Just Passed. Took 10 Kaplan tests. Write up + AMA
Studied pretty light for like 3 weeks trying to balance MBA with work, then hit it very hard for about 4-5 weeks. Studied about 3 hours a day.
I made the classic mistake of taking notes while I read though, so after 10 practice tests I had literally 300 pages of notes. I wouldn't reccomend that. If I could recommend anything it would be to read the book slowly overtime, absorbing the content (maybe do a chapter every day and multiple for longer ones). Attached is a pic of my Kaplan scores leading up. Before the exam I scored an 81.5 on, I took the Kaplan final pratice exam where they give you one attempt and scored a flat 80. I then took Ken's brutal exam (you're the fucking goat Ken) and got a 76.6, which was disheartening.
Definitely supplement with youtube videos and just grind practice tests and chapter specific quizzes.
A huge thing that I learned right before the test that I didn't somehow know was about how covered calls, dividends and accrued interest didn't effect affect cost basis. Had like 7-9 questions just on that.
Also weirdly enough have some questions on hedge funds, and a lot more than you'd think on correspondence and retail communication. Aside from that no standouts, literally had like one margin question and maybe one DPP adjacent question.
Study options. Please. I kind of made my own strategy because I felt like for most options aside from straddles you just have to identify the "dominant position" (lower call or higher put) and solve from there as long as you remember "debit credit widen". Like if the dominant position was a low call buy, I knew it was a bullish debit spread and the rest was cake.
Study options, munis, taxes, suitability and mutual funds are HEAVILY tested So thrilled to have passed. Finished the test in two hours. Ask me any questions.
Also, this isn't a sponsorship but the app "focus friend" really helped me stay off my phone studying.