlimited Access

Access to the Surgent CPA Review materials is unlimited. This means that you are allowed to return to the material for any length of time, unlike other CPA exam prep courses. There is no expiration. The course materials will be automatically updated to reflect the latest in the AICPA exam blueprint. All users have access to the most current information.


Financing Options

Financing is available for the Surgent CPA Review program through Affirm. This can provide loans with varying rates for three, six, or 12 month terms. There are no fees and it only requires a soft credit check to qualify. Many users appreciate this option to make the cost of the program manageable for their budget.

Surgent CPA Review Cons

Free trial is only five days

You can sign up to preview the Surgent CPA Review for free. However, this free trial is only for five days. For some people, this isn’t enough time to review the course materials and become familiar enough with the platform to make a decision to buy. The free trial does allow you to interact with most aspects of the program, so it is possible to get a realistic idea of the user experience and materials.


No Offline Course

Surgent CPA Review doesn’t have offline access. This means that if you aren’t on wi-fi, you won’t be able to stream the content. This can be a barrier for people who want to take advantage of the adaptive study process on-the-go. The course materials are primarily digital, with some limited print options available.


No Audio Lectures

The Surgent CPA Review has over 350 video lectures, which are broken up into 10-20 minute segments. However, there are no audio-only lectures except with the UltimatePass package. It is also important to remember that you have to be online to access the video content. There are accompanying PDFs for the lecture slides. For people who prefer audio files and audio delivery for exam prep, this may be a con.

Surgent CPA Review Price Comparison

The Surgent CPA Review has three options for purchase. These include varying amounts of digital and print materials, as well as access to coaching and additional certifications. The Premier Pass is the best value.

Here is what you will get with each of the three plans:

Header

Ultimate Pass

Premier Pass

Essentials Pass

Price 

$3,799

$2,999

$3,099

$1,999

$2,499

$1,299

Access Until You Pass

Free Updates

Mobile Integration

7,700+  Questions

400+ Task-based Simulations

350+ Video Lectures

eBooks

Custom Study Plans

ReadyScore In Real-Time

Lecture Notes

Flashcard App (iOS)

Printed Textbooks

(worth $500)

Flashcards

(worth $350)

Free Coaching Sessions

Excel CertificationⓇ

(worth $149)

Integrated Test Bank

Customer Support

Audio Course

Cell

Affiliate Note: We have an affiliate relationship with all products reviewed on this page. If you make a purchase through one of our links we will be paid a commission. This is done at no additional cost to you – in fact, we work hard to get you the best discounts possible for each course. See our full affiliate disclosure here.

Surgent CPA course format

Comprehensive package

The most comprehensive package you can purchase from Surgent is the Ultimate Pass. This includes every feature of the CPA exam study materials as well as numerous bonuses, like an ExcelⓇ certificate course and audio course.

Even the highest level of the Surgent CPA Review is more affordable than some of its competitors. You can save even more when you purchase the course through this link.

350+ video lessons

The Surgent CPA Review has over 350 video lessons. These are conducted by some of the biggest names in the industry. Expert instruction is delivered in 10-20 minute segments, for highly memorable content exposure.

Video lessons are part of a study session. Each one is accompanied by practice questions and other study materials. You can download video lecture slides and study notes for further review.

Integrated test bank with 8,250+ practice questions

One of the most valuable parts of the Surgent CPA Review is the test bank. Taking practice questions that most accurately reflect possible questions on the CPA exam is essential to success.

The CPA exam is comprised of four sections, each of which require a score of at least 75 to pass. The Surgent study materials will ensure that you learn the right information in each area to achieve a passing score.

As you practice with multiple choice questions, your answers trigger recommended study materials. This includes reference materials that lead to content mastery. A new innovation that Surgent CPA Review has added is an algorithmic face to multiple choice questions called “MyMCQ.” This allows the course to learn each student, only serving them content they need to focus on. The system also automatically adjusts the level of difficulty, only progressing a student on to more challenging topics when they’re ready. Surgent has seen a 17% increase in the speed of exam readiness with the introduction of this program.

375 task-based simulations

Task-based simulations are a vital part of studying -- simulations will be present on each part of the CPA exam. The Surgent study tools include plenty of example simulations to practice solving. This ensures that users are both familiar with how these exercises work and how best to solve them.

Surgent’s program will give you a framework for practicing task-based simulations that include:

  • Work tabs
  • Info tabs
  • Directions tab
  • Calculator
  • Literature

You will be scored in practice the same way you will be scored on the exam. This is the best way to learn how to perform well on the exam itself.

Additional audio content

For the most comprehensive package — the Ultimate Pass — the Surgent CPA Review will have audio content. While this isn’t included in the other packages, it can be a helpful addition to exam preparation.

The audio files include audio lectures that cover all four sections of the exam. These have been created by similar experts who you will view in the video content.

Customized study notes

Surgent’s CPA review program features a customized learning plan. Each study session presents exam questions and study materials that support individual progress.

Essentially, you don’t have to learn how to study with Surgent CPA -- the course is created for you, and tells you exactly what to do.

Personalization is further supported by customized study notes, which directly reflect the content you have just learned. Users can review these notes to memorize important points and shore up in weak areas.

Printed flashcards and textbooks for offline study

In addition to digital materials, the Surgent CPA Review provides some print materials. The Premiere and Ultimate Pass packages come with textbooks, which can also be purchased separately. Each textbook is updated quarterly and available at any time. The books cover each of the four sections of the CPA exam and include multiple-choice questions, task-based simulations, and category descriptions.

Printed flashcards are also available, either as part of the largest package or for purchase. When you order printed flashcards, you will receive at least 250 cards for each of the four sections of the exam.

You can also download digital flashcards through the free app, which cover 2,200 concepts and terms to study.

A.S.A.P.™ technology targets your weaker areas

Surgent features A.S.A.P. technology™, which uses AI to deliver customized exam prep. This is how Surgent can outpace its competition in terms of efficiency.

Other programs are adaptive in that they discern a user’s needs and deliver content accordingly, but all of the material is still required. A.S.A.P. is proprietary software that selects and eliminates the concepts each user needs and only delivers essential materials.

Each student is assessed at the outset. This 350-question assessment provides a hyper-personalized study plan for that user. Questions are weighted in a way that reflects the actual CPA exam, empowering students to gain knowledge that most closely aligns with the test.

This process enables users to only spend time studying the knowledge they need to pass the exam.

One-on-one sessions with a CPA exam success coach

CPA exam success coaches provide one-on-one coaching, included with two of the three Surgent CPA Review packages.

This feature will provide an opportunity for users to ask specific questions and receive personalized recommendations. Customer feedback indicates that students find great value from this resource.

Unlimited access until you pass

The Surgent CPA Review packages don’t expire and you don’t lose access to them. Some competitors only ensure renewed materials for a certain period of time, like 18 months. Unlimited access with Surgent means that the materials that are updated to reflect the latest CPA exam will always be available to you.

Surgent offers a pass guarantee in which they offer a tuition refund if a student who meets the requirements still fails a section of the exam. They base this promise on their ReadySCORE feature, which relies on adaptive technology to provide a CPA score display, indicating whether a user is ready for the test.

ReadySCORE

Surgent’s ReadySCORE metric collects a student’s performance data throughout the course and calculates test readiness. Its tracking is so thorough that the comparison between estimated and actual exam scores was 99% accurate. ReadySCORE gives students definitive insight into whether or not they are ready to sit for the CPA exam.

Surgent discounts

You can find deals and discount codes on the Surgent website. Deals may apply to specific packages and include things like a dollar amount off or a discount on individual sections of the course.

On that same page, Surgent has a phone number and email address for students and associates, who may receive special pricing. There is also a 25% discount available for government employees, military personnel, and veterans.

Be sure to visit our CPA discount page for discounts on Surgent and other CPA course reviews

Is Surgent CPA Review good?

Who is this course best for?

As of 2021, students of the Surgent CPA Review have an average pass rate of 88%. Compared to a 51% pass rate for everyone who takes the CPA exam, Surgent’s students do quite well.

This is a remarkable factor that indicates the success of their A.S.A.P. technology and ReadySCORE assessment.

The Surgent CPA Review could be the tool you need to pass the CPA exam if you:

  • Need an accelerated course of study
  • Can commit to an intensive season of preparation
  • Can afford the cost (or qualify for financing)

The Surgent CPA Review has an excellent reputation and helps many people score well on the CPA exam.

One claim to fame of the Surgent CPA Review is that it’s the fastest CPA exam study program. Surgent’s adaptive curriculum offers more customized study options than its competitors.

This may be the right option for candidates who need a quick, intensive time of deep study. Busy professionals and students with limited time can benefit from this course of study -- especially those who want to write the exam on a short timeline.

A detailed CPA course comparison between Surgent and Wiley CPAexcel  or other courses can help make the best choice for exam preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are considering the Surgent CPA Review, here are a few answers to questions you may have. Note, you can find additional answers to FAQs on the Surgent website.

Is Surgent CPA good?

The Surgent CPA Review helps people prepare for the exam by providing a customized approach to learning. After an initial assessments, users will have a custom course created that targets the areas they most need to learn.

This eliminates busywork and ensures that comprehension improves in essential areas for the CPA exam. This and other aspects have led to the Surgent CPA Review being a widely recommended option, with a great success rate.

Does Surgent CPA expire?

One important feature of the Surgent CPA Review is that it does not expire. You have unlimited access to the updated course materials for as long as you need them.

Who is Surgent?

Surgent is a premium company that supports continuing education and exam prep for:

  • CPA
  • EA
  • CMA
  • CIA
  • CISA

How to get 50% off Surgent CPA Review course

There are discount codes and available price reductions for many people who want to buy the Surgent CPA Review course. Visit their website to learn more. Button Label by using our special discount code.

Surgent CPA Review how to change test date

One feature of the Surgent CPA Review is the ReadySCORE assessment, which accurately indicates when you are prepared to take the CPA exam. The Surgent user interface has elements that will help you book your seat at the CPA exam.

How much is Surgent CPA Review?

There are three packages you can purchase for the Surgent CPA Review. Currently, the prices range between $899 and $1,899 by using Surgent's own discount codes. Financing is available and you can go as low as $145/month for the Essentials Pass.