Hey, welcome to the best article on Kaplan SIE Exam Review and Study Tips that you can find.
When you read this article to the end, we promise you will get a good understanding of how the SIE program works, the study materials required and tips for taking the exam.
We’ll cover:
Without further ado, let’s dig in.
Introduction to Kaplan SIE Exam Review
SIE exam is the starter pack in the financial service industry.
And since it’s not an easy one, it’s in your best interest to get all the help you can to be adequately prepared.
With that said, Kaplan is one of the trusted financial education institutes that offers exam prep in the securities and financial planning industry.
Kaplan SIE exam review might be exactly what you need to pass the FINRA SIE exam.
Therefore, in this article, we’ll talk about Kaplan SIE review to help you understand how their SIE study program works.
An Overview of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam
SIE exam is FINRA’s introductory-level exam that was introduced on 1st October 2018.
The exam’s content was extracted from the repetitive content of nine Series exams, including Series 6, Series 7, Series 22, Series 99, and five others.
SIE exam is open to anyone who wants to jumpstart their career in the security profession industry.
The only requirement?
You must be 18 years of age.
The exam covers basic knowledge of the financial security industry.
The topics covered include:
- Fundamentals of security products and their risks.
- Regulatory authority framework and its functions.
- Trading customer accounts and prohibited practices.
- Knowledge of the capital market.
Prospective security industry professionals don’t have to be associated with a brokerage firm to take the test.
Again, it’s not restricted to those who are not yet employed.
One can take the exam even when they’ve already started working.
SIE exam constitutes 75 multiple question exams and takes 1 hour 45 minutes.
The score is valid for four years.
Now, if you are entering the financial service industry, you may wonder why this exam is important.
Well, since you’ll need a member firm to register for series 6 and 7 exams, it makes sense that you get your feet wet with a preliminary exam to get leeway for employment.
With the SIE exam, a potential employer will deduce that you are a self-starter and ambitious.
It shows that suppose you get the job.
You are more than ready to get started with the registration-level exams.
They’ll not hesitate to sponsor you.
More than that, the SIE exam gives you a competitive advantage.
You’ll become more marketable as you already have the foundation knowledge on what the financial service industry is all about.
Registration for the Kaplan SIE exam
To get started with the exam, you’ll have to register with FINRA.org.
Here you’ll create your personal account and pay $60.
From there, you’ll get a Central Registration Depository (CRD) number, which you’ll use when registering for your exams on Prometric.com.
SIE exam is administered by Prometric.
The exam centers are across the country.
With the CRD number, you have up to 120 days to schedule your exams on prometric.com.
Like with any other examination, preparation is necessary.
Preparing for SIE Exam
The exam boosts a 75% pass rate for first-time candidates.
Does that imply that it’s simple?
Not necessarily.
It insinuates that those who reach the pass mark adequately prepare for the exams.
Nonetheless, the exam will prove challenging for anyone who hasn’t thoroughly reviewed the study materials.
Again, you are most likely to fail if you’ve not tried practice exams to familiarize yourself with the SIE test and the nitty-gritty like timing yourself.
That’s why the SIE exam prep course is helpful.
Kaplan SIE exam prep particularly comes in handy when preparing and familiarizing yourself with the SIE test.
Kaplan prep materials help you cover all the concepts in the SIE coursework.
Therefore, to give you a snapshot of how Kaplan financial education can help you prepare for the exams, here is a comprehensive review of Kaplan SIE test prep.
Kaplan SIE Exam Study Materials
Kaplan financial education security licensing exam prep package has all the materials a SIE candidate needs, to prepare for the exam.
The study package provides a comprehensive study guide to help prepare and practice for the FINRA SIE exams.
Kaplan released the second edition of SIE study material with 32 bite-size units to allow candidates to internalize the content in an easy-to-digest manner.
The prep material also has additional practice questions to better prepare the students for the exams.
Moreover, Kaplan test prep has incorporated graphics to make assimilation of complex topics easier.
The practice exams come in different packages depending on your learning style.
The cost varies depending on whether you’ve settled for self-study, or you’ll need live online tutors or something in between.
With that said, here is a review of the three Kaplan SIE exam prep courses.
Basic self-study package
The basic plan goes for $99.
The package is ideal for individuals who are self-driven and can study on their own without an instructor.
The plan constitutes the practice exam, exam tips, and content update, performance tracker, study calendar, securitiespro QBank, and the license exam manual.
You can start your preparation by customizing your revision calendar to fit your exam dates and study time.
Next, it’s important you review the license exam manual to get a gist of what is expected in the SIE test.
After each unit, there are quizzes to test your understanding.
And when you are done, you’ll take the final practice test to soak in the knowledge you’ve acquired.
This is to test how prepared you are before the qualification exam.
Essential self-study package
The essential package is also a self-study plan that offers checkpoint exams, midterm exams, and a video library on top of the basic package’s study tools.
This package goes for $149.
The video library comes in handy in reinforcing concepts you’ve not understood from the four units.
You’ll do prep exams throughout the study period.
Using the QBank, you can drill down to specific topics and review the areas that are challenging.
The midterm and checkpoint exams are also tailored to test your knowledge before the final exam.
Premium instruction package
This is the ultimate study package.
The premium instruction package is comprehensive, with a wide range of offerings to help you better prepare for your exams.
On top of the study tools in basic and essential plans, the premium package also offers live and online options.
What sets this package apart is that you’ll get guidance from an instructor.
You’ll also have access to an instructor link, a mastery exam, and class notes in the form of a PDF.
The plan is categorized into two: the instructions on-demand package that’s $199, and the premium instruction live online package at $299.
To make the most of the practice exam, it will be best to purchase Kaplan SIE exam prep four to six weeks before the actual exam.
A schedule that allows you to do the homework at night and review the study materials three to four days before the exams can make a huge difference.
More importantly, it will be in your best interest to take the actual exam, not more than a week after you’ve finished your practice exams.
What makes Kaplan the best SIE exam prep is that you have access to the security licensing course for five months.
Suppose you fail.
You can still use the study materials until the five months period elapses.
To extend your usage beyond that, Kaplan requires you to pay $49 to extend your access.
Tips for Taking the SIE Exam
The SIE practice exam gives you the study tools you need to ace the actual exams.
Therefore, though it’s worth it, you’ll have to bring your A-game into the examination room.
And so, to help you ace the SIE licensing exam on your first trial, here are the top tips that Kaplan recommends for more than satisfactory results.
Read the Full Question to Understand the Intention
Woe unto you if you are the type that jumps into conclusion, assumes, or worse finishes sentences in their head before completing a line.
Choice questions are always tricky.
You are prone to jump to conclusions and pick the wrong answer just because you missed the “except,” “not,” “all,” or “none” in a question.
So, hold your cool and read each question carefully to understand what exactly you are asked.
Before you select an answer, go through all the choices.
Don’t rush.
Otherwise, you’ll be trapped.
Interpret Unfamiliar Questions
As is typical of exam questions, you may come across questions that seem unfamiliar.
Don’t panic!
Reread the question.
Often, examiners ask questions indirectly, just so they can test your understanding.
So, it will help to dissect the question to understand individual elements.
This will help you better understand the question before you answer.
Don’t Work Equations in Your Head Use a Calculator
The anxiety during exams may cause your mind to be cloudy.
Although the SIE exam has very few maths tests, they are high chances you won’t be thinking straight.
Therefore, instead of working equations in your head, use a calculator to eliminate the chances of any errors.
Another pro tip is to write down equations in the scrap paper immediately after starting the exam so that you don’t forget.
One more thing, as you use a calculator, write down the figures along the way so that you don’t get mixed up.
Define the Question Being Asked
Apart from questions that seem unfamiliar, there are situations where you’ll struggle to figure out what exactly the question is asking.
Don’t let the stories throw you off.
Stay focused and pin down the main point.
If you enrolled for the Kaplan financial education test prep, the practice would prove helpful at this time.
Pace Yourself
The one reason why test prep is important is that you can pace yourself early on before the exams.
This way, you don’t spend too much time on one question when clearly you don’t know the answer.
The best you can do is take your best guess and review the question again once you are done.
On the same breath, it’s vital that you keep checking the remaining time so that you are not caught off guard.
You’ll be able to split the time left among the remaining questions.
Be Weary of Changing Your Answers
The one lame thing you might find yourself debating about is whether to change an answer if three subsequent answers are the same.
Please don’t. It’s uncalled for.
Go with your first hunch if you are not sure.
And if you must change your answers, at least do so if you have a genuine reason.
You can change an answer if you didn’t read a question correctly, and it has come to your attention that you missed a clause like “none.”
Or you’ve realized you confused a question or an answer.
Apart from that, stick to your original answer.
Don’t Calculate Your Score Prematurely
Again, there’s this syndrome where you decide to be the examiner and gauge your score before you’re done instead of focusing on the questions.
You’ll end up wasting precious time that you would otherwise use to review the questions and clear any confusion.
After all, you’ll get your test score immediately after you are done with the exam.
So, why not focus on what can add value to your overall performance?
Stay Focused Even When Others Finish Before You
You can’t help but feel anxious when the candidate next to you stands up with a warm smile on their face when you are only starting your review session.
But, you shouldn’t worry.
As long as you still have time, focus on your exam.
That student could be doing the exam for the second time.
Maybe, they are not even taking the SIE exam, who knows?
So, don’t stress about those who’ve finished ahead of you.
Concentrate on the questions you had planned to review.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, Kaplan financial education SIE practice program is great if you are committed to passing the SIE exam.
The study materials are comprehensive and structured to meet an individual’s learning style.
They are also straightforward and easy to understand.
What’s more, if you fail the SIE exam, you can retake the Kaplan study program without paying again.
