The Registered Tax Return Preparer (RTRP) Exam addresses Circular 230 ethical responsibilities of federal tax return preparers and completion of Form 1040 series returns, including self-employment issues. The goal of the IRS is to administer an RTRP Exam that is founded on basic preparer competency. The WiseGuides™ RTRP study materials present selected conceptual content to prepare candidates to pass the RTRP Exam on the first try.

Most exam candidates need more than an abridged version of information to prepare to pass the RTRP Exam. Don't be fooled by "streamlined" or "fast" study methods, as such abbreviated efforts may not adequately prepare you for this exam. Exam candidates have varying tax proficiency backgrounds and hence there is no appropriate one-size-fits-all study program. To be sure you have the appropriate RTRP Exam content to study, WiseGuides™ is now releasing the materials you need based on the official exam specifications released by the IRS in IR-2011-89 on September 6, 2011.

Which topics will be on your exam? There will be only about one hundred twenty multiple-choice and true/false questions on the RTRP Exam. Since there are easily over a thousand possible questions that could be asked pertaining to individual tax returns and selected Circular 230 topics, only a representative sampling of the subject matter is tested on each version of the exam. Which topics will be on your exam? No one knows. The actual questions are not released, and different versions of the exam will be computer generated and randomly assigned.

The objective is to pass the RTRP Exam on the first try. Because of privacy regulations, like the IRS Enrolled Agent Exam, RTRP candidate scores will not be released, making it impossible for any provider of study materials to track and report statistically valid "pass rates" of their customers. Tracking methods that rely on voluntary self-reporting naturally include a non-negative and inaccurate reporting bias and hence are not based on reliable data. WiseGuides™ does not use such tactics. Exam candidates who choose WiseGuides™ as their study partner have the advantage of teaming up with an IRS exam prep industry leader with over 15 years of successful experience. If you use the WiseGuides™ materials and follow our study plan (which includes reading the selected lesson topics and achieving targeted completion rates and Practice Exam scores), you will pass the RTRP on the first try.

Use the WiseGuides™ comprehensive program and choose the study methods that work best for you. Exam topics are introduced in the lessons. Next, topics are incrementally mastered using the Question & Answer Software with complete answer explanations aligned with the lesson topics. To wrap-up the learning process, the WiseGuides™ eStudy Cards Software helps to better understand the material by challenging you to answer questions without the crutch of choosing between given answer options (also known as multiple choice guessing). Use of our eStudy Cards Software enhances essential concept mapping skills critical to applying tax law.

Read the WiseGuides™ RTRP Lesson Book from start to finish. Prometric, the RTRP Exam administrator, has compiled and released test specifications for the exam which include a disclaimer that "examples provided within each item are not all inclusive of what may be tested in a given area." In other words, you need to be prepared to answer questions pertaining to topics that may not appear on the Prometric test specification listing. Providing students with content and questions on every possible exam question would be a very unmanageable study tool. However, mastering the selected topics in the WiseGuides™ lessons and questions and answers will prepare you to pass the exam.

Non-scored exam questions. When you take the IRS Registered Tax Return Preparer Exam, your test may include some questions that are being field tested. Field testing is the source for future test questions. These questions do not count as part of your score, but you will not be told which questions they are. Keep this in mind as you take your timed exam, and use your time wisely. Our advice is to answer every question, not skipping any but marking those that stump you for review if time permits.

Thank you for considering WiseGuides™ as your RTRP Exam study partner. We have study materials to prepare you to pass the RTRP Exam starting at only $39. If we may answer any questions for you pertaining to the IRS Registered Tax Return Preparer Exam, or the IRS Enrolled Agent Exam, just give us a call at 800.713.2098.

Andrew Rosenberg, MSA, CPA Kathleen Jenkins Rosenberg, MS, EA

Click Here for the WiseGuides RTRP Web Site - Prices starting at $39.