The short version
Part 2 of the Special Enrollment Examination (SEE) is the business part of the Enrolled Agent exam. It covers business entities, business tax preparation, and specialized returns such as trusts, exempt organizations, retirement plans, farms, and rentals. Exams taken from July 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027 follow tax law as amended through December 31, 2025, with questions set in calendar year 2025. This guide is based on the IRS Candidate Information Bulletin revised October 9, 2026.
What the exam is
The IRS runs the SEE. Passing all three parts, plus a suitability check, lets you apply to become an Enrolled Agent (EA), a credential that allows you to represent taxpayers before the IRS. The IRS grants the credential, not us and not the test vendor. Part 1 covers individuals, Part 2 covers businesses, and Part 3 covers representation, practices, and procedures. You may take the parts in any order.
Part 2 rewards people who can recognize which rule applies. A typical question gives you a small business, a transaction, and four plausible treatments, and asks for the single best one. You are expected to know partnership and S corporation basis, how corporate distributions are taxed, what a business can deduct, how assets are depreciated, and which form reports what.
Who it is for
Anyone who wants the EA credential: tax preparers moving from individual returns into business returns, bookkeepers, accounting students, career changers, and CPAs or attorneys who want the designation. The IRS sets no degree or experience requirement for sitting the exam. What you do need before you can schedule is a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN), which you obtain online from the IRS.
Format at a glance
| Item | What the IRS bulletin says |
|---|---|
| Questions | 100 multiple-choice questions per part |
| Scored questions | 85 count; 15 are unscored experimental items you cannot identify |
| Time | 3.5 hours of exam time; appointments are booked for 4 hours |
| Options | Four options per question, choose the single best answer |
| Score scale | 200 to 800; 500 is the passing score |
| Delivery | Computer-based, at a PSI test center or remotely proctored (remote testing is for candidates in the U.S.) |
| Calculator | On-screen only; the exam is closed book |
| Retakes | Up to four attempts per part in a testing window |
| Current window | July 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027; no testing in March and April |
More detail is on the exam format page. The fee is set by the IRS and the test vendor and can change, so check it when you schedule. We do not print it here.
The three domains
The bulletin lists the number of scored questions for each domain. The percentages below are our own arithmetic on those counts (out of 85).
| Domain | Scored questions | Approximate share |
|---|---|---|
| Business Entities and Considerations | 30 | 35% |
| Business Tax Preparation | 37 | 44% |
| Specialized Returns and Taxpayers | 18 | 21% |
Business Entities and Considerations
Sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, S corporations, LLCs, and tax-exempt entities. This is where basis lives: a partner’s basis, a shareholder’s basis, and the rules for contributions, distributions, liquidations, and redemptions.
Business Tax Preparation
The largest domain. Business income, cost of goods sold, deductions and credits, depreciation and Section 179, the QBI deduction, asset basis and disposition, accounting methods, book-to-tax reconciliation, and advising business clients.
Specialized Returns and Taxpayers
Trust and estate income tax, exempt organizations, retirement plans, farmers, and rental property.
Which tax year do the questions follow?
For exams taken between July 1, 2026 and February 28, 2027, the IRS says all references are to the Internal Revenue Code, regulations, IRS forms, instructions, and publications as amended through December 31, 2025. Unless a question says otherwise, it relates to calendar year 2025. You should ignore legislation, court decisions, and penalty amounts after that date. Dollar limits, depreciation rules, and thresholds change every year, so material written for another year can teach you wrong answers. See domains explained for the items most likely to be out of date.
Official source
The IRS page for Enrolled Agents and the Candidate Information Bulletin on the PSI test-taker site are the authorities if anything here differs.
More guides for SEE-PART2
- SEE Part 2 Study Plan: 4 and 8 Weeks
- SEE Part 2 Sample Questions With Answers
- Is SEE Part 2 Hard? An Honest Look
- SEE Part 2 Prerequisites: What You Need
- SEE Part 2 Retakes and EA Renewal Explained
- Is SEE Part 2 Worth It? An Honest Look
- SEE Part 2 Cheat Sheet: Key Facts to Review
- SEE Part 2 vs Part 3: Which First?
- SEE Part 1 vs Part 2: Which First?
Next step
Read the domains explained page to see where your hours should go. When you want to measure yourself, our SEE Part 2 practice tests are original practice sets written to the 2025 tax year. They are not IRS material and are not endorsed by the IRS.
Frequently asked questions
Who runs the exam?
The IRS sets the content and owns the credential. For the current testing window, PSI schedules and delivers the exam. Older guides may name a different vendor, so use the current bulletin.
Do I have to take Part 1 first?
No. The IRS says the parts can be taken in any order and at your convenience.
How long does a passing score last?
A passing score on a part can be carried over for three years from the date you passed it. You must pass all three parts within that carryover period.
Is the exam the same every year?
No. The content outline is similar, but the tax year changes, and so do the limits and rules tested. The IRS also pauses testing in March and April each year while the exam is updated.