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Support for Failures

Filed in: Study Tips

Employees stress

Even in the best run programs, there is an occasional exam failure. These failures can disrupt program momentum and make it difficult for candidates to make progress with other aspects of their program if there isn’t a plan in place for staying on track.

So how do you and your unsuccessful candidates move forward? As your partner, Knopman Marks will see students through until they pass. We are committed to working with you and your students so that the right support is available when it counts.

Diagnosis and Strategy

As a first step, unsuccessful candidates should be directed to contact Knopman Marks as soon as possible to discuss their exam experience. We will also reach out to them, but want you to encourage them to make contact as well. It’s important that we are all working together to plan for a successful 2nd effort.

In our initial post exam contact we will diagnose why the passing score was not achieved. Common reasons include:

  • Insufficient study
  • Assigned work not completed in its entirety
  • Difficulty with specific topics
  • Broad weakness on all exam topics

The individual diagnosis will impact the prescribed study strategy for the next effort. Instructors will provide customized recommendations for each student and encourage the student to check in as needed. Instructors will also make periodic contact to ensure the student is on track. With this “white glove” service level, you can feel confident that students are not falling through the cracks.

More Resources to Consider

In addition to continued work with the text, practice exam questions, and other original materials, alternative resources may be suggested. These include:

  • Attendance at a public class. Attending any or all portions of another class are complimentary for persons that have already attended a class, and can be a great refresher.
  • Use of On-demand lectures. These self-paced, recorded lectures closely simulate a live class experience, and can be used as much as necessary to review weak topics. If not included in the original material, these lectures can be added easily by making contact with material@knopman.com.
  • Tutoring. If one-on-one attention is needed, Knopman Marks tutors are available. Sometimes a short time with an expert instructor is all that is needed to remediate a weak area. Information about tutoring services is available by contacting material@knopman.com.

Setting an Exam Date

In most cases, we recommend that students take the test as soon as the 30 day waiting period is over. It is important to secure a date at the exam center to align the prep strategy appropriately. Delaying the re-examination experience for too long can cause the information to become stale, so unless there are extenuating circumstances, it’s good to get the test date scheduled promptly.

Full Transparency

For the best results, it is important that the student, your team and HR contact, and our staff have an open line of communication so that there is full transparency into the student’s preparedness for a next attempt. We are always available to answer your questions or report on progress until the passing score is achieved. By working together, we can ensure each student is moving forward and meeting your program goals.

Written by Marcia Larson

Marcia Larson is Vice President, Faculty, at Knopman Marks Financial Training, New York, NY. She has extensive experience in financial licensing and regulatory training, having authored, developed and presented courseware for numerous securities and insurance exam preparation and continuing education and compliance programs. Before joining Knopman Marks, Marcia was Director of Annuity Products and Business Development at CUNA Mutual Group, where she developed and marketed industry-leading annuity products and retirement solutions and implemented distribution relationships. She was previously VP, Securities Products for Kaplan Financial, managing securities training products and subsequently, international training and businesses development. Marcia has trained thousands of financial industry exam candidates throughout their careers, and also college students as an adjunct professor. Marcia was a summa cum laude graduate of Wartburg College with degrees in Business Administration and Piano Performance. Marcia also holds the designations of Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®), Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS), and Fellow Life Management Institute™ (FLMI®). She currently teaches the SIE, Series 6, 7, 24, 50, 52, 63, 65, and 66 exams.

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