What Universal CPA does

Universal CPA Review is a private provider of CPA exam preparation for individual candidates, visual learners, and repeat test-takers. It serves accounting firms through dedicated licensing and firm-specific classes. State CPA society partnerships provide member access and discounts. Its core platform covers FAR, AUD, REG, BAR, ISC, and TCP through animated video lectures, visual study guides and Mental Maps, 5,000+ multiple-choice questions, 200+ task-based simulations, and 100+ hours of lectures. The course can be used as a standalone review or alongside Becker, Surgent, and UWorld.\n\nIndividual access is sold through $299 three-month, $699 annual, and $999 lifetime packages. AUD, FAR, and REG bootcamps are priced at $299 each or $599 in a bundle. Accounting-firm licensing includes a $1,999 annual Starter plan for up to 20 licenses and $199 or $165 per-license lifetime tiers for larger groups. Acquisition combines a seven-day no-card trial, self-serve website access, and a free community resource. The Facebook study groups are reported at 19,600+ members. The free Study Hub provides workshops, resources, and peer support. The company also offers a five-participant Rocket Ship Scholarship and accepts Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal payment options. The supplied data do not disclose revenue, ARR, or paid-customer counts.

Name

Universal CPA

Legal name

Universal CPA Review

Website

https://universalcpareview.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Universal CPA Review provides visual online CPA exam preparation for CPA candidates through animated lessons, mental maps, practice questions, simulations, support, and bootcamps across FAR, AUD, REG, BAR, ISC, and TCP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification Exam Preparation

akta.pro primary industry

Accounting, Audit & Tax (CPA/CA/ACCA CPE) (EDAAALAA)

Keywords

• CPA exam preparation
• Visual learning platform
• Accounting certification courses
• Professional exam study materials
• Online test prep

Headquarters

HQ city

New City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription - Individual Plans: Individual subscription plans providing access to the full CPA review course with 3-month, annual, and lifetime access options. Includes video lectures, MCQ explanations, simulations, and study guides.
2. Bootcamp Courses: Individual bootcamp courses for AUD, FAR, REG sections priced at $299 each, or bundled at $599 (regularly $897). Includes 8+ hours of recordings, weekly office hours, and lifetime replay access.
3. Accounting Firm Partnerships: Enterprise licensing for accounting firms with tiered pricing: Starter (up to 20 licenses, $1,999/year), Lifetime Access (21-50 licenses at $199/license), Lifetime Premium (50+ licenses at $165/license). Includes dedicated firm classes and coaching.
4. Scholarship Program: Rocket Ship Scholarship awarding 5 participants with free Universal CPA Review course access ($649 value) including lifetime access to all exam sections.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Universal CPA Review is an online CPA exam preparation platform built around a visual learning methodology. It offers animated video lectures, mental maps, and step-by-step visual explanations across all CPA Exam sections (FAR, AUD, REG, BAR, ISC, TCP), with 5,000+ multiple-choice questions and 200+ task-based simulations, each accompanied by full video explanations. The company sells individual subscription plans (Pro, Annual, Lifetime), live-instruction bootcamps for individual exam sections, and tiered enterprise licensing for accounting firms.

Product overview

Universal CPA Review is an online CPA exam prep platform built around a visual learning approach, offering a single unified course that combines animated video lectures, mental map methodology, practice questions with full video explanations, and task-based simulations. The core CPA Review Course covers all six CPA Exam sections (FAR, AUD, REG, BAR, ISC, and TCP) and is available through three subscription tiers: Pro Package (3-month, $299), Annual Package ($699), and Lifetime Package ($999). The platform supplements its core course with CPA Bootcamps for AUD, FAR, and REG (individual $299 each or $599 bundle), a free CPA Study Hub community, 24/7 Ask Joey support, firm partnership programs, a Rocket Ship Scholarship, and financing options through Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal. Students can also access free CPA classes through Reddit and join Facebook study groups for specific exam sections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ask Joey™: 24/7 support resource tool providing assistance to CPA candidates with questions about exam material and study strategies.

Products and services

• CPA Review Course Self-paced online CPA exam prep course featuring animated video lectures, mental map methodology, 5,000+ multiple-choice questions each with video explanations, 200+ task-based simulations, visual study guides (e-books), and AICPA blueprint mapping. Covers all six sections of the CPA Evolution exam (FAR, AUD, REG, BAR, ISC, TCP). Sold as Pro 3-Month ($299), Annual ($699), or Lifetime ($999) packages. Includes 7-day free trial with no credit card required. Can be used standalone or as a supplement to Becker, Surgent, or UWorld.
• CPA Bootcamps Live-instruction bootcamp recordings providing focused CPA exam topic coverage with real-time Q&A. Includes 8+ hours of high-impact recordings per section, weekly Saturday Office Hours with a CPA instructor, and access to a private Circle community with lifetime replay access. Available individually for AUD, FAR, or REG at $299 each, or as a bundle of all three at $599 (regularly $897).
• Accounting Firm Partnership Program B2B enterprise licensing program for accounting firms providing dedicated firm classes via Zoom, assigned homework, customized learning structures tailored to firm schedules, and lifetime access to class recordings and focus notes. Includes 100+ hours of firm-dedicated classes. Tiered pricing: Starter (up to 20 licenses, $1,999/year), Lifetime Access (21-50 licenses at $199/license one-time), Lifetime Premium (50+ licenses at $165/license one-time). Includes dedicated coaching community, quarterly 30-minute strategy sessions, and access to final review bootcamps.

Quantifiable outcome

• 19% average score increase for students using Universal CPA Review
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing ICPAS members with discounted access to Universal CPA Review's visual learning platform. Elizabeth B., Assistant Director of Student & Diversity Initiatives, notes the partnership provides great value at a reasonable price with visual learning approach leading to increased scores and passed exams.
• Idaho Society of CPAscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support Idaho CPA candidates through their exam journey. Laura L., CEO and Executive Director, describes Universal CPA as a tangible tool to help students and candidates pass the CPA exam, aligned with their goal to 'MAKE CPAs'.
• Ohio Society of CPAscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership rooted in shared vision to foster innovation, drive growth, and create lasting impact in the CPA profession. Thera G., Strategic Relationships Director, notes aligned goals have paved the way for collaborative success.
• Connecticut Society of CPAs (CTCPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting CTCPA's mission to fill the CPA pipeline by encouraging and assisting students to obtain the CPA credential. Caitlin O., Communications Coordinator, notes Universal CPA Review's engaging visual format helps take fear and questions out of the new CPA Exam.
• Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership expanding MACPA's offerings through scholarship programs. Lauren M., Director of Member Engagement, notes the collaboration has created new opportunities for CPA candidates and student members with enhanced resources.
• Bryan Kesler - Ultimate CPA Exam Guide (UCEG)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMentoring partnership where candidates take a personality quiz and receive guidance from Bryan Kesler at UCEG. Provides additional exam strategy and coaching support.
• FPA (India)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner company based in India for international CPA candidates sitting for the US CPA exam. Supports India-based candidates transitioning to CPA Evolution.
• KlarnaminorOthersFinancing partner offering 0% interest-free payment option with 4 bi-weekly installments over 8 weeks for course purchases.
• AffirmminorOthersFinancing partner offering 0-30% APR loans with 6, 12, or 24 month repayment options. Performs soft credit check that does not impact credit score.
• PayPalminorOthersFinancing partner offering payment plan options for course purchases.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Becker CPA Review: The market-leading CPA exam prep provider with multi-decade brand recognition and the deepest institutional adoption among Big 4 and regional accounting firms. Competes directly with Universal CPA for individual candidates and firm-wide licensing deals.
• UWorld Roger CPA Review: Direct competitor offering adaptive question banks, lecture content, and a strong pass-rate narrative, particularly popular among candidates supplementing primary courses. Universal CPA explicitly names UWorld as a course students use alongside its platform.
• Surgent CPA Review: Direct competitor providing adaptive CPA review with personalized study paths and ReadySCORE readiness metrics. Competes head-to-head with Universal CPA on self-serve subscriptions and firm licensing.
• Wiley CPAexcel: Established CPA review course from Wiley with adaptive learning and a large MCQ bank. Competes for individual subscribers and is one of the named competitors Universal CPA positions against.
• Gleim CPA Review: Long-standing CPA prep provider with SmartAdapt adaptive learning, audit-focused content, and a strong firm licensing practice. Directly comparable in product scope and firm partnership motion.
• Yaeger CPA Review: Boutique CPA review provider led by instructor Phil Yaeger, competing primarily on live lecture format and individual candidate subscriptions. Smaller in scale but a direct comparable in targeting exam passers via a single-instructor brand.
• Ninja CPA Review: Niche CPA review provider focused on MCQ practice, audio lectures, and supplemental study aids. Operates in the same exam-prep category with overlapping individual subscriber base, particularly among repeat candidates.

Emerging players

• Pocket Prep: Mobile-first test prep platform with CPA content among many professional certification categories. Comparable in micro-learning delivery format and PLG motion, though not a full CPA review course competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Large online education platform hosting third-party accounting courses and credential programs. Overlaps with Universal CPA on online professional learning delivery and adjacent exam-prep content, though it does not compete head-to-head as a full CPA review course.

Regional players

• Aspire Financial Services: Smaller CPA review and exam-prep brand serving primarily U.S. candidates with course bundles. Comparable in product scope as a self-contained review course, but with a narrower distribution footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/2021cpastudygroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Universal CPA