How to Choose an Enrolled Agent (SEE) Study Guide (2026)
Prices checked September 27, 2026; confirm on the provider's site. By the PrepPass team. We sell one of the options below, and it is marked “Our book”.
Start with the IRS's own sample questions: they are free, cover all three parts of the SEE, and show exactly how questions are worded. What you add on top is mostly a choice of format. Gleim, Surgent, Fast Forward Academy and Lambers sell online review courses built around large question banks, with video or audio lectures in some tiers. The PrepPass guide is a downloadable book (PDF + EPUB, $14.99 one time) with 300 practice questions inside and 913 more free on this site. None of these is required to sit the exam.
Start with what the exam body gives you
Internal Revenue Service
Free
- A sample set for each part: Individuals, Businesses, and Representation, Practices and Procedures
- Written on tax law through December 31, 2025; never used on a real SEE
Use them whatever else you choose. They show the question style; they are samples, not a course or a full practice exam.
How to choose
Keeping the cost down
Begin with the IRS sample questions and the free PrepPass question bank, both free. If you then want one reference for all three parts, a book costs far less than a course. The courses on this page start at $159 for a single part (Surgent) and run to $799 (Gleim Premium) on the day we checked.
Taking one part at a time
The SEE has three parts, and each is a separate exam. Surgent and Lambers sell single parts, so you pay only for the part you are about to take. The PrepPass book and the Gleim and Fast Forward Academy courses cover all three parts in one purchase.
Your test date is close
With little time left, working questions under time pressure matters more than lectures. Use the IRS samples to check the style, then a large question bank. Surgent lists 2,000+ questions and Fast Forward Academy 3,000+; the PrepPass book has 300 explained questions plus 913 free online.
You learn by watching or listening
A book is the wrong fit. Gleim Premium has video lectures, Fast Forward Academy has audio lectures, and Lambers is built around recorded lectures. The PrepPass guide has none of these.
Enrolled Agent (SEE) study options side by side
| Option | Format | Price | What's included | Fits if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From the exam bodySample Special Enrollment Examination questions and answers (opens Internal Revenue Service's page in a new tab)Internal Revenue Service | Sample questions (PDF and web page) | Free |
| Use them whatever else you choose. They show the question style; they are samples, not a course or a full practice exam. |
| AlternativeGleim EA Review (opens Gleim Exam Prep's page in a new tab)Gleim Exam Prep | Online review course with an adaptive question bank | Test Bank $499.00 · Traditional $699.00 · Premium $799.00 |
| Fits if you want a structured online course that steers your study for you, with video lectures in the top tier. |
| AlternativeSurgent EA Review (opens Surgent's page in a new tab)Surgent | Online question bank and course, sold as a bundle or one part at a time | Test Bank $299 · Premier $499 · Ultimate $699 · single part $159 |
| Fits if you want a large question bank with short videos, or want to buy only the part you are taking next. |
| AlternativeEA Online Course and EA Smart Bundles (opens Fast Forward Academy's page in a new tab)Fast Forward Academy | Online course with audio lectures; bundles add an eBook study guide | Online Course $494.10 · Smart Bundle with eBook $584.10 · with Bootcamp $629.10 (prices shown on the day we checked) |
| Fits if you like to study by listening, and want a big question bank with the course kept open until you pass. |
| AlternativeLambers EA Review (opens Lambers's page in a new tab)Lambers | Recorded lecture courseware and test-prep software, sold per part | Video courseware $199.00–$233.00 per part · test prep software $149.00 per part |
| Fits if you learn well from a lecturer working problems, and want to buy one part at a time. |
| Our bookIRS Enrolled Agent (SEE) Study Guide — 2026–2027 Testing WindowPrepPass (this site) | Downloadable study guide (PDF + EPUB) | $14.99, one time |
| Fits if you want one self-study book for all three parts at a book price, and are comfortable studying without a teacher. |
From the exam body
Internal Revenue Service
- Format
- Sample questions (PDF and web page)
- Price
- Free
- What's included
- A sample set for each part: Individuals, Businesses, and Representation, Practices and Procedures
- Written on tax law through December 31, 2025; never used on a real SEE
- Fits if
- Use them whatever else you choose. They show the question style; they are samples, not a course or a full practice exam.
Alternative
Gleim EA Review (opens Gleim Exam Prep's page in a new tab)
Gleim Exam Prep
- Format
- Online review course with an adaptive question bank
- Price
- Test Bank $499.00 · Traditional $699.00 · Premium $799.00
- What's included
- SmartAdapt, which adjusts what you study to your quiz results
- Full-length mock exams
- Premium adds 30+ hours of video lectures
- Fits if
- Fits if you want a structured online course that steers your study for you, with video lectures in the top tier.
Alternative
Surgent EA Review (opens Surgent's page in a new tab)
Surgent
- Format
- Online question bank and course, sold as a bundle or one part at a time
- Price
- Test Bank $299 · Premier $499 · Ultimate $699 · single part $159
- What's included
- 2,000+ multiple-choice questions with full text answers
- 60+ short videos with lecture notes (Premier and Ultimate)
- 1-on-1 coaching (Ultimate)
- Fits if
- Fits if you want a large question bank with short videos, or want to buy only the part you are taking next.
Alternative
EA Online Course and EA Smart Bundles (opens Fast Forward Academy's page in a new tab)
Fast Forward Academy
- Format
- Online course with audio lectures; bundles add an eBook study guide
- Price
- Online Course $494.10 · Smart Bundle with eBook $584.10 · with Bootcamp $629.10 (prices shown on the day we checked)
- What's included
- 3,000+ study questions and unlimited practice exams
- 155+ audio lectures
- Access and updates until you pass
- Fits if
- Fits if you like to study by listening, and want a big question bank with the course kept open until you pass.
Alternative
Lambers EA Review (opens Lambers's page in a new tab)
Lambers
- Format
- Recorded lecture courseware and test-prep software, sold per part
- Price
- Video courseware $199.00–$233.00 per part · test prep software $149.00 per part
- What's included
- Recorded lectures in which the instructor works through questions
- Separate test-prep software for each part
- Fits if
- Fits if you learn well from a lecturer working problems, and want to buy one part at a time.
Our book
IRS Enrolled Agent (SEE) Study Guide — 2026–2027 Testing Window
PrepPass (this site)
- Format
- Downloadable study guide (PDF + EPUB)
- Price
- $14.99, one time
- What's included
- All three SEE parts in one book, 258 pages
- 300 practice questions in the book, each explained
- 913 free practice questions on PrepPass (separate from the book)
- Fits if
- Fits if you want one self-study book for all three parts at a book price, and are comfortable studying without a teacher.
Other providers' prices and contents are as shown on each provider's own page on September 27, 2026. Prices change and sales come and go; confirm on the provider's site before you buy. Our book's price and contents come from our own catalog. Company and product names belong to their owners.
About the PrepPass guide, honestly
What you get
- All three SEE parts in one book, 258 pages
- 300 practice questions in the book, each explained
- 913 free practice questions on PrepPass (separate from the book)
What it does not do
- PDF + EPUB only: no video, audio or live instruction
- No adaptive quizzing inside the book; the free online questions are separate
- An independent study aid, not connected to the IRS or the test vendor
Questions people ask
Do I need a paid course to pass the Enrolled Agent exam?
No course is required to sit the SEE. A paid course adds structure: a study plan, a large question bank and, in some tiers, lectures. If you study well on your own, the IRS sample questions plus a study guide and plenty of practice questions can be enough; if you need someone to set the pace, a course is worth its price.
Is there an Enrolled Agent study guide I can download as a PDF?
Yes. The PrepPass guide is a PDF + EPUB download of 258 pages for $14.99, one time, with a 14-day refund. Fast Forward Academy's bundles include an eBook study guide, and the IRS sample questions are available as PDFs.
How much does Enrolled Agent exam prep cost?
On the day we checked: the IRS sample questions are free; the PrepPass guide is $14.99; Lambers courseware is $199.00–$233.00 per part; Surgent is $159 per part or $299–$699 for all three; Fast Forward Academy is $494.10–$629.10; Gleim is $499.00–$799.00. Prices change, so confirm on each provider's page.
Are the IRS sample questions enough to prepare?
They are the right place to start, because they show the real question style and are written on tax law through December 31, 2025. They are sample sets, not a full practice exam or a course, so most people add a larger bank of practice questions.
What does the PrepPass Enrolled Agent guide not include?
It is a book (PDF + EPUB), so there are no video or audio lectures, no live instruction and no adaptive quizzing. It is independent and not connected to the IRS. If you want those things, one of the courses above is a better fit.
Sources
- Internal Revenue Service: Sample Special Enrollment Examination questions and answers: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/enrolled-agents/sample-special-enrollment-examination-questions-and-answers (read September 27, 2026)
- Gleim Exam Prep: Gleim EA Review: https://www.gleim.com/enrolled-agent-review/ (read September 27, 2026)
- Surgent: Surgent EA Review: https://www.surgent.com/exam-review/ea-exam-review/ea-shop-products/ (read September 27, 2026)
- Fast Forward Academy: EA Online Course and EA Smart Bundles: https://fastforwardacademy.com/ea-prep-courses (read September 27, 2026)
- Lambers: Lambers EA Review: https://www.lambers.com/lambers-products/lambers-ea-review/ (read September 27, 2026)
PrepPass is independent and is not affiliated with any exam body or provider named on this page.