Pre-Test Jitters.

 I'm pretty sure I'm going to delete this post after I take the test for the Series 66 on Tuesday, but I thought I would go ahead and type it out now, and let you know what is going through my mind. I don't know. I may leave it up, but then again, after I pass the 66 and I am hired by a company that will sponsor me to take the Series 7, I will be subjected to a bit of scrutinizing by FINRA, so they may or may not like what I say in the blog. I may have to take it down to be hired. I may have to take it down to be considered. I may have to take it down because it's opinion and not fact; which in FINRA's case would be a problem if anyone taking these tests believed that what I said was in fact fact. I'm just spewing right now. I'm just getting off my chest the feelings and thoughts that are trapped inside of me!!  I do that. I write when I get nervous or start to think too much. I don't really ever worry - - this is what I do. I write.

    I'm going to pass the Series 66. I may not pass it Tuesday, but I will pass it. I had to take the SIE twice before I passed it; maybe 3 times. Dang. Now that I think about it, I may have had to take it three times. I'm not sure, I'd have to think about it. I know I passed it!! (I also know I bombed it.) OK, now that I've thought about it, I did bomb it like no other in April 2021, then failed it in late October 2021 by just two questions, then I passed it in December 2021. Yes. I knew if I thought about it and talked it over with myself, I could come up with the correct answer. I like talking to me...I listen. 

    I have one more day to study before I take the test. I am using the Pass Perfect study guide and like a dummy, I spent too much time in the beginning (middle) on one section, not leaving much time for the 2nd and 3rd sections. OK...yeah, that was stupid. What I ended up doing is really stupid. I realized a day late that I couldn't reschedule my test. I was within two days of the test so I could only cancel. I was really mad at myself for that one. I thought I could reschedule up to the day before. NOPE...it was the 2 day rule, and if I had rescheduled it I would have had to pay $88.50 rather than the $30 you have to pay if you reschedule the SIE. DAMN!!  So, yeah, I ended up cancelling the test date, and repaying the $177.00 charge to take the test, and that way I was able to take the test 3 weeks down the road. This gave me enough time to finish studying the 2nd and 3rd sections of the course. Absolutely the right choice.

    After the 2nd section I realized that most of if not all of the questions being asked on the quizzes and the tests in Pass Perfect were actually online already with Quizlet. SERIOUSLY? I'm not kidding. If you only wanted to study JUST the questions on Quizlet you could do that; you could pass without paying the $149-249 prep course! I paid the $149 and bought a book online for $17 to study. I never got around to reading the book, but I will now because I can use it when the Pass Perfect goes away. You only pay for six months of use.  When Pass Perfect goes away, and I can't log into it to study, I'll have the flash cards I made, as well as the book, and I'll have the Quizlet study sets as well. If I don't pass the test the first go round, I will have enough to use to study so I can pass it when I do pass it. I bet I pass it Tuesday; I just feel I will. I hope I do.

    Some of the things that are on this test that were not really covered in the SIE are the rules and regulations, laws and such for the Investment Advisors vs. Broker Dealers, and the agents or representatives of either. I need to know the laws of the federal government as well as the State Administrator(s) and what the rules and laws are regarding the way things are issued, purchased, exempt, excluded, and/or traded.  I think they go into more detail about the types of client financial profiles, types of accounts, not just that there are account types, but what they do.  I need to know more details about each and the one area I am still NOT clear on is the whole IRA or pension plan section. I can't really wrap my head around some of the more fine details. I'm really really hoping I don't have more than two questions about it.

    What I really like about the FINRA and NASAA sites is that they tell you what to expect on the tests in terms of how many questions are asked, what types of questions, and from which sections the questions will be coming from so you can study accordingly. There will only be one or two questions are ERISA so if I miss it I won't really feel that badly -- unless that's the ONE question I needed to pass to pass the entire test. I'm allowed to make a 73 and pass. There are 100 questions and 10 bonus (unscored) questions that are thrown in to test the waters. Personally I don't like that feature. I think it's both unnecessary and it causes stress. I tend to question myself when I come across one of these types of questions. I tend to scream internally "I haven't gone over that!! Why are they asking me that?" Then I realize that there are 10 questions in the test that are supposed to freak you out  - - and I relax. 

    Tomorrow I'm going over the last last last part of the 3rd section and doing one of the mastery tests. I don't want to do more than one because they take about 2 hours and I don't want to not finish one. I don't want to study past 8:00 p.m. either. I want to eat well, sleep well, get up and load myself with ginseng and coffee and take the final for real on Tuesday. I want to pass it -- and I want to do the dance in my head. You're strictly forbidden to do any sort of celebration in the testing center. People are already stressed to the max - - they don't need to see you over there whooping it up and causing them to miss something. NOOOOOOO.

    My son's 36th birthday is also on Tuesday. That's one reason I chose that day for the test. I figured if I can give birth on that day I can pass this damn thing. He also wrote to me and asked where I wanted to go for dinner!! I thought I would be taking him out, but looks like he wants to do that; I raised him correctly!! He is just such a great kid. LOVE HIM. OK, enough about that. (Just the best!!) I hope we have cause to celebrate twice on Tuesday - but if not I'll just take it again. I'm like that. When a door closes I stick my foot in it and pry it open again. That's how they work. They are doors. I would rather go through it than try to climb through a window.  

    I'd say wish me luck, but I'm Scottish American. I don't need that. I work. I pray!!  Prayer is good. You can pray for me. Thanks.

Photo Credit: Follow Vic's Lead

My son! (Reuben)