Are you aspiring to serve in the IRS and looking out for career options?
Then Enrolled Agent (EA) is your ideal qualification to become a certified tax professional and enter the IRS.
Next up, are you confused about where to take classes?
That is where we have got you covered. Through this article, we shall explore through some of the Frequently Asked Questions along with a review of some of the most popular rated courses or platforms to take up your EA classes from
The platforms that will feature under our radar are as follows:
1. Surgent EA Review
2. MY-CPE
3. Gleim EA Review
4. Fast Forward Academy
5. Lambers EA Review
6. WiseGuides EA Review
A quick summary of certain key features has been made in the following table
Platforms Overview
1. Surgent EA Review
This is a platform that offers a wide range of facilities to attract all classes of students. You get a traditional study experience with study materials, course lectures, test banks and practice questions.
The Pros of Surgent are as follows:
Lectures in both Audio & Video format, helping students to take classes based on their learning abilities.
Ultimate Pass course offering the maximum benefit out of one-to-one coaching attention.
They offer their courses in a multilingual mode other than the main language English.
The overall course is structured in an adaptive learning manner.
24*7 Support to the students
However, the Cons of going with Surgent are as follows:
This is a relatively costlier platform with a fee of nearly $499.
Limited availability of Supplementary reading materials.
They received negative feedback from their students.
2. MY-CPE
This is a worthy place to do your EA, albeit they are new to coaching for EA, they have enough caliber in providing continuing education to tax professionals.
The Pros of choosing MY-CPE are as follows:
Cost-effective with a price of $149.
24+ Hours of Learning Content from Expert faculty
Flexible Learning model with On-demand modules at your pace
Over 1,000 Practice Questions
Monthly Live Mentoring and Doubt Clearing Sessions
24*7 Support to the students
Unlimited Practice Examinations till you pass.
However, a limitation is that they do not offer demo classes for you to have a review of the classes.
3. Gleim EA Review
This is a platform which creates the best possible replication of the exam situations to be familiar with both the conceptual clarity and exam formats as well.
The Pros of Gleim EA Review are as follows
Wide range of courses offerings, ranging from only their test bank to their traditional course and obtaining premium membership.
Smart adaptive learning platform, helping to track progress and the proficiency over each concept and monitor readiness for the exams.
Option to tailor the practice tests to meet your requirements.
Extensive Study Materials help you master concepts with clarity.
Practice tests similar to the real exams, helps to gain comfort over the exam format and clock management.
However, the Cons of going with Gleim EA Review are as follows:
This is a relatively costlier platform with a fee of nearly $499 to $699.
Their focus on practice tests may not augur well with different styles of learners.
They have only a limited number of live instruction options
4. Fast Forward Academy
This is a platform providing integration with their supplementary materials which complements their main video lectures, albeit they may not be good enough on a standalone basis.
Some of the benefits going with them are as follows:
They operate on a user-friendly platform.
Due to the concept of community feedback, students can track progress with their peers and set benchmarks for course completion.
Further, they also offer an extensive set of practice questions.
Some limiting factors for this platform are as follows:
While the integration of supplementary materials is helpful, the availability of them is under constraints.
A section of learners could find the structure of this course lesser than other players.
The quality of content in the materials is slightly lower than the expected standards.
5. Lambers EA Review
This platform offers a flexible deal of courses for all sets of people working in taxes. All their videos come up in flexible packages of about 15–18 hours.
The Pros of Lambers EA Review are as follows
Multiple modes of content through reading workbooks, audio, and video lectures which suit the needs of their diverse students.
Their Concept of Flash Trainer adds a new flavor to testing your memory and summing up concepts through flashcards.
Coverage of concepts through expert faculty and an effective practice tests framework
Aid of Subject-Matter Experts to streamline outdated methods and help students in adapting to their education needs.
Some limiting factors for this platform are as follows:
The courses are priced relatively on the higher end to their peer competitors.
The presence of interactive elements is quite limited.
Feedback ratings by the students are not available in the public domain.
It is understood that the quality of video lectures is not reliable and feels more of a static PowerPoint presentation.
6. WiseGuides EA Review
This is a platform built on the foundation of their study materials and the unlimited practice test attempts with compact flash cards and additional practice lessons, but the technology side of things remains outdated in the current scheme of things.
Some of the benefits going with them are as follows:
They offer concise and exam focused study material which is very affordable.
The lectures and resources are accessible anywhere and anytime.
The pricing for the materials is at a bargain price in relation to the volume of resources coming with over 2,900 Study Questions, 1,700 digital flashcards.
Free demo classes are offered prior to the booking of the actual course.
Some limiting factors for this platform are as follows:
The presence of interactive elements is quite limited.
The availability of live instructor lead interactive sessions is limited.
With respect to the technology and design, there is room for significant upgrades with minimal analytics support for performance, feedback, and dashboards; however, since you get a free demo, this risk can be mitigated to an extent.
Conclusion
Have a careful glance of the above pointers and make an informed decision on your career and choose the right place to spread your wings and soar high into the skies.
All the very best for your career ahead.