How long should I study for the Series 66 and any tips?
I just passed the series 7 a few hours ago with over 90% and I want to get the 66 as soon as possible. Right now I'm looking at which books to buy and I should buy them sometime this weekend. Which books are good? I also looked at the outline and I know TVM and how securities and retirement plans work, but the second half of the test looks more difficult. Are there certain approved calculators for the exam? I'm a little scared because there are only 100 questions, so I'm afraid I'll got a lot from a topic I don't know well. I just ordered the STC book, so I just need advice on how long I should study.
Public Comments
- Congratulations on passing the Series 7 and with such a strong score! As I am sure you are aware the required passing score is 70%, so your 90% would seem to indicate your strong command of the study material. As for the Series 66, it is one of the easier exams out there. As I am sure you have discovered from the reading material, the Series 66 combines the State’s securities requirements “Blue Sky” laws (Series 63) and State’s Registered Investment Advisor exam (Series 65) into one exam. The Series 65 portion is considered a “minimum qualification” exam. In other words, individuals (sometimes without their 7) must show that they have the minimum qualification to act as an investment advisor in some states, so they may be required to pass the 65 only. Again, both exams are known for being the easiest of all of the exams out there. Not knowing your study habits, I can say that I have heard of individuals studying over a weekend, and I have heard of individuals taking a whole week and sometimes a month to prepare. The key is to study and not take the exam too lightly because of your high Series 7 score. You will find as you start dig into the material that it is not as difficult as you might think. Good luck!
- Just passed the series 66 today. Used STC book. I would recommend you spend at least 40-50 hours total to study. You can read the material in about 20 hours to really absorb the info. Take your time. This is a bit different than the 7. You have to learn concepts, and state law. It is much less memorization, and more comprehension. STC also has great practice tests on a CD-Rom. You should spend 30 hours on these. Take each test twice! When you start scoring above 80% consistently, then you are ready. They'll supply the calculator for you. Don't worry, you'll have about 4 math type questions (if that). Those are EASY! Good Luck. I got a 84% on the 66 and passed on first try. I got a 90% on the Series 7 (probably over studied on that one).
