Enrolled Agent Exam Pass Rates: What Is Known
The IRS does not publish SEE pass rates, and PSI publishes none for its exams (as at 12 Oct 2026). The only figures in circulation come from charts the former vendor, Prometric, stopped updating in 2021. Read them as history, not as a forecast for the new PSI-built exams and scale.
What the old charts showed
Read from Prometric's last published charts, roughly 60-65% of candidates passed Part 1, 65-73% passed Part 2 and 81-86% passed Part 3 in the 2017-2021 windows. Prometric itself warned against comparing pass rates across parts. Third-party figures quoted for later years are not official.
What it means for you
- Part 1 has historically been the hardest for most candidates: broad content and a lot of 2025 figures.
- Part 3 has historically had the highest pass rate, but its Circular 230 details still trip people up.
- The 2026 change of vendor and scale means nobody yet knows how the new forms compare. Prepare to a margin, not to a guess about the cut.
See how to pass and which part to take first.
Frequently asked questions
What is the EA exam pass rate?
The IRS does not publish SEE pass rates, and none exist for the PSI exams as at 12 Oct 2026. Old Prometric charts suggested roughly 60-65% for Part 1 and over 80% for Part 3 in 2017-2021.
Which EA exam part is hardest?
Historically Part 1, because of its breadth and the many current-year figures.
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