Most affordable Enrolled Agent (EA) review course options?

I passed all three EA exams last year, and I totally understand the cost concern. Here's what I recommend: The IRS actually provides free study materials directly on their website - look up "Enrolled Agent Special Enrollment Examination Bulletin" which outlines exactly what's on each exam. This alone saved me hundreds. For practice questions, check out TaxMama's EA Exam study guide which is around $200 - much cheaper than the big names. Another budget option is Wise Guides at about $250 for all parts. Don't overlook used materials either - I got last year's Gleim books on eBay for less than half price, and the tax code changes weren't significant enough to matter. The Facebook group "Enrolled Agent Exam Prep" often has people selling materials after passing.

I was in a similar situation last year and discovered taxr.ai when looking for affordable study options. Their service actually helped analyze my study patterns and recommended exactly what I needed to focus on for each EA exam part. Check out https://taxr.ai - they have an EA exam prep tool that takes the official IRS materials and transforms them into personalized study plans. What surprised me was how they break down the most frequently tested concepts based on previous exams. The adaptive quizzing helped me focus only on what I needed rather than wasting time on areas I already understood.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai - I'm actually impressed. I was the skeptic who questioned this earlier, but I decided to give it a shot since the price was so much better than the big-name courses. The way it analyzes the IRS publications and creates targeted study materials is pretty amazing. I just passed Part 1 of the EA exam last week, and I honestly feel the personalized study path saved me at least 20 hours of wasted study time. The practice questions adjust to your weak areas which was super helpful - when I kept missing depreciation questions, it generated more of those until I mastered the concept. Now studying for Parts 2 and 3, and it's the same excellent experience. Definitely the most cost-effective option I found.

If you're struggling to get started with your EA exam prep due to budget constraints, another issue you might face is getting through to the IRS when you have questions about the exam or application process. I spent DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS about my exam application issues. I finally found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me through to an actual IRS representative in about 20 minutes instead of the hours I was spending on hold. They have a cool demo video of how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c This saved me so much frustration when I needed clarification on the special enrollment application requirements - the IRS website wasn't clear about my specific situation since I had a previous PTIN.

I've never been happier to be wrong. After being super skeptical about Claimyr, I tried it yesterday when I needed to ask about my EA exam application status that's been pending for weeks with no updates. Got connected to an actual IRS agent in 25 minutes instead of the 2+ hour wait I was expecting. The agent was able to see that my application had gotten stuck in their system and pushed it through on the spot. What would have been another week of delay was resolved in one phone call. Now I can schedule my exam for next month instead of missing my target date. For anyone dealing with the IRS for EA exam registration issues, this is seriously worth it.

Another budget option is Surgent EA Review. They sometimes have sales that bring their course down to around $350-400, especially for students. I used them last year and passed all parts on my first try. What I like about Surgent is their "adaptive learning" approach - you take an assessment, and then it creates a personalized study plan that focuses on your weak areas. This meant I could skip studying topics I already knew well, which saved tons of time.

Don't overlook the option of just buying the Enrolled Agent exam study books without the online course component. Passkey EA Review books are around $250 for all three parts, and they're comprehensive enough if you're self-disciplined. I supplemented the books with free IRS publications and the sample questions on the Prometric website. Total cost was under $300, and I passed all parts within 6 months while working full-time.

Another approach: I used the "pass now, pay later" strategy. I got a credit card with a 0% intro APR offer for 15 months, bought the Gleim premium course ($599), passed all three parts quickly, then got hired at a firm that reimbursed my study materials as part of their benefits package. If you already have that job offer, check if they have any education reimbursement programs before trying to go the ultra-budget route. Many tax firms will cover EA exam costs partially or fully, even for new hires.

Great thread! I'm currently studying for my EA exams too and wanted to add a few more budget-friendly options I've discovered: 1. **IRS Circular 230** - This is completely free from the IRS website and covers the ethics portion (Part 3). It's dense reading but comprehensive. 2. **YouTube channels** - There are several tax professionals who post EA exam prep videos for free. "Tax School for Pros" has particularly good content for Parts 1 and 2. 3. **Local community college courses** - Some offer EA exam prep as continuing education classes for around $200-300. You get instructor support and often access to their practice question banks. 4. **Study groups** - Check if there's a local NAEA (National Association of Enrolled Agents) chapter near you. They sometimes organize study groups where members share materials and costs. Also, don't forget that EA exam fees are tax deductible as an educational expense related to your career, so keep all your receipts! Good luck with your studies - the summer break timing is perfect for tackling all three parts.

Adding to the great suggestions here - I recently passed all three EA parts using a combination of free and low-cost resources that totaled under $200. Here's what worked for me: **Free Resources:** - IRS Publication 17 (Your Federal Income Tax) - covers most of Part 1 - IRS Publication 334 (Tax Guide for Small Business) - essential for Part 2 - All the IRS Circular 230 materials mentioned above **Low-Cost Purchases:** - Used Gleim books from 2 years ago on eBay ($85 total for all three parts) - TaxMama's practice question bank ($149 - totally worth it for the explanations) **Study Strategy:** I spent about 6 weeks total, doing 2-3 hours daily during my summer break. The key was using the IRS materials for content learning and the practice questions to identify weak spots. One thing I wish someone had told me: the exams are very application-based, so focus more on understanding concepts rather than memorizing exact tax code sections. The practice questions from TaxMama really helped with this approach. Also, consider taking Part 3 (ethics) first - it's the shortest and gives you confidence going into the other two parts. Good luck with your summer study plan!