RTRP Exam Question

[Koss]

This is a question for those who have actually taken the exam.

During the exam, you have access to Publication 17 and the instructions for Form 1040.

Which version of the 1040 instructions is it?

Is it the "general" instructions, found at this link?

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf

Or is it the "complete" instructions, including Schedules A, C, D, E, F, J, R, and SE, found at this link?

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040.pdf

And what is the format? PDF? HTML? Or something else?

I read somewhere that the Pub. 17 made available during the exam does not have an index. Is this correct? Is this also the case for the 1040 instructions?

BMK

[spanel]

Here ya Go!

http://www.prometric.com/clientfiles/irs/irsrp/cdemo/1040frame.htm

http://www.prometric.com/clientfiles/irs/irsrp/cdemo/frame.htm

These are EXACTLY what you get on the test.

Chris

[Koss]

Demo Files

Sweet.

Thanks

BMK

[FEDUKE404]

Active links ?

http://www.prometric.com/clientfiles.../1040frame.htm

http://www.prometric.com/clientfiles/irs/irsrp/cdemo/frame.htm

These are EXACTLY what you get on the test.

Chris

Are those (blue) links, such as shown within the index, also "hot links" ?

FE

[Koss]

Links

I have not taken the RTRP exam. But I think it is a fair assumption that the links are live.

The demo files reside on a server run by Prometric, which is the vendor that administers the RTRP exam. The demo files are part of a tutorial offered by Prometric that is linked from the IRS website. To be clear, the tutorial only simulates the exam environment, the screens, and the reference resources (Form 1040, the 1040 instructions, and Pub. 17). It is meant to simulate the mechanics of the exam. The tutorial does not have any content or study material.

But my point is that the references should be identical to what is actually available during the exam. The links are live and working in the demo files, so I would expect them to be live and working during the exam.

Note that the format is HTML. It is a continuous, scrolling screen, similar to browsing a web page. It is not paginated.

Without page numbers, the index, and to some degree even the table of contents, would be useless if the links were not live.

BMK

[spanel]

Links are live.. those 2 links are EXACTLY what you get in the test.

Chris

[arlo]

Testing

Spanel, if these electronic resources are available at the time of testing it is going to decrease the time in looking up information. Thanks for the posts

[Koss]

HTML Documents

The IRS has made many publications and instructions available in a web-based HTML format, with hot links, for some time now. The more recent development is the addition of hot links within the IRS PDF files.

When conducting research, I personally prefer PDF files, in most cases. I'm not sure I can explain why. Some of it is just what I am accustomed to. As I noted above, the HTML documents are not paginated. If I want to cite from an IRS publication, I prefer the PDF, because I can cite the page number.

But I have to concede that it is much easier to copy and paste from an HTML document than it is from a PDF.

Sometimes I use something that is neither PDF nor HTML. In some cases I actually refer to a hardcopy book. I have a paper copy of Publication 17 in my office, and I do use it. My office also has a hardcopy edition of The Tax Book.

I think that has something to do with the fact that I graduated from college before 1995.

But it is clear that when taking the RTRP exam, only the HTML version of these documents will be available.

The demo files on the Prometric site are virtually identical to files that are available directly from the IRS:

http://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1040/index.html

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/index.html

One feature that I sometimes use in a PDF file that will not work in an HTML file is the CTRL+F search function.

The function works, but it doesn't yield the results. When you perform this search in a PDF, you are searching the entire file. In an HTML environment, you are only searching the current page. The search does not extend to pages that are linked.

BMK

[Koss]

Resources during the test

Arlo wrote:

Spanel, if these electronic resources are available at the time of testing it is going to decrease the time in looking up information. Thanks for the posts

Now, what would really make a difference during the test...

would be dual monitors.

Don't hold your breath.

Maybe in five years.

BMK

[arlo]

Testing

I am thinking about using a company that gives the prep exam for the RTRP and also give the IRS Test exam at the same location. Anyone done that?

[Koss]

Exam

Arlo wrote:

I am thinking about using a company that gives the prep exam for the RTRP and also give the IRS Test exam at the same location. Anyone done that?

I don't see how that's possible. Prometric is the only vendor that can administer the exam. And Prometric does not offer an exam prep course.

A company offering an exam prep course might be able to offer the course at the same location by renting a meeting room in the same building, or across the street, from the Prometric test site.

But if they are claiming that they offer the prep course and the exam, that's very misleading.

The only way to register for the exam is through your PTIN account.

BMK

[Koss]

Test Location

If they are in fact conducting a prep course at a meeting facility that is in the same building, or adjacent to, a Prometric test site, then I suppose they could legitimately advertise by saying something like...

"Take our test preparation course in Dayton, Ohio, on July 10, at 9:30 AM, and you can take the RTRP exam that afternoon, at the same site."

But it's still a bit misleading.

BMK

[Peachie]

My Pub 17

If they are in fact conducting a prep course at a meeting facility that is in the same building, or adjacent to, a Prometric test site, then I suppose they could legitimately advertise by saying something like...

"Take our test preparation course in Dayton, Ohio, on July 10, at 9:30 AM, and you can take the RTRP exam that afternoon, at the same site."

But it's still a bit misleading.

BMK

had no index, only the TOC.

As for taking the prep course and exam same day is probably unlikely. You can't just show up to Prometric without an appointment. I suppose you may be able to coordinate it, but time would also come into play.

Peachie

[Koss]

Index

Peachie wrote:

My Pub. 17 had no index, only the TOC.

That's interesting. I haven't taken a standardized test since I took the EA exams in 2008. And for the EA exams, no reference materials were allowed at all.

But for an open-book exam, the presence or absence of an alphabetical index, for some, could make a big difference in the amount of time it takes to find information.

If the index is present in the Prometric tutorial, but not present when you take the exam, then that's misleading and a bit unfair.

With that being said...

Peachie, you probably took the RTRP exam a few months ago, when it was still based on 2010 tax law. So the Pub. 17 that was available to you during the exam would have been Pub. 17 for 2010 returns.

The exam was recently updated to reflect 2011 tax law. And the Pub. 17 that appears in the Prometric tutorial is now Pub. 17 for 2011 returns.

It is possible that the previous version of the exam, with the previous version of Pub. 17, did not include the index, and that the new version, with the current version of Pub. 17, now has the index built in.

BMK

[Peachie]

You are correct Burton.

Peachie wrote:



That's interesting. I haven't taken a standardized test since I took the EA exams in 2008. And for the EA exams, no reference materials were allowed at all.

But for an open-book exam, the presence or absence of an alphabetical index, for some, could make a big difference in the amount of time it takes to find information.

If the index is present in the Prometric tutorial, but not present when you take the exam, then that's misleading and a bit unfair.

With that being said...

Peachie, you probably took the RTRP exam a few months ago, when it was still based on 2010 tax law. So the Pub. 17 that was available to you during the exam would have been Pub. 17 for 2010 for 2010 returns.

The exam was recently updated to reflect 2011 tax law. And the Pub. 17 that appears in the Prometric tutorial is now Pub. 17 for 2011 returns.

It is possible that the previous version of the exam, with the previous version of Pub. 17, did not include the index, and that the new version, with the current version of Pub. 17, now has the index built in.

BMK

I took the exam on March 22 when the 2010 exam was administered. I didn't find that Pub 17 helped me that much because I only had to refer to it briefly. As I said in another post-the exam seemed totally geared to me, as I had to use Pub. 17 rarely. I didn't find it to be that clear to me and looking at the Prometric link, it looks a lot better and different, somewhat, from when I took it.

Peachie