Took the RTRP test in Buffalo

[Dusty2004]

On Saturday. Interesting process.

1) They check you in - give you a locker with a lock and key. You turn your phone off - put it and everything you brought with you in the locker - nothing goes into the test with you other that what they give you.

2) Everything you need is in the test program. The publications that you can reference - calculator (although they did give me another calculator to have) and all the questions.

3) They do give you some scrap paper and pencils if you need them.

I thought the test was reasonable. I did not find there were many "hard" questions but there were some I had to research with the material that they provide. Mostly had to research them because they were questions I do not deal with regularly.

Dusty

[Burke]

On Saturday. Interesting process.

1) They check you in - give you a locker with a lock and key. You turn your phone off - put it and everything you brought with you in the locker - nothing goes into the test with you other that what they give you.Dusty

Gee, it MUST be interesting with all those people taking the test in the buff.

[Dusty2004]

Not sure they thought so

Gee, it MUST be interesting with all those people taking the test in the buff.

Just the thought of me in the Buff taking a test scared most of the Buffalo people out of town.

Dusty

[AZ-Tax]

RTP testing

I thought the test was reasonable. I did not find there were many "hard" questions but there were some I had to research with the material that they provide. Mostly had to research them because they were questions I do not deal with regularly.Dusty

I heard the testing center was going to give you an IRS publication to reserach questions. I wish the EA part 2 would have done that.

So can you prepare P'Ship, S-Corp, Corp etc. tax return with the RTP License?

[Koss]

Types of Returns

A-Z Tax wrote:

So can you prepare P'Ship, S-Corp, Corp etc. tax return with the RTP License?

Right now, the answer is yes. In fact, at this time, it appears that anyone can still get a PTIN, and prepare returns during 2012. Anyone who has a PTIN right now, whether it is new or previously issued, is "subject to" the testing requirements and the continuing education requirements, unless they are an EA, CPA, or attorney. But you have until the end of 2013 to pass the test. (The continuing education requirements become effective in 2012.)

So even without passing the test, anyone with a PTIN can prepare any type of tax return until 12/31/2013.

According to the IRS:

General Test Information

1. I understand that I have until December 31, 2013 to pass the competency test because I have a provisional PTIN. Can I continue to prepare all types of returns and claims for refund until December 31, 2013 if I wait to take the test? (posted 7/18/11)

Yes. Your provisional PTIN enables you to continue to prepare all types of tax returns and claims for refund through 12/31/13, provided you complete any required continuing education requirements and renew your PTIN timely each year.

2. If I pass the return preparer competency test, am I limited to preparing only the forms tested on the examination? (posted 7/18/11)

No. You will be able to prepare any Federal tax return or claim for refund if you pass the return preparer competency test unless the IRS develops additional competency tests for other tax returns in the future.

The IRS appears to be contemplating the development of additional testing requirements for non-1040 returns. But that's definitely not going to happen for a least a few years.

The citation above is from an IRS page with frequently asked questions about the testing requirements:

http://www.irs.gov/taxpros/article/0,,id=239683,00.html

BMK

[Koss]

Continuing Education

Also of interest...

Those who hold a PTIN (but are not EAs, attorneys or CPAs) are not required to pass the test until the end of 2013, but the continuing education requirements become effective for 2012. During 2012, PTIN holders will need to take 15 hours of CE.

The IRS announced on December 6 that PTIN holders who have to take the RTRP exam will be able to get up to 10 hours of CE for an RTRP exam preparation course.

BMK

[BP.]

Saw this recent post from an exam-taker on the community board for TW:

"News FLASH! took the Registered Tax Return Preparer Exam
Exam Fee is $116
The exam is harder than I expected!
Lots of ethics and compliance questions
The online look-up tools work - but are not enough
You WILL need to study specific forms and publications to pass. Several questions about military Several questions about efiling rules
About 40 questions out of the 120 were about Circular 230!!!!
or safeguarding client information.
Several barter-related questions.
A few AMT questions.
Several EIC and Child Tax Credit questions
At least 2-4 about the Retirement Savers Credit
Two really ambiguous questions
Several really easy questions.
o I took my time and looked up LOTS of things.
MOST of the information can be looked up.
What cannot be looked up?
Military
Form 9465 info
Form 2210 info (sort of - it's in Pub 17)
Still finished in about one hour and 15 minutes (half the time)
The online pubs are just a tiny bit slow - but you can keep looking back at the information.
However, the Index file to Pub 17 does not contain ALL the same references as the real one we use online. It's highly incomplete.
There is no quick navigation link to the Index - you have to scroll down the Table of Contents each time.
Get VERY familiar with the 6 sections of Pub 17. It will save you time!
As long as you have the question open, you will be taken to the same page in the pub.
You will not get your score for 60 days after your exam."

Dusty2004, does this resemble your experience?
I'm taking the exam this afternoon. I don't encounter many military returns, so I better spend the morning cramming on that topic (at least) . . .

[Jesse]

Good Luck BP!

[Dusty2004]

Bp

The exam is harder than I expected! I thought it was easier that I expected for the most part

Lots of ethics and compliance questions There were several ethics and compliance questions

The online look-up tools work - but are not enough The only thing I did not like about the look up tools were there was no searching for a term or word. You had to go to the appropriate section or the index to find what you wanted.

You WILL need to study specific forms and publications to pass. Several questions about military There were several questions about the military all but 1 I found the answers in the provided documentation.

Several questions about efiling rules Yes - basic questions I thought

About 40 questions out of the 120 were about Circular 230!!!! or safeguarding client information. There were not that many on my test but there are different tests. That is the one area that I felt I was the weakest on. Some were worded in such a way that you HAD to know the answer

Several barter-related questions. Don't remember any of those...

A few AMT questions. Yes - I do not have many AMT returns so I was not as up on the rules but I could (and did) look those up.

Several EIC and Child Tax Credit questions Yes

At least 2-4 about the Retirement Savers Credit Yes and the one I thought was a very poorly worded question or the answers were incorrect.

Two really ambiguous questions Not sure what they mean here. I had about 3 questions I did not know the answer to and could not find the answer in the supplied publications. I was able to eliminate the obviously wrong questions and then took a best guess at the answer.

Several really easy questions. I agree things like on what form would you enter in (some basic form)

I took my time and looked up LOTS of things. You can mark a question for further review. I answered all the questions marking the ones that I wanted to review / research. I then reviewed all the questions that were marked. I had time then to review every question again before the test time ran out.

MOST of the information can be looked up. I agree

What cannot be looked up?
Military some of this I could look up. I have not done any military deployed overseas in several years so I was not quite ready for those.

Form 9465 info Don't remember any questions on this.

Form 2210 info (sort of - it's in Pub 17) Several on this - again if I did not know was able to look up.

Still finished in about one hour and 15 minutes (half the time) about right for the first pass through all the questions

The online pubs are just a tiny bit slow - but you can keep looking back at the information. Did not find them slow just had to learn where to look

However, the Index file to Pub 17 does not contain ALL the same references as the real one we use online. It's highly incomplete. I agree - it was not the full Pub 17 but nothing earth shattering was missing

There is no quick navigation link to the Index - you have to scroll down the Table of Contents each time. Agree

Get VERY familiar with the 6 sections of Pub 17. It will save you time! I got used to it very quickly

As long as you have the question open, you will be taken to the same page in the pub. This did not work this way for me. I had to find the appropriate section.

You will not get your score for 60 days after your exam." This is correct and kind a bummer. I understand that these first test will be used to set the 'Pass or Fail'

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Dusty

[BP.]

Dusty, you are the best! Thanks! And thanks, Jesse.
Barb

[Uncle Sam]

Rtrp

For all the energy that is taken up here in focusing on the RTRP exam, which is quite restrictive compared to the SEE exam- you really should take the SEE and join NAEA.

By the nature of the discussion - it would seem that none of you have ever taken a standardized exam before and yo feel you're risking your life in going through the experience.

EA exams were given with no Pub 17 to refer to, no calculators - you had to use the knowledge of tax comprehension to pass otherwise you didn't get your EA license..

[Gary2]

For all the energy that is taken up here in focusing on the RTRP exam, which is quite restrictive compared to the SEE exam- you really should take the SEE and join NAEA.

By the nature of the discussion - it would seem that none of you have ever taken a standardized exam before and yo feel you're risking your life in going through the experience.

EA exams were given with no Pub 17 to refer to, no calculators - you had to use the knowledge of tax comprehension to pass otherwise you didn't get your EA license..

They're still given with no Pub 17, but you do get a calculator. (Actually two, a handheld and one built into the test software.)

I don't know what any of the previous posters intended by "really ambiguous questions" but my definition is:

a) a question where the interpretation is so ambiguous that the only way to figure out the question is to look at the answer choices and determine which interpretation actually results in a single answer being correct;

or

b) a question where a reasonable, knowledgeable person can make a case that two different answers are both correct and that there's no sound basis for determining which one is "more correct".

Unfortunately, multiple choice tests frequently have questions of the second sort, where there's an intuitive sense of which one they want - so that many people get it correct - without a sound argument in favor of that answer. The effect is that they keep annoying, poorly worded questions because the statistics don't show a problem.

[Dusty2004]

You are welcome

Dusty, you are the best! Thanks! And thanks, Jesse.
Barb

And let us know what YOU think of the test.

Dusty

[JG EA]

...2) Everything you need is in the test program. The publications that you can reference - calculator (although they did give me another calculator to have) and all the questions.

3) They do give you some scrap paper and pencils if you need them.

I thought the test was reasonable. I did not find there were many "hard" questions but there were some I had to research with the material that they provide. Mostly had to research them because they were questions I do not deal with regularly.

Dusty

Research - while taking the test! Not fair I say. For my EA test we had paper and pencil and the test. I had to ask permission to reconstruct memorized info on my scratch paper.

[BP.]

And let us know what YOU think of the test.

Dusty

OK, I will. You and the other poster nailed it, pretty much, except I agree with your assessment of the exam's difficulty level, and disagree with the OP's opinion on that. I can even agree with your statement about a possible incorrect answer (same category you mentioned) and an oddly constructed question or two, and your comments about the Practices & Ethics questions, and the time spent. Anyway, it was fun to read your impressions!