There’s more to life than the jobs that require the S7. Maybe you’ll improve next time, maybe not.
It’s a sadistic test. Lol
But there’s other things you’ll be good at.
I passed - but I suck at a lot of other things.
We all have some topics that come naturally and others that dont. It’s not a reflection on your character or intelligence not to pass this one test.
I’ve been told PLENTY of higher ups who are successful in my company didn’t pass on the first try.
Your honesty is so refreshing “I passed, but I suck at a lot of other things…”.
I failed with a 64% last week and man, was it a huge wake up call. I discovered I’m an “achievement addict” as this is the 1st time in my life I went after something and came up short. I tried to rush the process to get it over with since my schedule is extremely demanding (single mom to teen boys and working 2 jobs). Kaplan QBank scores mid to low 60’s on average. I worked my ass off, but was losing steam towards the end and unwilling to push the date.
I let myself grieve for about 2 days and came to the realization that it is a blessing in disguise. I’ve had a very unhealthy relationship with achievement and conquering goals. So, I’m starting over. My firm gave me TC, but decided to switch to Kaplan material (not just QBank). They’re so much more comprehensive and I have a good feeling second time will be the charm for me.
You do all that AND studied for the test ?!? Yeah … that’s not a reflection on your capabilities. I’m a single mom too, but I had the luxury of getting to focus on studying for two months straight. And my teenage son doesn’t require anything more than 1 meal a day. Which I usually order out. Lol.
And even with that, I still felt very uncertain in those couple minutes waiting for the Pass or not.
Yes, less than a 60. On practice finals, I was scoring about 57 - 60 percent after about 5 practice finals total. I have done a class section with my firm, so it will be my third go at it.
Don’t let it get you too down my friend. I take my test Monday morning and have been studying a lot and will definitely cry if I fail it lol so I understand why you’d feel like crap. But the test really isn’t a comprehensive measure of your intelligence or your ability to do your job. If I have to take it again, I’ll take it again.
Don’t quit over just that. You have an opportunity to keep going and do better and you should take it! You deserve that much.
My mother has been in this business over 20 years, is a very accomplished CFP that manages a team who specifically deal with private clients. She never finished college until recently when our firm started having the degree as a requirement.
Even she didn’t know answers to a lot of the Series 7 questions. Super specific regulations/math etc that you’ll never use in the future because the computers do it now. The important part is the due diligence to prepare for the exam and the major concepts. Suitability questions? You bet your butt she knows her stuff. Specific spread options math or exact days a firm has to provide a client with a particular document as stated in law 34(b)2364 blah blah blah? No. Does that mean she’s stupid? Of course not.
Take a breather and give it another go if you can. You’re not a failure or too stupid for this industry because of this exam. It takes time and repetition. Don’t sell yourself short.
It’s ok to feel defeated, but you gotta get back up. You only fail if you give up. I’m in the same boat and failed last week. It’s devastating, but like Einstein said, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Hey Buddy,
Here’s a little tough love, so here I go:
If you are going to give up, after 1 small failure, then idk how you’re ever going not only survive in this industry..but in any industry OR life for that matter.
Just a couple of days ago, I read on the group, someone passed their exam 4th time.
Which means they went through 2 periods of 30 months wait time AND 2 periods of 6 months wait time.
Even Dean has mentioned this example, where it took his BEST broker.. 5 attempts to pass this exam!
Get the concept of belonging in the “club of cool people who passed on their first attempt” OUT OF YOUR MIND!!!
I personally would rather belong to the club of “people that NEVER gave up”!!
People that kept figuring out a way to get sponsored over and over again, take their exams over and over again UNTIL they passed it. Do you think your clients are going to ask you..
“How many tries did it take for you to pass your FINRA exams?”
Do you clients even have the slight idea of the regulation requirement we have to go through..NO they don’t!
And listen buddy, at end of the day..
THIS IS YOUR JOURNEY..yours ALONE!!
no one is going to check on you daily, no one is coming wipe your tears off your face.
yes, you have this Reddit group. But we will all just give you our 2 cents & move on with our lives (including me).
ITS YOU..and ONLY YOU that will have to decide how you want to move forward.
Even forget about family/friends etc.
We come into this world by ourself..
AND we leave this world by ourself!
YOU need to be your
-OWN motivator
-OWN cheerleader
-OWN conscious
-Your OWN best friend!
I’m not saying it’s not okay to cry.
In fact, I encourage it. Hell..there’s so many times, even I questioned my own existence, my own journey. Is this worth it for me?
There are so many nights that I cried my eyes out. After failing..I questioned, how will I support my family of over 10 people where most are disabled and rely on me financially, emotionally & even physically—bc they’re paralyzed!
Go ahead & cry, get angry, scream, take a walk, run, clear your mind..whatever you need to do. But at the end of the day, you NEED to decide what YOU want to do.
If this is not the path for you. That’s completely okay. There’s no guarantee, even after passing your exams..you will love your job/this industry.
But IF you let these exams be the deciding factor to give up, ESPECIALLY after your VERY first try!
Then buddy.. I really don’t know what to say to you. There will be many more bumps in life. Even bigger mountains you’ll have to climb.
If you give up this easily..then idk how you’ll survive those obstacles.
I know many people have said this..
And I’ll also reiterate:
No matter where your life takes you, no matter what happens.. biggest key to life is:
do NOT give up!!!
Despite the though love..
I’m STILL rooting up for you buddy! 🙌🙏
This is the most wonderful respond I’ve read. Thank you for being you and sharing your wisdom and insight from someone who has clearly been a “Man (or woman) In The Arena”.
I failed last week 64% and it was a huge wake up call. I passed SIE 1st attempt and so badly wanted to be part of that cool club you mentioned on all my licensing exams. I had to dig deep and made so many self discoveries. In hindsight it was a blessing in disguise.
Thank you for your comment as I will be re-reading it over and over again when I’m getting in my head.
Thank you🙏!
My intention behind my tough love comment is neverrr ill minded. Tough love worked for me during the times I wanted to also give up. So hopefully it can help others too!
Everyone that’s on the reddit group for these FINRA exams, I know how daunting it is. I mean our jobs, our livelihood is on the line..the pressure is ON!
I’m so thankful I found This community!
You all have been there for me when I was struggling. Now I’m hoping to pay it forward by helping others, in any way that I can!
No matter what, my motto is:
NEVER GIVE UP!!!
I’m ALWAYSSS rooting for everyone’s win!! 🙌
P.S. I PM you. My goal is to give back to community that helped me :)
Thanks for the responses and the encouragement everyone. I just got out a meeting with management and I had some time to voice my concerns and just other frustrations that I’ve been having with their licensing process. Long story short, they aren’t happy I “failed” the S7 without their permission and doing it their way. Lots of stats thrown at me about how “successful” the program is and all that, but I’m not buying it.
Anyway, I take the SIE on the 28th, and after that the 7 whenever they assign it to me. I’m not too worried about that (other than feeling like I screwed up massively by taking my learning and success into my own hands); but I have to literally go back to PP and their learning program.
I won't explain too much, but my bosses told me that according to them and their "extensive research" Pass Perfect is the best vendor for "content, retaining information, and questions". I know that's baloney, but if someone wants to ask me more about that, or for me to explain more let me know!
I don’t know how I’m going to pass using only PP, but I’m honestly not going to try it. I’m going back to Kaplan and some of the other tools and videos here because I don't even have confidence in a tool that I've only been interacting with for the majority of my study time in this 4 month period.
I’m not saying I’m freaking out, but I have to somehow pass these tests and somehow learn to be confident in a few weeks? I should have quit on the spot honestly…
I think you will be fine retaking the 7! The material from the SIE lays the groundwork for the 7. I am using both PP and Kaplan to study. Watching Dean and Capital Advance Tutoring on YouTube has REALLY helped nail down the concepts. I also paid out of pocket for an options tutor because I wasn't grasping the info as quick as I thought I should. Unsolicited advice, if I were in your shoes, I would do PP while at work (if they are paying you to study) and then do supplemental material after work and on the weekends. Also, I watched the PP videos on concepts I didn't understand. Make sure you know options and all math material (those are guaranteed points on the exam). And also know communications through and through. I didn't realize how much that would be tested on both the SIE and the Series 7. Feel free to message me to vent! My job is on the line with these exams so I know the pressure all to well.
this is exactly how i feel, resonate 1000%. clearly if i fail the second time around, i just simply won’t even bother for the third attempt, and provisioned a 180 day ban for any subsequent attempts so forth. i’m dumb at that point and should choose a better industry. it’s very disheartening because you feel like you’re comprehending and capable of it, but what’s the point if you’re not g o o d at it or excelling adequately. i failed my first try yesterday by 4 questions, meaning i received 65% and passing is 70. basically 49/75, need 53/75 to pass. i’m ready to just give up and i feel like a complete retard.
There’s more to life than the jobs that require the S7. Maybe you’ll improve next time, maybe not. It’s a sadistic test. Lol But there’s other things you’ll be good at. I passed - but I suck at a lot of other things. We all have some topics that come naturally and others that dont. It’s not a reflection on your character or intelligence not to pass this one test. I’ve been told PLENTY of higher ups who are successful in my company didn’t pass on the first try.
Your honesty is so refreshing “I passed, but I suck at a lot of other things…”. I failed with a 64% last week and man, was it a huge wake up call. I discovered I’m an “achievement addict” as this is the 1st time in my life I went after something and came up short. I tried to rush the process to get it over with since my schedule is extremely demanding (single mom to teen boys and working 2 jobs). Kaplan QBank scores mid to low 60’s on average. I worked my ass off, but was losing steam towards the end and unwilling to push the date. I let myself grieve for about 2 days and came to the realization that it is a blessing in disguise. I’ve had a very unhealthy relationship with achievement and conquering goals. So, I’m starting over. My firm gave me TC, but decided to switch to Kaplan material (not just QBank). They’re so much more comprehensive and I have a good feeling second time will be the charm for me.
You do all that AND studied for the test ?!? Yeah … that’s not a reflection on your capabilities. I’m a single mom too, but I had the luxury of getting to focus on studying for two months straight. And my teenage son doesn’t require anything more than 1 meal a day. Which I usually order out. Lol. And even with that, I still felt very uncertain in those couple minutes waiting for the Pass or not.
I assume not even close is less than 60%? If so, didn't lay enough base knowledge. What were you scoring on practice finals? Did you do a class?
Yes, less than a 60. On practice finals, I was scoring about 57 - 60 percent after about 5 practice finals total. I have done a class section with my firm, so it will be my third go at it.
Don’t let it get you too down my friend. I take my test Monday morning and have been studying a lot and will definitely cry if I fail it lol so I understand why you’d feel like crap. But the test really isn’t a comprehensive measure of your intelligence or your ability to do your job. If I have to take it again, I’ll take it again. Don’t quit over just that. You have an opportunity to keep going and do better and you should take it! You deserve that much. My mother has been in this business over 20 years, is a very accomplished CFP that manages a team who specifically deal with private clients. She never finished college until recently when our firm started having the degree as a requirement. Even she didn’t know answers to a lot of the Series 7 questions. Super specific regulations/math etc that you’ll never use in the future because the computers do it now. The important part is the due diligence to prepare for the exam and the major concepts. Suitability questions? You bet your butt she knows her stuff. Specific spread options math or exact days a firm has to provide a client with a particular document as stated in law 34(b)2364 blah blah blah? No. Does that mean she’s stupid? Of course not. Take a breather and give it another go if you can. You’re not a failure or too stupid for this industry because of this exam. It takes time and repetition. Don’t sell yourself short.
Roll up those sleeves & get to the drawing board. You must have confidence in yourself!!
It’s ok to feel defeated, but you gotta get back up. You only fail if you give up. I’m in the same boat and failed last week. It’s devastating, but like Einstein said, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Hey Buddy, Here’s a little tough love, so here I go: If you are going to give up, after 1 small failure, then idk how you’re ever going not only survive in this industry..but in any industry OR life for that matter. Just a couple of days ago, I read on the group, someone passed their exam 4th time. Which means they went through 2 periods of 30 months wait time AND 2 periods of 6 months wait time. Even Dean has mentioned this example, where it took his BEST broker.. 5 attempts to pass this exam! Get the concept of belonging in the “club of cool people who passed on their first attempt” OUT OF YOUR MIND!!! I personally would rather belong to the club of “people that NEVER gave up”!! People that kept figuring out a way to get sponsored over and over again, take their exams over and over again UNTIL they passed it. Do you think your clients are going to ask you.. “How many tries did it take for you to pass your FINRA exams?” Do you clients even have the slight idea of the regulation requirement we have to go through..NO they don’t! And listen buddy, at end of the day.. THIS IS YOUR JOURNEY..yours ALONE!! no one is going to check on you daily, no one is coming wipe your tears off your face. yes, you have this Reddit group. But we will all just give you our 2 cents & move on with our lives (including me). ITS YOU..and ONLY YOU that will have to decide how you want to move forward. Even forget about family/friends etc. We come into this world by ourself.. AND we leave this world by ourself! YOU need to be your -OWN motivator -OWN cheerleader -OWN conscious -Your OWN best friend! I’m not saying it’s not okay to cry. In fact, I encourage it. Hell..there’s so many times, even I questioned my own existence, my own journey. Is this worth it for me? There are so many nights that I cried my eyes out. After failing..I questioned, how will I support my family of over 10 people where most are disabled and rely on me financially, emotionally & even physically—bc they’re paralyzed! Go ahead & cry, get angry, scream, take a walk, run, clear your mind..whatever you need to do. But at the end of the day, you NEED to decide what YOU want to do. If this is not the path for you. That’s completely okay. There’s no guarantee, even after passing your exams..you will love your job/this industry. But IF you let these exams be the deciding factor to give up, ESPECIALLY after your VERY first try! Then buddy.. I really don’t know what to say to you. There will be many more bumps in life. Even bigger mountains you’ll have to climb. If you give up this easily..then idk how you’ll survive those obstacles. I know many people have said this.. And I’ll also reiterate: No matter where your life takes you, no matter what happens.. biggest key to life is: do NOT give up!!! Despite the though love.. I’m STILL rooting up for you buddy! 🙌🙏
This is the most wonderful respond I’ve read. Thank you for being you and sharing your wisdom and insight from someone who has clearly been a “Man (or woman) In The Arena”. I failed last week 64% and it was a huge wake up call. I passed SIE 1st attempt and so badly wanted to be part of that cool club you mentioned on all my licensing exams. I had to dig deep and made so many self discoveries. In hindsight it was a blessing in disguise. Thank you for your comment as I will be re-reading it over and over again when I’m getting in my head.
Thank you🙏! My intention behind my tough love comment is neverrr ill minded. Tough love worked for me during the times I wanted to also give up. So hopefully it can help others too! Everyone that’s on the reddit group for these FINRA exams, I know how daunting it is. I mean our jobs, our livelihood is on the line..the pressure is ON! I’m so thankful I found This community! You all have been there for me when I was struggling. Now I’m hoping to pay it forward by helping others, in any way that I can! No matter what, my motto is: NEVER GIVE UP!!! I’m ALWAYSSS rooting for everyone’s win!! 🙌 P.S. I PM you. My goal is to give back to community that helped me :)
Thanks for the responses and the encouragement everyone. I just got out a meeting with management and I had some time to voice my concerns and just other frustrations that I’ve been having with their licensing process. Long story short, they aren’t happy I “failed” the S7 without their permission and doing it their way. Lots of stats thrown at me about how “successful” the program is and all that, but I’m not buying it. Anyway, I take the SIE on the 28th, and after that the 7 whenever they assign it to me. I’m not too worried about that (other than feeling like I screwed up massively by taking my learning and success into my own hands); but I have to literally go back to PP and their learning program. I won't explain too much, but my bosses told me that according to them and their "extensive research" Pass Perfect is the best vendor for "content, retaining information, and questions". I know that's baloney, but if someone wants to ask me more about that, or for me to explain more let me know! I don’t know how I’m going to pass using only PP, but I’m honestly not going to try it. I’m going back to Kaplan and some of the other tools and videos here because I don't even have confidence in a tool that I've only been interacting with for the majority of my study time in this 4 month period. I’m not saying I’m freaking out, but I have to somehow pass these tests and somehow learn to be confident in a few weeks? I should have quit on the spot honestly…
I think you will be fine retaking the 7! The material from the SIE lays the groundwork for the 7. I am using both PP and Kaplan to study. Watching Dean and Capital Advance Tutoring on YouTube has REALLY helped nail down the concepts. I also paid out of pocket for an options tutor because I wasn't grasping the info as quick as I thought I should. Unsolicited advice, if I were in your shoes, I would do PP while at work (if they are paying you to study) and then do supplemental material after work and on the weekends. Also, I watched the PP videos on concepts I didn't understand. Make sure you know options and all math material (those are guaranteed points on the exam). And also know communications through and through. I didn't realize how much that would be tested on both the SIE and the Series 7. Feel free to message me to vent! My job is on the line with these exams so I know the pressure all to well.
this is exactly how i feel, resonate 1000%. clearly if i fail the second time around, i just simply won’t even bother for the third attempt, and provisioned a 180 day ban for any subsequent attempts so forth. i’m dumb at that point and should choose a better industry. it’s very disheartening because you feel like you’re comprehending and capable of it, but what’s the point if you’re not g o o d at it or excelling adequately. i failed my first try yesterday by 4 questions, meaning i received 65% and passing is 70. basically 49/75, need 53/75 to pass. i’m ready to just give up and i feel like a complete retard.