To the casual observer, studying appears to be anything but a high intensity calorie-burning exercise. Those in the thick of it, may beg to differ. And, especially for the Series 66 endurance is required.
What makes this exam so hard for a lot of students is often the timing of it. In today’s post we break down what makes the timing of this exam so challenging.
Series 66 Endurance…Almost There!
The Series 66 exam difficulty level is high enough. What typically adds to the stress of this exam is its placement in the order of taking the required FINRA and NASAA exams. Most students take this exam last. Unfortunately, we have no secret remedy to this.
The SIE Exam should come first (it’s the introductory exam in becoming a registered representative). The Series 7 exam is a logical next step – since it is a more advanced version of the SIE Exam. This leaves the Series 66 Exam as the last and final one before becoming fully licensed. By the time students get there though, most are tired, if not burned out, from studying.
This is not the only timing issue many students have with this exam.
Expecting Miracles in a Month
Another reason why Series 66 endurance is required, is because of the timing imposed by some employers. Many employers create arbitrarily rigid schedules. This can lead to strenuous and unproductively long study hours. It also has a paradoxically expensive outcome for employers. A higher percentage of their new employees may fail, and thus eventually get fired. The employer then must invest more time and training in a new crop of students/employees. These new students/employees then have the same short time frame to pass. In the end, giving a student an extra week or two can make all of the difference. And, when someone has signaled their competency by passing the other required exams, then why not?
From our experience at Professional Exam Tutoring, most students pass this exam when given enough time. The time required for any one student can differ greatly but most employers don’t consider this. To give you an idea of when you’re ready, once you’re scoring in the mid-80s on a consistent basis (typically with Kaplan) then you’re good to go. Otherwise, consider requesting more time and see if you can get it.
Overall, this exam is the last in a series of grueling exams. If you need more time, definitely ask for it. Good luck!