Posts tagged: Gleim EA

Keeping Up the Pace – EA Review

May 9, 2013, by No comments yet

Written By EA Blogger Katherine K.

Today I completed Study Unit 2, Gross Income. I feel like I have made it through one of the toughest study units. I know that properly identifying taxable income is basic to all tax preparation and that the Gleim materials are very thorough. I also have a tip for anyone studying this section: Clear up the meaning of terms and concepts as thoroughly as possible. I took extra time to do this and it was worthwhile. I am now maintaining an average test score of 80%, even when I include the score for my first exam in each study unit. The score for the first test is usually much lower because it is taken prior to studying.

The questions in the true/false and multiple-choice exams helped direct my attention to areas of study I had not fully understood, and they also helped to clarify the information. I learn a lot from the exams and the review! I am actually enjoying my studies now, which I attribute to the system wherein one approaches the subject and has the opportunity to interact and then review.

Another useful aspect I have found is that the true/false and multiple-choice exams are timed. I didn’t think much of this at first and was even a little annoyed. Now, I realize that the timing aspect forces me to keep a certain pace through each exam. This pace is what I will experience during the real EA Exam!

I am currently working in sales during the off season (tax) and will be traveling from New York to Florida over the next month. I plan to bring my laptop with me and get through the remaining 11 study units by mid June. I am so excited about finally getting my EA certificate this year! My employer in my tax prep work wants me to obtain my EA certificate by September, so I know I need to keep up the pace.

I also discovered that I will be able to do a final review the week prior to sitting for the EA exam with an “Exam Rehearsal” and “Online Test Prep.” It’s so relieving to be taken through these studies by Gleim and not have to worry about what and how to study.

 

Back to EA Review After Tax Season

May 8, 2013, by No comments yet

Written by EA Exam Blogger Katherine S.

 

I find that it is now easier for me to do my tax research since I have been studying my Gleim EA materials. The intricacies of tax code seemed formidable in the past, but now I find myself digging in and studying whatever is needed to get information for the tax return. This may also have to do with the fact that I have gotten a lot of experience this tax season by preparing over 300 tax returns. I am definitely feeling more knowledgeable and confident. I work with a great bunch of tax preparers who have helped me get through some difficult times this tax season. I am very excited about becoming an Enrolled Agent this year! Every other tax preparer in my office is an Enrolled Agent or CPA. They are expecting me to obtain my certificate this year. I feel very fortunate to have found a program like Gleim to help me achieve that.

 
I spent some time last night reading the Gleim book at home and taking the quizzes at the end of each section. I like the fact that you only read a short section and then immediately take a quiz on what you studied. The questions are very involved at times, developed to really make a person think about the details that they just read. I find that I am unable to read through the material without using the information thoroughly, and by using the information thoroughly, it is retained!

 
I haven’t had a whole lot of time to study lately because it is the peak of tax season. I am busy preparing returns from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm and just want to relax when I get home. I have put my Gleim EA book by my bed, however, and plan to spend time each night this week reading and taking the quizzes for each section. This will definitely help, and I will be making some progress while I am so busy during tax season.

 
Katherine Spurger

 

Beginning To Study For The EA Exam

April 11, 2013, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger Katherine S. For the Gleim EA Blog.

I just received my Gleim EA Review materials and have begun my studies. I was very happy to find out that I will be able to take an Exam Rehearsal for EA prior to taking the actual exam. In addition, there are over 3,600 EA questions that can be used and studied within practice exams throughout the EA study materials. I am already feeling relieved. In past studies, I have discovered that the more you go over the materials and the more you can practice, the better you understand the material. It has to be more than just memorizing facts. I have found that in order to be successful, you really need to gain an understanding of the material by going over it more than once and using the information. I like the fact that I can do more than just read a book. I know that the practice exams will make a big difference for me. I am truly excited about studying and using this system!

The Gleim A System for Success book explains the complete process of studying and preparing for the EA Exam. It is always nice to have someone “hold your hand” when embarking on a new adventure, and that is how I feel having these materials. From what I have studied so far, I can see that the materials are well presented in an easy to understand format. The language is not unnecessarily complicated.

I am currently extremely busy because it is tax season and I am a tax preparer. I have already prepared 200 tax returns this tax season. I have been asking the more experienced EAs and CPA in my office many questions. I look forward to the day when I don’t have to ask them any questions. I believe getting through the Gleim EA Review will accomplish that for me. I have always worked to be the most competent I can be and I am counting on these materials to help me accomplish that.

I took my first practice exam recently. It was very eye-opening, and I now have a better idea of what is expected and what I need to study. I was able to grade my exam immediately and study the questions that I missed. Over the next few weeks, it will be hard to get my study time in (while preparing taxes), but I plan to study as much as possible. I know I will need to be disciplined to get through it!

 

 

Tax Preparers – Articles Of Interest

April 10, 2013, by No comments yet

 

As busy season comes to a close, here are two articles EAs or EA candidates, and RTRP candidates may find interesting:

 

 

 

Initial Study Materials and Organizing My Time

February 22, 2013, by No comments yet

I’m just beginning the Gleim EA Study after having successfully passed the RTRP exam in early December 2012. I began once again by reading the initial directions on the Gleim website. The EA portion of the site seemed a bit different than the RTRP portion. I discovered that I had to download the EA Test Prep software separately. It contains thousands of questions not offered in the book. I immediately contacted Gleim and spoke to a friendly personal counselor who was able to explain the downloading steps to me. I then downloaded the test prep software and put a shortcut icon on my desktop.

Within a few days of signing up for EA Part 1, I received the Gleim EA Review book in the mail. I scanned the Table of Contents and read the Introduction to familiarize myself with the steps required to pass the EA exam. The book also contains an overview of Part 1, a detailed plan to obtain EA certification, tip on how to organize my study schedule, and test day tactics.

I then registered for the Prometric exam so that I could be sure to complete my exam before February 28, 2013. I was lucky to find a day and time to schedule the exam at a nearby test center.

I also found a step-by-step study sequence in the Introduction of the Gleim EA Review 2012 book. The steps delineate time periods for each section as well as the sequence of recommended study. The next step is to peruse my calendar and mark study times for the next 60 days. Completion can be done in 60 hours, so I should have enough time to prepare for the exam, especially because I will be working in my tax office during this time.

I recommend reading the Introduction of the EA book first. There is a lot of good information here. At the back of the book there is also a helpful index.

Whew! I look forward to passing this exam, and if I am able to properly organize my time, I believe I can.

 

Contest: Win Access To EA Gleim Online!

January 30, 2013, by 4 comments

 

Enter our contest to win access to EA Gleim Online for Part 1, Part 2, OR Part 3!

 

What Is EA Gleim Online?

EA Gleim Online – Part 1 is a versatile, interactive, self-study review program delivered via the Internet that also provides access to a Personal Counselor. You will have access to EA Gleim Online for 12 months.

Learn more about EA Gleim Online and the rest of the EA Review System here!

 

How Do I Enter The Contest?

Simply leave a comment below stating why you would like to become an EA and why you think Gleim will help you achieve your goals.

An objective committee will decide the winner based on the best, well-thought out answers provided in the comment section below.

 

The Details

EA Gleim Online has no return value and may not be returned for cash if won. Gleim may use your comment to help inspire other accounting exam candidates on our social media and blog.  Gleim must receive a minimum of seven entries to award the prize to a winner.

Comments on this blog post must be received by February 8th, 2013, 11:59 pm EST.

 

On The Go – EA Exam Studying

December 27, 2012, by No comments yet

Written By Guest Blogger Shelley C.

Fall has definitely arrived in my neck of the country. I am enjoying the opportunity to hunker down and enjoy the warmth of my office rather than be distracted by the weather. Although the weather has turned, I still enjoy being a high school athlete mom. This means that I travel anywhere from 30 minutes to five and a half hours each way to support my daughter and her team. Last week while traveling to a state competition, I brought my Gleim EA Exam book along with me. I found that it was a great use of my time. I was able to study in short spurts and focus on the multiple-choice test questions. I found that although I was answering many of the questions correctly, the questions I was answering incorrectly were taking a lot of time to research and find the reasons to my misunderstanding. Gleim has done a very good job referencing the material in the books, so I was able to go back to the reading and find what I needed to grasp the concept. I also appreciated Gleim’s dedication to the details. In my studying this week, I had missed the answer several times because I had read over the material too quickly and didn’t focus on those small details. Thanks, Gleim!

 

Is Your Timing Tuned Up? Study Habits & EA Studying

December 26, 2012, by No comments yet

Written By Guest Blogger Shelley C.

My thoughts today are about fine tuning study habits. I am up every morning at 6:00 am, and my family of two teenagers and a husband are gone by 6:30 am. I usually exercise from 7:00 am to 8:00-8:30 am. The only exception to this schedule is once every other week when I take one of my daughters to her piano lessons at 6:30 am, and I have exercised during her piano lesson. This week I decided that instead of exercising, I would study my Enrolled Agent material and get that done for the day. As I sat there trying to study, my mind would not focus. I think I re-read the same material at least five times and it still seemed a little unclear. I am self-employed, so I usually start my work day after I have done my workout and showered. Sometimes, I work for an hour before I exercise at 7:00 am. I thought that studying was no different than doing my regular work tasks. I was wrong. I discovered that my studying had to be done during the time of day that my brain is not in autopilot mode.

I know we are approaching the holiday season and that we are all going to be a bit more squeezed for time. Some of you are students and study time is already built into your daily schedule. For me, I need to carve it out, and I realized this last week that all minutes are not created equal. I need to assess my schedule and pay attention to when my brain will learn and commit the concepts to memory, not function in its usual “multitasking” mode. Good luck to all of you, and I hope this message helps someone with their study timing.

 

Getting Close to Completing My Studying For EA Exam 1

October 17, 2012, by No comments yet

 

 

This week has been busy like I thought it would be. I did a review for Study Units 1 through 5 and I am still studying for Study Unit 6. I completed many 20- and 30-question study sessions with questions from Study Units 1 through 5. I then looked at my summary and looked to see where my weakest points were. I went back to the specific areas that I was having the most trouble with, in this case Study Unit 2.3, “Income from Securities.” I studied that until my grade improved and I was content, but more importantly until I felt like I had a better understanding of the material. I plan to finish Study Unit 6 this week, and then work on Study Units 7 and 8.

I am getting into a good study schedule, which seems to be working out fine. I just wish I had more time in the day to study! In the morning I work and then in the afternoon tend to my kids, pick up my daughter from preschool, start dinner, etc. I try to read the study materials when I am able to during the day. In the evenings, generally after dinner, I either work on school work or I study for the EA, depending on what I still have to do for my classes. Studying for the EA is more flexible than my professors! I just feel like I am not getting enough time in for either studying or the EA. I do not have any family nearby that could watch my children for a few hours. On my husband’s days off, I tend to make those my days off from work, school and studying. However, I am thinking that I should use at least one of those two days to cram in studying. I could probably take out one study unit in that day. I’ll have to see how he feels about that.

I just want to add one more thing: I am very surprised that I still like studying. I thought the excitement would have died off a little, but it hasn’t. I am still eager to jump in and go through the questions. Then again, I like to make a game out of it and see if I can beat my last score, so maybe that helps too.

Good luck studying!

Danielle C.

 

Let’s Try the Audiovisual Benefits and Outline Everything

October 11, 2012, by No comments yet

 

Written By Guest Blogger Shelley C.

This past few weeks I have been traveling with kids in sports and have been limited to using my EA book as a study tool. I find that I have really enjoyed the book. After reading each section, I make flash cards because they are easy to keep with me and I can refer to them later. I also find the book helpful because I can underline areas that I find important or need further reviewing. This is visually helpful at a glance. The part that I miss out in this method of studying is a formal outline. I guess in a way I am outlining as I am making the flash cards, but I would think that a formal outline would help me to write down the concepts in my own words and my own style. This, however requires sitting at a computer or having a larger area to write on…so plan your study area and study techniques accordingly.

Secondly, I am going to add the audiovisual clips to my study session. My plan is to have the outline that I have already written in front of me as I watch the clips. Then I can review it as I am watching the video to see if my outline has any holes. I could also follow this theory with the audios that Gleim makes available. I am grateful for so many study options to fit so many different learning styles. So, if you are like me and need to try and solidify those tiny details into your head, don’t be afraid to try a variety of learning methods. For this week, I am going to add the audiovisual resource and outlining and see how that fills in the gaps.