A 10-Week EA Exam Study Plan for 2026-2027

Anchor the plan to the testing window

Work backward from a real PSI appointment inside the July 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027 domestic window, and leave buffer before the March and April blackout if you may need another attempt (up to four per part per window). International scheduling and testing remain temporarily delayed; re-check IRS enrolled agent news and PSI before planning overseas sittings. Pair this hub with the dates-and-fees guide, PSI scheduling page, scoring page, and practice-exam method.

Week 1: baseline and calendar

Take the 15-question free diagnostic (email to start; results stay in this browser) for a part-by-part study priority: a starting signal, not a pass predictor. Choose a first part using experience plus diagnostic evidence; parts may be taken in any order. Skim the current PSI content outline for that part, pick a flexible target appointment week inside the domestic window, and reserve recurring study blocks. Optionally open the printable 10-week planner (email to open or print).

Weeks 2-7: learn and retrieve

Work through one objective group at a time. Alternate concise instruction with closed-book questions and delayed review of every miss. Keep a short error log organized by rule, exception, or threshold. Cover every current domain for the part you will sit. Use free practice by part and the Part 1 to 3 hubs as an on-ramp while you build volume; prefer retrieval over re-reading.

Space your reviews

Time your review rather than repeating the material right away. In a study of more than 1,350 participants, the best gap before a review grew as the test got further away. When the test came one week after the review, the best gap was about 20% to 40% of that week (roughly 1.4 to 2.8 days). When the test came one year after the review, it was about 5% to 10% of that year. Put short, spaced reviews of your missed rules on your calendar instead of saving them for one cram.

Source: Cepeda, Vul, Rohrer, Wixted and Pashler, “Spacing effects in learning: a temporal ridgeline of optimal retention,” Psychological Science (2008). doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02209.x

Weeks 8-9: mix and time

Shift to mixed timed sets and practice exams that rehearse domain mix, a running clock (about two minutes per question on a 100-question / 3.5-hour part), and closed-book conditions. Review performance by objective, not only total percentage, and continue targeted repair where accuracy or decision time is unstable. Practice percentages are training signals, not official scaled scores (see the scoring guide). Use the practice-exam method page for rehearsal detail and the free→email path.

Week 10: reduce uncertainty

Complete final mixed practice on unfamiliar items, review only the shortest high-value notes, confirm PSI logistics (confirmation email, ID name match, center versus remote rules, arrival or check-in), and protect sleep and travel buffer. Do not cram new domains the night before. No practice percentage guarantees an official pass.

Weekly hours by phase (example)

This table puts example hours on the 10-week plan. The hours are a starting range, not a requirement and not a promise. Raise them for domains your diagnostic flags, and lower them where your results are already stable. Book a PSI date inside the July 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027 window first, then count back ten weeks. Testing is unavailable in March and April while the exam is updated. Leave a few weeks between your date and February 28, 2027 in case you need another attempt.

Example pacing only. The hours do not predict a result. Adjust them from your diagnostic and practice results.

Working full time: a stretched version

If you work full time, stretch one part over more weeks instead of cutting coverage. This example spreads the same phases over 16 weeks, with short weekday blocks and one longer weekend block. Book the PSI date first and count back. If 16 weeks back from that date has already passed, pick a later date inside the window rather than skipping a phase.

1. Weekday block: start with ten minutes of closed-book recall of yesterday's misses, then answer a short question set on one subject.
2. Weekend block: review the week's miss log, then take a longer mixed set or a full timed rehearsal.
3. Missed a block? Move it. Do not drop delayed review or the timed rehearsal to catch up.

Example pacing only. Your hours depend on your job, your diagnostic results, and the part you sit.

Which part first

The IRS lets you take the three parts in any order, so no part is required first. Pick the part where your work experience and your diagnostic results line up with the weeks you have before your PSI date.

• Part 1 (Individuals): a common start if you already prepare individual returns.
• Part 2 (Businesses): fits if you work with partnerships, corporations, or other business returns.
• Part 3 (Representation, Practices and Procedures): fits if you already know Circular 230, IRS procedures, and collection and examination steps.
• Still unsure? Take the free diagnostic and start with the part that needs the least repair.

A repeatable daily study session

Begin with closed-book retrieval of the rules you missed yesterday. Read the relevant digital guide or official material, answer a focused question set, review every explanation, and add only the decisive rules to short notes (for example Power Notes). End by choosing the next subject from your performance or weak-objective report, not from chapter order alone.

Make instruction follow your results

A digital study guide for all three EA exam parts, with focused review customized from your practice performance. Read it online; no paperback is shipped. Build practice history first so your results can guide focused review. Return to the full guide whenever a foundational rule is unfamiliar. Recognition alone is not the checkpoint: explain the rule and apply it to a fresh question.

Use shorter sessions between deeper study blocks

Between longer sessions, use concise notes or flashcard-style retrieval for definitions, exceptions, and thresholds. During deeper blocks, explain the rule in context and apply it immediately. Stretch or compress weekly hours without dropping outline coverage, delayed review, or timed rehearsal.

Adjust the pace without losing coverage

If your schedule is shorter, combine study blocks while preserving full outline coverage, delayed review, and timed rehearsal. If you have less weekly time, stretch the calendar. On a retake, restart at Week 1 diagnostic and the miss log for failed domains rather than re-reading everything equally. Ten weeks is an example for one part, not a promise to pass all three.

A checkpoint before booking or moving on

Look for stable results across unfamiliar mixed timed questions, coverage of every current exam domain for that part, and an ability to explain your misses. Use Passboard or similar readiness reports as study signals alongside those checks. Schedule when domain-level evidence is strong, not after a single good score, and not based on any published pass-rate claim. The official result is a scaled score with 500 passing.

Keep exam fees and prep budget separate

PSI charges $317 per part at scheduling ($951 for three first-attempt parts). That fee is separate from prep. Before you budget for paid prep, start with the free EA exam prep tools to see which part needs the most work. If you later buy a plan, review the refund terms before checkout. This page does not restate pass guarantees or publish pass rates.