Everyday I hear from people who have taken the state insurance examination, and everyday I hear “tips” from the test takers on how to successfully pass the darn test on the first attempt. Some of these tips are a bit on the bizarre side, such as “sleep with your book underneath your pillow…osmosis works!” or “your brain works better when it’s stressed out, so put stress on yourself!” Let’s see….NO and NO (unless you can read while you’re asleep or you’re one of those types that does work best under pressure, which is unusual for most people)! There are tried and true methods to enhance your testing success, but those examples don’t normally work (especially the osmosis one)!
I just got off the phone with Jannette, who got an incredible score on her life and health exam, and she offered the following tips, and these actually make sense!
- Read the material multiple times. Either purchase the textbooks for nominal cost if you are doing the online study, or print them out for use outside of the computer setting. If you are taking a lecture course from us, use the online components heavily, especially the interactive exercises.
- Work the brainteasers repetitively- they make you think ourside the multiple choice parameters. Your brain will have to fill in the blanks instead of having a series of choices available to you.
- Spend 2-3x the required hours studying the material. On average, it takes the typical person 80-120 hours of study, and only 40 hours are required by the states for just about all insurance examinations.
- USE the material; role-play the material, sell a policy to a significant other, talk about the provisions, the coverage, the exclusions, etc. You’ll find that if you actually use the information, it will be much more easily recalled compared to if you just read the stuff
- Do NOT schedule your exam the day after you complete the material in class or immediately upon finishing the online courseware. Our data tells us that 5-6 days is necessary for study AFTER you finish your mandated hours.
I know…your employers are pushing you to take the test as soon as you finish your hours. That is terrible advice, and I could not disagree more with that concept. Understand where that comes from- you cannot make your company any money until you pass your test, and they hired you to make them money. So, I understand where this idea comes from, I just don’t agree. Studying the material comes after you have completed your hours. When you complete your hours, you are “doing your homeworK’ so to speak. Remember this- you “do” your homework, you “study” for your finals. The state test is your “final.”
Study for it!