Gleim vs HOCK EA Review (2026): Price, Questions, and Best Fit

2026-07-094 min read

Last reviewed: July 21, 2026. Prices and packages can change; verify them on each provider's site before buying.

Gleim EA Review and HOCK International both cover all three SEE parts, but the buying model is different. Gleim sells fixed-price packages with its SmartAdapt platform. HOCK sells a monthly membership built around online books, video and audio lessons, live sessions, and a question bank. The better choice depends less on a generic ranking than on how long you expect to study and how you actually learn.

Quick Comparison

	Gleim EA Review	HOCK International
Advertised price on July 21, 2026	$499 test bank; $699 Traditional; $799 Premium	$119.99/month list price; $59.99/month promotion shown through July 31
Buying model	One-time package	Cancel-anytime membership
Question bank	Large bank; verify the current package count	2,800+ questions across all parts
Personalization	SmartAdapt adjusts the study path	PassMap personalized study plan
Video	Premium advertises 30+ hours	HOCK advertises 45+ hours plus weekly live sessions
Best fit	Candidates who want a fixed package and adaptive self-study	Candidates who want instruction, community, and monthly flexibility

Gleim: The Test Bank King

Gleim's current lineup emphasizes its question bank, answer explanations, mock-exam environment, and SmartAdapt technology. SmartAdapt evaluates performance and directs the learner toward weaker areas as quiz scores change.

The practical advantage is predictable access: choose the test bank, Traditional, or Premium package rather than paying month by month. Premium adds 30+ hours of video instruction. The tradeoff is the larger up-front purchase.

Who should pick Gleim: self-directed learners who want adaptive sequencing, a fixed-price package, and a practice-heavy workflow.

HOCK: instruction plus membership flexibility

HOCK's current EA membership advertises complete online textbooks and audiobooks, 45+ hours of video, 2,800+ multiple-choice questions, nine mock exams, weekly live study sessions, and expert support. Its materials state that they align with the July 1, 2026–February 28, 2027 testing cycle.

The monthly model lowers the initial commitment, but the final cost depends on how many months you remain subscribed. At the advertised $119.99 list price, six months costs about $720; a temporary promotion changes that math, so do not compare only the first month's price.

Who should pick HOCK: learners who value guided instruction, live support, and the option to cancel rather than buying a fixed package.

Where Both Fall Short: Free Practice Volume

Both providers offer ways to preview their materials, but a preview may not tell you whether your real constraint is content knowledge, recall, pacing, or consistency.

This is where EA Dojo fills the gap: 566 free, primary-source-verified practice questions with instant grading, flashcard mode, and no account required. You can start studying immediately while deciding which paid course to supplement with.

The learning research also gives candidates a better way to combine these tools. Use a lecture to build the first mental model, then close it and retrieve the rule under exam conditions. See what the research says about practice questions versus video lectures.

Which Should You Choose?

If you...	Pick
Want the most questions	Gleim
Learn best from videos and live sessions	HOCK
Have some tax experience	Gleim (test bank fills gaps)
Are starting from zero and want instruction	HOCK
Want to start for free	EA Dojo (566 primary-source-verified questions, $0)
Want structured + free practice	HOCK or Gleim + EA Dojo for extra drilling

Start with free practice on EA Dojo to understand your weak areas and see how you learn best. If you're retaining well from practice questions alone, you might not need a paid course at all. Thousands of EAs pass using only free resources.

If you hit a wall, add a paid course that matches the problem: Gleim for a fixed adaptive package, HOCK for instruction and live support. Buying both before diagnosing the gap usually adds cost without fixing the study process.

Start practicing for free →

Dojo Challenge · strike before you scroll

Retrieve it before the explanation retrieves it for you.

Bernice prepared her client's 2025 tax return on January 30, 2026. The client, Rudolf, had claimed three children as his dependents, claiming EITC based on the three children, and also claimed head of household status. Bernice didn't ask any questions about the children, or collect any documents. Rudolf's return was later audited by the IRS, and it was discovered that he had claimed his girlfriend's children, who were not related to him (Rudolf and his girlfriend are not married). All of the EITC credits for the three children, and the HOH status on Rudolf's return were disallowed. What kind of penalty can apply to Bernice, the preparer of the return in this case?

Enter a full practice round →Check readiness

Keep building this concept · 3 related guides

Best EA Study Materials for 2026: Free and Paid OptionsCompare current EA study materials from the IRS, EA Dojo, Gleim, HOCK, Surgent, and Fast Forward by format, price, and best use.Best Enrolled Agent Review Course: Every Option Ranked HonestlyGleim, Hock, Surgent, Fast Forward, and free alternatives ranked by question quality, price, learning style fit, and overall value.Practice Questions vs Video Lectures for the EA Exam: What the Research SaysGleim, HOCK, Becker, Surgent, and Fast Forward all mix instruction with question banks. The research explains which part of that mix actually makes tax rules stick.

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