How Difficult is the EA Exam? Enrolled Agent Exam Prep Course

ea exam pass rate

Between our award-winning support and course that’s always kept up-to-date, you can be completely prepared—regardless of the average performance. After you learn how your EA exam score is calculated, you can forget they exist because they ultimately don’t affect how you take your exam or how you need to prepare for it. The EA exam is graded on a scale of 40 to 130 available points, and the IRS sets the EA passing score Opens in new window Accounting Periods and Methods at 105 points. Scoring at least 105 points demonstrates that you have the knowledge to practice before the IRS and deserve all the benefits that come with earning your EA. In 2021, the EA exam faced major changes, and the pass rate average was also effected.

Enrolled Agent Feedback: How Hard Is It to Become an Enrolled Agent?

  • Therefore, you can only pass with dedication and preparation.
  • In the end, it’s always to stick to your study course or official materials from the IRS.
  • An EA review course enables you to be completely prepared by exam day, so you must find the best one.
  • The SEE, also known as the Enrolled Agent exam, is a comprehensive three-part test that tax preparers must pass in order to become an IRS Enrolled Agent.
  • Again, an EA review course is what you need to take this step.
  • This scenario also decreases their chances of passing the EA exam.

Like many of our students, I passed all the parts on my first try. We offer scholarship opportunities for students looking to enroll in one of our EA Exam review courses. Firms and corporations leverage our solutions to enable learning and development for their staff at every stage https://www.bookstime.com/ of their careers. Our technology-powered approach reduces study time by 40%, speeding up your path to become an Enrolled Agent. This part tests your knowledge of Circular 230 rules, IRS practice and procedure, and ethics.

Structure: EA Exam Structure Part 2 – Businesses

Build your testing focus and endurance, learn how to guess and when to skip, and ultimately beat exam anxiety. Candidates who pass a part of the examination can carry over passing scores up to three years from the date the candidate passed the examination. For example, assume a candidate passed Part 1 on Nov. 15, 2022.

Find your best-fit EA exam prep

CPAs are also not as committed to tax specialization as EAs, so EAs are known as the most dedicated and qualified tax professionals. Finally, you must also pay maintenance fees on your enrollment to practice. Additionally, once you pass one part of the EA exam, you have 2 years to pass the other two parts before you lose credit for the part you passed. You have three years from the date you pass the first part to pass the other two parts of the exam. A new EA examination period commences ea exam pass rate each year on May 1 and continues through February 28 of the following year. This award-winning feature takes the guesswork out of exam readiness, by telling you — with 98% accuracy — what you’d score on the EA Exam if you took it that day.

I’ll also discuss the topics covered by each IRS SEE exam part. Looking at the Enrolled Agent exam pass rates compels me to draw three conclusions for EA candidates. With such variations in candidate populations and other factors, we cannot assume the pass rates tell us which part of the SEE exam is harder than the others.

ea exam pass rate

Exam Review Sweepstakes for CPA, CMA, CIA and EA

ea exam pass rate

That candidate has until Nov. 15, 2025 to pass the remaining part. The candidate has until Feb. 15, 2026 to pass all other parts of the examination or will lose credit for Part 2. Generally, enrolled agents must obtain a minimum of 72 hours per enrollment cycle (every three years).

  • While Part 1’s pass rates are the lowest Enrolled Agent exam pass rates, they are still very encouraging for EA candidates.
  • In the past 3 years, the pass rates for each part of the EA exam have been closely monitored.
  • A score of 105 is the minimum required to pass each part of the the SEE.
  • You can take each exam part up to four times within a single testing window.
  • Generally, enrolled agents must obtain a minimum of 72 hours per enrollment cycle (every three years).
  • Due to this singular focus, many EA candidates regard Part 2 of the exam as more challenging than the Enrolled Agent exam Part 1, which addresses individual taxes.

What’s included in your EA exam prep

After you complete a practice quiz, you must go back and read the answer explanations for two reasons. First, they will help you verify that you answered a question correctly for the right reasons. And secondly, they will help you see why you answered a question incorrectly and why the correct answer was right. Furthermore, when you prepare with a review course that contains a tracking system or performance analytics, managing your weak areas will be much easier. You can sit for the EA exam Part 1 most months of the year, but not all.

  • The Enrolled Agent exam has three parts, and you must pay a testing fee for each.
  • On the EA exam, candidates have 3.5 hours to answer 100 MCQs.
  • As much as some of you would like to know, I cannot tell you exactly how this is done.
  • No matter how much you know going into an exam, you should always take the time to do some preparation so you’re best positioned to pass on the first attempt.

Browse Income Tax School Resources

Enrolled Agents can even decide whether to work for themselves or someone else. Furthermore, EAs can handle any type of tax matter (even collections, appeals, and audits), work with any taxpayer in any state, and take client matters before any IRS office. Writing down the details of your weak areas helps you achieve clarity, deepen your understanding, and improve your retention.

ea exam pass rate

Do I need to be a US citizen to become an Enrolled Agent?

Also, you have 2 years to pass the other two parts of the exam once you’ve passed one part of the exam. If you don’t pass the other two exam parts during this time, you will lose credit for the part you passed. You can see how much exam time you have left by checking the on-screen timer. You should also know that total testing time doesn’t include any standardized breaks. So, while you are able to leave the room to get a drink of water or use the restroom, the exam timer won’t stop for these activities. Prometric administers the EA exam at their testing centers nationwide, and the IRS supplies them with several different exam versions to distribute.