How We Chose The Series 6 Exam Prep Courses
With 31,032 people joining the ranks of FINRA-registered representatives in 2020, the market for Series 6 exam prep courses has become very competitive.
Although there are more than two dozen prep course providers, we limited our review to 15 based on their more extensive track records.
To narrow down the choices for the best Series 6 exam prep courses, we considered several factors, such as their published pass rate, available learning methods, course comprehensiveness, quality of technology and materials, instructor support, and cost. Exam prep courses that are well-stacked with these critical components give you the best opportunity for passing the exam on your first attempt.
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. “Securities Industry Essentials® Exam.”
Financial Industry Regulation Authority. “Statistics.“
Learn More About This Exam From Suzy
Suzy is our Director of Securities Exam prep. She has over 20 years of experience teaching people just like you how to pass their securities licensing exams on their first attempt. Below Suzy will guide you through an overview of this exam and share with you a great study solution you can use to PASS.
Q: What Careers Does A Series 6 License Qualify Me For
A: People with a Series 6 license primarily find jobs as an insurance agent or financial advisor. As a result, theyll likely work in larger companies such as banks or investment firms. Your post exam work will most likely be an extension of what youve already done since the exam requires you to work for a FINRA firm.
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Best Comprehensive Offering: Kaplan University
Kaplan University
Kaplan makes our list with the best comprehensive offering for students with any learning style and budget. Its exam prep course lineup starts with self-study at $79 and ranges up to $149 for its premium classes with on-demand and online live formats.
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Long track record of successful Series 6 exam prep
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Comprehensive list of offerings for any learning style
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Robust question bank and practice test application
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Course access for five months with a 5-month extension for $49
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No money-back guarantee
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No mobile app platform
Kaplan stands out as one of the more established educational programs in the financial industry with a track record of successful exam prep since 1938. It’s no surprise then that Kaplan has the most comprehensive offering of study tools and packages, beginning with its widely acclaimed licensing exam manual for $79 and topping off with its $149 premium classes offered in online formats both live and on-demand. Its most comprehensive study package is the Premium Instruction Package that includes everything needed to prepare for the exam, including access to an experienced instructor.
All courses can be accessed for five months. If additional study time is needed, students can purchase a five-month extension for $49.
One of Kaplan’s drawbacks is its lack of a money-back guarantee as other providers on this list do. However, it does have a published success rate of 90% for first-time test takers.
What Are The Requirements For The Series 6 Exam

For more information on registration requirements refer to FINRA Rule 1210. The SIE exam is a corequisite to the Series 6 exam. Candidates must pass both the Series 6 exam and the SIE exam to obtain the Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products registration.
How to get a series 6 business license?
Earning a Series 6 license involves four key steps: 1 Take and pass the SIE exam. 2 Secure a sponsorship from a FINRA-member firm. 3 Register for the Series 6 exam. 4 Study for and pass the Series 6 top-off exam. More
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Do I Need To Take The Series 6 Top
It depends on the license. You might not need the Series 6 if you have a Series 7 license and you dont plan to sell life insurance. If you have a Series 3 license and decide to stop selling commodity futures in favor of mutual funds, youll need to earn the Series 6. You should consult with your firm before deciding whether you need a license or not.
Series 6 Exam Practice Questions
Below you will find some free Series 6 Exam practice questions. Remember, since the exam changed in October of 2018, the SIE Exam is a co-requisite, meaning you must take and pass both. Anyway, the Series 6 practice questions below will give you an idea of the types of questions you will see when taking the real exam. At the end of the practice test, youll find an answer key. Good luck
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Are You Ready To Crush The Investment Company And Variable Contracts Products Representative Qualification Examination And Get Certified
Today is a competitive world and the smartest, best, and most qualified get paid a lot of money to work in amazing fields. But you dont need a college degree, certification is an amazing path that opens up new opportunities and shows employers that you are the cream of the crop. We know that FINRA certification will add some flair to that resume and help you get amazing new roles. Certification from FINRA shows that you have the ability to be successful but its still not a simple process. You need to study, make your qualifications, and actually learn the skills to be successful at work if you want any chance of being successful.
So we created CertLibrary. We found ourselves in the same boat, needing to learn theses skills to get amazing certifications. But so many resources offered strange takes on the actual exam or didnt prep us in a meaningful way. CertLibrary is different because of this. We cut through the fluff and give meaningful exam preps, the exam preps we would want to study with if we were getting certified. Our Exam dumps offer real-world questions that simulate the exam room and job site, helping you get the core skills and critical abilities needed for not only FINRA certification but your future career. We want you to enter the testing facility calmly and prepared to pass the exam on the first try.
Examfx Series 6 Study Materials
Much like STCUSA, ExamFX focuses heavily on test based content in their Series 6 study packages. Each course comes with several different types of practice exams designed to hone specific skills. Plus, the course comes with a series of on demand video lectures, which can help you internalize what you need to know before youre asked to take a practice exam.
In addition to their tests, ExamFX offers some live online training. However, its clearly not the main focus of their Series 6 exam prep catalog. These sessions serve as good learning tools, but the real value remains in the test based format. Thanks to that limited focus, the course is able to be a bit cheaper at $129.
ExamFX prepares you for the Series 6 exam in a couple of key ways, for instance:
- Interactive Learning Portal
- Online Flashcards
- Live Online Training
Bottom Line:
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Series 6 Test Taking Tips
All the preparation in the world isnt going to help at all if you dont develop any test taking skills. Make sure to keep these tips in mind when taking the exam theyll go a long way towards helping you pass.
- Read everything before you answer a question. You have a full 90 minutes to complete 50 questions. Knowing that, you can relax and spend plenty of time reading through the full question and all the answers before deciding on your answer.
- Skip questions that are too difficult. You dont need to bang your head against the wall and waste time on each question. Just skip the question and come back to it at the end if you get stuck. Remember you only need 70% to pass.
- Dont be afraid to make an educated guess sometimes. You can make guesses much easier by eliminating all the wrong answers first. Bringing the number of potential answers down from 4 to 2 makes you much more likely to guess the correct answer.
My one major piece of advice that doesnt focus on testing strategies is to rest up ahead of time. Make sure youre not cramming the night before and get plenty of rest. That way you can enter the exam in the best condition possible.
Passing The Series 6 Exam On Your 2nd Attempt
Failing any exam can be devastating, but there are a lot of things you can do to learn from your mistakes.
Dont give up if youve failed your first attempt at the Series 6 exam. All that means is that you need to refine your study methods going forward. There are a few ways to do this, but I personally recommend completing a Series 6 exam prep course.
If youre not sure which one to choose, I recommend checking out the Securities Institute of America Series 6 exam prep. They offer a series of video lectures, textbooks, and practice exams as part of their programs. Each study material reinforces what youve learned in a different one. Plus, their tests perfectly mimic the real Series 6 exam. As a result, completing these helps you develop test taking strategies while you study.
In fact, this course is so effective that their students boast a 90% pass rate on the Series 6 exam. Plus, SIAs pass guarantee eliminates any financial risk when preparing for your test.
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What Does The Current Series 6 Exam Look Like
According to FINRA, an individual registered as an investment company and variable contracts product representative is permitted to solicit, purchase, or sell mutual funds, closed-end funds on the initial public offering only, variable annuities, variable life insurance, unit investment trusts, and municipal fund securities.
Prior to October 1, 2018 current registration candidates must pass the Series 6 exam by demonstrating they possess the knowledge needed to perform the four main job functions of an investment company and variable contract products representative. Candidates have 135 minutes to answer 100 multiple choice questions, and the exam requires a passing score of 70%.
The current Series 6 exam structure and breakdown based on the four main job functions is as follows:
Series 6 Exam Restructure: Everything You Need To Know

Beginning October 1, 2018, prospective securities industry professionals looking to become registered with a firm at the representative level will be required to pass the new Securities Industry Essentials exam in addition to a revised representative-level qualification exam. These exams are considered corequisites in meeting the exam requirement and obtaining a registration. This means there is no required order in which these exams must be taken or passed.
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What Are The Vitals For The Series 6 Exam
This exam is made up of 50 multiple-choice questions. Each question consists of four answer choices. The exam has a 1 hour and 30-minute time limit and has a 70% minimum passing score. The questions on the exam come from four sections of information as follows:
You can access the full Series 6 license exam outline here.
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Additional Series 6 Study Materials
ExamFX offers candidates all the study materials they need to be successful in passing their qualification exam. In addition to our online learning platform, we offer printed study materials that help candidates throughout their learning. Our Study Guide and Tip Sheets can easily be added to any package during checkout.
ExamFX Series 6 packages include unlimited practice exams, designed to the simulate qualification exam. Learn more about these additional study materials by clicking below.
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A Few Important Series 6 Exam Insights
- You will recognize many Series 6 subjects in your study of the SIE materials. While youll be expected to master more detail for Series 6 questions, the concepts will be familiar.
- Focus on the risks and rewards of each product as you prepare. Make sure you understand how to align fund objectives with the investment objectives of customers.
- Dont expect a math test, but be ready for about five questions that require you to compute a numeric answer.
- Some candidates think the SIE Exam is harder than the Series 6 because it covers such a broad range of topics.
Knopman Marks looks forward to working with you on your Series 6 journey, and were here to help every step of the way. Good luck with your study process.
Soliciting Business And Building Relationships
The representative should know the following regarding soliciting business and building relationships through different means of communication:
- Knowledge of product definitions and classifications, required approvals and procedures for all communications and correspondence. Creating research reports, using designations, and know the definition of regulated investment company according to the Internal Revenue Code.
- Perform the conduit or pipeline theory and know the way to distribute income and realized capital gains, the do not call list rule and other telemarketing requirements.
- FINRA Rules including communication with the public, ranking and ratings of Investment Companies and mutual funds. Using Investment Analysis Tools and how to properly network with Financial Institutions, phone recording, telemarketing, customer account information and payments that involve market price of a security.
- NASD Rules regarding communications with the public about Variable Life Insurance and Variable Annuities
- Securities Act of 1933 definitions, formation, prohibitions over interstate communication, fraudulent interstate transactions, communications that do not require a prospectus and the rules and requirements of advertising.
- Investment Company Act of 1940 all definitions, classification of investment and management companies, exemptions, registration and literature that is marked as misleading to the general public.
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May I Take The Series 6 Exam Before The Sie Exam
Yes, although the more natural progression is to take the SIE exam first, mainly because you dont have to be sponsored to take it, and it is a more general exam that covers securities concepts. The SIE exam and Series 6 top-off exams are co-requisites, which means you can take and pass them in any order. Of course, you have to pass both to earn your Series 6 license.
Qualifications For A Series 6
In order to sit for the Series 6 exam, candidates for a Series 6 license are required to have a sponsor from a FINRA-member firm or a self-regulatory organization. Other exams that require a sponsor include the following:
- Series 7 General Securities Representative
- Series 22 DPP Representative
- Series 57 Securities Trader
- Series 79 Investment Banking Representative
- Series 82 Private Securities Offerings Representative
- Series 86 and 87 Research Analyst
- Series 99 Operations Professional
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Series 6 Study Guide Customer Success Stories
The material is well organized for quick access and review of areas I want or need to focus on. It is definitely a time-saver given the time frame I have.
The book is very well written, it comes with plenty of good information, explains the material in a concise, understandable way, where the material makes sense and is very easy to comprehend.
I purchased the study guide book about 2 weeks ago, and I absolutely love it! It has helped me so much. I am able to clearly understand the material and retain the information. If I could rate this study guide , I would rate it a 5.
I appreciate and really like the way the study material is organized and the tips provided for taking the test. I believe I will be prepared to take the series 6 exam sooner than expected but I also know that I will be better prepared than my other colleges who are taking the same test. Thank you for the hard work that you have placed into this study material to make our testing easier for us. This book has kept me from having to pay $200+ dollars the other companies charge for their site access and material.
The guide will teach anyone to cultivate habits that will help you pass the state test. Each chapter is full of tips and anecdotes that will inspire you to be more committed to your goals and embrace the perseverance to reach them. It is an eye-opening tool for anyone needing guidance and motivation to pass the test. If you like Secrets Study Guide as much as I do , this is for you.
Free Ebook: Launching Your Securities Career

Wouldnt it be great if you could sit down with a room full of successful securities professionals and ask them for career advice? We asked several accomplished securities pros what they wish they knew before they earned their license and started their career, and what they thought all aspiring securities professionals should know. We put all of their advice into a value-packed eBook.
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Follow The Bell Curve
Those who have recently taken the exam report that the structure of the questions is a “bell curve.” That is, the first question and the last question on the exam are quite simple. The level of difficulty increases until one is past the midway point, then drops off steadily until the end. Be aware that this is likely to be your experience and don’t let the increasingly complex questions frustrate you. Press on. Easier questions will be on the way.