SERIES 66... Seriously?

I opted for the 65 and studied the walker book on amazon " pass the 65" ; studied 3 hours for 2 nights and passed with no problem. That walker book really helped. Normally if you fail the 66 you can "open the window" for the 65 right away...  good luck! 

Kes, welcome to the forum!

From what I understand, the 66 is a combo of the 63 and 65. I've taken both, but a long time ago, 1992 for the 63, and about 1995 for the 65. The 63 I failed the first time, by one question, had not taken it seriously. No trouble the second time. Then, I took the 65 in 1995, and after about 20 minutes of study, passed with a 90%. The 65 back then was easy, kind of a joke, common sense. I'm not sure if the 65 is still that easy.

Anyway, so many years later, about 5 yrs ago, some of my colleagues were told it was a requirement for them to have the 65. So, they were given material, and got signed up for the....66. So, the pass rate was quite poor, test difficult, and numerous complaints about how poor the study material was, didn't match up to the test.

I told my buddies, "why on earth didn't you just take the 65, since you already have the series 63??"

I"d be interested in hearing if the 65 is still a pretty simple process.

As far as test goes, you'll only have to go through the stupid hurdles of the 7, Life/Health, 66, whatever...once in your life. Get it over, take it serious, and move along. Nobody cares the least bit what your score was, and if you scored REALLY high, keep it to yourself, because the washout rate is significantly higher for folks that scored in the good 90's, compared to the low 70's. This is a sales job, not an academic one...

I took the 66 a bit over year ago and passed with a 77%.  I used Fire Solutions, my company's choice, and found them to be extremely useful.   Each and every question seems to be designed to trick you.  A 74% is not bad and until last January, that would have passed.  I would recommend hitting the material again and giving yourself 2 weeks to study.  Practice tests were my saving grace, I found the material dry and daunting, but simply doing the questions over and over got me accquainted with how the test would appear.  As far as identifying your missteps, that will be hard to pin down, like you said.  Good luck and don't get down, this is merely a jumping off point to better things.

I don't know what state you are in but our state has a requirement for the testing centers to only allow X number of people to pass the test each month. As that number increases or decreases so does the level of difficulty of the test... take it again, you will do fine, post more pics cutie!!

3x5 cards, that is the secret to passing anything. Flash cards, key terms, dates, phrases...

And...I second ND's motion....

As you know, it's a very hard test. I was right there with you back on July 12. Staring at the screen-my heart about to pound through my chest-as my score was calculating. 71%.

When I saw the score I seriously thought that my eyes must have just found a score for only a section of the test or something and that I just hadn't seen my actual score yet. It honestly took me a few minutes before I accepted that as my final score...

I made an 86% on the 7. No problem... And, like you, I read and studied EVERYTHING I was supposed to for the 66. And, took ALL of the practice tests. And, averaged in the 80's on the practice tests. I thought I was set.

But, the practice tests I took and the actual 66 were 2 different tests entirely.

After studying a different set of materials and retaking the test after the 30 day wait, I scored an 89%.

I think that those that haven't taken the test since the update would be in for a surprise.  Here's the thing, not only has the test introduced new questions and material and raised the passing score, but the general laws and regulations have changed as well. I don’t think that some vendors have updated their material to be in line with the new test. It is my perception that my orignal provider got the majority of their practice test’s questions from previous tester’s feedback. With this being a new test, I don’t feel that their material was up to date with the new testing. (My original provider was great for the 7. The 7 hasn’t been updated and their practice material was in line with the actual test. I made an 86% with their material)

My advice: go to testeachers.com and sign up. Do everything they instruct you to do. It's an absolute pain to go through the material again, but most likely your job is riding on you passing this test this time around.  Don't chance it.

testteachersonline .com Best money you will ever spend. $100 for the 66????? I used them for the options portion of my 7 ($25!). I scored an 83 on both exams. It will help. You'll do great. Of the two exams, I thought the 66 was a lot harder.

P.S. I have nothing to do with that website other than being a happy customer.

call/ push

call add lower strike price

push up.  remember that and you will pass. :)

I just failed the 66 twice, after getting a different book as well.  The second time I actually thought the test was easier (wording was simpler maybe?) but ended up with the same exact score as the first time.  I feel your pain Kes1122.  So now I am debating on trying again, or getting the 63 and then the 65 later down the road.  I haven't actually started soliciting business because I don't have state licensing yet, so I was thinking that if I could just get the 63 done with I can finally start prospecting/calling.  Any suggestions?

Take the 63. Do you have a 7?

Sorry to hear that KES....but don't feel bad, you are not alone.  The series 66 is proving to be extremely difficult.  I got a 90 on the series 7, studied hard for the 66 only to fail with scores of 71 and 73.  I just took and passed the 63 and am studying for the 65. 

N.D......where did you get that info about the test centers only allowing x number of passing test takers?

[quote=careerchngr]

Sorry to hear that KES....but don't feel bad, you are not alone.  The series 66 is proving to be extremely difficult.  I got a 90 on the series 7, studied hard for the 66 only to fail with scores of 71 and 73.  I just took and passed the 63 and am studying for the 65. 

N.D......where did you get that info about the test centers only allowing x number of passing test takers?

[/quote] I apologize for not being clear earlier but it is a pass/fail ratio range they are required to stay with in. This info was given to me by word of mouth from an employee at the testing center. I do not or have ever thought about verifying it. I passed the first time so I didn't see a reason to be mislead but it is possible I was.

I would agree with everybody else that the 66 is pretty tough.  I passed on my first try and the only I advice I would give is to take the practice tests over and over and over.....until you are sick and tired of them.

PRactice tests from where, Westwood?

I do have the 7 and will schedule for the 63 sometime later this week, probably taking it on monday.

[quote=KES1122]

PRactice tests from where, Westwood?

[/quote]

My firm provided us with Test Prep material from PassPerfect.  We had the 2010 version, so from what I hear what extremely helpful, since they just changed  the exam material and format. 

We didn't get any books other then a cliff notes version of the content in a little sprial bound booklet to refer to.  We had to complete the chapters and tests thru the online course, which was really convenient.  Once you read and completed the courses, I just kept taking practice after practice test.

It was really helpul, I would highly reccommned PassPerfect materials, had them both for the 7 and 66. 

This Series 66 must have changed dramatically, I took mine in 2002 with a 92 and Series 7 with a 94.

My good CSA for the last six years, was told by the firm this year she had to take and pass the Series 7 and 66. Three attempts at the Series 7  passed the third with a 78. On the 66 - got a 73 and 74. Studied for weeks, took different books and exams, had a two day live coaching plus a webinar. And got the 74 on the second shot. The firm will not let her take the 63 or wait again. Her last day is 30 days away. I am bummed out big time, she cried for days....

Study hard - didn't help. It seems that no 3rd party has good test preparation questions. Kaplan sucks.

Kaplan is what I used for the first time, then got pass the 66 by Robert Walker, while still using the practice CD from Kaplan.  Pass the 7 helped me out, but the practice exams were cheesy and baby you.  The test prep material is weird compared to the actual exam (66).  For some reason, the exam question wording is vague and simplistic compared to the 2 paragraphs of questions on the practice exams.  My supervisors are telling me that they studied for the 66 and 24 all in one week or something ridiculous.  One has a law degree so I'm sure that helped, but were these exams totally different back then?  What gives?  I reeeaaallly wish the 66 was a 70 to pass, I wouldn't be stuck taking the 63 just to start working, even though I'm sure I'll have to take the 66 later on down the road.   I have the Kaplan material for the 63, although outdated by 3 years, and I ordered Empire Stockbrokers 63 material which is up to date, so let's hope that does the trick.

Kaplan is what I used for the first time, then got pass the 66 by Robert Walker, while still using the practice CD from Kaplan.  Pass the 7 helped me out, but the practice exams were cheesy and baby you.  The test prep material is weird compared to the actual exam (66).  For some reason, the exam question wording is vague and simplistic compared to the 2 paragraphs of questions on the practice exams.  My supervisors are telling me that they studied for the 66 and 24 all in one week or something ridiculous.  One has a law degree so I'm sure that helped, but were these exams totally different back then?  What gives?  I reeeaaallly wish the 66 was a 70 to pass, I wouldn't be stuck taking the 63 just to start working, even though I'm sure I'll have to take the 66 later on down the road.   I have the Kaplan material for the 63, although outdated by 3 years, and I ordered Empire Stockbrokers 63 material which is up to date, so let's hope that does the trick.

Hey KES, I think you might want to take a look at the PassPerfect Smart 66.  The thing I liked about this company's study materials is how it drills the information into your little cerebellum through the chapter quizzes.  If you get a question wrong, it'll ask you a different question but on the same topic you just got wrong, up to 3 times.  If you get it wrong all 3 times it'll flag it for you so you know what areas you struggled with the most. It also does a good job of explaining why the answer you chose is incorrect.

I'm not sure what methods you learn from best, but I personally am not a read and retain type of person.  I like to have repetition so maybe this will help:  I only the read the book once, and I cruised through it as fast as I could.  After each chapter I did the book quiz, and then went on the Smart 66 and did the chapter quizzes that I was mentioning.  After, I would review the questiosn I got wrong and cut and paste the question and answer of all the ones I got wrong into a word document and then cut those to make some flash cards.  When studying the flashcards I would make 2 piles, RIGHT and WRONG.  I would keep going through any of the cards in the "wrong" pile until there were none left.  Eventually, you'll have flashcards for all the questions and topics you struggled with most.  Also important is to  make sure that you actually read the answer and explanation each time you put the card back into the "wrong" pile.  It's one thing to memorize the answers, and it's another to understand them! I know this sounds like a juvenile way of studying, but for me it helped a great deal.

I almost forgot to mention that the Smart 66 also has a number of timed practice tests that are weighted by topic in the same format as the actual 66.  I think there's 10 total.

Anyways, good luck on the test, you were almost there anyways!  Now you just have tie up some loose ends and you'll be good to go!

I used Keir for both 7 and 66 and didn't have a huge problem with either of them. The program I used had online tests and a correspondent you worked with in their offices to help go through areas I did poorly on. I've since given my books to others to study from (without the online part) and they've liked them a lot more then the Kaplan or Securities Training Corporation ones.

The 66 is SO DRY to study for.... the material covered is so non-interesting it makes one gag.... but not as boring as the 24..

Get the Pass the 66 ExamCram Online Test Prep and the textbook by Robert  Walker at a bare minimum.  Not sure what a "cheesy" practice exam would be, but the guy who writes those questions and that book actually took and blew away the exam recently, unlike the folks writing questions and books at other companies.  The big companies are under a settlement with the regulators barring their instructors from taking the tests they "teach". You'll be able to understand what the exam is talking about at the very least.

Good timing to read this post. Passed the Series 7 recently with no major problems, and assumed the 66 would be a cakewalk.

Actually just got my 66 book in today, I'm using RegEd (as i did for the 7) for their study book and online practice tests. The practive exams from RegEd seem very detailed, and for the 7 were actually harder than the questions on the actual 7 exam. Just another company to check out

[quote=BullRunt]

I took the 66 a bit over year ago and passed with a 77%.  I used Fire Solutions, my company's choice, and found them to be extremely useful.   Each and every question seems to be designed to trick you.  A 74% is not bad and until last January, that would have passed.  I would recommend hitting the material again and giving yourself 2 weeks to study.  Practice tests were my saving grace, I found the material dry and daunting, but simply doing the questions over and over got me accquainted with how the test would appear.  As far as identifying your missteps, that will be hard to pin down, like you said.  Good luck and don't get down, this is merely a jumping off point to better things.

[/quote]

I would agree with BullRunt here.  I took the Series 7 when I worked on the institutional side several years ago, but took the 66 when I joined up with ML.  Failed it by ONE POINT as well the first time around, simply because of a combination of a few things - time between taking the previous test (not in the right frame of mind, I suppose), and I ignored Fire Solutions, which Merrill provided.  I studied only STC, which I used to a lot of success with the 7. 

Case in point, don't lose your mind.  I studied differently the next time, and passed with flying colors the next time around.  A LOT of people fail the 66 the first go around.  I'll give you an example - I passed the CFP (this year) on the first shot and had trouble with the 66. 

Keep the faith.  

Kris,

I passed my 7 6 months ago with a 93 and as soon as I started studying for the 66 I knew the test was gonna be a bear, not becasue of the material but the test is written by lawyers, so everything is intended to trip you up and confuse you.

I luckily passed with a 77 my first time but when I hit submit I thought for sure I failed.

I used pass perfect and it was great, I forced myself to read everything and take each chapter test, then once the reading was done I never looked at the reading material again.  My advice if the test is 100 questions you should take 1500 practice questions minimum.  If you do that you will most likely see every question at least twice. 

If you need practice tests let me know I will send you my pass perfect CD, in return for 2 7 figure clients:)

Add me to the list of people that passed the 66 the first time using Pass Perfect.  I pretty much just followed the program (took each section exam with 2 80's or higher), and then took about 7 finals.  It's VERY important to go back over each final and look at the explanations of the questions you missed AND the questions you got right.  The explanations of each question are what solidify your knowledge, and its just as important to know WHY you got the correct answers as well as WHY you missed the incorrect ones.   My high on the finals was 87, low was 77, and average was around 83.   I got an 84 on the actual exam.    The one caveat I would say is that the actual wording on the 66 was trickier than the finals from PassPerfect.   There were alot of questions involving Fraud/prohibited acts, and the choices on the actual exam were very nitpicky as to whether something was prohibited or not.   Most of the time it came down to just one word or phrase in the question or the answer.

Kletus

You just made my day.  I have been using the passperfect material for the 66, took my last practice test today.  I will take the actual exam tomorrow.  I took 7 practice finals with an average of 86, high 93 low 82.  Based on what I was reading it sounded damn near impossible to pass this thing.  You are a very good comparison to my situation.  Hope I do as well as you.

Would you care to post your email so I could pick your brain.

Bored,

If you are getting over an 85 on the passperfect finals then you are prepared for the exam.    I'd say the most important thing for you to do at this point is relax, get a good nights sleep and have a good breakfast in the morning.   Your success on the actual test will most likely hinge on your reading comprehension of the questions more than whether you study harder from this point.

Keep in mind... this test is mainly about protecting investors from fraud.    Here are may keys to study:

1.  Know the details of anything that is prohibited or fraudulent inside and out.    There was literally one question for me where every single thing the example did was against the rules... but you had to pick out the one thing that was MOST wrong.

2.  Know the exclusions and exemptions for State and Federal  Broker-dealers and Advisers.

These two things were most of the exam.

The rest of the info should really have already been drilled into your brain by passperfect.

If a question has you stumped... try thinking of it a different way.    Remember that every question is on the exam for a reason.   So look at the question and ask yourself  "what are they trying to find out if I know?"   There is likely some very small detail in the question or one of the answers that makes all the difference.   I know that a few had me stumped, but then I saw the key phrase and the answer was obvious.   An example might be Municipal bonds.... if you see   Low Tax bracket, IRA, retirement plan, etc in a question... then there is a good chance they might be trying to get you to point out that "municpal bonds aren't a good choice for retirement plans".

All the themes are the same, but the wording WILL be different than what you are used to seeing on passperfect.   The biggest thing is "what are they asking me".  

I am in a group of 4 new FA's to start at nearly the same time out of our area.   So far we are 3 for 3 on the 66 using passperfect.     You'll do fine .

I'm not big on giving out my email because if I'm not careful my email program will respond with my email that has my real name in it.   However, feel free to PM me if you have any questions.   I'll probably be checking stuff on the computer for another couple of hours tonight.

Passed the 66 today with an 80.  Tough test much tougher than the 7.  Used Passperfect and though I think it helped a great deal, the wording on this test was so different.  Anyway happy to get it and move on.

Study 2 times as hard as you did originally for the 66.  Not a test you should fail twice.  The statistics are against you each time you fail.

Today I took the 66 and failed.  I got a 62, but to be honest I have to say that I didn't put in the right amount of time for certain areas.  I passed the 7 and I figured that the hard part was over.  Boy was I wrong.  I thought I knew the Client Recommendations and strategies section well, so I didn't really do much studying for it.  So I got a 48% on just that section which killed me.  I am using Kaplan,and I think that if I just study a bit harder this time I should be fine.  This test is so humbling.  I had to walk back into the office and tell everyone I failed.  I was embarassed, but I guess that is what you get when you don't study hard enough.  I might try some different material to study from, but I thought that the Kaplan stuff was decent. 

Does anyone know what I have to do besides wait the 30 days?  My 120 day window passes on December 31.  What do I have to do to open a new window?  Can I just sign up making sure that it is 30 days from the day that I last took the test?

Pete

Kes you aren't ready for this biz if you have all this detail in your message, start in operations.

Yes, I'm sick. Studied for the passed 8 weeks and got a 66. Used FireSolutions and the test was nothing like FireSolutions. I should have stuck with STC. But, when two other guys in the office got thru with FS and said it was all they needed, I trusted their advice. Hopefully my wirehouse who's having trouble finding good recruits will stick by me as I hope to take it again next month. But, if not, it's not the end the of the world. Another guy in my office took it for the 2nd time today and scored a 75. He was so thrilled to just pass it. Guess I'll put my trust in STC this time.

The good news is that you have your score sheet from the 66, so you know what areas you need to work on.  I'm not familiar with either the FireSolutions or STC, but the key is to use a system that has lots of practice questions, AND has good explanations of the answers.  I don't think any of the study programs have had enough time to get the wording exactly right.   They have to concentrate on the Theories.   Therefore, its very important for you to take practice exams from any source you can get, and understand the WHY behind every correct and wrong answer.

Best of luck to you on the next try.   It's a hard exam. 

I took the 66 and 7 in 1999 and got a 72 and 85 respectively.  I have been out of the business for five years and am getting back in now so I have just had to take all of the exams again.  I studied for about three weeks for the 7 (STC Interactive) and got a 92.  I studied with STC's materials for the 66 for about 14 days but only in the evenings after owrk and then most of the weekend. 

I got an 82.

I was pretty mad about half way through the exam.  Not becuase the material was hard but because I busted my butt to understand the material, did everything I was supposed to and the questions are just flat out unfair.  The way they are written doesn't test my knowledge of a law or concept it instead is meant to have you doubting yourself on almost every other question.  I felt like I had a chance to pass when I clicked submit but in no way was I confident.  It's really a shame that this exam is allowed to be such a ridiculous display of trickery and deceit.

Good description of the exam clainclain, I'd have to say that's exactly the feeling I had during the test. 

I'm curious if the 63 and 65 are as concerned with tricking you rather than simply testing your knowledge...

I second testteachers.com.  I used them for the 66 and passed the first time. 

I Took the 66 this morning (Passed barely with a 76), and figured i would give some observations while things are fresh. The exam is frustrating as everyone know, but i did notice however that there were some areas which i studied and only had a couple questions on, and other areas that i either didnt read or werent in my book

My practice material (Book & online exams by RegEd) was mostly dedicated to the USA, and focused on knowing all of the particular exemptions when registering as a B/D, IA, or registering a security. All in all I swear i only had 3-4 questions which you needed to know those specifics. Also my practice materials had a chapter on Modern Portfolio Theory, CAPM..etc, and I had 0 questions in regards to this.

That being said, my exam had a lot of material in regards to the NASAA policy on Dishonest and Unethical behavior, and particularily had questions in which all the answers seemed as though they could fit( as was written already in this thread, sometimes looking for the Most Wrong Answer). My biggest piece of advice (for what it is worth) would be to know the differences between the 33 act, 34' Act ,USA, NASAA you can have an idea of what the questions are looking for.

Anyways onward we go. best of luck to those with the 66 just take it one question at a time.

A colleague just used Firesolutions and failed by 2 points.  Many have had good to say about using Training Consultants to pass on the first try.

I have met at least 3 people that have used Training Consultants and passed on the first attempt.  The book is only 125 pages, but the course material is just what you need to know to pass.  I just took the Series 66 today and passed on the first attempt with an 87%.  About 25 questions were almost identical.  The rest of the material was what I needed to know.

So, I can't recommend them enough.  I hope that it helps.

Well I passed my series this morning (THANK GOD)  and have a few comments and suggestions that people here may find helpful. First, the people saying that you will score 10% lower on your 66 than on your 7 are simply wrong. I passed the 7 with a 72% first attempt using STC. I passed the 66 on my first attempt with an 81% using a  very good different vendor...

So I have noticed a-lot of people saying they believed the 66 to be harder than the 7 and I would have to disagree. They only reason the 66 may seem harder is because you are not using the right vendor. Many people seem to be using STC for both the 7 and 66 and this is not the best way to go. My company once used this same method and while most passed the 7 on the first try, almost everyone failed the 66 on the first attempt. Some people seem to like STC for the 66, but from what I have heard, the practice tests are too easy and the material covered is not adequate for the actual test. Same deal with Kaplan and Pass Perfect... I've heard the same comments. 

My recomendation: TRAINING CONSULTANTS

This is the absolute best vendor to pass on your first attempt. You get a 125 page book that is litterally an enormous outline but it includes every single relevant topic that is on the exam. There wasn't one question on my test that I hadn't seen before in some form. Everything is done online and the study schedule is focused around recorded lectures for each section in the 8 chapters. (uniform securities act, NASAA, prudent investor act, IA Act of 1940, investment vehicle characteristics, investment recommendations and strategies, securites acts, and retirement/college tuition plans). This is the stuff you need to know and it is all there. 

Though the study schedule is good, the practice tests are what seals it. On my actual 66 exam, there must have been around 30 or so questions that were WORD FOR WORD the same questions from the practice final exams. I took each final exam twice (5 of them) and a random 110 question final the night before my test. These exams are hard and they are 100% exactly like what is encountered in the testing center. I struggled hard on each of my first attempts on the practive finals (only scored above a 75% on one out of five while looking almost every question up in the book). BUT I took them again, wrote down every question I got wrong and literally memorized 95% percent of 600 questions. THAT is how I passed. 

Finally,I did not dedicate my life to these exams. I put in the work monday through friday and that was it. Just take practice tests until you have them memorized. 

Good luck to you all!
"Checkmark, highlight, underline" 

I've seen a lot of people recommending Training Consultants for the 66 lately.

I used STC and Pass the 66 by Robert Walker. I liked Pass the 66 as it broke down the rules and questions into plain english. When I took my test (and passed the first time) I saw only 1 or 2 questions that looked unfamiliar. I don't mean I saw the question word for word but I was familiar with the topic.

The poster above hit the nail with STC. I felt like there were huge gaps of information missing in regards to the 66. I had two friends that both failed the first time by missing 2 questions. They each said they had around 30 questions that looked completely new to them and they had never seen anything on the subject in the STC study material.

For the 7, STC Is great and one of the best.

For what it's worth, I felt the 7 was a lot easier then the 66.

For both test remember "3 spoons and a fork". This helped me a lot. It means look for what 3 of the answers have in common and the one that doesn't have anything in common with the other 3 is the fork and usually the correct answer.

For the 66 specifically (and to a lesser extent the 7) - if you're unsure, choose the answer that gives the customer/client the greatest benefit.

I really cannot stress how amazing TC is.  To better understand what I mean, let me explain:

I got a 92 on my 7 using STC and taking a few fire solution tests.  I felt like I knew the material very well as a result of the stc books.  I also thought the STC questions were STRUCTURED similarly to the real questions.  

I got an 88 on the 66 using TC.  The difference is that the questions were not just STRUCTURED the same as the real test, they were literally the SAME QUESTIONS.  

I am not joking when I say I took the test in 55 minutes with a 7 minute pee and stretch break and I was surprised when I pushed the button and didn't get a 95%.  I knew I passed.  I felt like I could have stopped at 85 questions and would have passed.  There is simply no comparison to the TC material for the 66.  

I have said this before and will say it again - you are an idiot if you don't use TC.  There will be no guessing.  I called Tina before the test and she said that with her newest material the pass rate is above 93%.  

I literally felt like I was cheating when I took the test - thats how dead on the prep was.  

Oh My Gosh.  Training Consultants is AMAZING.  I bought it after reading posts on here.  I was skeptical thinking "maybe these people just work for TC and are out here trying to get all of us to buy it".  Um, either way, I WAS NOT NERVOUS AT ALL while taking the test!  Every single question I had seen, or definitely could bring it down to 2 answers.  Some of the questions were IDENTICAL, not even kidding, and if they weren't identical, they were SO CLOSE that I knew the answer right away anyway!  I was done with the test in 1 hour, no joke.  I WAS SHOCKED that I didn't see 95% on that scoresheet.  I'll take an 88% though!  Seriously guys, get Training Consultants, spend the extra money, you will NOT regret it.  sure it might be extra money, but I am sure the bonus or salary increase you'll get for passing will be WELL worth it!

I passed the series 7 with the STC that was provided by my firm, they also provided me with STC for the series 66. We had a new FAA that failed the 66 twice by using STC, so my confidence level in the material was very low, and it hurt my motivation to study using STC. I did go through the entire lesson plan but took only one practice exam from them.
Ive been reading a lot of posts on this website about how much better Training Consultants is for the 66, so I spent 225$ of my own money to buy the program. I studied for about 2 weeks, and took the 6 practice exams twice. I was getting 70’s on the first try on the exams, and was getting high 80’s and mid 90’s on the second try, mostly due to memorization. After two weeks of studying TC, I figured I was ready for the test. So I PASSED with a 79! I could have done better if I studied more, but a pass is a pass I would say TC played a big part because maybe 20 or more questions are identical to those in the practice exams.
If you are getting a 74, then I would advise on getting the TC materials. Those 20 or more identical questions is more than enough to give you that extra “one point” that you need

I am studying for the 66 now and using TC because of all the high recs from this post. I passed the 7 using STC as well as Kaplan and decided to give TC a try for the 66. Has anyone used TC for the 66 and taken it within the past month? If so please share any success/un-success stories.

Well I just took the 66 two months in a row using Training Consultants. First time I got a 72 and retook it two days ago and got a 68, I couldn’t believe it. I went into the test after taking TCs practice final exams and was averaging around an 85. First time I was averaging only around 75 and yet my score went down. Idk what happened I went in extremely confident and felt prepared. Idk if I should keep using TC or switch it up.

Training Consultants did not work for you. There is no point to reading the same book and doing the same questions for the third time. (You may have done the questions more than three times.) I recommend Pass Perfect’s Smart program to all of my 66 students. Their material is very thorough, including the answers to their questions. I think you should have a better chance of passing going in this direction. Pass Perfect helps you prepare for the exam but at the same time, you will also learn quite a bit during the process.

I took the series 7 using stc and got a 53 and a trip to the unemployment office. Unfortunately for me my company had taken a brief hiatus from using TC but returned to it unknown to me while I was studying with stc. With free time now on my hands, I bought the series 63 book from TC on my own, did the U10 and passed with a 77.To be fair, my boss did let me borrow his TC series 7 book because it was easier to study but that was 2 weeks before my test. Too little too late. The only way I knew they were using TC again was because someone hired after me was using TC! Now I’m looking for a sponsor to retake the 7. I would be willing to pay for the TC study materials. It was easy to follow in an outline format with bullet points. Stc was like information overload without anything standing out.

I used Training Consultants and studied for 6 weeks and just took the test 1 week ago and got an 83%. Everything about their program was great! Their online program is very easy to use and their book is about 1/4 the size of Kaplan.
I am now selling my Training Consultants Series 66 book and online login to pass along to anyone interested. The book literally is like-new, it has no markings of any kind since I did all my note taking in a notebook. I can also give you my online login for the TC website so you can complete all the practice Q’s. Please comment back to me on here and let me know if you’re interested in the study materials!

It took me two attempts to pass the 7 but I did on my second try. I had very limited time to pass the 66 and I missed it by 5 pts today. I don’t know if they will give me a second shot at it but the thing that kills me is that I didn’t think the test was that bad. I did pretty good on the law/regs portion of it but not so hot on the suitability/recommendation portion, go figure.

Given the data supporting people who fail Series 7 and 66 tests in correlation with FINRA complaints I could see them changing the rules to if you fail the test you must wait a year to retake.

Honestly if you aren’t able to pass the 7 and 66 on your first try, you aren’t ready to be in the industry. I have yet to meet an advisor who has entered the industry in the last 4 years and failed either test and is still in the industry.

Sorry Gekko but I don’t buy into that theory as a generalization. I know many people who passed those exams with flying colors that couldn’t last more than 2 years in the industry. Firm’s have compliance dept’s for a reason and if a person has superb people skills, with the ability to listen first, provide suitable recommendations, and be influential in terms of report and building a book then the sky is the limit.

Just passed the 7 with Kaplan, but looking for a better 66 option. Anyone using apps on their phone to study?

I have written almost all of the Securities exams in my long career history in the securities industry. Many people don’t realize that once you are registered in the state of Illinois with a series 65, you will never have to rewrite the exam again, unlike most of them which expire after two years if you don’t use them.

I have written almost all of the Securities exams in my long career history in the securities industry. Many people don’t realize that once you are registered in the state of Illinois with a series 65, you will never have to rewrite the exam again, unlike most of them which expire after two years if you don’t use them.

Sorry Gekko but I don’t buy into that theory as a generalization. I know many people who passed those exams with flying colors that couldn’t last more than 2 years in the industry. Firm’s have compliance dept’s for a reason and if a person has superb people skills, with the ability to listen first, provide suitable recommendations, and be influential in terms of report and building a book then the sky is the limit.

What you are describing is a salesperson, not an Advisor.

In addition, I did not say that people who pass the tests are guaranteed to be successful (I’ve seen plenty of those bomb out too) I’m saying people who struggle passing these entrance exams have shown a higher statistical probability of disciplinary and complain issues from clients. A lot of this still stems from not fully understanding the markets and the financial products the firms are pushing them to sell.

Firms are wanting you to have clients entrust their money with you, I personally think there needs to be a higher standard for allowing people this responsibility.

One of the most important things I learned a long time ago, when I was studying for the GMAT, about taking standardized tests is that “how you take the test” is just as important as your knowledge of the material.

Techniques like eliminating answers that are obviously wrong from consideration, for example, give you improved odds and increased confidence on tough questions.

As for test prep solutions, I used “Pass the 65” years ago and found it to be a great approach of mixing audio test prep and print test prep. They have a “Pass the 66” as well. http://www.passthe66.com/

I’ve heard a lot of suggestions as to what is the best study material for the 66. I used STC for both the 7 and the 66 and although I passed each exam on the first attempt, I did not feel that STC was the best for the 66. There was a lot of information that I had simply never heard of. Sometimes there are keywords that you know you have seen before and can’t think of what they entail; but today taking the 66 there were words I had never seen before. I pressed the submit button already planning out my study plan for the month ahead of me and was suprised when I saw the 77. Although with these exams one does have a tendency to remember all the questions you struggled with and forget all the question that were a breeze.

I keep hearing the smart 66 program is the best. Not only does it come up in forums, but I have also received recommendations from friends. The 66 is a difficult exam and I took it right after the 7 and was probably a little sick of taking exams. I just wish each exam on STC wasn’t 110 questions; it really is a mental marathon if your firm is monitoring you and you must complete the full study plan.

And Gekko the great, where do you get the research supporting your correlation with complaints and fail rates? I am actually just curious, I would be very interested in seeing stats like that.

And Gekko the great, where do you get the research supporting your correlation with complaints and fail rates? I am actually just curious, I would be very interested in seeing stats like that.[/quote]

There was an article earlier this year in Wall St Journal that talked about the correlation. I don’t have the link anymore but you can probably find it via Google search.

Passed the 7 using Pass Perfect and for some reason my firm switched to Exam FX for the 66. Failed the exam twice using that program and am super disgruntled. I think the reason for the switch was cost, but really? the programs garbage. I started studying for the 66 right after I passed the 7 and thought material seemed pretty easy. So I went into the exam very confident. I got a 71% which I was surprised by. I had been getting 85%avg on the practice tests. So I gave it a go for a second time using the same materials and went over all of it again. Took the test again and got a 68%! I couldn’t believe it. There were so many terms and concepts not covered in Exam FX. I was pretty furious (and still am since I took the exam last Thurs).
I have been reading about different study programs and have nailed in down two: Pass Perfect 66 (Kier) or Training Consultants.
I’ve heard good and bad about both, so not sure which one to purchase. I’m leaning towards Pass Perfect since I had success on the 7 and am familiar with the testing style (it hammers the info into you by repeating question categories until you finally get it).

I would go with the materials you think would be more challenging. I think it is better to use programs with more information and difficult questions

If I have TC, and have already passed, what do I do with my remaining time substantial time with the program? Please pm your answers. This is for the 66.

The keys to Kaplan are the live classes and the QBank. You must utilize the QBank and run through 1,500+ questions. The live teacher “cram courses” are necessary reinforcements. You must take the test within 2 weeks of the live course.

Used only Kaplan materials and live class (Randy Bauer):

83% on Series 7 (September 2014)
78% on Series 66 -Do not take this test lightly. People who say it is easy have not taken it recently. The passing threshold is now 75% and the content is harder than the Series 7.

1/2 of the 66 is laws. I have seen crazy stuff on the Series 66 practice exams such as Totten Trust laws, Polish exchange rates, and Whiskey receipts. Obviously, they have to throw in some option short hedging strategies and breakeven points on protective put options.

Don’t expect to waltz into the 66 and pass. The NASAA is making this exam hard to pass.

If anyone needs TC practice exams or STC study guide please PM me, I’d be happy to sell for cheap! Practice exams are good for 2 more months. Thanks.

I passed the 66 today with a 75 after failing twice before with a 68 and 72. I wish I had taken the advice on this forum to use TC. I used Kaplan for my first two go around including two stints in their live 2 day course. I used Pass Perfect this last time…only the book and online tests. I found Pass Perfect’s book much more digestible than Kaplan. However, Kaplan’s practice tests were better in that they more closely mirrored the test. Pass Perfect’s tests were very hard, their explanations very good, and that helped immensely, but there were only a small handful of questions on the test where I thought “hey, this is almost the same question that was on my Pass Perfect practice test.” I studied for a full month avg 4hrs/day. I passed the 7 with a mid 80s score after 2 days of studying with Kaplan. I am new to the industry and would have lost my job if I failed a third time. I do not wish that burden on anyone. I would highly recommend the Pass Perfect study book but must believe others’ opinions on this forum and would definitely use TC if I did it all again. Good luck to you all on this beast of a test. Oh and one last thing…I do not feel in any way that my knowledge of the material was accurately tested. There are so many “gotcha” questions. My resolve was tested, and I know the material well, but I loathe the question style.

I passed the 66 today with a 75 after failing twice before with a 68 and 72. I wish I had taken the advice on this forum to use TC. I used Kaplan for my first two go around including two stints in their live 2 day course. I used Pass Perfect this last time…only the book and online tests. I found Pass Perfect’s book much more digestible than Kaplan. However, Kaplan’s practice tests were better in that they more closely mirrored the test. Pass Perfect’s tests were very hard, their explanations very good, and that helped immensely, but there were only a small handful of questions on the test where I thought “hey, this is almost the same question that was on my Pass Perfect practice test.” I studied for a full month avg 4hrs/day. I passed the 7 with a mid 80s score after 2 days of studying with Kaplan. I am new to the industry and would have lost my job if I failed a third time. I do not wish that burden on anyone. I would highly recommend the Pass Perfect study book but must believe others’ opinions on this forum and would definitely use TC if I did it all again. Good luck to you all on this beast of a test. Oh and one last thing…I do not feel in any way that my knowledge of the material was accurately tested. There are so many “gotcha” questions. My resolve was tested, and I know the material well, but I loathe the question style.

[quote=Mike Langford]One of the most important things I learned a long time ago, when I was studying for the GMAT, about taking standardized tests is that “how you take the test” is just as important as your knowledge of the material.

Techniques like eliminating answers that are obviously wrong from consideration, for example, give you improved odds and increased confidence on tough questions.

As for test prep solutions, I used “Pass the 65” years ago and found it to be a great approach of mixing audio test prep and print test prep. They have a “Pass the 66” as well./[/quote]

I agree. I got a perfect GMAT score 6 years ago. Passed the 7 with no industry experience and 2 days of studying. I had never failed a test in my life until I failed the 66 twice. I wanted to share in case high IQ individuals read this forum and think they can pass this test like they’ve passed others. Not my experience.

[quote=Mike Langford]One of the most important things I learned a long time ago, when I was studying for the GMAT, about taking standardized tests is that “how you take the test” is just as important as your knowledge of the material.

Techniques like eliminating answers that are obviously wrong from consideration, for example, give you improved odds and increased confidence on tough questions.

As for test prep solutions, I used “Pass the 65” years ago and found it to be a great approach of mixing audio test prep and print test prep. They have a “Pass the 66” as well./[/quote]

I agree. I got a perfect GMAT score 6 years ago. Passed the 7 with no industry experience and 2 days of studying. I had never failed a test in my life until I failed the 66 twice. I wanted to share in case high IQ individuals read this forum and think they can pass this test like they’ve passed others. Not my experience.

I just took the series 66 and failed with a 71% after reading all the materials, taking all the practice exams, etc., with the Securities Training Corporation. I feel like the study material was sufficient for the questions that were asked, I just went through the study materials too quickly and didn’t let all of it sink in. My employer said if I fail the 66, then I have to take the 63 and 65 instead. Does anyone know if the study material for the 66 still applies for the 63 and 65 or would I have to buy additional study materials for each exam…

There is overlap but you will be missing parts of the 65. You might be able to get away with your series 66 materials for the 63 but I would just go ahead and spend the money on new materials geared to the tests you taking.

Also, taking the 65 and 63 after failing the 66 once does not make much sense. Most people would wait the 30 days and take the 66 again.

I don’t know what state you are in but our state has a requirement for the testing centers to only allow X number of people to pass the test each month. As that number increases or decreases so does the level of difficulty of the test… take it again, you will do fine,

My situation is similar to the OP’s

I was so confident that I would pass. The questions couldn’t be any easier or straightforward (Unlike the horrendously difficult practice exam questions…)

What can you tell us to back that up? You’re saying they cheated us out of a passing grade?

Is it Prometric for sure? I mean I got a 74% and I tested at Prometric.

I have always taken my exams (Life and Health x2 and I took the S7) with PearsonVUE and I have never failed.

-Thanks.

Very strange. I have never heard of testing centers limiting the numbers of people who pass. I would be very surprised if that were true.

I should have read this forum before studying and taking the 66. I just took it today and got a 68%. I used STC since I had great success with it on the 7, man was I wrong. Once the test started, I like many people said WTF. I was lost and confused. Whoever wrote that test, had one purpose on hand…to see how many of us fail it. I know that if I was to take the 66 again using TC as all of you recommend I will pass it, but unfortunately I can’t wait the 30 days. So I am opting to take the 65. Those of you taking the 66 make sure you read the forum, if not you’ll end up like me on test day going WTF.

Hi all!!
I finally just passed the Series 66 on attempt #2 with an 85%!!! I finally have my life back!!!
I wanted to get on here to help any future test takers!! Piece of advice, DO NOT USE KAPLAN!!!
Kaplan’s book is unneccessarily large and the questions are not in similar format of the test. I used Kaplan on my first attempt, because I had such success with Kaplan for my Series 7 (passed the first time with a 78%).
I felt prepared, was scoring 80s on the practice tests, and then got to the test and had a panic attack when I saw information that was not in the huge study book.
I got a sad 70%.
I did some research on this thread and got the Training Consultants book for my second try! THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING! The practice exams are excellent!
That being said, the test is still very hard. You have to re-read every question and every answer choice. The wording can be confusing and you have to go with your gut.
If anyone wants to talk more about TC or Kaplan or the test, feel free to PM me.
GOOD LUCK!!!

I passed with a 75%… yeah i know very lucky. I didnt study hard and used kaplan.

Used the STC books to pass the 7 & 63 years ago. For the 66, used the STC book and failed with 62%. Then I used the Knopman book and QBank questions and failed with a 74%. I literally saw every question in the QBank at least once, was getting 80s on the practice exams and then failed for a third time with a 74%. Now I’m in the 180 day purgatory waiting to take it again. The 66 is not required for my position but company wants us all to have it. I’m considering applying for a waiver. But, if not, will sign up for an actual class this time - and from what I’ve read here, I’ll make sure the class is close to the next test date in order to retain knowledge.
The questions on the actual 66 are NOTHING like the QBank practice tests. These questions are written to intentionally trip you up. They don’t care if you have knowledge of the material, they’re purposely messing with test takers and it’s ridiculous.

Ok, I just passed Series 66. It was no easy feat. My firm offered us STC books and study materials. I didnt use the STC. I read the forums and I decided to buy and use TC. The good and bad with TC is this…TC makes it pretty easy to understand the material. I studied for 10 weeks every night grinding out the chapters. Very tough boring material. I spent day after day after day listening to the online lessons. I always did well on the practice tests making 85 to 94 on them all. I did also take all of the STC practice tests as well and made 75 to 88 on those.
Last night before my test I took an STC test (scored 87) and a TC test (scored 94). Well I just finished the test about 4 hours ago. There were a lot of questions that were not covered deeply in either course. A lot of Discounted Cash Value questions and some other Finra questions that I’ve never seen.
But I made an 80 on my test. I’m happy!!! Yes there were questions that I have seen before from TC.
So what is my recommendation? I’m not sure. I spent 95% of my study time with TC and 5% with test from STC. I dont know about Kaplan so I cant compare that course. Look I’m happy I passed and obviously TC prepared me enough to pass. I wanted to make 100% (as a challenge to myself) I dont think TC would give you enough to make that, but I’ll more than settle for an 80 and be done with it!

Hello all, I also just took Series 66 and passed with 80%.
I realized many of these comments are old so I promised myself, either pass or not, I will write a comment after first try.
Luckily, I passed and I am so greatful that I am done with it.
I passed my Series 7 last month.
TC was the only one that 90% of these comments recommended so I went with TC just like others. My firm gave me STC, I only used it as a supplement. Because I passed about an hour ago, some of the questions are still in my mind. I wasn’t shocked at how questions were formulated but it was interesting how they play with examples. Many questions layouts are similar with TC. Out of 110 questions I saw, 2 questions I realized I had no IDEA. 40 Questions were like half half and rest was for sure correct. They will throw you about 3 - 4 questions about DIscounted Cash flow + NPV. I didnt know they can worded so differently for these questions. I dunno if I got them right or not but thats what i saw. I studied for 3 weeks. first week , not really at all… 2nd week about 2-3 hours each and final week, 6ish hours a day. TC Program tells me that i was online for 57 hours(Study time).
Because I knew some materials from Series 7, I didnt bother watching videos about investment vehicles.
My final test scores were 74, 75, 76, 75, 86, and random 84.
STC Greenlight exam first one, I got 57%. I was like what? this is BS. I totally ignored them.
However, it is very good idea to go over what NASAA has supplemented after 7/1/16. Because they did ask me about 4 questions which were directed linked to supplement materials.
I Hope my reviews helps some of you who are also studying this !
send me PM if you have any questions also !.
Thx for reading too =)

Darren wrote:

Hello all, I also just took Series 66 and passed with 80%.
I realized many of these comments are old so I promised myself, either pass or not, I will write a comment after first try.
Luckily, I passed and I am so greatful that I am done with it.
I passed my Series 7 last month.
TC was the only one that 90% of these comments recommended so I went with TC just like others. My firm gave me STC, I only used it as a supplement. Because I passed about an hour ago, some of the questions are still in my mind. I wasn't shocked at how questions were formulated but it was interesting how they play with examples. Many questions layouts are similar with TC. Out of 110 questions I saw, 2 questions I realized I had no IDEA. 40 Questions were like half half and rest was for sure correct. They will throw you about 3 - 4 questions about DIscounted Cash flow + NPV. I didnt know they can worded so differently for these questions. I dunno if I got them right or not but thats what i saw. I studied for 3 weeks. first week , not really at all.. 2nd week about 2-3 hours each and final week, 6ish hours a day. TC Program tells me that i was online for 57 hours(Study time).
Because I knew some materials from Series 7, I didnt bother watching videos about investment vehicles.
My final test scores were 74, 75, 76, 75, 86, and random 84.
STC Greenlight exam first one, I got 57%. I was like what? this is BS. I totally ignored them.
However, it is very good idea to go over what NASAA has supplemented after 7/1/16. Because they did ask me about 4 questions which were directed linked to supplement materials.
I Hope my reviews helps some of you who are also studying this !
send me PM if you have any questions also !.
Thx for reading too =)

@darren, not sure if this post will get to you but can you send me a PM? I'm in need of some advice.

I want to share my experience with the Advisor exams Series 65 and Series 66. First let me say I have the Series 7 and Series 63. My job was okay with my obtaining either the 65 or the 66 for the advisor position. I began studing for the 65 about a year ago. I started using Kaplan because that's what I used successfully for the 63. Using Kaplan for the 65 went very well with my test scores in the high 80's, low 90's. When I scheduled the exam I was shocked and dismayed to see my big fat FAIL/66. I changed gears and started using PassPerfect with scores in the high 70's low 80's and again was feeling confident. The second exam I scored a 71. This only made me more dermined than ever to pass the 65. So I really dug in and studied much more and harder than I ever did for the 7. The third exam was a 67%. I was at that point in hold for 6 months and feeling bewildered. Keep reviewing the materials but my test scores didn't really change much, so needless to say I felt like I was spinning my wheels. Then I decieded to switch to the Series 66. I actually started practice exams on Investopedia.com (which is free). They really dumbed down the answer choices and kind of made it obvious which was the right answer, which works okay with me because it helps me remember. I also read this blog about how TC was very easy to understand and follow. So I ordered the test bank 90 day subscription for $99. What I liked/loved about it is when you take the actual tests you can retake it as many times as you want with the same questions. This helped me to remember where I went wrong the previous times and why. There were 5 standard tests and I took each one until 5 times until I felt like I knew the material like the back of my hand. I moved on to the random tests and was able to score well on those too. So I took the exam today and it is true what others have said about the wording and questions on the TC material being very close to the exam. I saw a lot of questions on the exam that were just like the TC material. I passed this one with an 83% and this was my first attempt. The 65 has a lot and I mean a lot of questions about NPV and discounted cash flow. Make sure you absolutly know those concepts. Didn't see options or yields. I hope this helps anyone that's looking for some direction on what study materials to use.

Just Passed the Series 66 today with an 88.... Used TC training material and questions and Kaplan Q-Bank! In my opinion, Kaplan Q-bank > TC Questions.

Nonetheless, I am selling both resources! Let me know if interested, they don't expire until September!

selling Training Consultants Series 66 online questions. Passed with 85

JonnieM wrote:

Just Passed the Series 66 today with an 88.... Used TC training material and questions and Kaplan Q-Bank! In my opinion, Kaplan Q-bank > TC Questions.

Nonetheless, I am selling both resources! Let me know if interested, they don't expire until September!

YES, please email me [email protected]

streetjournal wrote:

selling Training Consultants Series 66 online questions. Passed with 85

YES! Please email me at [email protected] asap please

My experience passing the 7 & 66 in 3 Months.

I read this thread going into the gauntlet and figured I would provide my experience for what it is worth. I too had many coworkers dying to tell me how difficult this test was, how many people had failed and subsequently had gotten fired from my firm (insert large bank wealth management division). You get two tries at each exam or your are out, and if you fail once you may as well quit because management will start trying to fire you and your peers will write you off. So the stakes are high!

Firm resource provided: Kaplan

I took 52 days from the date of hire to sit for the 7: Result 85%

From there I took another 34 days before sitting for the 66: Result 74%

Similar to Kes, I felt confident that I had passed up most of the exam but started to run into trouble halfway through when it gets tough. My general rule of thumb on these exams is to

1. mark questions you are unsure about

2. know your margin of error from your practice exams

for example, if you take a 100 question practice test, and you mark 30 because you are unsure of the answer, and subsequently score and 85%, you know 50% of your uncertainty is unfounded. over enough practice exams you will see a pattern if you are consistent with marking.

3a. If you mark a number that will allow you to pass within your margin of error, pray and hit submit. DO NOT CHANGE ANY ANSWERS

3b. If you are not within your margin of error, you may not have studied enough and it is at your discretion to review and change answers as you see fit. I would encourage to only change things where you didn't carefully read at catch an "if" "not" or "except". Odds are you didn't get any smarter during the test unless another question has enlightened you or provided a clue to another answer.

I could care less about the scores but I will say that I expected to do better on the 66. My advice would be score consistently above 80 or 85% on practice test before you sit for the exam, you will assuredly score lower.

Bottom Line: You best chance of success is consitency in your ability to exhibit that you have mastered the material. To that end, be consistent with your study habits and game plan and execute on the plan. There are big consequences to whether or not you pass these on your first try. It will absuletly make a difference in how you are treaded among new hire peers. At my firm there are people that have been with the company for almost 8 months and have not finished testing, they are being managed out. Study hard and pass like a rockstar! good luck :)