24 Tips for Passing the Enrolled Agent Exam the First Time Part 1

how to study for enrolled agent exam

The PassKey EA Review Guide is the one resource that truly demystifies complex tax law and shows students everything follows a specific logic. Overall, an enrolled agent acts as an intermediary between IRS and taxpayers who face problems involving taxes. Our bilingual staff is ready to help with any questions you may have. A few of our favorite EA review courses include Becker, Surgent, and Wiley. Additionally, everything Surgent offers is available on mobile and desktop.

how to study for enrolled agent exam

All of that year’s tax laws are fresh in your mind, which will just help you more while studying and answering questions. Below we cover a sample plan to study for the Enrolled Agent exam using an average of 10 hours per week. Your exact plan will likely differ based on your goals and commitments. Tax professionals that want to reach a higher level of education need to pass a three-part exam to test their knowledge of tax law and processes.

Signing Up To Take the Exam

Above all, remember to maintain a positive attitude throughout the testing window. There’s no doubt that obtaining an EA certification can be stressful, but with the right mindset, you can achieve your goals. At its core, the EA exam is not unlike other tests you’ve taken in the past. Therefore, brushing up on good test-taking strategies, such as spending less time on one question, is a good idea. Achieving a passing score on the IRS Special Enrollment Examination is your ticket to a recession-proof career.

Which part of the EA exam is the hardest?

The Business section is considered the hardest among most tax preparers and often gives Enrolled Agent candidates anxiety. Due to its reputation, candidates often take Part 2 after passing at least one of the other two sections, meaning that candidates are more likely to have a study strategy in place before starting.

This is where your day-to-day income will come from – through accounting, consulting, safeguarding the client’s business from employee theft, and helping them do tax planning. You can become indispensable to a business by knowing the relevant loopholes. The rest of the questions are for quantitative analysis purposes. We’ve partnered with Gleim to help boost your confidence in becoming an Enrolled Agent (EA).

Tips for Passing the Enrolled Agent Exam the First Time – Part 1

You’ll find something you like here no matter what your learning style is. There are many reasons why people take the EA exam, but there are just a few ways to study for the test in a way that will help you pass. Let us show you how to pass the EA exam with a limited investment of time and money. Prometrics discloses the average pass rates for the last three years, which are (1) approximately 88% for Part 3, (2) 72% for Part 1, and (3) 57% for Part 2. So perhaps your best confidence booster right out of the box may be to take Part 3 first.

how to study for enrolled agent exam

One of the hardest parts about passing an exam is settling into your new study routine. Create a schedule that ends just before exam day that covers topics in depth. Then, stick to your plan https://www.bookstime.com/ so you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to study each day. Finally, all the data, information, and questions are up to date for the latest valid sessions for the EA examination.

Everything you need to know to pass the IRS Special Enrollment Exam!

It’s important to schedule the real thing right away and to keep the information fresh in your mind up the day you test. To stay sharp you need to read the online study guide or physical text, watch video lectures, take quizzes, interact in the community, take notes, and use the digital flashcards. One of the best ways to prepare is to read our parking lot notes or write your own parking lot cram notes to study up to the minute you walk in Prometric to take the test. Passing the EA exam is not easy, but it will be a lot easier if you can fill your brain full of fresh information right up to the point where you take the exam. Because the Enrolled Agent exam tests the previous year’s tax law, there is no better time to start studying than right after tax season.

  • Get involved with the community and see if you really are mentally in the game.
  • Opportunities for success are everywhere in life, if you just look for them.
  • This includes unlimited practice exams with detailed answer explanations.
  • Take a minute to read some of the glowing compliments we receive from a wide range of people who have taken the course.

Ideally, your review course should fit your learning style. If you thrive on audio or visuals, look for a prep course with video lectures or flashcards. If you enjoy a hands on approach, look for a course with lots of practice questions. And if you like an individual approach, look for a course with adaptive learning technology. The PassKey EA Review Workbook is made of six EA complete practice exams (two for each of the three parts of the EA exam) and goes very well with the PassKey Study Guide we mentioned above.

Free 100 Question Part 1 Self-Test

By listing your activities in a calendar each week, you take the guesswork out of where you need to spend your time each day. By having specific actions that you can take, you enrolled agent exam are holding yourself accountable to a higher standard. This also makes it easier to jump back into your studies each day because you know exactly what needs to be done.

how to study for enrolled agent exam

For that reason, expect the vast majority of the questions on the exam to test the basic fundamentals of taxation. Under the old open IRS format of the exam, each part had 80 questions of varying point values that totaled 175 points. Note that 60 percent of this 175-point total is 105 points. This appears to be the source of the 105 points on the new IRS-mandated scale, but the question is whether this scaled score implies a 60- or 70-percent minimum passing score. Candidates may take each part of the exam up to four times during the 10-month window of May 1–February 28. Candidates register online at /irs by clicking Schedule My Test.

Starting with the basics of income tax preparation, this is a great tax course for beginners and can be completed in just 18 months or less. The CTP® curriculum includes most topics on the EA exam and CTP® graduates are well prepared to pass the EA Exam after completing a Surgent EA Exam Review. It Can Replace a CPA for IRS Representation
Both CPA’s and EA’s have the ability to represent taxpayers without limitations. A CPA license is one of the most respected certificates you can get, and earning one is not easy. If you are unable to get a CPA, an EA will give you the same representation before the IRS.

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