Blog Article

To Thine Own Self Be True — Know Your Testing Environment

Jul 11, 2017

A successful approach to preparing for your FINRA exam is often a two-pronged strategy. You certainly need to study and know the content being tested (our study programs see to that!). Oftentimes, however, that is not enough; you also need to beat the test.

A successful approach to preparing for your FINRA exam is often a two-pronged strategy. You certainly need to study and know the content being tested (our study programs see to that!). Oftentimes, however, that is not enough; you also need to beat the test. You likely have anxiety over some of the extracurricular aspects of taking the exam — the unchartered exam room, navigating through the computerized testing screens, or just an overall fear of the unknown. Our study programs offer tutorials on test taking tips, and in previous blog posts, we’ve discussed how to be prepared on test day. This blog will discuss and point to additional resources that are available to familiarize you with the testing center/environment prior to showing up on test day.

FINRA exams are administered by two vendors: Pearson Vue (www.pearsonvue.com) and Prometric (www.prometric.com). Both test vendors and FINRA offer resources to prepare you for your test day:

Pearson Vue

Test Taker Tips video. This one-minute video provides some very generic test taking tips.

Computer-based test demo. This demo previews the Pearson Vue computer interface and its features. This will give you a feel for the computer-based test*, but some of the features and types of questions demonstrated are not used on the FINRA exams.

Prometric

What to Expect on Test Day video. This eight-minute video gives in-depth details on what to expect when you show up for your exam — offering visuals of center procedures from greeting and identification through check-out.

Test Drive. Prometric offers test takers the opportunity to schedule and take a 30-minute “dry-run” prior to their test date. For $30, the Test Drive experience includes check-in, ID confirmation, documentation checking, image capture, seating, tutorial, a generic sample test*, a survey of the experience, and an end-of-test check-out, all at the actual testing center. You can schedule your Test Drive here.

FINRA

FINRA Tutorial for Taking Qualification Exams. FINRA offers this computer-based tutorial to familiarize test takers with how the system operates. No previous computer experience is required and the tutorial will cover how to advance and go back, keep track of time remaining, select and change an answer, mark questions for review, navigate special exhibits, use the calculator and notepad, and exit the exam.

At FIRE Solutions, it is our goal to help you pass your exam on your first attempt. Overcoming test anxiety can be as important as knowing the material, and familiarizing yourself with the test environment can help to that end. We hope you find these resources beneficial and you’ll look to FIRE Solutions for all your securities exam prep needs!

*The demo will not necessarily represent the exact look, feel, or content of your particular exam (FINRA may customize the vendor interface). However, it will allow you to experience samples of the types of question that you might encounter on the actual exam.

A successful approach to preparing for your FINRA exam is often a two-pronged strategy. You certainly need to study and know the content being tested (our study programs see to that!). Oftentimes, however, that is not enough; you also need to beat the test. You likely have anxiety over some of the extracurricular aspects of taking the exam — the unchartered exam room, navigating through the computerized testing screens, or just an overall fear of the unknown. Our study programs offer tutorials on test taking tips, and in previous blog posts, we’ve discussed how to be prepared on test day. This blog will discuss and point to additional resources that are available to familiarize you with the testing center/environment prior to showing up on test day. FINRA exams are administered by two vendors: Pearson Vue (www.pearsonvue.com) and Prometric (www.prometric.com). Both test vendors and FINRA offer resources to prepare you for your test day:Pearson VueTest Taker Tips video. This one-minute video provides some very generic test taking tips.Computer-based test demo. This demo previews the Pearson Vue computer interface and its features. This will give you a feel for the computer-based test*, but some of the features and types of questions demonstrated are not used on the FINRA exams.PrometricWhat to Expect on Test Day video. This eight-minute video gives in-depth details on what to expect when you show up for your exam — offering visuals of center procedures from greeting and identification through check-out.Test Drive. Prometric offers test takers the opportunity to schedule and take a 30-minute “dry-run” prior to their test date. For $30, the Test Drive experience includes check-in, ID confirmation, documentation checking, image capture, seating, tutorial, a generic sample test*, a survey of the experience, and an end-of-test check-out, all at the actual testing center. You can schedule your Test Drive here.FINRAFINRA Tutorial for Taking Qualification Exams. FINRA offers this computer-based tutorial to familiarize test takers with how the system operates. No previous computer experience is required and the tutorial will cover how to advance and go back, keep track of time remaining, select and change an answer, mark questions for review, navigate special exhibits, use the calculator and notepad, and exit the exam.At FIRE Solutions, it is our goal to help you pass your exam on your first attempt. Overcoming test anxiety can be as important as knowing the material, and familiarizing yourself with the test environment can help to that end. We hope you find these resources beneficial and you’ll look to FIRE Solutions for all your securities exam prep needs!*The demo will not necessarily represent the exact look, feel, or content of your particular exam (FINRA may customize the vendor interface). However, it will allow you to experience samples of the types of question that you might encounter on the actual exam.