Hahn1040 Posted November 6, 2016 Report Posted November 6, 2016 I am studying for the SEE. My plan is to complete two of the tests and all of my necessary CE by mid-Dec. I have a good start on it... I am using the Fast Forward Academy package. ... so far so good... any pearls of wisdom from any of you who have recently passed the test? thanks so much! 1 Quote
grmy2h Posted November 7, 2016 Report Posted November 7, 2016 2 hours ago, Hahn1040 said: I am studying for the SEE. My plan is to complete two of the tests and all of my necessary CE by mid-Dec. I have a good start on it... I am using the Fast Forward Academy package. ... so far so good... any pearls of wisdom from any of you who have recently passed the test? thanks so much! @Hahn1040 I just finished my last exam in October. I started studying in May. We have study group on Facebook, where we ask questions of each other when we don't understand something and we also do a "trivia night" - 3 nights a week. There are a few members from here in the group. Search "IRS Exam Study Group" on Facebook to find us if you are interested. 1 Quote
Jack from Ohio Posted November 7, 2016 Report Posted November 7, 2016 17 hours ago, Hahn1040 said: I am studying for the SEE. My plan is to complete two of the tests and all of my necessary CE by mid-Dec. I have a good start on it... I am using the Fast Forward Academy package. ... so far so good... any pearls of wisdom from any of you who have recently passed the test? thanks so much! Study and pass part 2 first. Do no other parts till you have passed #2. Once you conquer it, then move to the others. Spoken from first hand experience. Quote
RitaB Posted November 7, 2016 Report Posted November 7, 2016 17 hours ago, Hahn1040 said: I am studying for the SEE. My plan is to complete two of the tests and all of my necessary CE by mid-Dec. I have a good start on it... I am using the Fast Forward Academy package. ... so far so good... any pearls of wisdom from any of you who have recently passed the test? Here's an article that was helpful to me. It's a two-parter. There's a link at the bottom of Part I to get to Part II. I took the tests in order and would do so again. Good luck! http://mainstreetpractitioner.org/feature/24-tips-for-passing-the-ea-exam-1/ 2 Quote
Lion EA Posted November 7, 2016 Report Posted November 7, 2016 Other than the 34 I have automatically scheduled with NY/CT-ATP (I'm on the education committee and point person for the October all-day seminar with ethics, and we committee members are on the list without even registering, just need to opt out if unavailable) I take courses when I spot a topic I need or want. Although, MaSEA has some great topics (and I have driven to MA for events in the past) but they meet straight through tax season. Some of their topics that looked worth a drive to MA were on dates when I could not afford a long day driving and in a classroom. But I stay on their mailing list, because the topics look good and I know the quality of some of the instructors. Quote
Hahn1040 Posted November 9, 2016 Report Posted November 9, 2016 Thanks to each of you for the suggestions and links. I really appreciate it. If I can only get straight in my mind all of the "all but..." "except" and double negatives in the questions! are there really so many questions about the First Time Home buyers credit? This package I am using has a million of them. Goodness, we aren't doing any returns that they are now receiving it. The ones that received the 2009 $8,000 have long since passed the required 36 months. So the only possibility that we will run into are the ones with the 2008 credit that they are paying back. Most of my clients are military or other such transient... so they have long ago left that residence and the pay back of the credit was resolved. Certainly there are some that are paying it back and we have to know who /what/ and how AND most of all remember to ask. Quote
RitaB Posted November 9, 2016 Report Posted November 9, 2016 3 minutes ago, Hahn1040 said: ...are there really so many questions about the First Time Home buyers credit? This package I am using has a million of them. I don't recall a single question on FTHB on the SEE exam. Not a one. 1 Quote
Catherine Posted November 9, 2016 Report Posted November 9, 2016 The biggest hurdle to passing the SEE (once you know the material reasonably well, of course!) is to take the time to parse out what the questions are really asking. Yes, they are couched in conditional double and triple negatives. This is stupid, because it tests your ability to decode convoluted grammar rather than if you are competent at tax issues. But that is the test, and so that is the single key skill to hone. 4 Quote
Hahn1040 Posted November 9, 2016 Report Posted November 9, 2016 Thanks Rita. I won't clutter up my brain with the fine points. I figured that they would be testing on things we need to know now to do accurate returns. Not details about a long outdated subject matter. Isn't is amazing how many years ago that credit was!! Feeling very old these days... 1 Quote
Hahn1040 Posted November 9, 2016 Report Posted November 9, 2016 Catherine, Indeed that is the key: to answer the question that they are asking not the question that I think they are asking! I recognize that I must slow down and read every word... 1 Quote
RitaB Posted November 9, 2016 Report Posted November 9, 2016 11 minutes ago, Hahn1040 said: Thanks Rita. I won't clutter up my brain with the fine points. I figured that they would be testing on things we need to know now to do accurate returns. Not details about a long outdated subject matter. Isn't is amazing how many years ago that credit was!! Feeling very old these days... You're welcome. That first version of the credit (a loan) is still being repaid, I'd know that one. https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc611.html 1 Quote
Catherine Posted November 9, 2016 Report Posted November 9, 2016 2 hours ago, RitaB said: That first version of the credit (a loan) is still being repaid, I'd know that one. Yes! I had some clients come to me new a couple of years ago, who "forgot" to include information on that, as well as "forgot" to bring a copy of their prior-year return. Oh, they got a letter all right, and suddenly "remembered" they had taken that re-pay-able credit. And their bill went up, and I question *everything* they hand me, now. 1 Quote
Lion EA Posted November 10, 2016 Report Posted November 10, 2016 Basis, basis, basis. Read the last sentence first to learn the question. Then go back and read all the information now that you know the question and can pay attention to just the information needed to answer that particular question. Breathe. Quote
SaraEA Posted November 10, 2016 Report Posted November 10, 2016 Accept the fact that there will be a few questions you have no idea what the answer might be--just guess and move on so you don't waste time on them. I studied hard for months, and there were a couple questions that I had never encountered the subject at all. I just moved on and somehow passed all four parts first try (there were 4 parts not so long ago). One was on the optional method of reporting self-employment income. I've bumped into the topic a few times since the SEE but never once used it. I've often thought that the most valuable lesson I learned from studying for the exam is that there is a massive amount of stuff I don't know. 2 Quote
Catherine Posted November 10, 2016 Report Posted November 10, 2016 14 hours ago, SaraEA said: there is a massive amount of stuff I don't know. Boy oh boy isn't THAT the truth for us all !! Quote
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