Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 Edition
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LICENSE AGREEMENT – PLEASE READ............................................................................................................................................... 1 PURPOSE OF GUIDE................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 QUICK START ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 INSTALLATION & WEB BROWSING REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................................................................... 4 MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................................................. 4 SOFTWARE ACTIVATION AND CONTENT DOWNLOAD....................................................................................................................... 2 ACCESSING THE INSTALLED APPLICATION ................................................................................................................................... 2 SOFTWARE ACTIVATION ................................................................................................................................................................... 2 CREDENTIALS .................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 UNINSTALLING THE APPLICATION .................................................................................................................................................. 6 HELPFUL HINTS ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 DISPLAY PROBLEMS WITH THE SOFTWARE .................................................................................................................................. 7 TURN OFF SCREEN SAVERS ............................................................................................................................................................. 7 USING OTHER APPLICATIONS ALONG WITH THE PROGRAM ...................................................................................................... 7 KNOWLEDGE BASE ARTICLES ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 CONTACT INFORMATION........................................................................................................................................................................ 7 SUPPORT CENTER ............................................................................................................................................................................. 7 CUSTOMER SERVICE ......................................................................................................................................................................... 7 TECHNIAL SUPPORT.......................................................................................................................................................................... 7
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Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 Edition
LICENSE AGREEMENT – PLEASE READ LICENSE AGREEMENT DO NOT DOWNLOAD, ACCESS, AND/OR USE ANY OF THESE MATERIALS UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY. IF YOU DOWNLOAD, ACCESS, AND/OR USE ANY OF THESE MATERIALS, YOU ARE AGREEING AND CONSENTING TO BE BOUND BY AND ARE BECOMING A PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT. The materials provided for download to your computer and/or provided via a web application to which you are granted access (“Materials”) are NOT for sale and are not being sold to you. You may NOT transfer these materials to any other person or permit any other person to use these materials. You may only acquire a license to use these materials and only upon the terms and conditions set forth in this license agreement. Read this agreement carefully before downloading, and/or accessing, and/or using these materials. Do not download and/or access, and/or use these materials unless you agree with all terms of this agreement. NOTE: You may already be a party to this agreement if you registered for a Becker Professional Education CPA Review program (the “Program”) or placed an order for these materials on-line or using a printed form that included this license agreement. Please review the termination section regarding your rights to terminate this license agreement and receive a refund of your payment. Grant: Upon your acceptance of the terms of this agreement, in a manner set forth above, DeVry/Becker Educational Development Corp. (“Becker”) hereby grants to you a non-exclusive, revocable, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, limited license to use (as defined below) the Materials by downloading them onto a computer and/or by accessing them via a web application using a user ID and password (as defined below), and any Materials to which you are granted access as a result of your license to use these Materials and/or in connection with the Program on the following terms: You may: Use the Materials for the Program, for preparation for one or more parts of the CPA exam (the “Exam”), and/or for your studies relating to the subject matter covered by the Program and/or the Exam; Download the Materials onto any single computer; Download the Materials onto a second computer so long as the first computer and the second computer are not used simultaneously; Download the Materials onto a third computer so long as the first, second and third computer are not used simultaneously. You may not: Use the Materials for any purpose other than as expressly permitted above; Use the downloaded Materials on more than one computer, computer terminal or workstation at the same time; Make copies of the Materials; Rent, lease, license, lend, or otherwise transfer or provide (by gift, sale, or otherwise) all or any part of the Materials to anyone; Permit the use of all or any part of the Materials by anyone other than you; Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or create derivate works of the Material. Materials: Materials means and includes any and all electronically-stored/accessed/delivered, and/or digitally-stored/accessed/delivered materials included under this License via download to a computer or via access to a web application, and/or otherwise provided to you and/or to which you are otherwise granted access by Becker (directly or indirectly), including, but not limited to, applications downloadable from a third-party, for example Google or Amazon, in connection with your license of the Materials and/or the Program. Title: Becker is and will remain the owner of all title, ownership rights, intellectual property, and all other rights and interests in and to the Materials that are subject to the terms of this agreement. The Materials are protected by the copyright laws of the United States and international copyright laws and treaties. Termination: This license shall terminate the earlier of: (i) ten (10) business days after notice to you of non-payment of or default on any payment due Becker which has not been cured within such 10 day period; or (ii) immediately if you fail to comply with any of the limitations described above; or (iii) upon expiration of the period ending eighteen (18) months after you log-in to access the Materials, that is, the first time you visit the Becker Program homepage at https://online.becker.com and log-in using your user identification and password; or upon expiration of the twenty-four (24) month period beginning upon your purchase of the Material, whichever of these periods first transpires. On termination of this license for any reason, you must delete or otherwise remove from your computer any Materials you downloaded, including, but not limited to, any archival copies you may have made. Your Limited Right to Terminate this License and Receive a Refund: You may terminate this license for the in-class, online, and self study Programs in accordance with Becker’s refund policy as provided at http://www.becker.com/accounting/cpaexamreview/policiesprocedures/cpaExamReviewPolicy.cfm#Cancellations. Exclusion of Warranties: YOU EXPRESSLY ASSUME ALL RISK FOR USE OF THE MATERIALS. YOU AGREE THAT THE MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED TO YOU “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” AND THAT BECKER MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE MATERIALS, THEIR MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NO WARRANTY OF NONINFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTIES' RIGHTS. NO DEALER, AGENT OR EMPLOYEE OF BECKER IS AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE ANY SUCH WARRANTY TO YOU. BECAUSE SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, THE ABOVE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. Exclusion of Damages: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES AND UNDER NO LEGAL THEORY, TORT, CONTRACT, OR OTHERWISE, SHALL BECKER OR ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS, BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY OR SPECIAL DAMAGES OF ANY CHARACTER, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF GOODWILL, WORK STOPPAGE, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OR ANY AND ALL OTHER DAMAGES OR LOSSES, OR FOR ANY DAMAGES IN EXCESS OF BECKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A LICENSE TO THE MATERIALS, EVEN IF BECKER SHALL HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY OTHER PARTY. Some states do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. Indemnification and Remedies: You agree to indemnify and hold Becker and its employees, representatives, agents, attorneys, affiliates, directors, officers, members, managers and shareholders harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, damages, penalties, costs or expenses
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Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 Edition
(including reasonable attorneys’ and expert witness’ fees and costs) of any kind or nature, arising from or relating to any violation, breach or nonfulfillment by you of any provision of this license. If you are obligated to provide indemnification pursuant to this provision, Becker may, in its sole and absolute discretion, control the disposition of any indemnified action at your sole cost and expense. Without limiting the foregoing, you may not settle, compromise or in any other manner dispose of any indemnified action without the consent of Becker. If you breach any material term of this license, Becker shall be entitled to equitable relief by way of temporary and permanent injunction and such other and further relief as any court with jurisdiction may deem just and proper. Severability of Terms: If any term or provision of this license is held invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect the validity or operation of any other term or provision and such invalid term or provision shall be deemed to be severed from the license. This license agreement may only be modified by written agreement signed by both parties. Governing Law: This license agreement shall be governed and construed according to the laws of the state of Illinois, save for any choice of law provisions. Any legal action regarding this Agreement shall be brought only in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, or another court of competent jurisdiction in DuPage County, Illinois, and all parties hereto consent to jurisdiction and venue in DuPage County, Illinois.
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Becker’s CPA Exam Review Course Software Manual
Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 Edition
PURPOSE OF GUIDE The purpose of this Course Software Manual is to provide guidance to those installing the desktop version of Becker’s CPA Exam Review software on their local computer. This document walks the user through the installation and activation process of the software. Although the installed application has the same look and feel as the student web portal, there are a few additional features in the desktop version of the software. This guide provides instruction on how to download the required materials for the purchased courses, information on features not found on the student web portal, and services required for the application to run properly.
QUICK START Below is a brief overview of the installation and activation process. Online users may skip this portion of the manual since there is no installation required.
Note: In order to install the software, the account used on the computer must have administrative privileges. Your computer may require additional configuration in the User Account Control Settings in order to install Becker’s 2013 CPA software.
INSTALL THE SOFTWARE 1. 2. 3.
Please review Minimum System Requirements on page 4. Log into Student Web Portal (Online.becker.com), navigate to the Home screen, and select the Options tab. Under the Tools tab in the left pane select Download CPA Exam Review for Windows. Once the file has been downloaded, start the activation process by double-clicking on SetupBPESelfStudy.exe for Windows and SetupBPESelfStudy.pkg for MAC. *** Please note the location where file is downloaded. ***
ACTIVATE THE SOFTWARE. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
On the Software License window, enter your credentials again. These are the same credentials used to log into the Student Web Portal in step 1a. Select the proper check boxes to continue with the installation, and then select Activate. Confirm Software License and Course by clicking OK. Read and agree to the license agreement. Follow the prompts of the installation wizards to complete installation process.
COURSE INTRODUCTION VIDEO AND INSTALL CONTENT. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
At the initial launch, the Course Introduction video will demonstrate how to navigate through the software. Read the Evaluation Mode prompts and click on the proper selection. To download content such as lectures and homework click the Options tab, then under the Tools section in the left pane click Download Manager. To download the necessary content for the studies, select the desired subject and click Download in the top-left of the window. Once content is downloaded and installed, content is ready for use.
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Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 Edition
INSTALLATION & WEB BROWSING REQUIREMENTS This section includes system requirements and instruction for installation. Minimum System Requirements must be met prior to installing the Becker Professional Education Application.
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS WINDOWS
Windows XP/Vista/7/Win 8 Intel Core Duo 2.0 GHz processor (circa 2006) or faster 1 GB RAM or greater (2 GB highly recommended) Hard drive with 5 GB or more free space Video card capable of 1024 x 600 resolution and 32-bit color or more Sound card and speakers To print the Performance Summary Report, a Windows-compatible printer is required Administrative-level access is required to activate and operate the software Internet access for activation, synchronization and ongoing license validation
MAC
Mac OS-X 10.7 (Lion) or 10.8 (Mountain Lion) Intel x86 based processor* 1 GB RAM or greater (2 GB highly recommended) Hard drive with 5 GB or more free space Video card capable of 1024 × 768 resolution and 32-bit color or more Sound card and speakers To print the Performance Summary Report, a Mac-compatible printer is required Administrative-level access is required to activate and operate the software Internet access for activation, content download, synchronization and ongoing license validation
*Support for PowerPC based Macs All Becker native Mac applications have been designed to run on Intel x86 based Macintosh computers. The Becker native Mac applications will not run on any PowerPC based Macintosh computers. We will not be able to provide support for running the software on any PowerPC based Macintosh computer.
INTERNET BROWSERS
Internet Explorer 8, 9, 10 Safari (latest version available)
MOBILE BROWSERS
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All major mobile browsers.
Becker’s CPA Exam Review Course Software Manual
Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 Edition
INSTALLING THE APPLICATION Important: In order to install the software on a local machine, the account used on the computer must have administrative privileges. Online users may skip this portion of the manual since there is no installation required. Note: Internet access is required to install and activate the software. It is also important that the date and time on your computer is accurate before activation.
DOWNLOAD FILE 1) Log into Student Web Portal at Online.becker.com 2) Select the Options tab from the Home screen and click a) Download CPA Exam Review for Windows. b) Downlaod CPA Exam Review for MAC After file has been downloaded, double-click SetupBPESelfStudy.exe (WINDOWS) or SetupBPESelfStudy.pkg (MAC) to start the installation process. *** Please note the location where file is downloaded. ***
INSTALLATION PROCESS WINDOWS: User Account Control Settings on your computer may require additional confirmations to complete installation of the Becker’s 2013 CPA software. Follow the steps below to install the application. MAC: User maybe prompted to enter credentials for a local Administrative Account on the computer. 1) Locate SetupBPESelfStudy , and double-click to initiate the Installation Wizard. 2) Navigate thru the Installation Wizard (Figure 1) by clicking Next.
Figure 1 3)
Read the License Agreement (Figure 2) for the software and make the proper selection.
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Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 Edition
Figure 2 4) Once you agree to the terms, click Next or Continue to proceed with Installation Wizard. 5) The Setup program will take you through each step of the installation process. Note: We recommend using the default options during setup.
6) When you reach the Ready to Install the Program section, Select Install. 7) The Installation Wizard will display a prompt indicating that the installation status is complete (Figure 3).
Figure 3 8)
An icon titled desktop Becker’s CPA Exam Review – 2013 Edition will appear on the desktop.
The software is now ready to be activated.
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Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 Edition
SOFTWARE ACTIVATION AND CONTENT DOWNLOAD ACCESSING THE INSTALLED APPLICATION Upon installation, the software is to be activated. Credentials for the following steps are the same as those used to gain access to the Online.Becker.com (Web Portal). Important: Administrative privileges are required for this process. ***Screenshots reflect a Windows Base computer; however, information and process provided are the same for MAC base computers.
WINDOWS: A shortcut to the Becker’s CPA Exam Review application will appear on the desktop and in the computer's Start menu. Click either icon to launch the software. MAC: Open the Finder folder, Select Applications and open Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 folder. Then, launch the application from the Becker’s CPA Exam Review application icon.
SOFTWARE ACTIVATION This section explains how to activate the software, turn off Evaluation Mode, and how to download purchased content. Note: Please make sure the date and time on your computer is accurate before activating the software. Activating the software with an incorrect date will result in improper activation of your software.
***Becker’s CPA Exam Review Course applications are copy-protected. Serial numbers are not needed to activate or access the software.*** 1)
The first time the CPA Exam Review application launches, the Software License windows will prompt you for your credentials (Figure 4). ***These are the same credentials used to access the student portal Online.Becker.com***
Figure 4 2)
Select the appropriate check boxes, then click Activate to proceed.
3)
A confirmation screen will display which courses have been licensed (Figure 5). Click OK to continue.
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Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 Edition
Figure 5 4)
The software will redirect to the Home screen.
5)
A confirmation screen will present the option to Exit Evaluation Mode (Figure 6). Evaluation Mode is for orientation purposes only and allows the student to navigate through the software functionality and features without tracking progress. You may exit Evaluation Mode by selecting Yes, or continue in this mode by clicking No. Once the user has exited Evaluation Mode, the software will start recording personal progress.
Figure 6 *** To exit this mode later, select the click on Exit Evaluation Mode at the bottom of the Software window (Figure 7) ***
Figure 7
Note: During the Evaluation Mode, personal statistics are not being recorded. This mode is intended to orient the user with the software and functionality. You must exit Evaluation Mode for personal progress to be recorded.
DOWNLOAD MANAGER Desktop users are responsible for downloading the content needed for each course subject. This is performed through the Download Manager feature. This feature also provides the current state of content, such as not installed, downloading status, or installed. This section explains how to download and view the current state of content. Note: Internet access is required in order to download the course content.
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1)
Navigate to the Home screen and click the Options tab in the left pane (Figure 8).
Figure 8 2) 3)
Navigate to the Tools category. Select Download Manager to see the Content Download Manager window (Figure 9).
Figure 9 4) Select the Name of the item you wish to download, then click Download. 5) The status column will display the current state of the content. Once content is installed on the software, the study material is ready for use.
APPLICATION INFORMATION AND FEATURES APPLICATION INFORMATION Becker’s CPA Exam Review desktop version is available to all students and is able to accommodate those who do not have constant access to the web version. The desktop application navigation and features are identical to the web version of the software. The desktop application includes additional features and services that are required for the desktop version to properly function. This section highlights those features and services. Note: All services mentioned below require Internet access.
AUTOMATIC SCYNCHRONIZATION The software uses Automatic Synchronization between the desktop and web versions of the software to ensure personal progress (Progress Statistics) between versions is current. Automatic Synchronization runs automatically and gives the student the ability to 4
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Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 Edition
work on either version of the software while tracking progress automatically on both versions. For this reason, the desktop application of the software requires internet access. The software displays the last time synchronization took place. This information is located in the lower middle section of the application window (Figure 10).
Figure 10
ON-GOING AUTHENTICATION “CALL HOME” On-Going Authentication is a service which runs automatically in the desktop version of the software. This service enables the desktop application to remain active and allows for continuity of the software. It uses secure connectivity and requires internet access. The application will present a warning message requesting internet connectivity after 20 days being offline. Warning: If the desktop application is offline after 30 days, the software will become locked, preventing usage of the application.
To avoid warning messages and to prevent the application from becoming locked, connect the computer to the internet at least once every 20 days. If application becomes locked, please call the Customer Service at 1-877-CPA-EXAM (272-3926).
AUTOMATIC UPDATES The desktop version of the software automatically checks for updates. A prompt will appear letting the user know when an update is available and ready to be installed. Check for updates manually by clicking the “Help” menu located on the top right of the application. Select Check for updates in the menu (Figure 11).
Figure 11
EXPIRED LICENSE This error occurs when the licensed courses have expired. Licensed Courses will expire 18 months from date of access or 24 months from date of purchase. Expiration dates are displayed in the activation process. For more information about expiration dates, see the Software Activation section of this guide or select About under the Help menu. If you see an expired license message, contact Customer Service at 1-877-CPA-EXAM (272-3926) for information on how to purchase an upgrade.
MULTIPLE ACTIVATION AND WARNING Becker’s CPA Exam Review software may be activated on a maximum of three computers. A warning message displays when the desktop version of the software has been activated on third computer. Once the software is activated on three computers, no further activation on additional computers will be permitted.
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Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 Edition
Note: To deactivate the software from one of the three machines already activated, select Software License under Tools from the Options tab on the Home screen. The Software License window will display license information and provide the Deactivate option. Select the Deactivate button to disable the software on that machine.
If you experience any issues activating the software, please contact Customer Service at 1-877-CPA-EXAM (272-3926).
CREDENTIALS Once you have activated the software, please keep the following in mind: The software is for the sole use of the individual who purchased it and is nontransferable. Credentials provided from Becker Professional Education are not to be shared or distributed. These Credentials provide access and are solely for the authorized user of the software. Please note that the software is licensed to you for a limited time, and the software will not function after the licenses have expired. The Software License windows display the expiration date of each course that has been activated. The License Agreement has been added to the beginning of this guide for your convenience.
UNINSTALLING THE APPLICATION To uninstall the application, follow the proper steps for your operating system. WINDOWS Follow these steps to remove the software from your computer: 1.
Close all open windows and applications.
2.
Open the Windows Control Panel.
3.
Double-click Add/Remove Programs or Uninstall A Program applet.
4.
Click Becker’s CPA Exam Review – 2013 Edition icon.
5.
Click Uninstall. This button may have a different name depending on the version of Windows installed.
6.
Follow the instructions to remove the application.
MAC Follow these steps to remove the software from your computer: 1.
Close all open windows and applications.
2.
Open Finder from your dock and then select Applications from the Places heading.
3.
Drag the Becker’s CPA Exam Review – 2013 Edition folder from the Applications folder to the Trash bin.
4.
Remove any remaining Becker files. Open Finder and then open the user account. Open the Library folder, and then open the Application Support folder. Delete the folder for the appropriate version of the software (e.g., Becker’s CPA Exam Review – 2013 Edition). Return to the Library folder and open the Preferences folder. Locate any com.Becker files and delete them.
HELPFUL HINTS Before contacting technical support for assistance, please check this section and apply the suggested system settings for the problem you are experiencing. In most cases, following the suggestions outlined here will fix the problem. 6
Becker’s CPA Exam Review Course Software Manual
Becker’s CPA Exam Review 2013 Edition
DISPLAY PROBLEMS WITH THE SOFTWARE In order to correctly utilize Becker’s CPA Exam Review software, set your monitor display to 32-bit color or higher and a minimum resolution of 1024 × 600. Although you can use the application with lower resolutions, many of the screens will be cut off. The resolution at the actual exam will be 1024 × 768, so it is highly recommended that you use the same setting on your computer in order to become familiar with the size. The Large Font setting also results in the applications not displaying properly. Please turn off Large Font setting and make sure to use the normal 96 DPI font size.
TURN OFF SCREEN SAVERS Please disable the screen saver when viewing lectures. Although the lecture playback is in progress, the operating system may conclude that your computer is idle and start the screen saver.
USING OTHER APPLICATIONS ALONG WITH THE PROGRAM Switching to other applications while viewing a lecture does NOT stop the lecture presentation. It will continue to run in the background. Exit the program first and then run the other application. Using other applications while the software is running is not recommended.
KNOWLEDGE BASE ARTICLES Search our Knowledge Base Articles (https://beckerkb.custhelp.com) for helpful hints on common questions regarding the 2013 Becker’s CPA Exam Review software.
CONTACT INFORMATION SUPPORT CENTER The Becker Support Center (http://www.becker.com/accounting/cpaexamreview/support-center/) is your source for software updates, errata, supplemental materials, customer service, technical support and unlimited academic support. You can also access the site from www.becker.com.
CUSTOMER SERVICE Call 1-877-CPA-EXAM (272-3926) (Outside the U.S. 1-630-472-2213)
TECHNIAL SUPPORT Call 1-877-784-1997 (Outside the U.S. 1-630-574-1997)
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