RTRP Exam: passed with zero studying or preparation.

[MRPLOW]

I just took the RTRP exam yesterday and passed. I did absolutely zero studying, I didn't read any publications or familiarize myself with them. I literally walked in off the street and took the exam.

I do have 12 years of tax tax preparation experience, I would like to estimate that I scored in the low 90's, they don't give you the score. Although a few of the questions were more difficult then I had been led to believe. I could definitely see this exam being moderately challenging to pass for those just coming out of a tax prep course, without any real life tax preparation experience.

Anyways, that's my experience with the exam...

[taxxcpa]

The part of any tax exam such as online CPE tests that gives me the most trouble are the ones where you have to know the dollar amount of some credit or deduction or what IRS code section covers something.
When I prepare a return, I feel that I don't have to know all the answers, but need to know most of the questions so can look up the answers. If someone sells a rent house, I may not remember code section for a rent house, but I know where to look it up.

I don't remember dates other than April 15 or numbers other than my telephone number and a few IRS forms like whether to file Form 940 or Form 1040.

[Bonnie]

I was told when I first took course to prepare taxes 20 yrs ago that I would never be expected to know everything but should know how to find the answer and that's how I've approached it for all these years. Know alot after all this time, but not ashamed to say let me look this up and yes especially at beginning of season always looking for amounts