Jeff Elliott of Another71.com founded Ninja CPA Review. Jeff began blogging about the CPA exam in 2008. Jeff then released his own Ninja CPA Review notes in 2012, which includes audio reviews and flashcards. In 2014, he followed it up with MCQs.
After years of administering the popular CPA forum, he decided to turn his site into more than just a place for CPA candidates to gain support from others on their CPA exam journeys, and he created a set of CPA exam preparation materials to help CPA candidates pass the CPA exam.
This CPA exam study guide essentially consists of a huge test bank of multiple-choice questions, digital textbooks, and video courses all presented on an adaptive software platform.
Ninja CPA Review is now a comprehensive review system that CPA candidates can use as a full course or as a supplement to assist them pass the CPA exam. The materials are extremely popular and among the most economical CPA review courses available, costing $67 per month with no upfront charges and/or commitments beyond one month.
They also have the most accommodating return policy in the CPA review industry, with a risk-free, 30-day money-back guarantee if you don’t like their materials for any reason – or no reason at all. As a gesture of goodwill, they will allow you to keep what you’ve downloaded.
Let’s examine each of the modules included in the Ninja CPA review course to determine if it’s something you should consider purchasing to help you pass the CPA exam.
Who Should Use Ninja CPA Review
Ninja CPA Review is accessible to CPA candidates of all stripes from those just getting started to those CPA candidates who need an extra edge to pass the CPA exam, and obviously all CPA candidates in between. It makes no difference if you already have a CPA review course because this is an excellent addition. In fact, Ninja CPA review is one of the most popular supplements on the market but it can also serve as your main review course to pass the CPA exam.
However, you should be aware that they aim to provide an efficient learning structure, and if you want to study everything, regardless of the possibility that it will appear on your CPA exam, Ninja’s CPA review may not be the ideal option for you. The good news is that there is a free trial, so you can see if it is right for you before you commit to a purchase.
NinjaCPA Review Cost
So, how much does the Ninja CPA Review cost?
It is a pay-as-you-go subscription CPA review course. So you simply pay $67 a month for access to the CPA study materials for as long as you like. Among the CPA materials are:
- MCQs + SIMS
- Notes
- Flashcards
- Audio (works on any mobile devices)
- Book
- Blitz
- MCQ Audio
- Group Tutoring (weekly online group tutoring)
- Study Framework (the proven method to pass the CPA exam)
- E.L.L Study Planner
- Private Study Groups
- Private Social Network (where you can join thousands of CPA candidates)
The cost of these CPA study materials ranges from $188 to $497, so you’re getting a terrific price with this model.
They also do not need you to pay any extra upfront fees. You are also not required to get into a contract or obtain financing. Finally, you pay the same fee each month to prepare for all four sections of the CPA Exam. You simply email them from within the CPA course when you’re ready to move on to the next CPA exam section. You will then have access to the CPA materials you require for your next CPA exam section.
What’s included in Ninja CPA Review?
A test question bank, Ninja Notes (with space for your own notes), a flashcard app (accessible through Brainscape), audio lectures, a review book, and a cram course are all included in the monthly membership. This CPA program contains over 6,000 multiple-choice questions and over 200 task-based simulations. It has a pass rate of 85 to 90 percent. Online assistance is accessible via the company’s private study forums. Phone and email support are also accessible to assist the CPA candidates.
The CPA study materials for the Ninja CPA review course are divided into four basic modules. Each item can be purchased for a particular CPA exam section, or the entire CPA review package “Ten Point Combo” can be purchased at a discounted price. Let’s take a closer look at each one.
Ninja Notes
Ninja notes are Ninja’s version of CPA review textbooks. They are only available in digital format and are not very comprehensive. To be honest, this is fine for those who already know most of the topics on the CPA exam and just want a refresher to pass the CPA exam, but it isn’t so helpful for CPA candidates who require more thorough information about CPA exam topics and examples.
Each book is between 100 and 150 pages long and serves as a final review or cram for CPA exam topics. These are great for brushing up on the most critical points you need to remember in the last week or two before your CPA exam without being pulled down by reading extremely lengthy, traditional CPA textbooks. Furthermore, they are concise and to the point, without telling you anything you don’t need to know, so it’s easier for you to pass the CPA exam.
What I like the most is that it features memory aids and white space for you to add your own notes, which I think is something beneficial to pass the CPA exam.
MCQ Test Bank
Ninja’s MCQ test bank is a professional CPA exam simulator and software platform. It contains AICPA-licensed content (aka retired actual CPA Exam questions), hence does an excellent job of simulating the actual AICPA interface on the CPA exam. CPA candidates will feel at ease on CPA exam day if they become used to the way this one looks.
You’ll also get access to authoritative literature for the CPA research questions. Over 6,500 past CPA exam questions with comprehensive explanations are included in the bank. It also offers over 250 task-based simulations for CPA practice exams. The test bank’s most significant feature is that it is adaptive and allows you to construct your own quizzes.
The adaptive learning technology assists CPA candidates in focusing on CPA topics in which they struggle the most, while the custom quiz option allows them to create quizzes that focus on a certain area or take a specific length of time. It can also be purchased separately for each CPA exam section.
CPA Audio Lectures
Ninja’s Audio lectures contain a couple hours of audio lessons for each CPA exam section that you can take with you wherever you go. You can listen to this CPA audio supplement while at the gym or working on the computer to help you study during non-traditional study time.
Ten-Point Combo
Ninja’s full CPA product package is known as the Ten Point Combo. The Ninja Blitz, Ninja Plus, and Ninja Books are all included in the package. These videos and study books go into greater depth than the notes, to help you easily pass the CPA exam.
Benefits
Affordable
Ninja’s CPA review materials are really inexpensive. All of the CPA modules are available for purchase separately and normally cost less than $100 each. This is by far the most affordable form of CPA review materials available.
Great Cram Course
The Ninja Notes module is ideal for a final cram because it covers everything you need to know before taking the CPA exam. It is brief and straight to the point, which is ideal for a last evaluation. It basically explains what you should keep in mind.
Adaptive Tech
The adaptive software assists you in focusing on your weak areas. This can be quite beneficial. It also allows CPA candidates to use the resources like a regular course by selecting topics from a table of contents.
Dashboard and Interface
Ninja CPA Review previously relied on a proprietary dashboard for their online study materials, which was difficult to use and out of date in comparison to other CPA review courses. Fortunately, Elliot has made some big adjustments behind the hood to offer a 21st-century educational experience. Ninja’s new user interface is conveniently organized into four categories. Each one is targeted to a specific section of the CPA exam: FAR, BEC, AUD, and REG. Students will be able to access multiple-choice questions, simulations, and educational information in both video and audio after they pass a login gate.
Ninja Notes
There’s a reason why the original notes are so popular. Elliott was balancing a career and a growing family while he studied for the CPA exam, and he understood that time is a valuable commodity for many busy CPA candidates. His notes highlight the most significant facts and serve as an excellent preparation prior to a CPA exam.
The CPA notes clarify challenging subjects in a clear and concise manner. These well-organized notes, which are available in hard copy or as a PDF file for iPhone or iPad, consistently receive great feedback from CPA candidates who have passed the CPA exam.
Elliott suggests reading these notes 5 times before the CPA exam and copying them (or your own notes) to help you memorize the subject. You will also receive free updates till you pass the CPA exam.
Drawbacks
Not a Full Course
The bottom line is that this isn’t a comprehensive CPA review course. It contains bits and pieces of a whole package, but not enough to rely on as your only CPA review materials to pass the CPA exam.
Not Very Detailed / Comprehensive
The study materials are not very detailed or all-inclusive. As I previously stated, Ninja’s CPA is best suited for students who already have a good grasp on the CPA topics and are looking for a summary/review or more practice before taking the CPA exam, but it is not sufficient for someone to utilize as their only study materials. Topics must be explained in greater depth to ensure you pass the CPA exam.
If you are just beginning your CPA journey and want a more thorough and streamlined CPA review system rather than just trying to boost your score by a few points in your CPA exam, you should definitely look into alternative CPA review courses that are better suited to serve as your primary study materials.
Confusing Trial Process
Elliot has given a free trial that provides an example of what they have to offer for students who are wondering if this CPA review system is a good match. Unfortunately, obtaining this trial is a complicated and somewhat frustrating process.
First, students must complete a brief survey on their CPA exam and other preparation courses. Then users must submit their email address and read a lengthy sales presentation before being directed to the free materials.
What I Like about Ninja CPA
This package includes a full textbook based on AICPA blueprints, notes that may be used to quickly review topics, audio of the notes as well as some MCQs and BLITZ videos done by Jeff himself, and digital flashcards.
According to Jeff, they also conduct tutoring sessions four times per week, but as of July 2020, I hadn’t attended any of them.
I will update the review once I have done so, as this is a valuable feature that may make the subscription price worthwhile on its own if you want academic assistance.
The brand new test bank that Jeff and his team created is without a doubt the program’s highlight.
It offers multiple choice and simulation questions, as well as the option to design practice or mock CPA exams. It also has extensive multiple choice analytics to assist you in identifying your skills.
Just keep in mind that these are AICPA-released questions that most CPA review courses use.
If you already have a CPA review course, there will be some overlap with the same questions, but the explanations will most likely be different, which can provide some useful perspective.
You will also have access to the Ninja’s Customers Only Forum, which is a community where you can ask questions and connect with other CPA candidates. It is much more moderated than the free forum, which is fantastic!
I’m not a fan of free CPA exam forums because of the lack of moderation, and it’s difficult to determine if the advice you receive is appropriate for your case. This is why I propose that you select a CPA exam mentor rather than depending on the hive mind of a free forum or a paid community like Ninja CPA Review.
Finally, the Ninja CPA Review pricing is difficult to beat. The monthly fee of $67 is pretty affordable for the number of resources you receive, but you also get what you pay for.
What I Don’t Like about CPA Ninja
Ninja CPA Review is still in the early phases of development of a CPA Review Course.
It’s really cheap, but you won’t find anything new or better than a larger CPA review course in terms of CPA exam questions or learning technology, and they lack the classroom-style video lectures that more known CPA review courses provide.
Obviously, no CPA Review Course is perfect, and even established CPA Review Course companies make mistakes, but another difference is that a startup CPA review system has fewer resources, which means there are more opportunities for editorial mistakes to be made or missed due to the overwhelming amount of content that must be managed and constantly updated.
Here’s an example: During my review in early 2019, I discovered a rather obvious problem with the course’s use of outdated video lectures.
The videos in question were those generated by Bisk CPA Review in 2016, which Ninja CPA Review had purchased but had failed to keep up with.
Obviously, part of the content was still useful, but some of it had become out-of-date as a result of numerous modifications to the CPA Exam, etc…
And, according to Jeff, he didn’t have the bandwidth to update them, so he just kept them in there and put a large disclaimer under the videos, expecting students to figure out what was excellent and what was outdated.
This, in my opinion, was a poor editorial decision because CPA candidates don’t have time to figure out what is current or not, and if I owned a CPA review course and found out that someone did not pass the CPA exam because they learned something outdated from my content (even with my big disclaimer), I would be devastated.
However, the good news is Ninja CPA Review removed the out-of-date videos as of June 2020.
FAQs
Would you advise CPA candidates to only use Ninja CPA Review to prepare for the CPA exam?
No, I would not. At this stage, the program is too basic to serve as a primary review course.
Would you suggest Ninja CPA Review to CPA candidates as a supplement to their primary CPA review course?
No, this is not necessary. You will have all you need to pass the CPA exam if you use Wiley CPAexcel, Becker CPA Review, UWorld Roger CPA Review, Yaeger CPA Review, or Gleim CPA Review. Don’t overcomplicate matters by incorporating Ninja CPA Review into the mix just yet, as they contain the identical questions as your primary review course. A better strategy would be to first invest in finding a CPA exam mentor or a mentoring program to educate you on how to study with the review course you are currently using.
Would I recommend purchasing a CPA review course that bundles with Ninja CPA Review?
No, I would not. As I previously stated, Ninja CPA Review employs the same questions as all other CPA review courses, thus receiving Ninja CPA Review as a free plugin isn’t much of a value add. If anything, trying to study with two distinct systems at the same time causes more busy work and overwhelm. What you truly want is a CPA exam mentor to tell you how to study using your CPA review course, how to plan, and how to execute. This is going to be what genuinely helps you learn the subject in the time frame you need to pass the CPA exam.
Do I need a subscription for each CPA exam section?
No! Once you’ve subscribed to a section and taken the CPA exam, email them and let them know which section you’d like to take next, and they’ll switch you.
How do I avoid paying for something I won’t use?
CPA candidates who have had success utilizing Ninja CPA as a supplement often mention three products: MCQ, Notes, and Audio. CPA candidates who have had success with it as their primary review usually mention all seven products. All options are available for $67. You have access to all of the study weapons.
Conclusion
I would not suggest using this as your only study guide if you want to ensure that you pass the CPA exam. There simply aren’t enough resources available to adequately prepare you for the CPA exam. You’ll need a comprehensive review course for that. Ninja’s CPA Review study resources are best utilized in conjunction with other, more complete and user-friendly courses. This CPA review, on the other hand, is an excellent addition.
Ninja’s CPA review materials are basic and disjointed, so students will have to navigate the site to piece together their study sessions, making it less suitable for students searching for an all-in-one review course. However, if you only need a little extra practice or review on a certain CPA exam section, several of the components may be a suitable alternative to use as supplemental study material.
If you wished, you could get this in addition to other full-length review courses to make sure you pass the CPA exam. It may be a good idea to purchase the test bank in order to have some more questions to go through, however this isn’t entirely necessary if you purchase a review course like Wiley CPAexcel, as their test question bank contains over 12,000 questions.
I would recommend looking through the top CPA review courses, selecting which one will work best for you, and then returning to see if purchasing this as a supplement is necessary so as to pass the CPA exam.