Becker and University of Missouri launch new course to support CPA candidates

For over 60 years, Becker has been a leader in accounting professional education, and we are dedicated to evolving our solutions and products to better meet the needs of accountants at every stage of their career. For accountants who are ready to start studying for the CPA Exam, we have Becker Academy. Becker developed Becker Academy with the University of Missouri to help close knowledge gaps in key accounting concepts and building a strong foundation for more effective CPA Exam preparation. 

Creating a strong foundation in financial accounting

Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) is considered the most difficult Core section and has the lowest pass rate—only 41% of students pass the FAR CPA Exam. Often, candidates struggle with the information covered in FAR because they either have gaps in their knowledge or have forgotten many of the key concepts upon which FAR builds upon. 

The School of Accountancy in the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business at the University of Missouri and Becker conducted research to pinpoint where candidates often need more support, where the most common knowledge gaps are, and how to build that strong foundation. The goal is not only to help candidates refresh their knowledge but also feel confident going into their preparation for FAR. 

"The launch of Becker Academy heralds a new era of partnership between the School of Accountancy at the Trulaske College of Business and Becker. We are confident that this collaboration will enhance the performance of CPA Exam candidates worldwide, " stated Balaji Rajagopalan, PhD, Dean of Trulaske College of Business, University of Missouri.

“We are thrilled to bring the first in a library of courses to market to help learners who are interested in pursuing their CPA license build a solid foundation to begin their CPA Exam prep,” said Ed Clark, President of Becker Professional Education. “We know that no two individuals learn the same – so our Becker Academy courses will remove any assumptions about what someone already knows and help each learner solidify their understanding of key concepts they need to understand to excel in their exam prep journey.”

Becker Academy's first course is Financial Accounting Foundations. This course includes: 

• 30 concept videos with nearly four hours of instruction 
• PDF slide decks to accompany each video
• 100 homework questions and 100 practice questions
• 30 question post-assessment to ensure retention and comprehension
• Capstone exercise to apply what you learned

Becker and University of Missouri are also working on foundational courses designed to support Audit and Attestation (AUD) and Taxation and Regulation (REG), both Core sections of the CPA Exam. 

Check out the video below to learn more about Becker Academy!

Is Becker Academy right for you? 

If you're not sure if Becker Academy is right for you, Becker has a convenient and in-depth diagnostic test to determine if you are prepared to begin studying for FAR or if you should start with Financial Accounting Foundations. After taking the diagnostic assessment, you will receive a readiness score and suggestion of your next step, whether that's Becker Academy's Financial Accounting Foundations or moving forward with FAR CPA Exam prep. The diagnostic is available in your LMS if you are a current Becker student, or you can sign up for Becker's 14-day free trial of our CPA Exam Review and access the diagnostic along with the rest of the review course.