EA Exam 2026: Navigating the Transition from Prometric to PSI

On February 10, 2026, PSI Services was officially awarded the IRS contract to develop and administer the Special Enrollment Examination (SEE). PSI replaces Prometric as the sole vendor — and the change is more than cosmetic. For the first time in the EA program's history, candidates can sit for the exam from home with remote online proctoring. The number of physical test centers also expands from roughly 300 to over 550 across the United States.

This guide covers the official 2026-2027 schedule, what to do during the four-month blackout (March 1 to June 30), how to register on the new PSI portal, and how to handle edge cases like scores that expire while testing is paused.

Why the Switch from Prometric to PSI

PSI Services now handles exam development, secure test delivery, candidate support, and result reporting for the Enrolled Agent exam. Kimberly Rogers, Director of the IRS Office of Professional Responsibility, said the partnership delivers “a secure and candidate-centered testing experience, but also an efficient and adaptable solution.” For candidates, three things actually change: the registration platform, the option to test remotely, and a much larger pool of in-person test centers.

PSI Enrolled Agent Exam: New Features

Remote Online Proctoring (the Biggest Change)

Starting July 1, 2026, candidates can take the EA exam from home with remote online proctoring — both inside the U.S. and internationally. There is no additional charge for remotely proctored tests. This eliminates the historical pain point for international candidates who previously had to travel to a Prometric-served country, and it gives U.S. candidates in rural areas a real alternative.

Remote sessions still require a quiet, private testing environment, a webcam, and a secure browser. PSI uses live human proctors plus AI monitoring; expect ID verification and a 360° room scan before you start.

Linear on the Fly Testing (LOFT)

Each candidate receives a unique but psychometrically equivalent exam version through PSI's LOFT technology. This protects test integrity while preserving the same difficulty level for every candidate. The IRS content outlines, scoring scale, and pass/fail thresholds are not changing — only the delivery platform is.

Security & Personnel

PSI employees with access to EA exam data must be U.S. citizens and pass background checks. Biometric ID verification is required at both physical and remote sessions.

EA Exam Schedule 2026-2027: Official Dates

Going forward, the EA-SEE will return to a standard annual cycle: testing from May 1 through February 28 of the following year, with a March-April blackout while the exam is updated for the new tax year. The unusually long four-month blackout in 2026 is a one-time consequence of the vendor transition.

How to Register with PSI

Registration is handled at test-takers.psigov.us/irs. Before you can schedule a part, the IRS still requires:

• An active PTIN (renew annually)
• A clean suitability check — the IRS verifies your tax compliance (all returns filed, no outstanding balance) and runs a criminal background check
• The new $317 testing fee per part (up from $267 under Prometric), paid through the PSI portal

Several candidates have reported that PSI's “Prior Approval” step rejected their accounts in the first weeks of registration. The fix is not on PSI's side — call the IRS Office of Enrollment at (855) 472-5540. They can confirm whether your suitability check has cleared and push your file through.

Test Centers and Remote Capacity

PSI operates over 550 high-security test centers across the United States — nearly double Prometric's footprint. The EA program administers approximately 29,000 EA-SEE tests annually, so even with the surge of bookings expected immediately after May 1, capacity should be ample. Combined with remote proctoring, geographic constraints are no longer a real barrier in 2026.

Navigating the Four-Month Blackout (March 1 to June 30, 2026)

Because Prometric stopped on March 1 and PSI begins testing July 1, no EA-SEE part can be taken between March 1 and June 30, 2026. This is the longest gap in EA-SEE history and has caused real anxiety in the candidate community. Three groups are affected differently:

• Mid-progress candidates who passed one or two parts under Prometric: your scores carry over to PSI. There is no re-take requirement.
• First-time candidates: use the blackout to study deeply for OBBBA changes — see our 2026 OBBBA tax law guide. Schedule on May 1 to lock in early July seats.
• Candidates with expiring scores: see the next section.

Score Expiring During the Blackout? Read This.

EA exam scores are valid for three years from the pass date. The blackout does not automatically extend that window. If your earliest part is set to expire between March and June 2026, you cannot simply wait for July testing — you have to act.

Call the IRS Office of Enrollment directly: (855) 472-5540. The IRS has historically granted accommodations for circumstances beyond a candidate's control, and the vendor transition is exactly that. Document your call with the date, the agent's name, and the reference number for any extension granted.

Form 23: After You Pass

Passing all three parts is only step three of four. To actually become an EA, you file Form 23 (Application for Enrollment to Practice Before the IRS) electronically through Pay.gov, or by mail with a check for the $140 fee. The IRS does not publish a target processing time. Recent candidates report a typical end-to-end timeline of about six weeks — for example, one candidate submitted Form 23 on February 26, was approved on April 8, and received the physical license card on April 29. Plan for that range, not the optimistic two-week stories.

Format and Scoring Changes Under PSI

PSI's 2026-2027 Candidate Information Bulletin confirmed several changes to the way the exam itself is structured and scored:

• Three sections instead of one continuous block. Each part is split into three sections: questions 1–34, 35–67, and 68–100, with two scheduled 10-minute breaks between them. (Previously: one 15-minute break after question 50.)
• New scoring scale: 200 to 800, passing score 500. The old 40-to-130 scale with a 105 passing score is retired. Pass reports show only “Pass” with diagnostic info by topic area; fail reports show your scaled score plus topic-level performance.
• Carryover window now permanently 3 years. The COVID-era extension is no longer temporary — passed parts stay valid for 36 months from your pass date.

What Is NOT Changing in 2026

While the testing vendor, fees, scoring scale, and section structure are new, much of the core exam remains identical:

• Three-part structure (Individuals, Businesses, Representation)
• 100 multiple-choice questions per part (85 scored, 15 experimental)
• 3.5 hours (210 minutes) per part
• Annual tax law update cycle — the 2026-2027 window tests 2025 tax law (OBBBA-updated)
• Up to four attempts per part within a single testing window

Fees for the 2026-2027 Window

• PTIN renewal: $19.75
• EA-SEE testing fee: $317 per part (up from $267; no surcharge for remote proctoring)
• Form 23 enrollment fee: $140 (one-time, after passing all three parts)

Frequently Asked Questions

Are EA exams now offered online?

Yes, starting July 1, 2026. PSI offers remote online proctoring for U.S. and international candidates with no additional fee. You can sit for any of the three parts from a private location with a webcam and stable internet.

Can I still take my exam at a Prometric center?

No. Prometric stopped administering the EA-SEE on March 1, 2026. All testing from July 1 onward is through PSI.

When can international candidates schedule and test?

September 1, 2026. International scheduling and testing are both gated to that date — you cannot register on May 1 even if your test will be remote. If you have a U.S. address on your IRS file, you may be able to register on the May 1 domestic date; check with the IRS Office of Enrollment if you are uncertain.

Why is PSI's “Prior Approval” rejecting my registration?

Prior Approval is gated by the IRS suitability check, not PSI. If you are confident your taxes are filed and no balance is owed, call the IRS Office of Enrollment at (855) 472-5540 and have them verify your status. PSI cannot approve registrations unilaterally.

My passing scores will expire during the blackout. What do I do?

Call (855) 472-5540 immediately and explain the timing conflict caused by the Prometric-to-PSI transition. The IRS evaluates extensions case by case — but you must contact them. Scores do not auto-extend.

Will the exam questions be harder under PSI?

No. Difficulty is set by the IRS content outlines and the IRS-controlled item bank, not the testing vendor. Pass rates are expected to stay in the historical 60-70% range for Parts 1 and 3 and 60% for Part 2.

How long does Form 23 enrollment take after I pass?

The IRS does not publish a target SLA. Recent candidates report roughly six weeks from filing to receiving the physical license card. Filing electronically through Pay.gov is faster than mailing a check.

Conclusion

The PSI transition is a net upgrade for the EA program: free remote proctoring, nearly double the in-person test centers, and a modernized registration flow. The 2026 blackout is an unusual, one-time disruption — the schedule normalizes to the standard May-to-February cycle in 2027.

Use the blackout to lock in OBBBA tax law updates and run timed practice. Use our readiness assessment to identify weak domains, then book your July seats the moment registration opens on May 1.