You’ve reached the end of the Achievable Series 65 material.
This final chapter doesn’t introduce new testable content. Instead, it covers what to expect on exam day and a few practical best practices as your test date approaches.
There’s no single perfect answer, but Achievable’s exam readiness score is your best overall gauge. At the top of your homepage, you’ll see a 0-100% score that estimates your likelihood of passing. In general, the closer your score is to 100%, the better your odds on test day.
Your readiness score is based on multiple factors, including:
If you’ve used the system as intended, you’ve likely worked through hundreds (or thousands) of practice questions. Those quizzes and assigned reviews are a key part of building the knowledge you need for the exam.
One of the most important inputs to your readiness score is practice exam performance, including both your scores and the number of attempts. Practice exams help you “put the big picture together” by mixing questions from all chapters in a format that mirrors the real test.
To improve your readiness score, the most effective approach is simple:
Before you take a practice exam, put your notes aside. Using outside resources (for example, the Achievable reading material or Google) will artificially inflate your score. On the actual exam, you won’t have access to resources - only a notepad and a calculator.
After every practice exam, do a thorough review of each question and answer. Make sure you understand why you got a question right or wrong. Also, think beyond the question. A common pitfall is studying the questions instead of the underlying content.
Our questions are designed to resemble the real exam, but no one knows which questions they’ll see on test day. The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) closely guards its question bank, and its test writers use unique wording. If you’re memorizing answers without understanding “the why,” you’re relying on something that won’t transfer well to the real exam.
A useful self-check is:
“If I was given another question, with a completely different scenario and wording, am I confident I would know the answer?”
If the answer is yes, keep moving forward. If the answer is no, go back and review the topic in the reading materials.
This question also has no single universal answer. Someone could pass without taking a practice exam, and someone else could fail after 20. It depends on how well you understand and retain the material.
Generally speaking, we recommend taking at least 10 practice exams. Many students start out scoring in the 50s or 60s. The goal is to use each exam as a diagnostic tool: review what you missed, fill in the gaps, and then test again.
A consistent passing score (70% or higher) over five or more exams suggests a solid grasp of the material. Higher is better.
Be sure to spend quality time reviewing each exam right after taking it. That review is where most of the learning happens.
Another reason to take several practice finals is exposure. The Series 65 can test you across thousands of subtopics. A full-length practice exam covers 130 questions - so if you only take one or two, you’re sampling a relatively small slice of what could appear on test day.
A passing score (70% or above) is a good starting point. However, it’s smart to aim higher.
Even if your practice average is around 70%, the real exam can feel different. The testing environment (discussed below) and the pressure of the real thing can increase anxiety, and anxiety can hurt performance.
We recommend aiming for a mid-to-high 70s average (or higher) on your last 2-3 practice finals. That gives you a buffer for test-day variables.
1. Create and register an account on the FINRA website.
2. If you’re not already registered, you need to submit a Form U4, which is the application for securities industry registration. This form is typically submitted by your sponsoring firm, but if you are applying on your own, you will submit it through FINRA’s CRD (Central Registration Depository) system.
3. Enroll for the The Series 65 exam - the NASAA Investment Advisers Law Examination from the list of available exams. As stated previously, the Series 65 does not require sponsorship from a firm, but if you plan to register with a firm, they may assist with the process. If you don’t have a firm sponsor, you can still proceed with registration independently.
4. Schedule your exam. The exam will be administered at a Prometric test center. The Series 65 exam will only be available online for candidates who require a testing accommodation.
The FINRA SIE exam costs $187 per attempt. The passing score is a 70% or higher.
There are waiting periods after failed attempts: 30 days after the first two failed attempts, and 180 days after the third and subsequent failures.
As you approach test day, we recommend the following to make sure you perform at the highest possible level:
Review your email confirmation.
Give yourself plenty of time to review the important appointment details either the night before your exam or the morning of it.
Bring your ID.
Regardless of how you are testing, bring one valid, government-issued identification document with a signature and picture, such as an unexpired driver’s license, passport, or military ID. Also, make sure the name on this ID exactly matches the name under which your exam is scheduled.
Arrive early.
This helps you get to the testing center on time and reduces last-minute stress.
As always, refer to the FINRA website for further information.
Check out the Achievable blog for more study tips and best practices.
Many test takers use “dump sheets” as study supplements and as a guide for what they want to recreate on exam day. Dump sheets typically include visual guides and summarized notes of important test topics. As the name suggests, you memorize the key items and then “dump” them onto your notepad at the beginning of the exam.
These are allowed in the test center as long as they are created after the test has started (and not during the initial tutorial). They aren’t necessary to succeed, but some test takers find them helpful.
You can certainly create your own, but here are Achievable’s Series 65 dump sheets:
Download: Series 65 Exam Dump Sheet - General Formulas
Download: Series 65 Exam Dump Sheet - Product Characteristics and BRTI
Download: Series 65 Exam Dump Sheet - State Laws and Regulations
Download: Series 65 Exam Dump Sheet - Federal Laws, Regs, Ethics, and Accounts
NASAA exams can feel anxiety-inducing. The most reliable way to prepare is to use the Achievable system as intended, take full-length practice exams under realistic conditions, and review your results carefully.
Thanks again for choosing Achievable for the NASAA Series 65. If you have feedback, please let us know!
Wishing you the best,
The Achievable team