Rating: 
Summary: If you can get through the book it is ok
Review: As one other reader mentioned, there are some mistakes which are a bit fustrating. My advice if you are going to get this book is to leave yourself plenty of time to take some online tests as well. I don't think it's manageable to go through this book as well as another one, but be advised that there are some items on the test that I didn't see in the book (i.e. money laundering). Study time (4 weeks + online tests). Score: 84.
Rating: 
Summary: Here's how you pass the Series 7 Exam
Review: Honestly, all the books out there (including this one) for the Series 7 exam are thick and filled with too much information. If you actually try to read the book from front to back, you are doing yourself a disservice. It is way too much information to retain. By the time you complete reading the book, you would have forgotten everything in the beginning. My advice: Skip reading the book and jump straight into doing the practice exams. Read the questions and compare it to the answer. Only use the book as a reference. Do the practice exams over and over until you have a passing score of 80%+. The book is actually pretty good if you insist on reading it. They explain the difficult concepts pretty well with the use of visual aids and Hotsheet summary. Good luck! Get plenty of rest the night before. The test is long and draining!
Rating:
Summary: A Good Value
Review: I am 1/3 thru this book. It appears to be well organized with sufficient info needed to pass the series 7 exam. There are sample questions at the end of each chapter which appear very helpful. The book also provides guidance on how to handle trick questions. It also has helpful general tips on testing techniques.
Rating:
Summary: Decent manual
Review: I and most of my work colleagues studied for the series 7 using primarily passtrak. It should contain enough information to pass the exam. My advice, also get the question and answer book and do as many questions as you can rather than overly reading the book. I had the CD for this manual as well and did about 150 questions a night. I took the test last week and passed with 80% and 20 out of 24 of my fellow workers passed in the past few weeks as well. I can't stress enough, read the book just ONCE and do about 2000 practice questions, and you'll pass your first time.
Rating:
Summary: Just took the test
Review: I have little financial background and needed to pass the test in about a month. Here is what I did with this book, the only book I have ever used.
1) read the book one time. Do all the chapter tests. Understand them as best you can. Read all of the material once.
I suggest 30-50 pages a night depending on what subject. Unfortunately the first few sections are a grind (Munis and Options are included) and take longer - make sure to read these to understanding.
Pay attentin to all "test topic" alerts in the book.
2) Buy the CD and take tests. Lots of tests. Lots and lots of tests. Take full section tests ( I took them in increments of 50 and 100) until you are getting 80% of them correct.
At the end of each section of the book - take multiple tests on that section on the CD immediately afterwards. AS you read more and more sections - combine more and more subjects into the tests you take along with taking some that are subject specific.
Take tests that include all of the subjects too - then find what sections and sub-sections you are scoring poorly on and take tests upon test of just those subjects until you know them.
The CD is a must. You HAVE to have it. I probably took 150 tests ranging from full 125 all subject practice tests (that are JUST like the real thing as far as form and questions) to 50 question tests focusing on subjects I was scoring poorly on.
1) study the book and do the tests in the book
2) get the CD and go to town like a madman. Take tests until you cant take any more tests. You cannot take too many.
I got 87 first try and finished the first 3 hour session in 50 minutes and the second 3 hour section in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Took under 2 hours total. About 30% of the questions were EXACT - the others similiar.
My only complaint is that the section on Order Entry/Confirmation/and Settlement sections. I was in the 60% range on the test for that section and was LOST during the test on q's regarding those subjects.
You can pass the test with a month, this book and the dearborn CD.
good luck
Rating:
Summary: Very Good but Not the Best -
Review: I have owned manuals from three of the top selling providers of Series 7 Exam study material. Dearborn's books are some of the best. The tone of the book is fairly conversational and engaging, but there is alot of material covered so its not exactly a "page turner". Its easy when studying for this exam to get overwhelmed, and this book isn't even the longest available. The best way to study for this exam is to read the book once and then hit the questions with a vengence. If you read the book once and then go through the full test 15 times you will pass on your first attempt, just make sure that you are learning the answers to the quiz and test questions and not simply recognizing them from past attempts. I would say if you need to get the test done quickly this book is great but Dearborn also has a multimedia CD-Rom that is truly fantastic. The audio coaches on the CD point out different areas of study to pay particular attention too as well as giving you a break from alot of what most people will consider fairly dry reading. If you want a even denser source of information than Dearborns then the only choice is the study materials from Securities Training Corp. There is a fair bit more material covered and the sample exams are even harder than the real thing. You will score well on the exams if you use and absorb the STC material. Pass Perfect is another provider and I would say while the easiest to read and the most conversational it also covers the least amount of info of the three and while you can certainly pass with it, you are taking a greater risk. Not to give Pass Perfect a hard time, if you just want to pass and be done with it then they are a good choice. In the end almost all the available study materials from all the different providers (except ARCO) will get the job done, it really depends on your personal preference and how much detail you want to deal with.
Rating: 
Summary: The questions are nothing like the actual exam.
Review: I have taken the 7 twice now and have studied with these materials each time. I have not passed the test so far. I am searching for materials that will prepare me better for the exam.
Rating:
Summary: I have had good success with the Passtrak series
Review: I have used Passtrak materials exclusively to pass the Series 3, Series 7 and the Series 63. I made 90% or above on all tests. My approach is to read the material, take the practice tests or Q/A, review and then do ALL practice tests & questions again. This second time around really helps. Do this and I don't think you'll miss. Please note that both Series 3 and Series 7 materials have separate manual & Q/A books; my statements apply to the use of both the manual and Q/A volumes -- don't buy just the manual alone.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book but Buy the 11th Edition
Review: I pass with a 87% on the Series 7 Exam. This is how I did it. 1. Read this book once. Then read over again the chapters on Municipal Securities and Options. You will need to know these chapters inside and out. 2. Then do the practice test. Do everyone one of the practice test. Again and Again. The Exam is exactly like the practice test. 3. Buy the 11th Edition. The CDROM alone is worth the price. If you do these 3 steps you will pass. GUARANTEE.
Rating:
Summary: I passed Series 7 with an 89% score
Review: I passed the Series 7 exam (October 2002) with an 89% score in my first try by answering correctly 224 out of 250 questions. I put in about a month of full-time study for this exam. No prior knowledge or history dealing with this exam whatsoever. To anyone who is interested in passing this 6-hour, energy- and time-consuming test in your first try, I would recommend the following: 1. Read the entire book at least once - carefully and thoroughly. That means if you are a fast reader, read it a few times. After that go over topics in the "Municipal Securities" and "Options" sections that you don't fully understand. These two sections will be tested heavily on the exam. Make sure you can comprehend (by that I mean being able to articulate clearly about an idea or concept) at least 80% of things mentioned in both chapters. 2. After you read the book at least once, start doing the practice tests that simulate the real-test with two 125-question sections. 3. Get a copy of the CD-ROM. The CD-ROM will give you a taste of what is like taking this exam on computer. It is extremely important that you try the practice test on computer a few times and get comfortable with it because that is the way it will be on the exam day. 4. Review the questions you answered incorrectly as well as the ones you guessed correctly. Ask yourself why you couldn't or had trouble with the questions you got wrong. Work on your weak areas. 5. There is no secret in doing well on this exam or any other exam for that matter. Practice makes perfect. There is just no other substitution. One last thing. Do get plenty of rest before the test day. Depending on what score you are shooting at, you will probably need the stamina required in order to complete the 2nd portion of the exam successfully. I didn't sleep well before the test day. Went in the next day. Did well in the morning but almost fell asleep in the afternoon. Trust me. You don't want that to happen!
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