I know that most people can agree when I say:
It is hard trying to find the perfect Series 7 study guide for your situation.
There are so many different options, features and prep book companies to choose from. The FINRA Series 7, also known as the General Securities Representative Exam (GSRE), is a tough test and has a big say on your future financial career.
Because of these reasons I have created this list of the best Series 7 preparation guides. All of the info below should make it very easy to choose which prep book makes it easiest for you to study for your securities license.
Want to know which prep guides are the best?
Please note, all external links for the products below (geni.us links, etc.) link to the corresponding Amazon.com page for each product.
Series 7 Study Guide Comparison Table
| Ranking | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Guide |  Wiley Series 7 Exam Review 2017 |  Pass The 7: A Plain English Explanation |  Series 7 Exam Prep Study Guide |  Series 7 Exam Prep 2016: 500 Questions |  Series 7 Exam For Dummies |
| Award |  |  |  | ||
| Price | |||||
| Practice Exams / Questions | 500+ questions | 1200+ questions | chapter quizzes | 500+ questions | 2 practice tests |
| Pages | 624 pages | 516 pages | 172 pages | 100 pages | 384 pages |
| Published | 3/6/2017 | 1/4/2016 | 1/29/2016 | 6/30/2015 | 1/26/2016 |
| More Details | Read full review > | Read full review > | Read full review > | Read full review > | Read full review > |
Best Overall Series 7 Study Guide
Wiley FINRA Series 7 Exam Review 2017, 1st Edition Review
Wiley’s Series 7 Exam Review 2017 is our best overall prep book on a list of the top FINRA GSRE preparation guides.
One thing that makes Wiley’s really great it is that it is very concise and to the point. This prep guide wastes no time going through all of the topics and concepts (hopefully leaving you plenty of time to go out for that quick late night Starbucks run!). Also, since this book is updated yearly, you know that the questions and topics are up to date. You won't waste time learning something that is no longer on the exam.
And although Wiley’s is concise, it is also very comprehensive. Nothing is left out of this review guide. You will not have to worry on test day about being surprised by topics that you know nothing about. Go into the test knowing that you will be prepared for everything that they throw at you.
Another positive is that there is a copious amount of mock tests and questions. This means that you will never run out of sample problems to work through. You can make sure that you are fully prepared no matter your starting aptitude on the subject matter.
Wiley’s also includes:
1) 500+ example questions
2) Priceless test-taking tips and strategies
3) Assorted practice questions for each subject area covered in the test
The one main flaw of Wiley’s is that the chapter structure is not well thought out. Sometimes you're left confused about how exactly the different subsections of a topic actually fit together. This may make you waste a little bit of time while studying trying to a grip on the chapter layout.
We really believe that its strengths make up for its single flaw. Wiley’s Series 7 Exam Review 2017 is our best overall prep book on our list of the top rated Series 7 certification preparation guides.
Pros
- Concept review is very concise and to the point
- Although concise, the book is very comprehensive, nothing is left out
- Tons of practice questions and tests
Cons
- Chapter structure is not well planned, poor flow
Best Value Series 7 Study Guide
Pass The 7: A Plain English Explanation To Help You Pass The Series 7 Exam, 2nd Edition Review
Pass the 7: A Plain English Explanation is our best value prep book on our list of the best FINRA Series 7 prep guides.
The one main strength of Pass the 7 that uses plain English and concise explanations to go through all of the topics that are on the test. It outlines all of the details point-by-point, making it very easy to understand. You won't be pulling your hair out in frustration from being confused from long paragraph after long paragraph of boring explanation.
This book also explains things in a way that you'll both understand and remember. Obviously, studying for a test is not very useful if you don't remember the things that you need to know on test day.
Another great positive about this preparation guide is that it gives you all the tips and tricks to avoid the traps of the test writers. You won't be tripped up on test day by questions designed to fool you.
Pass the 7: A Plain English Explanation also includes:
1) 1,200+ challenging questions in the Pass the 7 Practice Test Question Bank
2) Textbook review and explanation for every question in the question bank
The one main flaw for Pass the 7 is that it somewhat lacks structure and flow, especially in the question bank references area. In the question bank references area, although it is easy to understand, sometimes the long paragraphs make it hard to get through.
Since it is at a lower price than our top pick, Pass the 7: A Plain English Explanation is our best value prep book on our list of the top Series 7 preparation guides.
Pros
- Uses simple language and concepts to get the point across, this guide is very easy to understand
- Very good at explaining things that are easy to remember and understand, no boring fact listing
- Great tips on how to avoid all the traps the test writers will throw at you
Cons
- Somewhat lacks structure and flow, question bank references are confusing
#3 Best Overall Series 7 Study Guide
Series 7 Exam Prep Study Guide Review
The Series 7 Exam Prep Study Guide is our 3rd best overall prep book on our list of the top FINRA GSRE review guides.
This preparation guide has very detailed answer explanations. When you miss a question on a practice test, it is important that you are able to understand the nature of your mistake and how to avoid making that same mistake again in the future. Being able to learn from your mistakes really allows you to increase your score on test day.
This review guide has great test taking strategies that teach you to properly utilize the time provided during the test and to get through the test without making easily avoidable errors. This really gives you confidence on test day that you won't be tripped up by simple questions.
This review book also includes:
1) Review for each section of the test
2) Practice tests with detailed answer explanations
Because of its short length, this review book might be better for someone that already has a lot of knowledge of the topics that are on the test.
With only 172 pages, this preparation guide is very short on review and does not have enough length to go in-depth on the topics. Because of this weakness, the Series 7 Exam Prep Study Guide is our 3rd top overall prep book on our list of the top prep guides to prepare for the Series 7 exam.
Pros
- The answer explanations are very detailed and thorough
- The test taking tips and strategies are very useful for test day
Cons
-Because of its short length, the concept review is somewhat lacking
#4 Best Overall Series 7 Study Guide
Series 7 Exam Prep 2016 Review
Series 7 Exam Prep 2016 is our 4th best overall prep book on our list of the top FINRA Series 7 prep books.
This prep book has plenty of practice questions and sample tests. These questions make sure that you get all of those needed repetitions in before test day so that you know what to expect.
The questions in this prep book are also very similar to the question types that you will see on the actual exam. Some prep books are written a little bit differently than the actual test, making it difficult to transfer that knowledge to test day. This preparation guide obviously does not have that issue.
This review book also includes:
1) 500 fully-explained example questions
2) 2 practice tests
One flaw with this review book is that it is somewhat poorly edited. Some of the questions and answers don't exactly match up correctly and can lead to some confusion.
As you can tell from the title, this preparation guide is geared a lot more towards question-and-answer review instead of in-depth topic review. At only 100 pages, this review book doesn't have enough length to comprehensively review the concepts. Because of this, Series 7 Exam Prep 2016 is our 4th best overall Series 7 prep book.
Pros
- Plenty of practice questions for the price
- The practice questions and mock tests are similar to what you will encounter on test day
Cons
- The review is poorly edited and sometimes confusing
Budget Pick Series 7 Study Guide
Series 7 Exam For Dummies with Online Practice Tests, 3rd Edition Review
Series 7 Exam for Dummies is our budget pick for the best prep book on our list of the top FINRA GSRE prep guides.
The one main positive about Dummies is that it is at a lot lower price than all of the other review guides on our list. What you get in this prep book is very good for the price.
Another plus is that this preparation guide gives you a really good idea of what you need to know what you don't need to know for test day. This is really good for those of you that are up to speed on the concept review and just need an overview of the test and what to expect on test day.
Dummies also includes:
1) 2 full-length practices tests
2) Answers that include full explanations to improve your understanding of the content
3) Access to an additional full-length practice test and other study tools online
One weakness of Dummies is that the practice questions that are included are not very exam-like. You may be surprised on exam day by questions that don't seem familiar or that you were not prepared for.
Also, this prep book is geared a lot more towards test preparation and strategies instead of concept review. This prep guide may be good as a supplemental guide to a different prep book on this list. Although it has its strengths, its flaws make Series 7 Exam for Dummies our 5th best overall and budget pick on our list of the top Series 7 study books.
Pros
- With everything that you get, this study book is good for the price
- Gives you a good idea of what you need to know and what you don’t for the exam
Cons
- Practice tests and questions aren't very "exam-like"
- This book is more focused on test prep rather than concept review
Our Suggestions
Our suggestions offer the most cost effective way to prepare for the test without breaking the bank. Even though Wiley’s is a very good guide and has tons of practice questions, it is also one of the most expensive options.
For time-strapped or low budget studiers, this may not be the best choice. The easiest and best way to improve your score on the test is to focus studying on improving your weaknesses. Because of this, we suggest to:
Buy Wiley’s if you are looking for the best overall study guide and do not care about price or length. If you are looking for something with better value that focuses more on practice questions, then pick up Pass the 7: A Plain English Explanation. And, of course, if you are looking for a budget pick, then pick up Dummies.
Best Series 7 Study Guides: Reviewed
| Series 7 Study Guides | Award | |
| 1 | Wiley Series 7 Exam Review 2017 | Best Overall |
| 2 | Pass The 7: A Plain English Explanation | Best Value |
| 3 | Series 7 Exam For Dummies | Budget Pick |
