The Practice Exams questions are slightly more difficult than the actual exam, so you should be scoring in the high 60s/low 70s online before taking the exam.  The diagnostic exams are the same level of difficulty as the actual exam, so any passing score on those exams is good.

You should plan on completing about 600 practice questions online. The Series 17 has a heavy focus on securities regulations, so you may want to generate some exams that specifically focus on the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SRO rules.  If your scores are not within passing range at that point, you may need to complete more questions.

Most students are able to finish the exam within the allotted time, without being rushed.

Though it is not mandatory to read the material before coming to class, doing so will enable you to reinforce the concepts discussed in the book.  If you have not read the material prior to class you will need more time after class to prepare before you take the examination.

Assuming you are working full time while preparing for the examination, you should allow yourself three to four weeks to read through the material and another one to three weeks to complete practice exams.  You should attend the live class, watch the online KIT or receive private instruction while you are reading the material or immediately after reading the material.   The total study time is typically five to eight weeks.

The Series 17 includes all the concepts tested on the Series 7 except for municipal bonds, options and investment companies. As such, when you prepare for the exam using our Series 7 material, you should exclude those chapters from the book and those units from the practice examinations.