How to Create a Series 65 Study Calendar
- April 1, 2025
- Posted by: 'FINRA Exam Mastery'
- Category: Finance
📅 How to Create a Series 65 Study Calendar
The Series 65 Exam covers complex topics in securities law, portfolio management, ethics, and retirement planning. Whether you’re a first-time test taker or retaking the exam, a structured study calendar is the most effective way to stay on track, manage your time, and retain key concepts. Here’s how to create a personalized Series 65 study plan—step by step.
🎯 Step 1: Set Your Exam Date
Choose your target exam date 4 to 8 weeks in advance. This gives you enough time to review all materials, take multiple practice exams, and reinforce weaker areas. Once your date is confirmed, count the number of available study days (excluding vacations or busy workdays).
📚 Step 2: Break Down the Series 65 Exam Content
The Series 65 exam includes 130 scored questions across four major topics:
| Topic Area | % of Exam | Estimated Study Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Factors and Business Information | 15% | 4–5 days |
| Investment Vehicle Characteristics | 25% | 7–8 days |
| Client Investment Recommendations and Strategies | 30% | 9–10 days |
| Laws, Regulations, and Guidelines | 30% | 9–10 days |
Use this as the basis for how much time you’ll spend on each section.
🗓️ Step 3: Sample 30-Day Study Calendar
| Week | Focus Areas | Daily Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Economic factors, types of investments, basic definitions | 1–2 hours |
| 2 | Investment risks, insurance products, suitability | 2 hours |
| 3 | Portfolio strategies, retirement accounts, tax planning | 2–3 hours |
| 4 | Laws, ethics, fiduciary duty, full-length exams | 3+ hours |
🔁 Step 4: Use Study Blocks and Review Cycles
- Morning Block (30–60 mins): Read or watch video lessons
- Afternoon Block (30–60 mins): Practice questions + flashcards
- Evening Block (15–30 mins): Review errors and revise notes
- Weekly Review Day: Recap previous topics and identify weak areas
Use spaced repetition for retention and interleaving (mixing topics) to stay sharp.
🧪 Step 5: Take Practice Exams and Adjust
- Take your first full-length practice exam at the end of Week 2
- Take another full-length exam at the end of Week 3
- In the final week, take 2–3 full exams, rotating focus
- Analyze your results to fine-tune your weak areas before test day
✅ Final Week Checklist
- Review all key terms and definitions
- Skim over laws and exemptions
- Focus on ethics and case scenarios
- Get 7–8 hours of sleep per night
- Avoid cramming the night before the exam
📈 Ready to Build Your Series 65 Routine?
Use our expert-designed Series 65 course to follow a proven, time-efficient study system—complete with daily lessons, quizzes, and exam simulations to make your calendar work.
Start now at finra-exam-mastery.com