Good morning readers! As ProSchools expands it’s reach and opens in other states, we are starting to see more and more questions from licensing candidates inquiring about passing the test. I have received more than 100 emails simply asking “what’s the best way to make sure I pass this test on the first try?” That’s a great question, and I will do my best to share some of the best “test taking tips” I know. Read on for more information!In my lengthy experience is working with students, I have learned that different people learn differently. That’s a given- not everybody has the same abilities, techniques and methods they employ for studying and retaining new material. Simply put, there is no “magic box” or any other way that will guarantee that a student will remember everything they could run into on the state examination. There are, however, more intelligent ways to study than others, and there are better ways to implant the test material into your brains than others.
First, let’s take a look at some sure-fire ways to FAIL the test:
- Put in only the minumum number of required hours. Frankly, this is normally the failing of the recent college graduate and younger people. There is a tendency to equate the state-mandated hourly requirements with the ability to truly learn the material within those hours. NO NO NO! This is a fatal error! Statistics show us time and time again that the number of hours actually put into study correlates specifically with success on the test. The average student will have to put in at least 2-3 times as many hours as the state requires to successfully prepare!
- Only memorize the material, but don’t consider the concept behind the material. Another problem of large proportion! While it’s true that the test will require rote memory, it’s also true that the test is big on concept. The “if this…then what” scenario: “what if a whole life insurance policy lapses because the premium was not paid…then what? You go into “non-forfeiture” options available to the policyowner…then what? Depending on which option was selected…then what?” You must understand how to get from “A to B”, then “B to C,” then “C to D” seamlessly!
- Memorizing the practice test and quiz questions. No prelicense provider is given copies of the actual test questions, no matter what any school tells you. I have heard rumors of certain educational providers telling their students that they have been provided the actual state test questions. This does not occur, period! ProSchools does painstaking research in order to get a good idea of how the actual test questions appear and what the testing companies are looking for on the test. This is only possible due to the great staff working here…but they still aren’t the actual test questions! DO NOT memorize the practice questions! That will only lead to a false sense of security on the student’s part. The keys are repetition, repetition, repetition on things like terminology, time-frames, and policy features, benefits, etc. I often tell my students in lecture classes that they have to go over the material “about 100,000 times, give or take a couple of thousand” in order to be prepared!
- Waiting 2 months after the course is completed, and then take the test without looking at the material again. This is not a good thing…memory erodes with time, and this is a foreign language to most people. For those who have a long period of time between finishing the course and testing, make sure that you don’t ignore your materials in the interim! That’s a great way to “lose” what you already learned.
So, now that we know what NOT to do…what should be done? There are absolutely ways that you can enhance your odds of passing on the first try. Here are some things to consider as you are preparing for your test:
- As mentioned earlier- it IS important to memorize key terms and definitions. But also remember that the concept behind the terms is equally important, and in certain instances, even more so. You must be able to do the “A,B,C,D” idea as shown above. If the test presents a “story” type question, they’re normally looking for a concept-type answer.
- Know the test content outline like the back of your hand! This outline is THE KEY COMPONENT for successful test taking. You must be able to verbally “jog” down the content outline and be able to recite the “who, what, when, why, where and how” surrounding that content item before you test!
- Become familiar with the testing mentality. Make sure to read every single word in both the questions themselves and the provided answers! There are people who fail simply because they didn’t read the question properly! In addition, make sure that you understand the gist of the question itself…what are they getting at in the question? In order to answer a question properly, you must understand the idea behind the question!
- Have someone “quiz” you when you finish a chapter or lesson. Find someone who can take text material and “invent” questions for you. Have another person ask you to explain the ideas within a test content area.
- Write down the material in “bulleted” fashion. Statistics tell us that you remember twice as much of what you write compared to what you just read!
- “Play” with the material through role-playing with another person. Again let’s look at statistics- a person remembers, on average, seven times more when they “do it” compared to when they just “read it.” Sell them a policy, explain all of the conditions, exclusions, features and benefits to your “client.” Do this without the book in front of you. Talk about an automobile policy, sell them a homeowner’s insurance policy, discuss their need for life insurance and the best product to take care of that need, etc. I guarantee this will help!
- Do not “cram” a certain chapter or section the morning of your state exam. If you cram any one particular area, that’s all you’re going to remember when you get to the test site. We recomment “general test content review” the day of your test…do a mental jog down the content outline.
- Get plenty of sleep the night before (easily said, eh?) , and have a “smart” breakfast/lunch. Do not drink 5 cups of coffee for the caffeine…that will only hurt you halfway through your exam when the caffeine buzz crashes. Instead- think complex carbs that will last for a few hours. Apples are good for this purpose and will actually keep you more awake than coffee!
- Selectively listen to other people who have already taken the exam. Don’t listen to the naysayers who are all doom and gloom. They’re the ones who failed the first time and have a tendency to want you to think you will have the same problems that they had. This is not normally the case- people generally fail because they haven’t taken the proper stance when preparing in the first place, and then tend to blame others for their lack of preparation. Proper preparation produces people who pass! Poor preparation produces people who fail! It’s all in the preparation, isn’t it!
If you have any other suggestions, let me know! I am all about getting you through this test on the first try, and if something in particular worked for you- maybe it will help others! Good luck, but more appropriately- good preparation and skill!