u/kendalllllbabeeeee

Hi, everyone! Sending good vibes to all those studying for the 65. Long post ahead.

Wanted to post here because I am feeling discouraged. Would greatly appreciate any and all insight. I know many of you on here are studying for the exam or are working lengthy hours, so I appreciate you taking the time to read this post.

My background:

• Part-time MBA candidate at an Ivy League University.
• No previous experience working in financial services.
• 5 years of experience in professional services, full-funnel sales, and business development.
• Undergraduate degree in Psychology.

Materials Used to Prep:

• Training Consultants
• Kaplan (including Qbank)
• Brian Lee Test Geek Course and Practice Midterm/Exam
• Series 7 Guru videos

Context:

I took the Series 65 for the first time about 6 weeks ago. I only had 2-3 weeks to study for my first attempt; however, I was consistently scoring 82-94% on Training Consultants and Kaplan practice exams.

I do suffer from fairly severe test anxiety, and to be quite honest, despite my high practice exam scores, I didn’t feel very confident going into the exam for the first time. I felt I could have benefited from more study time and from being more strategic (ie I felt I spent too much time on areas/concepts that likely would only have 1 question v. those that had 6-7.)

First Attempt:

I ended up scoring a 57%, with my highest section being Laws and Regs, and my lowest being Investment Vehicle Characteristics.

Thankfully, my company allowed me to take the exam again 30 days later.

I spent the entire month working with a tutor, ensuring I knew EVERYTHING there was to know about Investment Vehicles, brushing up on the other 3 sections, and taking over 10 practice exams.

I loved my job. I knew I needed to ace this, and I was ready to do so.

I had an average score (between both Training Consultants and Kaplan exams) of 92%. After this, I felt immensely prepared for the exam. The concepts that were a bit fuzzy (especially those in Investment Vehicle Characteristics) made sense. I had no doubt in my mind I would pass this time around.

I knew that I:

1.) Could not have studied harder / for longer. 2.) Used all resources given to me (and then some, ie a tutor, studying with colleagues, purchasing flashcards, etc). 3.) Worked with a mental health professional to combat my test anxiety. 4.) Was consistently (and confidently) scoring high on multiple practice exams.

Second Attempt:

Fast forward to test day. Unlike my first attempt, I felt focused and relaxed. I felt confident in most of my answers (I only flagged ~ 15/140 questions and did not change any answers.)

To my surprise, I scored even lower on my second attempt. A 55%. My heart sank. My lowest area this attempt was Laws and Regs (the section that I had previously scored ~95%).

I was shocked to see that my overall score decreased so drastically after my extensive studying and my positive mindset. To make matters worse, I was immediately laid off by my dream job as a result. I was and still am heartbroken.

Aside:

I know my termination is ultimately my own fault (and let me be clear: I have absolutely NOTHING but love and respect for my former employer and everyone I was lucky to work with), but I can’t help feeling both confused and lost.

I am the first person to take accountability in these situations, but as I mentioned before, I have no idea how I could have studied any longer, “smarter”, or harder.

My 65 tutor had no doubt I would pass the second attempt with flying colors. Finding out that I had scored lower than I did on my first attempt (and by such a large margin) was shocking to her as well.

Despite being laid off, I would like to attempt taking the exam again when I am eligible to register.

That said:

1. Have any of you experienced anything similar? (ie multiple failed attempts despite consistently scoring high on practice exams, dedicating hundreds of hours to studying, utilizing a tutor, etc.)?

2. For those who failed 1-2 attempts (or those who passed the first time!) - what tactics or resources did you use that you feel helped you succeed?

3. To anyone who lost their job as a result of their failed attempt(s), was it difficult for you to find other opportunities / receive offers / get interviews for similar roles?

I greatly appreciate any insight and hope to return the favor when I (hopefully) pass my third attempt. Also happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the exam itself (ie how the style of real questions compare to practice exams, how to combat test anxiety, the mnemonics I found helpful, etc.)

Thank you, all! 🙏