[Anonymous]

Looking to start studying for this exam..

I am trying to see if anybody knows any good study material or question banks. I used Becker for the CPA and am hoping I can find a system similar to that.

I have a textbook already so maybe just a question bank will suffice.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Christy]

Currently studying for the 28 after switching from the 27 (27 was before CPA study, when I didn't pass and had to go back to it, less material sounded great to me).

My company paid for Kaplan, not sure I'd waste my time.

I added Pass Perfect (database) to my study plan but can tell you nothing they asked was similar to what was on the exam.

Purchased Solomon (book and database) for my retake. So far, again seems like questions aren't anything like what I saw on test day.

I've searched everywhere for a great database, not sure one exists! They will all probably help in mastering the concepts but you'll have to make sure you can apply them and anticipate what they could ask you regarding the material.

[KaylaR]

Hi! Do either of you (or anyone else) have any advice given that a few months have passed since your previous posts?

I'm looking to take the Series 27 exam and purchasing study materials asap, but there are so many different companies and options! I'm having a very difficult time finding any type of advice or comments online from others who have taken the exam so I would greatly appreciate any advice you can provide!

Thanks!
Kayla

[Christy]

I am now a registered FinOp (Series 28).

I ordered the Solomon material (book and MC database) and followed their study guide to a T. I made my own flashcards and reread multiple chapters multiple times. Really made sure I knew the material inside and out.

You really need to stay focused with this test and you can't rush it. Make sure the comprehension is there as you will need to apply your knowledge on test day.

Good luck!

[KaylaR]

Christy, Thanks so much for the response and congrats!! I have a couple more questions, if you don't mind.

How long did you spend studying for the exam? Did the Solomon materials include videos and/or lectures? I like the idea of not having all of the studying consist of reading but it's difficult to tell whether these would actually be helpful and if the companies that offer them are good.

I think most people at my company use Kaplan, but not really any/many take this particular exam. The Kaplan materials don't seem very extensive just looking at the brief outline. I noticed in your post above you mentioned not to bother, did you use Kaplan at all to study?

Thanks!!
Kayla

[Christy]

No problem Kayla. The Series 27/28 journey can be a lonely one!

The Solomon study plan they laid out for me was 4 weeks which unfortunately put me exactly on July 4th so I pushed the test back one week. Each week they would have you read one or two chapters and take so many practice tests consisting of a certain number of questions and giving you the score you should be getting before moving on. In week 4 you turned to simulated tests that mocked the real exam as far as same number of questions and they indicated what you should be getting in order to be ready for test day.

I did use Kaplan for my 1st exam (27) and my retake (switched to the 28). I had been reading the material so much I got to the point I could recite the book from memory. None of that helped me on test day, still missed the mark by 2.

I didn't like that Kaplan limited you on test questions (their database is limited) and only allowed you to take a simulated final exam once ( 1 test for 27 and they will give you the 28 test as well). 28 is same material as 27 but 27 you have one or two additional chapters of material you need to study. Solomon gives you unlimited tests, I didn't see a whole lot of repeat questions but there were some.

Neither Kaplan nor Solomon offered video lectures for this test. Solomon does offer audio but if you are more of a visual learner that doesn't really help. My company did look at the other vendors they use but weren't able to locate a video lecture for me. Test Teachers used to offer 27 video lectures but last I checked they stopped offering 27 study material.

The other thing you might want to do if you haven't already is go to FINRA.org and print out the test outline. This will let you know what topics you can expect to see on test day. After I took the test in Dec the format changed. If you go with Kaplan, just wanted to make you aware. I'm not sure if they updated their study material, my access still has the same layout and they don't mention the test format has changed in their update section. Solomon follows along with the new format.

Happy testing!

[sdr2211]

Does anyone know the pass/fail rate statistics for series 28 or 27? Is there such a thing?

[Jane]

Hey Christy! Hope you passed your exam! Did you ever find a helpful exam prep tool for practice questions? I'm preparing for the 27 now, did all my preparing through Kaplan and when I finally took the mock exam, I feel totally unprepared. Looks like the simulated exams and the LEM didn't really emphasize the concepts I needed to know. Thanks in advance!

[Author]

Replies