Series 65 Struggles :(

Put a lot of time into studying for the 65 so far and I’m still struggling to score well. Any tips/advice would be appreciated. Trying to pass by the end of the month!

To elaborate, this is my first securities exam, I went through all the chapters and I’m failing all the exams. Everything is pretty weak so I don’t know what specific sections to focus on. I have the end of August as a target test date. Is passing doable? How can i narrow things down or do I have to restart completely? Please help.

Additionally, I know I’m doing the exams very quickly. However, if the question looks completely foreign to me, I feel like just giving it a guess and moving on is the best thing I can do. Reading the question again won’t magically help me know it.

Hi @Guadalupe_Bayer You’ve logged about 43 hours so far in the Series 65 course. For most people, it takes around 75 hours to be fully prepared, so you’re just over halfway there in terms of study time. The Series 65 covers a lot of material, and it’s normal to feel overwhelmed at this stage, especially if this is your first securities exam.

Your study report shows that you’ve been moving through the reading sections fairly quickly. I’d recommend slowing down and giving yourself more time to digest the concepts. After each reading section, take the quiz carefully, and for every question you miss, review the explanation until you understand why the correct answer is correct and why your answer was wrong. This is where a lot of learning happens.

Since your scores are weak across the board, I don’t think you need to restart completely, but I do suggest going back through the sections you scored lowest and improving your scores. Right now, I’d pause the full-length practice exams and shift to targeted review, re-reviewing the sections and quizzes until you understand the concepts.

You can pass by the end of August, but you’ll need to review thoroughly and ensure you’re learning the material rather than just moving through it.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Mataia

Can you define struggling in terms of scores? If you are in the 60s, that is not terrible given how many hours you have logged. If you are below 60, you might want to consider re-reading some chapters.

Go to series 65 exam reddit. Retake any quiz you fail at least once until it’s time for final exams. Then reread any section you are weak on.

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I started studying in May. I initially planned to take the final exam in July, but I started a new job and didn’t have time to dedicate myself to it. At least I had already finished the course.

I resumed reviewing on August 29th. I started with topic 4 and am finishing topic 1. I opted to review the more difficult ones. In this last week, I reworked over 700 questions. My goal is to reach 10,000 questions answered and understood, just like I did with the SIE, so I’m fully prepared.

Current status: 6,156 questions answered and 140 hours of study time. I’m almost there! :folded_hands:

@Paula_Farias You’re making incredible progress; over 6,000 questions is a huge accomplishment! As you get closer to your goal, don’t forget to mix in some full practice exams. These will give you the best sense of how you’ll perform on test day. Try to take them under real exam conditions: limit distractions, avoid instant feedback mode, and use the full time available.

After each practice test, review the exam summary to see how you did overall, and focus your restudy on the sections where you scored the lowest. That way, you’ll keep strengthening your weaker areas and build the confidence you need going into the real thing.

Keep pushing forward, you’re almost there! :raising_hands:

Best,
Mataia