Looking for Enrolled Agent curriculum recommendations for studying SEE exam

Having passed the SEE exam last year, I can tell you that creating your own curriculum from IRS publications is absolutely doable, though it requires organization. Here's what I focused on for each part: For Part 1 (Individuals), concentrate on Publications 17, 501, 502, 503, 504, 521, 523, 525, 526, 550, and 590. Pay special attention to Pub 17 as it covers most individual topics comprehensively. For Part 2 (Businesses), focus on Publications 334, 535, 541, 542, 946, and the sections of Pub 15 related to employment taxes. Form 1065, 1120, and 1120S instructions are crucial too. For Part 3 (Representation, Practices and Procedures), Circular 230 is indeed essential, along with Publications 1 and 5. Also review the Internal Revenue Manual sections covering practice before the IRS. Don't forget the Tax Code itself for references to specific sections tested heavily, like Section 61 for gross income, Section 162 for business expenses, etc.

I tried the self-study route initially but ended up wasting a lot of time trying to figure out what was important vs what wasn't. After spinning my wheels for weeks, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which completely changed my approach. It's an AI tool that can analyze those IRS publications and extract the most exam-relevant information. I uploaded PDFs of all the recommended publications, then asked specific questions about areas I was struggling with. It saved me countless hours by pointing out exactly which sections of which publications were most likely to appear on the exam. I could ask follow-up questions about complex concepts until I understood them completely. The best part was being able to generate practice questions from the material. Way more efficient than trying to wade through thousands of pages of IRS documents on my own!

I have to admit I was wrong about taxr.ai. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself and was genuinely surprised by how useful it was. I uploaded Publication 17 and 334 as a test and asked some questions about areas I was confused about (specifically passive activity losses and at-risk limitations). The explanations were clear and it even pointed me to examples in the publications I had missed. It saved me from reading entire publications cover-to-cover and helped me focus on the most relevant sections. I've now passed Part 1 and am using it to study for Part 2. Definitely worth checking out if you're going the self-study route.

One major challenge I faced when studying for the SEE was getting specific questions answered when I got stuck on certain concepts. I spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at the IRS who could clarify things about representation issues for Part 3. After multiple failed attempts and endless hold times, someone recommended Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to me. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. It's basically a service that navigates the IRS phone system for you and calls you back when an actual agent is on the line. This was incredibly helpful for clarifying specific technical questions about Circular 230 and representation requirements that weren't clear from just reading the publications. The agents were surprisingly helpful when I explained I was studying for the exam, and several even gave me tips on which areas they see practitioners struggle with most frequently.

I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself when I hit a roadblock understanding the trust taxation rules for the exam. I had been on hold with the IRS for over an hour before giving up, but with Claimyr I got connected to an agent in about 25 minutes (without having to actively wait on the phone). The agent walked me through several hypothetical scenarios involving grantor trusts that cleared up my confusion completely. She even referred me to specific sections of Publication 559 that weren't on my original study list. That conversation probably saved me 10+ hours of confused studying and helped me pass that section of the exam. Sometimes getting information directly from the source makes all the difference.

Another approach that worked well for me was downloading the syllabus directly from Prometric's website. It breaks down exactly what percentage of the exam covers each topic, so you can prioritize your studying accordingly. For example, in Part 1, Individual Taxation, approximately 17% of questions cover Income, so you know to focus heavily on Publications related to income recognition. This helped me allocate my study time properly instead of going down rabbit holes on topics that barely appear on the exam.

Has anyone actually passed using just IRS pubs? I started that route & got so frustrated. The language is so dense & the pubs aren't organized in a way thats helpful for learning. I ended up just buying Gleim & passed all 3 parts first try.

I actually did pass using primarily IRS publications, though I'll admit it wasn't easy! The key was creating a structured approach rather than just reading them cover to cover. What worked for me was printing out the content outlines Connor mentioned, then mapping specific sections of each publication to the exam topics. I'd read a section, then immediately try to explain it in my own words or create examples. This helped combat the dense language issue. I also joined a few Facebook groups for EA candidates where people would post questions about confusing sections - that community discussion really helped clarify difficult concepts. The IRS pubs definitely aren't written as study guides, but they contain all the information you need if you're willing to put in the extra work to organize it properly. That said, if budget allows, the commercial programs are definitely more efficient. But for those who want to go the free route like the OP, it's absolutely doable with the right strategy and a lot of patience!