I just passed the Series 7 on Friday, and I want to say this for anyone feeling completely defeated right now…
I failed twice before this. first with a 62, then a 71. That 71 hurt the most because I felt so close but still not there. I was also in the same spot a lot of you are in, scoring in the 50s–60s on practice exams and genuinely questioning if I was cut out for this. Also, been at this for 10 months after I passed the SIE.
Also, the fact that I’m 22, just graduated college, and had no financial background. I really lacked confidence.
The biggest thing I learned: this exam is designed to make you feel like you’re failing. While I was taking it on my third try, I was literally in my head planning how I was going to explain to my boss that I still wanted to keep my job. That’s how convinced I was that I was failing again.
Then I hit submit… waited… and when I saw “PASS,” I actually started crying.
So if you feel like you’re bombing it while you’re taking it, that doesn’t mean you are. Push through.
A few things that made the difference for me:
• If you’re not consistently near passing yet, seriously consider pushing your exam back a couple weeks (especially if you’re still in that free 10-day reschedule window). I know it sucks, but giving yourself a little more time can change everything.
If I could go back im time, i would be a lot more patient with myself and really stick with my study schedule and not rush into taking it.
• If options are your weak point — invest in Ken’s options videos (like $20/month on YouTube). That alone was a game changer for me.
• Drill Kaplan QBank HARD. – Full practice exam every day – Review every single wrong answer – Then do smaller quizzes by topic
• Get a “quick facts” sheet (STC/Kaplan/etc.) and record yourself reading it. Listen to it in the car, while walking, whenever. It helps more than you think.
• Watch walkthrough videos: I watched Ken + D ean go through questions/exams. Seeing how they THINK through questions helped more than just reading explanations.
• Dump sheet (honest take): I personally didn’t really use one because it stressed me out more than it helped. BUT, a lot of people swear by them, so if you’re someone who likes having everything written out, definitely do it.
For me, instead of a dump sheet, I just had certain things completely locked in mentally. like I had the options chart in my brain for months at that point. It felt automatic, not something I needed to rewrite.
You are not alone in this. A lot of people who pass this exam struggled first.
If you’re putting in the work, you’re way closer than you feel right now.