It looks like I have to take the SIE to be able to take the Series 7, but what is the best timeline to take all of them? Thanks, guys I appreciate it!

Just passed the 7 this past Friday! I used deans videos and Kaplan and was scoring mid 80s on most of my simulated exams. I finished the exam with about 110 minutes to spare and felt confident about it.

I’m immediately jumping into studying for the 63 and am wondering about the comparison in terms of difficulty for those who have done both. Obviously I know there is less content but I just wanted opinions from people on how the exams compare in terms of difficulty, thanks!

So for whatever reason or tax implication my b/d had me take the 7 then 63 instead of just the 66. Currently not in a role that requires the 65/66 but I want to know if for the long run if it would be better to go the 65 route rather than just taking the 66.

I heard that the 66 no longer requires sponsorship but I’m confused on whether or not the 66 expires or that if I still need a series 7 active for the 66 to be accepted.

I don’t want to stay at my firm forever and would like advice on which path to take for a flexible future in finance and investment analyzation/management.

This community is awesome and helped me pass the 7 with the devils draw and the 63 with 4 days to study.

Thank you all!

Hi all - I just passed the Series 7 this morning! As others have said, it was a tough exam. I used STC & Kaplan Q bank to prepare. If you plan to take the exam soon, don’t forget to look at the STC crunch time facts/Kaplan updates!!

I’m moving onto the Series 63 next - going to try and knock it out relatively quickly! How long has it taken y’all from when you started studying to when you sat for the exam?

While I expect the CFA level 1 to be much more extensive and rigorous than the Series licensing exams, I was wondering how similar the material is? I will be obtaining my series licensing regardless but am curious, given enough similarities, if it might be a good idea to put in the extra time and to test and obtain both simultaneously.

I am aware you need to be sponsored, I just have no idea how to go about this and what would be the most convenient way? I just graduated and have quite a bit of knowledge on managing brokerage accounts, and I would definitely say this is my passion, my dream job requires these licenses so any information would help, thank you so much.

I want to tell my story about how I passed the FINRA and NASAA exams.

Background of myself: I don’t have a degree in finance; actually in computer science. I have certifications in FinTech and Business Fundamentals. I had good “street knowledge” of the finance industry but not a lot of professional studies. Not necessarily the best test taker.

I got hired at Vanguard and was required to pass the SIE before my start date. I used passperfect, the program they paid for, during this whole process. For the SIE, I spent 1-2 hours a day for a week going through the course material and taking the quizzes and chapter exams. Got an average of a 72. The day before, I spent 10 hours taking 6 practice exams, averaged 72. I passed the SIE and felt confident about my results.

I then had 6 weeks to study for the Series 7. I learned that passperfect is good for learning the material but the final exams are not properly weighted to mimic the actual exam. I definitely didn’t study the whole time but slowly worked through all the modules and chapter exams a week before my exam. The 4 days before the exam, I spent 8-12 hours per day taking practice exams on Kaplan. I took 10 practice exams, my best score was 72 and got 4 (69) in a row. I passed my Series 7 and felt confident as well.

2 weeks later, I had to take my Series 63. I literally only studied the day before for 8 hours and then 4 hours the day of the exam. I used passperfect to read the first sentence of the paragraphs, skipped all exams and quizzes. Watched videos on YouTube about the 63, and took 5 Kaplan final exams. First exam got a 55. The next 3 I got above a 70. Took the exam and passed, but felt a little less confident about it lol.

I HIGHLY recommend Kaplan for there simulated exams:

1. The language is more similar than passperfect to the actual exam. Plus, taking an exam from two vendors is recommended to get a feel of adapting to different language and phrasing.

2. The sections are actually weighted to what you will see on the exam. Passperfect has a filthy habit of over asking on advanced options or stuff you will rarely see

3. You can view score as you go, which is huge. Use these exams as learning tools. Write down every wrong answer by looking down at the explanation they provide. This is my PRIMARY study strategy for exams.

4. The statistics about your exam results are way more intuitive and can be compared against previous result. You can view categories you are weak in, and make a custom quiz on just those sections.

MOST IMPORTANT TIPS

Series 7 gufu & Capital Advantage Tutoring are the best resource available. Watch there YouTube videos on every single one of these exams. They were a fundamental cornerstone to my learning process. They are truly experts. I highly recommend watching the videos where they go through an entire practice exam with commentary. That was honestly incredibly helpful. Watch the 60 min overview on each of the exams the day before the exam and the day of driving to the parking lot.

BOTTOM LINE

These exams are earned not given. You can not BS or hope your way through this. You need to do absolutely whatever is required to be ready for the exam. No one cares about your excuses. Each person has a rate of efficiency that they can learn at. Some people are faster learners than others. Identify where you fall on the spectrum and commit. Whatever reason you are taking these exams should be beyond just passing these exams. We all want to work in the financial industry and reap the rewards of a prosperous industry. IT IS EARNED BY DEDICATION AND HARDWORK. There is a X amount of time each person needs in order to pass this test. It’s not a battle of intelligence, it’s a battle of effort. I can’t inspire you and don’t care about people not will to put in the effort, but I wanted to share my story so people can use it to help them through this journey.

Goodluck everyone!

Hello all. Last summer/fall I passed the SIE, Series 6, and Series 63 using PassPerfect. The SIE and 6 I passed on the first try and 63 on the second try. I did well on the SIE practice exams for PassPerfect (averaging high 70s/low 80s). My current job I work mostly on maintenance for retirement accounts backed by variable annuities, fixed annuities, and mutual funds.

My manager mentioned today taking the 7 as it will allow for more opportunities and growth within the company.

I was just wondering what peoples experience was taking the SIE then series 7. In my experience, the SIE prepped me very well for the 6 and wondering if the same could be said for the 7?

Also what would good material for the 7. Manager and a lot of other places recommend Kaplan.

How much more difficult is the Series 7 and Series 66 Exam vs the Series 6 and Series 63 Exam, respectively?

I’ve been in the industry for 12 years now and got my 6/63 back in 2015, Friday I passed the 65. Now I’m looking to get the Series 7 and wondering how it stacks up to my current licenses as far as the test goes. I’m mostly trying to decide how long I’ll need to study. Thanks!

My new employer has stated that I need to pass all three licensing exams within a month or I cannot continue employment. Is this unreasonable? Basic/moderate finance background of ~3 years.

Hello,

Brief background: Reservist/Active military currently while in school pursuing my MBA in Finance. I have another 10 months before I have to decide whether or not to pursue officer or get out.
Long Term Vision: Owning my own firm and providing a unique blend of financial planning/education.

I need others opinion (especially those who are already in the field) on which route I should go. Should I pursue my CFP first OR pursue SIE and the other certifications (I'm seeing that those are required to work or at least need to be acquired in the first few months of working somewhere where they'll sponsor.)

What do you y'all think?

Friends, after taking the Series 65, would you study for the Series 7 or Series 63 immediately afterwards?

Trying to make the most efficient decision and capitalize / maximize on any overlap between the Series 65 and the Series 7/63. I already passed the SIE.

Edit: I will be working at a BD.

A little background: Job prospects were not looking too good and my CFA Level 1 examination was canceled. To make the best of my situation at that time, I started studying for the Series 65. Afterwards I was fortunate enough to receive a job offer from a BD that requires me to take the Series 7 and Series 63 and in short order.

I thank you in advance for your insight.

My company would like me to study and take the S63 exam before the SIE / S7. I would appreciate thougths on if you think this is efficient and why,

I’m currently in the process of getting my Series 7 and 63 and I’m wondering how much of this will translate to the CFA exam. I’ve read some places that it will help prepare me but I’m interested to see who has a 7/63 and has taken the CFA recently. If so, roughly how much of what’s on the 7 will be on the CFA?

Realistically I wouldn’t take the CFA exam for a couple years but I want to start preparing now. Do you recommend any YouTube channels or other material besides the test prep?

Thanks for any info or recommendations.

Can’t believe I am finally done with licensing, never thought I would be where I am now. Thought it was super ambitious of me to attempt these tests as I am a horrible test taker and math is not my strong suit. For anyone doubting themselves, I know you can do it. If you put the time in, you can get it done. Studied and tested from March until late May. Put about 5-8 hours in everyday with a day off here and there. I used Kaplan and I can’t recommend it enough. If you have any questions please ask!