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Overview Of Steve Martin's MDS CPA Review Course
To begin I want to give some background history on Steve Martin, Owner/instructor of MDS. He writes all of the review materials himself. He has been doing CPA review for nearly 28 years (longer than anyone in Ohio) and was been the OSCPA lawyer for over 20 years.
After personally interviewing Steve, I am totally impressed with what he has been able to accomplish and really think that he has a great program and that he is a truly stand up guy who wants to help you pass the CPA exam.
You can listen below!
To continue, Steve learned the CPA review business from working directly with Mr. Becker for 15 years. Steve left Becker after it was sold to DeVry and started his own course.
In order to keep the content up to date, Steve meets with the AICPA to work on exam content and style every 6 months; he is the only one in the state of Ohio that does this! That being said, MDS knows what is important to put in the materials; and equally as important - what to leave out of the materials!
He doesn't want to waste your time on information that is not necessary to pass the exam
Who Should Buy MDS?
I found Steve's lecture style to be more interesting than Yaeger's and not as loud and overly energetic as Roger so I think most people would find it to be the best fit for their attention spans.
I also feel that Steve's material flows better than most of the other review courses by how he has organized his lectures and study materials, which I believe is because he has developed everything in-house and doesn't rely on any external sources such as Wiley.
For the highly motivated MDS also offers a "boot-camp" which is an intense 15 week summer class (live or online) that tries to help you pass the CPA exam in the time between your graduation and starting work. The course is also offered throughout the year but is most popular during the summer months.
When it comes to completing homework questions, MDS splits each section into 3 comprehensive phases. As you go through the lectures you take the first phase then come back in the next few days or weeks to complete phase 2 and 3.
As a student you will be able to assess your comprehension of the information and find areas where you are struggling. The area I did find lacking when it came to multiple choice questions was the lack of analytics which I find very important. Typically you can use analytics to provide in-depth reports on which questions you got wrong but with Steve's course there isn't a very good way of figuring out the areas where you are struggling.
I don't think this is a deal breaker by any means as they provide the page # for each question so you can easily go back and find the answer in the material and make note of the areas you are weaker in.
UWorld Roger CPA Review Course Pros & Cons
You Need To Read These Before You Buy!
Steve Martin Himself
Excellent lectures and study materials, Steve Martin's lectures will keep you focused by not being over the top while not being too dry at the same time.
Repeat Priviliege
Free Repeat Privilege is a fantastic option for people who are struggling with the exam.
Materials
Does not rely on any external sources for homework so the lectures flow together very nicely
Multiple Choice
Over 72 hours of lectures and 5,000+ multiple choice with full explanations
Customer Service
A direct line to Steve Martin himself if you have any questions related to the exam.
No Analytics
Lacks a good system of keeping tracking of your multiple choice performance, but I found that taking screenshots of questions you struggle with can help you come back to the areas you are not understanding.
Study Planner
Only has a basic study calendar plan for 15 weeks, 6 months or 12 months, other courses have a more interactive study calendar so you have to set up your own schedule and stick to it.
Internet Access
Multiple Choice and Lecture are all online so Internet access is always required. MDS stopped offering DVD and flash drive courses due to the content getting outdated. So by keeping it online they are able to provide you with the most up to date materials, which is a good thing for those of you who may end up procrastinating.
My Suggestion
If you can't spend more than $3,000 on a review course, and need a professional lecturer to keep you on track, then MDS is the course for you! With MDS's "Free Repeat Privilege" it shows that Steve stands behind his product and won't give up until you pass.
If you are confident in your organization skills and don't need extensive multiple choice analytical tools, then I think MDS is the review course for you.
NOTE: If you are still unsure how you learn best and whether MDS CPA is absolutely the best course for you I would be glad to assist you in your decision:
