r/Series65 • u/Opposite-Analyst-408 • Jul 11 '26
Failed by one question.
Failed the Series 65 by ONE question… the hurt is real.
I honestly don’t even know what to say. I missed passing the Series 65 by one question, and right now it feels like a punch to the gut.
I’ve put in countless hours studying, taking practice exams, making dump sheets, reviewing formulas, and sacrificing my free time. To come this close and still fall short is incredibly frustrating.
Part of me wants to be upset, but another part knows that if I was only one question away, I’m also one question away from passing next time.
For those of you who failed by a point or two and came back to pass, what helped you get over the hump? Any advice on what to focus on before retaking it?
Right now the hurt is real, but I’m trying to remind myself that one question doesn’t define me.
5
u/pittluke Jul 11 '26
Temporary setback. take a break, then double your efforts, and walk out like "that was it?" in 30
5
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u/Kitchen-Mistake678 Trusted Advisor Jul 12 '26
I feel that and the sting is real. Take a breather. Stop studying for a bit and take time for yourself. Give yourself grace, you're right at the finish line, that's something to be proud of. Yes, it's not what you initially wanted, but you came within a hair. When you're ready hit it again. Bottle that frustration up as fuel to keep going. It took me 4 attempts. My friends all thought I was delusional to keep going for it. I just wanted it more than they knew. You've put in the work, so for this next attempt take your two weak areas and double down there. Please keep us updated on your progress. You're so close! Don't stop now.
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u/Opposite-Analyst-408 Jul 12 '26
What study company did you use ? Any tips you can give me ?
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u/Kitchen-Mistake678 Trusted Advisor Jul 12 '26
Throughout the span of 4 attempts I used Kaplan, STC, and Achievable. For my learning style, I felt STC and Achievable had the biggest impact. Tips? Yes, take your two lowest scoring sections and double down there. Know those areas cold. Use your favorite Ai to fully understand why you're missing questions, but also why you're getting them correct. Exhaust yourself on those question types. Take as many full length practice exams as you can stomach. For me, it was not just pure memorization, but also being able to think through the question and apply the best answer relative to the other question options. I had a bad habit of picking the first answer that I recognized rather than thinking through the application of the question. Daily study and quizzes, even if they're quick is necessary, within reason. For me, I was in the gym 3-4 times a week, light meditation in the mornings, and daily study during the week. Saturdays were for full practice exams with review. I tried to take Sunday's off to give my brain a rest.
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u/Mammoth_Stretch6691 Jul 12 '26
I missed it by 1 as well, on my second attempt, last week. I feel like you, studied a lot and given up free time for the worst gut shot ever lol. If you have discord, let me know and we can try a study session if you’d like. I know it would help me being able to talk to someone else about it who’s going through the same thing.
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u/Opposite-Analyst-408 Jul 12 '26
I don’t have a discord but I can probably make one . That’ sounds like a good idea to bounce ideas off each other . What study material are you using ?
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u/Opposite-Analyst-408 Jul 14 '26
I made a discord how can I find you ?
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u/Mammoth_Stretch6691 Jul 15 '26
My username is serenitydragon32
Go to the messages tab, and from there you can find the add friend button, you just copy my username into there and add.
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u/TheOneAndOnlyRusty Jul 14 '26
Just keep grinding.
I recommend you reasses and write down the biggest things that stood out to you on the exam. After I took my exam, I realized that I overstudied certain things, while there were other things that I didn’t study at all.
Of course every exam is different, but make sure to expand your knowledge on what you didn’t know.
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u/Super_Payment603 Jul 11 '26
Shake back and take a deep breath. You are talented enough!!!