First off, this was my first time using any sort of guide for a standardized test. While I passed on my 1st try, there were A LOT of differences between what was taught and what I was tested on. I saw 10+ questions with terms I either have never seen before and have never seen in that wording/phrasing. It wasn’t very hard to figure out what “concentration risk” was but that wasn’t a term I had seen in the study guide. There were others that weren’t easy to figure out.
I’d still recommend this study guide but you should absolutely take the practice test on FINRA’s website (Practice Test for the Securities Industry Essentials Exam (SIE) | FINRA.org ) a few times before you take the test to get used to the vocabulary change. Unlimited practice tests and self-learning flashcards are so helpful that this is still worth it, can’t wait for more of these to come out!
FINRA exams are a moving target given the language and concepts tested change over time, often without warning. Concentration risk is in reference to a lack of diversification. The more concentrated you are in an investment, the bigger your position, and the less you’re diversified. I’ll go ahead and add the term to our materials given your experience.
And yes, FINRA’s SIE practice exam is a great resource! In fact, I’m going to add a tidbit about it in the Wrapping up chapter of the SIE program. The only limitation is the set of questions. Although anyone can take the practice exam an unlimited number of times, it’s the same 75 questions every time. It’s a great idea to take the exam and review it (they’ll tell you what you got right and wrong, but do not provide explanations). Use your Achievable materials to cross-reference the questions you got wrong in attempt to figure out the “why.”
Another factor to consider is the difficulty of the exam you were given. It’s quite possible you were presented with an exam heavily weighted with obscure topics that most people get wrong. That’s why it’s very important to understand FINRA’s test scoring / scaling system, which we cover in the Wrapping up chapter. Sounds like you kept your confidence in spite of the weird questions! Great job!
Either way, you passed, and we’re stoked for you and your future career! Best of luck to you, whatever your next steps are! Also, thanks for the feedback! If you want to share any other thoughts on your overall experience, feel free to DM me anytime.
I have failed the SIE twice so far with a 66% and after that, I started using achievable. I have noticed that there has been some material on here that I did not see on Kaplan but it wasn’t on the SIE either.
That’s awesome that you passed on the first try! woohoo!
We’ve now updated our material to include concentration risk. You can find this information in the non-systematic risks section of the Common Stock chapter.