It seems that FINRA’s online testing is delayed once again. No sooner did I send out the blog post from last week did they announce the delay. Remember that originally the online testing was supposed to officially start on May 24. That no longer seems to be the case. FINRA’s website explains that the SRO “… has decided to extend the validation period…” We don’t have much more detail unfortunately. But what we do know is that no new dates were given. With that said, let’s talk about what this means.
FINRA’s Online Testing is Delays…Leading to More Delays
Many of our students at Professional Exam Tutoring were eager to get their test over with. The online testing helped achieve that while a lot of testing centers are still on lock down (due to COVID-19). Unfortunately, the latest delay doesn’t help things. As an SIE Exam tutor we know many students that have tried to book exam dates with Prometric and found no availability before August. The backlog of students that haven’t been tested in the last two months is piling up. The online testing would have helped relieve that backlog.
Prometric Testing Centers Reopening
Prometric’s testing centers opened for essential services as of May 1, but are expected to reopen June 1 with strict social distancing guidelines. With only about two weeks to go, students with June exams should prepare. Those that need to book a date still should try to get on top of that ASAP. Our students have found success in booking exams such as the Series 6 and Series 63 in June, but the SIE and Series 7 Top-Off exams have much longer waiting periods.
How do I Prepare…for August!?
If you have already studied fairly thoroughly and you need to maintain what you know, then we highly recommend you find a way to work in periodic review at least twice a week. This should involve a rotation of questions from different sections, or just comprehensive practice exams (at least 2 per week). The goal is to keep as much of the material fresh until about late June as you can. Why? Because in late June you should start studying again as if you are learning the material for the first time. It’s unfortunate, but a reality. Although FINRA’s online testing is delayed, hopefully you will only have to go through this once! If you need help with tutoring or video courses, check us out. Good luck!