[BoyNextDoor]

I am about to take the REG portion of the CPA and follow it up with the Enrolled Agents exam. I need the EA to be a Power of Attorney (POA) to represent clients with the IRS at my current job and I need this right away. I don’t have time to wait until I get a year’s experience for the CPA. The EA requires no work experience. My goal is to take the EA exams quickly then go back and finish the rest of my CPA exams. I am hoping that the time I put in studying for REG as well as my current job in tax helps cut down my study time for the EA exams.

The review courses I am considering for the EA are Gleim, Fast Forward Academy and Passkey. Some of the local EA chapters use Gleim so it is reputable. Many people her on Another71 have claimed very high scores on the CPA exam using Gleim. The draw back is that the material is considered overly difficult and frustrating but it does over prepare candidates come exam day.

I have seen people claim to pass the EA exams in 3-4 weeks. These people may be outliers as others take much longer to pass. I know people that have passed the EA with Fast Forward Academy too and praise it.

Anyone have advice on which review course I should use?

Also, suggestions on how to study for the exam. For the CPA exam I just read the textbook, skip videos and do MCQs and some TBS’.

What study methods have worked for you?

Thank you in advance for any help!

[Recked]

I suggest you try all 3, using the free sample period, and see which one you like best.
I used Gleim, and was not in a rush.
It was a few years ago but I think I did Part 1 in 8ish weeks, and part 3 in about 3 weeks.
Then I took about 10 weeks for Part 2. I was spending about 10-15 hours a week. A couple nights after work, then about 10ish hours on the weekends.
You can certainly get through the materials faster if you commit more hours. I passed all 3 on the first try. Part 1 Dec 31 2013, Part 3 Jan 29 2014. Part 2 Dec 24th 2014.
I took tax season off of studying, and then took the summer off to play golf. I had 2 years to pass, so I took my time, starting after Oct 15th rush had passed.
I invested roughly 73, 26.5, and 103.5 hours in the 3 parts. Part 2 was Oct 21-Dec24th.
If you follow the Gleim method, and don't proceed until you reach the score goals, I guarantee you will be over prepared.
If you need to pass fast, just read the book and do the MCQs until your eyes bleed.

[turo9992000]

I passed the EA exam while studying for REG. I used fast forward academy and did about 100 mcqs per test. I was able to pass in 3 consecutive weeks while studying for the enrolled agent in my lunch and the CPA exam in the mornings and evenings. I think I was able to pass mainly because a lot of the stuff on the exam is stuff I do at work all the time. The only thing I don't see too much that was tested was farm taxes.

[mbg112]

Gleim.

I invested 4 weeks with Part 1, passed first time. (3-4 hours a day). If you know your way around a 1040, it's a cake walk.
3 days for part 3, passed first time. (all told MAYBE 20 hours of study time). This one is straight up memorization.
6 weeks for part 2, passed 4th try (the first three I got cocky and tried passing with only a week to study, scores were 101, 102, and 104). 1120S, 1120, 990, 1041s, etc. Farm taxes were tested very heavily for the amount of time i see them (never).

[BoyNextDoor]

@Recked
You have a good point to try the free sample period for all EA Review courses. Thanks for providing so much detail on your EA study time and dates of tests. It gives me a better map to plan out how much time I need to study if I want to pass fast. I appreciate your read the book and MCQ until your eyes bleed advice and will be stockpiling boxes of eye drops to counteract my bloodshot eyes during my studying.

@Turro9992000
Passing in 3 weeks would be a dream for me. Your work experience does help to explain how you were able to pass so much faster than the average candidate but it is still really impressive. Was your REG preparation helpful in cutting down your study time for the EA exams since you did both simultaneously?

@Mbg112
3 days for part 3 is so fast! Part 2 is the monster everyone is concerned about (business entities) so I need to bone up on it.

Thank you everyone for your help!

[Recked]

EA test taking tips. EA exam is a walk in the park compared the CPA questions. They are straight forward and to the point. They are testing your knowledge, not trying to trick you.
You have more than enough time to do the exam, so take your time. I finished all 3 exams with at least an hour left over, which is amazing considering the following.
I took little notes on every single question, for one specific reason. As you progress through the test you will find other questions that either answer a previous question, or the answer to that question will be in a previous question.
It's almost like having an open book test. Given the amount of questions it was difficult to go back to(find) the question you were trying to reference to confirm your answer, so I literally wrote 1-100 on the page, and then put a one of 2 word bit about that question that would help me identify it. This is especially true for questions involving dependents, and things of that nature, off the top of my head.
I would say your EA exam studies will help you on REG, but REG won't really help you that much on the EA. EA drills much deeper into the tax stuff. Basis and corp transactions are covered heavily on both, but in different ways.
Once I started studying for the CPA exam I knew I needed to double down on the amount of time I studied compared to the EA exam if I wanted to get through the parts inside the recommended “no more than 2 months” study time, or else you start to forget. If you use the same amount of hours for the EA exam, as you would for a section of the CPA, you should be able to knock it out very quickly.
I was overly thorough as I felt a fail would really mess with my head and overall outlook on the exams. If you tolerate failure well, I would try and take as many shortcuts as possible. You are on a different level than most people that take the EA exam. You'll have your results immediately, and you can retest.

[BoyNextDoor]

@Recked
Wow, you're the man. Or the woman, I can't tell. Either way, fantastic EA test taking advice. It is a confidence boost to hear that you think I am “on a different level than most people that take the EA exam.” I guess the CPA exams just require a lot more time and effort than the EA but I won't take the EA exams lightly. Immediate scoring sure beats the CPA format waiting potentially months for a score release.

[Recked]

Be sure to come back to this thread and report on your progress. Looking forward to hearing you are done with the EA in a couple months.
Also, a man for the record.

[Skynet]

The EA exam is not hard. You can use the “Passkey EA materials” on Amazon.
You should get the EA Passkey 6 completed Enrolled Agent Practice exams. The questions are very similar to the ones on the exam. The Passkey books are not expensive but they will help you pass.
I used them and passed all the exams on the first try.

[Author]

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