Series 65 Exam Study Guide   by DJ Canu

in Finance / PersonalFinance    (submitted 2011-11-16)

T-minus 30 days and counting…

In order to successfully pass the exam in your first try, you need to give yourself plenty of time to review and practice. If you don't pass on your first try you'll have to wait 30-days to retake the exam so be sure to allow plenty of time to study. Here are the essential steps…

Step 1:
Cover a chapter in your study guide no less than every couple of days. At first, skim over the section. Get an outline about the material covered. You're not opting for retention here, just an overview. After going over the chapter, re-read it with highlighter and pen in hand. Highlight crucial text and make notes inside the margins. Don't be concerned with the pop-quizes or sample tests just yet, concentrate on ferreting out the key material.

Step 2:
Assess the chapter you just completed. With 3 x 5 index cards in hand begin to make flash cards with the essential information you highlighted and notes you wrote in the margins. Put a single question or topic on the front side of each card and the answer on the back. Once you get that whole chapter onto 3 x 5 note cards, promptly review them. Repeat this for each section.

Step 3:
Bring your finished notecards everywhere with you. When you happen to be on a break, walking the dog, or at lunch review them. Review as often as possible. You are opting for repetition here. Repetition will insure proper memory recall later. Also, repeat the information and facts aloud when possible, the more of your senses you employ the better your memory is going to be during the exam!

Step 4:
You should be about a fortnight from your Series 65 exam date now. It's time for you to take the sample quizes. Go into a silent room, where you won't be interrupted, with a blank sheet of paper and pen. Grab a kitchen egg timer and set it for three hours and begin taking a practice quiz. No cheating. You need a good assessment of what you know and don't know. In the event you come to a question you're uncertain of try and eliminate several of the answers. What do you know about the question? Don't take a long time. Make your very best guess and write that question number down on your notepad. If you've time towards the end, you can re-read those questions you had trouble with. Often times the answer is now perfectly clear.

Step 5:
Grade your responses. For the questions you got wrong or guessed at (even though you guessed correctly) make new 3 x 5 note cards for all those questions and review all of your new note cards whenever possible. Take a least 24 hours off to review ALL of your note cards between sample quiz days. Duplicate steps 4 & 5 until the day before the test.

Step 6:
T-minus tomorrow! Worried? Don't be you have prepared well. The day before the exam is very important. Don't stay up too late studying. Eat an excellent meal for supper and acquire ample restful sleep (at the least 6-8 hours). Also the morning of the test, be sure you eat a good meal, but don't stuff yourself. You want that blood inside your head, not your belly! Get up a bit earlier and get to your test location about 30-45 minutes before your exam. Bring your note cards and review them inside your automobile ahead of the exam. Then… Success!!!

Other Useful Tips:
- Know the physical location of the test center before the morning of. The last thing you need is to get lost on the way to the exam.
- Bring ear plugs. Sometimes the centers are loud.
- Carry a minimum of two current kinds of ID to the exam center.
- Go slow. Study each question twice to prevent any carless blunders.
- Think positive. What if everything works out perfectly?

Good luck. You'll do great!

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