IRS picks new vendor to administer EA special enrollment exam

The Internal Revenue Service has awarded a contract to PSI Services to develop and administer the special enrollment examination for Enrolled Agents to earn a federal credential for tax professionals.

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Over 29,000 EA-SEE tests are administered every year as part of the IRS Return Preparer Office’s regulatory program. PSI will begin supporting the exam in May and then give test-takers access to more than 550 high-security testing centers across the U.S. starting in July.

PSI will handle scheduling exam appointments, exam development and maintenance, secure test delivery, candidate support, secure data handling and result reporting. Its security steps include AI-enhanced safeguards, advanced ID verification and FedRAMP ready cloud security. 

PSI also offers a testing method known as Linear on the Fly Testing, or LOFT, which generates unique and equivalent exam forms for each test taker by selecting a specific number of questions from a comprehensive item pool. In addition to the U.S. testing centers, PSI plans to offer a first-of-its-kind online proctoring solution for international candidates, maintaining the strict IRS security requirement that all PSI employees with access to sensitive data are U.S. citizens and have undergone a rigorous background screening check. 

As part of the contract, PSI will manage all aspects of test development, using an in-house team of psychometricians and vetted test developers. The company has previously contracted with other parts of the federal government such as the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“We’re honored to support the IRS in advancing its mission of taxpayer service and compliance through the EA-SEE Program,” said PSI CEO Janet Garcia in a statement Tuesday. “Our decades of experience delivering secure high-stakes testing to federal agencies and continued investment to meet federal standards will be utilized in delivery of this program. We look forward to helping the IRS continue to modernize and evolve this vital credential with innovation, security and scale.” 

Prometric, which administers the CPA exam, has been administering the EA-SEE exam up to now. Prometric and the National Association of Enrolled Agents did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“The IRS is committed to maintaining the highest standards for Enrolled Agents as trusted tax professionals,” said Kimberly Rogers, director of the IRS’s Return Preparer Office, in a statement. “Our partnership with PSI delivers not only a secure and candidate-centered testing experience, but also an efficient and adaptable solution that advances our mission and supports the evolving needs of today’s Enrolled Agent candidates.”