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Title: Rattiner's Review for the CFP Certification Examination, Fast Track Study Guide
ISBN: 0471272655
Author:
Jeffrey H. Rattiner
Publicate Date: 2003-07-18
Publish: 2003-07-18
List Price: $59.95
Average Customer Rating: 3.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $34.00
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $33.97
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| Customer Review: |
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1: A great review book
Like other comments have said, this book should not be used to initially learn the material. But if you use it as a review in the months and weeks before the CFP exam, it will be extremely helpful. I studied exclusively from this for the 2 weeks leading up the the exam, and wished I had started using it earlier. If you know everything in this book and can do TVM calculations, you'll be fine. I came out of the test feeling confident, and my passing score was confirmation. After taking the test, I thought the book contained exactly the right amount of detail. It is not just an outline.
If you've already fulfilled the education requirements, you should know most of the material in here; but reading it over a few times in the weeks before the test will cement it in your mind. I would also recommend that you go through and highlight the topics you feel weak on, then in the days before the test, focus on those areas.
This review does not contain every detail that could possibly be on the test, and that's good. It forces you to focus on the important topics and is short enough that you can easily get through the entire book, and get a review on all the material, in less than a week's study time. If it was 1000 pages long, you would never be able to remember everything. But by focusing your study, it's not impossible to know nearly everything in this book, which will be sufficient to pass the exam.
If you're using an edition not written in the year your taking the test, simply be aware of the new amounts. Go through and write in the correct values; it will be good review.
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2: To be avoided
The book is written in an outline format. In this case, the outline format completely fails due to the author's apparent lack of ability to properly categorize subject matter and repeated criss-crossing of topics in incorrect sections.
Poor organization is bad, but not fatal to test prep materials. What cannot be forgiven is the copious amount of incorrect information contained in this study guide. As a CPA and a lawyer, I have experience in the financial arena and I clearly recognize when information is just plain wrong. At first, I challenged my preconceptions by researching topics where the outline contradicted my knowledge. I stopped. There were just too many mistakes to research each and every time I came across one.
There are practice questions in the book. Some are taken from prior CFP exams. Some are not. A small portion of the answers are incorrect (even according to Rattiner's own outline). I personally consider one incorrect practice question to be too many.
I've used test prep and test review materials for the CPA Exam, the Bar Exam, the LSAT, the ACT, the SAT, and the GMAT. Rattinger's study guide is the worst I have ever purchased.
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3: Valuable Tool for the CFP Exam
What sets Jeff and this book apart is that he actually sat on the CFP board for several years and he knows first hand how they devise the test.
This book was not meant to be your only study source, but meant to be used in conjunction with the required educational coursework and the review class.
Students who go through the Rattiner program have a 20% higher pass rate than those who don't. Rattiner's book and course are WELL worth the investment.
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4: Word to the Wise
I found the book to be extremely helpful, but did not use it as a sole source. The book kept most of the topics simple and clear. I used it as a portable way to review material. ALWAYS, check the copyright on books like this because so much information is year specific. I passed!!
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5: Summary with no meat
The book is simply a summary outline of the material for the CFP test, which can easily be obtained on the Board's website. Without sufficient detail, I can not imagine how it could be helpful.
Anthony
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