Bookkeeping / How To Become An Enrolled Agent EA Exam Guide 2024

ea exam pass rate

Whether you love or hate multiple-choice questions, the fact that the EA exam consists solely of MCQs has its advantages. For example, managing your time on the EA exam is easier because it limits itself to MCQs and doesn’t also contain case studies or essays. The last step to your MCQ-answering strategy is to read all the answer options. You must read them all so as not to allow any of the distractors to trick you.

  • To become an enrolled agent and work as a certified tax expert, you must pass the entire EA exam, which consists of three parts.
  • Our technology-powered approach reduces study time by 40%, speeding up your path to become an Enrolled Agent.
  • The Part 3 pass rate has not only been more consistent than the others, it’s also been consistently higher.
  • Some people speculate that the reason for this drop is a lack of preparation on the part of test-takers, as Part 1 has a reputation for being easier than the other exam parts.
  • Candidates living overseas can find international testing locations at Prometric.com/SEE by selecting “Contact Numbers–Including International Contacts”.

The EA exam is available for most of the year, but the exam does include a brief blackout period. So, you can sit for the exam during the testing window of May 1-February 28 of the following year. However, you can’t sit during March and April, as the IRS uses these months to update the test according to the most recent tax laws. For each part of the EA exam, you will have 3.5 hours of total testing time. But the testing process will also involve completing a pre-exam tutorial and a post-exam customer satisfaction survey, so you’ll spend about 4 hours at the Prometric testing center.

What is the TaxMama pass rate for the SEE exam?

As the average Enrolled Agent exam pass rate is 71%, many people find the EA exam to be easier than the CPA Exam or CMA exam. On average, EAs earn about 10% more per return than unenrolled tax preparers. And enrolled agent salaries can range from $42,000 for entry-level positions to ea exam pass rate $60,000 for late-career positions. Thanks to improvements in the industry, you have several different EA review courses to choose from. And finding the best one for you is crucial to your EA exam success. Therefore, you must evaluate your options before you make this big decision.

ea exam pass rate

But there is a rescheduling fee depending on when exactly you reschedule your exam appointment. Surgent’s ReadySCORE™ metric adjust as you study, so you know when you to stop with full confidence. Part 3 is reputed to be the “easy” part, but it’s still important to study.

EA Qualifications

Remember, becoming an Enrolled Agent requires dedication, perseverance, and a commitment to maintaining a high level of tax expertise. Now that you know how past EA candidates have fared after paying their examination fee and applying to become an Enrolled agent, it’s time to learn more about the actual exam. Additionally, if tax preparers studied for the exam in April, they probably couldn’t study very well during the rush to close the busy season.

You must know the content that the Enrolled Agent exam Part 2 covers to pass it. Thankfully, the EA exam syllabus contains all of this content. The IRS doesn’t use a straightforward formula to achieve this conversion from raw to scaled score. So as much as some of you would like to know, I am not able to tell you how exactly this is done. We offer scholarship opportunities for students looking to enroll in one of our EA Exam review courses.

Pass Rate: Enrolled Agent Exam Part 1 Pass Rate

Becoming an Enrolled Agent is a significant achievement for tax professionals seeking to specialize in tax compliance, representation, and personal tax preparation. The EA exam, with its multiple parts and rigorous content, tests candidates’ knowledge of tax law and their ability to apply it effectively. Depending on your level of experience, you can expect to earn an EA designation in as little as three to eight months.

Your familiarity with the topics and your current knowledge ultimately determine how much material you still need to master. That might leave you wondering just how difficult it will be to earn a passing score. Even though both CPAs and EAs work in the accounting sector, there are several differences between the designations. For instance, CPAs primarily focus on providing consultation services and tax return preparation.

Pass a suitability check

If Part 1 is the first encounter many candidates have with the EA exam, the low pass rate is likely the outcome of candidates being insufficiently prepared. These candidates either underestimated the difficulty of the exam or the amount of study time necessary to learn all the material. Prometric, the testing center that administers the exam, advises against reading too deeply into the pass rates because candidate populations differ greatly for each exam part. That doesn’t necessarily make Part 1 the hardest exam, it just means it occupies a difficult position on many peoples’ journeys. Are you in the process of preparing for the Enrolled Agent exam?

  • By achieving success on your initial attempt while you meet EA and CIA certification requirements, you can pave the way for a prosperous career.
  • Another reason for the low pass rates is that people cannot postpone the exam by rescheduling in February because February is the last month of the testing window.
  • Achieving passing scores on all three parts is a prerequisite for becoming an enrolled agent.
  • Water is allowed in the testing room but it must be in a clear or transparent container with a lid or cap.
  • Lacking this vital knowledge can make it more difficult to pass.
  • On the day of the exam, ensure that you arrive at the test center well-prepared.


Author: MAAA