Lambers EA Review Course

Lambers EA Review offers training products to help you self-study for the Special Enrollment Examination for the Enrolled Agent (EA) credential. In this article, I’ll go over some of the strengths and weaknesses of this review program to help you decide if Lambers is right for you.

Background of Lambers

Vincent W. Lambers started Lambers CPA Review in Boston in 1966. Although Vincent’s first class only had 6 students, the company quickly grew to become the largest live instruction CPA review provider in New England. In the late 1990s, Lambers expanded and began to offer EA reviews, too. Now that Lambers has incorporated online and on-demand programs, it has helped hundreds of thousands of professionals prepare for accounting certification exams.

Today, Lambers, Inc. provides review courses for the EA, AFSP, and CPA Exams. NASBA, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy also includes Lambers in the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. The registry consists of providers of continuing professional education (CPE) with CPE programs that meet specific national standards. So, if you need credits for another accounting profession, check out the Lambers CPA CPE and Lambers IRS Continuing Education courses.

Lambers EA Review Course Overview

Lambers EA Review gives you everything you need to pass the EA Exam on the first time. Although the Lambers products are available to purchase separately, I strongly suggest considering the Complete EA Bundle, which Lambers is making available at a considerably reduced price for my readers. The bundle everything mentioned below.

Video Courseware (55+ hours)

In the video lessons, the instructors both lecture and work through sample problems. The professor-led lectures lead you through the Lambers textbooks, chapter by chapter, explaining complicated problems on the screen. There is a quiz at the end of each lesson. Plus, you can access the video courseware from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Lambers Textbooks

Authored by credentialed professionals, the textbooks cover all 3 exam parts. The textbooks are available as digital files. Consequently, there are no printed copies of the Lambers EA books available for purchase. However, you can print the digital books if you desire.

Lambers Test Prep Database (2,100+ questions)

All of the questions in the Lambers EA test prep database are proprietary. So, they do not license old questions like the competition does, a fact that’s a significant differentiator. Lambers EA doesn’t use past questions for previous syllabus versions that no longer apply like some of the other courses (which they may do to boost their question count).

Additionally, each question comes with detailed answer explanations that Lambers links to corresponding IRS publications and other study materials. Plus, you can load the Test Prep database on up to 3 devices so you’ll be able to access it no matter where you’re studying.

Lambers Flash Trainer (450+ flashcards)

The Complete EA Bundle also includes over 450 electronic flashcards that you can view online or print for your convenience. They cover key terms, formulas, and definitions. Plus, if you use the online version, the software monitors your progress.

E-Learning Platform

The Lambers products use an online e-learning platform that adapts as you master content. The adaptive technology offered by Lambers helps you avoid studying the material you already know.

Mock Exams

The Lambers software includes three modes: Pretest Mode, Adaptive Drill Mode, and a Simulated Mode that uses mock exams to test your knowledge.

Support from Accounting Experts

Lambers’ knowledgeable instructors are available to answer your questions and help you work through concepts that are difficult to grasp.

Lambers EA Cost

The Lambers products are available to purchase separately. However, my readers have access to a special 70% discount if you select the Complete EA Bundle, which has a final cost of only $499.

Find out how that compares to other EA Course discounts.

Strengths of Lambers EA Review

Thanks to their qualified instructors, great platform, content-focused instruction, and flexible purchase options, Lambers is considered to be among the best EA Prep options

Lambers Instructors

All of the Lambers instructors have higher academic degrees (bachelor’s to doctorates) and rely on their considerable real-world experience. For example, Eva Rosenberg (EA, CTC, CTRS) teaches many of the video lessons. She developed an EA Review course at UCLA over 20 years ago and has been helping professionals pursue the EA credential ever since. Also known as TaxMama, she has her own website that offers live tax advice.

Lambers Adaptive Platform

Lambers uses an adaptive learning platform that organizes and focuses your studies. The platform is clean and easy to navigate, even if you don’t think you’re “tech-savvy.” The software uses what Lambers refers to as a “unique triple testing methodology” with three modes. First, the pretest mode establishes your baseline content knowledge through a diagnostic exam before you start your EA Exam studies. Second, the Adaptive Drill Mode focuses on your weak content areas. Through a custom study plan, Lambers uses repeated drills to reinforce concepts. All of the questions have explanations to the answers that are linked to an electronic study guide. And finally, the Simulated Mode presents timed sample exams to test your readiness for the “real thing” on exam day.

Content-Focused

The Lambers instruction philosophy focuses on the material that is most likely to appear on the EA Exam. They avoid obscure topics that probably won’t be tested so that you don’t waste a single minute of your precious study time. Plus, the instructors give you test-taking tactics to earn a few extra points that could make the difference between a passing and failing score.

Free Update on Lambers Video Courseware

When you start on your journey to becoming an EA, you might not consider factors like whether the EA Exam review course you purchase has updatable study materials. However, the IRS can alter the content on the EA Exam from time to time. Therefore, you must use an updatable review course. Otherwise, you might be stuck with study tools that cover outdated content (previous versions of the IRS SEE Syllabus) that will no longer appear on the exam.

All of Lambers Video Courseware comes with free updates one year after purchase. And since everything is online, you won’t have to incur costly shipping costs. Also, after one year, you can still update your video courseware for half of the current selling price.

Personal Support

When you purchase the Complete EA Bundle, you’ll also get free support from the Lambers instructors. Course author Eva Rosenberg, AKA TaxMama, will answer any questions that you might have about the study material or how to work out a complex problem. This type of personalized support can make a big difference in your studies and can really help you get a passing score on the EA Exam.

The Lambers Guarantee

Lambers is so confident in their product that they offer a money-back guarantee. If you fail the EA Exam twice, the company will refund your purchase price. There’s no time limit for this guarantee—they will refund your purchase if you fail twice, no matter how many months or years have passed between your attempts.

However, there are a few catches. You must provide proof of your original purchase, return the Lambers software, and submit your failing exam notices within 30 days of receiving your 2nd failed notice from the IRS.

Option to Purchase Individual Sections

Lambers gives you the option to purchase reviews for individual sections of the 3-part EA Exam. Although you get considerable savings if you are buying the Complete EA Bundle, you can purchase separate products if you just need help studying Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3.

Weaknesses of Lambers EA Review

While working to become an enrolled agent, quality study materials are important.

Dry Lectures

The video lessons are thoughtfully prepared and cover all of the material needed to pass the EA Exam. However, they are dry. The videos are basically slide presentations with voice-overs from the instructors. But still, if you follow along and take notes, the videos are packed with good information.

Also, Lambers plans to integrate more face-time into next year’s lectures to make them more engaging.

Lastly, while the Lambers courseware is a little dry and might be improved by a little more face-time from Eva Rosenberg, the vast amount of video content Lambers offers compared to the competition, 55+ hours, more than makes up for it.

No Free Trial

I wish Lambers offered a free trial. Some other providers give you a pass to check out all of their materials for a limited time, like a few days or a week. However, Lambers does have a sample video lecture than can be viewed on the Lambers website for free.

No Free Update on Textbooks and Flashcards

Free updates are not available for the textbooks or the Lambers Flash Trainer flashcards. If you want to update these materials after your initial purchase, you will have to re-purchase them.

Cost If Purchased Separately

Lambers is giving my readers a significant price break on the Complete EA Bundle. However, if you aren’t one of my readers or if you need to purchase individual products, Lambers offerings are more expensive than others on the market.

FAQs

Do I Really Need an EA Study Course?

The EA Exam is rigorous. It covers almost every aspect of federal taxation representation, practices, and procedures. Even though the pass rate is higher than some other accounting certification exams, it still only has a pass rate of about 69%. If you don’t want to have to worry about retaking the exam, I suggest investing in a review course.

How Hard is the EA Exam?

Although the pass rates for the EA Exam are higher than in some other accounting exams, the exam is still considered difficult. You can learn more about pass rates on I Pass the EA Exam.

Does Lambers Have Hard-Copy Textbooks?

No, the Lambers EA Review comes with electronic copies of textbooks. Hard copies are not available. However, you can print the texts if you like to highlight or take notes directly in your textbook.

Does Lambers Have a Free Trial?

No, Lambers EA Review does not offer a free trial of its products. However, you can find a sample video lesson on the Lambers website to get a feel of the lecture style. Also, if you provide your contact information, you can sign up for a free tour of the other Lambers features.

Is Lambers EA Review Still in Business?

A few of my readers have contacted me to ask if Lambers is still in business. I’m not sure of the origins of this question. Maybe it’s because an older and outdated version of the Lambers website is still floating around in cyberspace. But rest assured, Lambers EA Review is definitely still in business and going strong.

What’s the Lambers Pass Rate?

Lambers does not publish the Special Enrollment Exam pass rate for the EA candidates who study with Lambers. However, to give you confidence in their products, Lambers does offer a money-back guarantee if you fail the EA Exam twice.

How Do I Get the EA?

There are two paths to becoming an Enrolled Agent. According to NAEA (the National Association for Enrolled Agents), you can either take and pass the 3-part Special Enrollment Exam (or also known as the EA Exam) or have a certain number of years of service and technical experience with the IRS. There are specific EA requirements. Therefore, if you are early in your career, passing the EA Exam is the faster way to become an enrolled agent.

Lambers EA Review Recommendation

If you are looking for an EA Review system that uses an e-learning platform and video lectures to teach the material, Lambers could be a good option for you. The adaptive software ensures that you’re only studying your weak content areas. Plus, the test bank includes plenty of questions that appeared on previous exams plus realistic and accurate problems developed by the Lambers team of accounting professionals.

Save 70% on the Lambers EA bundle today!

If you have any questions about Lambers or other EA review providers, please add a comment below—I love hearing from my readers!

About the Author Stephanie Ng

I am the author of How to Pass The CPA Exam (published by Wiley), and I also passed all 4 sections of the CPA Exam on my first try. Additionally, I have led webinars, such as for the Institute of Management Accountants, authored featured articles on websites like Going Concern and AccountingWeb, and I'm also the CFO for the charity New Sight. Finally, I have created other accounting certification websites to help mentor non-CPA candidates. I have already mentored thousands of CPA, CMA, CIA, EA, and CFA candidates, and I can help you too!

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