I'm taking Series 57 next week. Been using Knopman Marks materials to study. Is there anyone who's taking it? (doesn't matter if failed or passed) What should I expect? I heard real test is much harder than the practice one. I feel like i'm not well prepared. Any advice would help
It is like Mr. Morse says. If you feel you are not ready, don't do it. Imagine yourself taking flying lessons in a small aircraft. So after a certain amount of time the instructor will jump out of the plane and say to you, "K, you are on your own. Good luck". How confident is your ability to fly and then land the plane all by yourself? If you feel you are not ready, just don't do it. Take as much time as you need to practice.
There was another thread on this board about the 57, and it sounds like the Knopman materials are the best. I am studying for it as well, since my 7 expired, and I am getting back into the prop game. But I have no deadline, and I am just taking my time. The practice exams are always easier than the real thing. I failed my 7 the first time after scoring in the 90's on my practice exams while using 3 year old STC material, and I was way too confident. It was stupid, but I trusted my manager when he handed the materials to me. I had no idea what I was getting into. Then I got my own study guide and did well the 2nd time around. If you are using current materials, you should be ok. Just use your remaining time to review and review some more. And keep hammering out the exams. If you know everything there is to know in the book and practice exams, you should be fine. Like I said, I haven't taken the 57, but I have sat through the 6 1/2 hour Series 7. Twice. (embarrassing, but true) If you feel like you're not prepared, then you are probably not. Do what it takes to go into the room while feeling confident. If that means doing the online classes or on demand reviews, then do it. I am going to do all of it. I'm not failing this one.
I haven't taken the 57, but I did take the 7 and 66. I used Kaplan as my study aide, and I found that reading out of a book and memorizing everything was a waste of time. The study questions that Kaplan gave were far more useful for me. So after I passed the 7, I didn't even open the 66 textbook once. I just did a bunch of practice questions the week before and passed. I have to admit I got a bit lucky, as I got 75% which is exactly the required level to pass. But don't go off exactly what I say. Personally, I am not good at memorizing material that I read. I much prefer to learn by "doing".
I used the Knopman material and passed. I am new to the industry and have not taken any other FINRA exams. Here's what I recommend: Read the book twice Do at least 3000 practice questions (yes 3000) Score in the 90's on full length practice exams Take the "Benchmark Exam" two or three times Review the "Knopman Notes" in the book Read through the "Additional Points of Reference" emails several times. They have info not covered in the book or practice questions. Remember, this is coming from someone with no previous experience or education in the financial industry. And I BARELY passed. As others have said, don't be afraid to reschedule the exam for a later date if you don't think you're ready. Hope this helps. Good luck!
I took the 57 last week after failing the 1st time. I used STC study materials and took the exams once. Took them again before the second try and passed. My biggest recommendation is learn the material instead of memorizing. You will need to analyze the questions on the exam closely to draw a conclusion. There were also no roman numerals on my exam. Study study study! GL
I took the 57 last spring. Used Knopman also. Hadn't studied for a test in 15 years so I wasn't looking forward to it. I figured complete immersion in the subject for a week would be better for me than studying a little over the course of weeks or months. So I booked Friday for the following Saturday. Read the book Saturday and Sunday then I took online practice exams for about 6 hours a day Monday-Thursday, went over the highlighted material Friday and took the test on Saturday. Got a 79 which is as good as 100 The test was harder than I thought it would be. If you don't legitimately study you won't pass. I had been trading full time for over 17 years when I took the test, and outside of some basic trading questions it really didn't help me at all on the test. MOST IMPORTANTLY- take all the online practice tests, and the day before your test go back and read just the highlighted material in the book. Good luck! P.S.- Bring/wear a hoodie with you into the test center. My room was like a meat locker.