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Because it has worked so well for many Florida students in the past 8 years... and because you would like to pass these difficult exams the first time. Hello -- My name is Gary. I am your "virtual" instructor on this website Internet class. Get ready, I'm going to talk to you informally like you are already a student in my Internet class.... but before I do, I'll tell you that there is a lot of information on this page. You will get all of the reasons why various methods of study would be appropriate for you. If you don't want to read that much, or your interest is only in the Internet Review, use your "back" button, and click on the previous choice: What you get on-line with PMReview. The 40 hour Life/Health/Variable Annuities course (2-15) is required for State of Florida licensing, and for you to become an agent in life, health, and variable products. This is the Progressive Master Review (PMR), an on-line review of the 40 hour course, designed to properly challenge you and prepare you for the exams! The 2-15 course also includes the material for those who are working towards the 2-14, 2-18, 2-19, and 2-40 exams. How would you like to click on answer (a) to a question and find out WHY it is wrong, and click on answer (b) and find out WHY it is right. That's what pmreview.com does. This is quite an improvement over sample tests, and it's even better than a live-and-in-person classroom review because of the large number of questions! Whether you are using a high-tech browser of the latest edition, or using a "low-tech" text-only browser, it makes no difference. The Progressive Master Review is set up in a rather low-tech fashion for two major reasons: a. to function with ANY web browser in existance!There is a lot of information included at this site for your benefit. An explanation follows as to why a review in this manner is an excellent method of covering the material. After the explanation, you can click on the link to a sample page with five questions so you may have a good understanding of the Progressive Master Review. This page with sample questions is available without a password to show you how well this works and how easy it is to use. One other thing: I have had comments from users of this service telling me that they had initial reservations about this web page. "It sounds good but who wrote it and what does he/she know? ... and how likely is it that this is any better than some of the classes and materials I have already seen..." and so on. If you would like to see see some actual e-mail messages received at pmreview.com after students used the review, click on the appropriate main menu button that says "Actual e-mail from Past Users." Now back to the problem: the Florida Life/Health/Variable Annuities exams are harder than they used to be. It's true. Since September 1, 1996, the exams are different and from the point of view of those students taking them, the questions are worded so that the examinee has greater difficulty choosing between the available answers. It used to be assumed that if a student attended all of the 40 hour class, listened intently, answered all the questions in the textbook, and scored well on the in-class exams, it would be a smooth transition to sit for the state test the next morning and do well as to a passing score. That doesn't appear to be true any longer. It is now necessary to put in a considerable amount of time studying after taking the required class in order to pass. As a student studying for the state exams, you have some choices: 1. read the textbook so thoroughly you can answer any question.To by-pass the explanation of (1) through (9), click here.... but I would really recommend at least reading number (7). The first nine.... let's take these one at a time. (1) First you need to know that repeated reading of the book, by itself, will do wonders. However, one of the reasons people attend classes is to have the assistance of a sharp instructor and other students to cover the topics from viewpoints other than those presented in the book. The live-and-in-person communication in a good classroom is very valuable. Reading, by itself, may not provide sufficient insight into the material. (2) Sets of questions are excellent as long as they are current. With a large number of questions, many topics can be covered from many directions. There are two problems. You are given the right answer, but you may not know why it is right, and you may not know why the other answers are wrong! The second problem is that lists of questions circulating in the industry are often not made from recent test session information, or from the current edition of the FAIFA textbook, or even questions which are not specific to Florida. (3) Other texts are interesting, but they are dangerous when they may not have answers which are specific to your state. Our suggestion is to stick with your approved textbook and stay away from any others, at least until you pass the test. (4) Flashcards, particularly if the student takes the time to make them from 4x6 index cards, can be of great value. These are very well suited to law or definitions. We don't have flashcards. The value will be greater if you make your own. (5) Forming study groups is excellent, but in many cases, not convenient. It might also be that none of the participants have a clue on some of the questions which come up. Still, it works well to compare problem questions with others. (6) Computer programs which have been available to this point can be useful but may not be as current as you might expect. They also typically provide the right answer but don't supply much information as to the wrong answers. One big problem: they may be generalized to work for a variety of states but are not keyed to the peculiarities (there are plenty) of the Florida exams. (7) The answer to the seventh option above may surprise you. Asking questions of experienced people in your office may be the worst of the options. The answers you receive from an experienced person may be completely what you don't need to hear. Why? Because the test is over the material in the textbook, and the book may not be reality, BUT IT IS THE BOOK. There is material in the book which is supplied for the purpose of simplicity. Sometimes truth is missing because the real story is more complicated than the level of the test. You don't need to know it. Not only that, if you answer from "office experience," you may choose the wrong answer (see the following example). Would you like a real-life situation? I worked with a woman in Ocala some time ago. She was a very sharp, capable, experienced insurance professional who had worked for more than ten years in home-office settings with a large major insurance carrier in the northeast. This woman had worked in a variety of departments. After moving to Florida, she had failed the Florida insurance exam twice and was about to give it up. She knew too much. She argued with me about a number of the topics in the book. She was right. However, that didn't help her pass the test. Learn the material from a source very familiar with the Florida test! You can later learn reality at your office. (8) Going through the 40 hour class again can be OK (and very dreary). Plowing through the material a second time can be a very dry way to spend 40 more hours. (Did it seem long the first time?...and you want to do it again?) (9) Attending a class set up specifically for a crash review of the 40 hour class may be the best option of the first nine mentioned above. It works fine. All in all, reviews are excellent because the reasons behind the material and questions may be exactly what you need to hear. The only major defect is that the review may not be located conveniently for you, and may not be at a time which works well for you. And it may not be long enough to cover all the material you need to have reviewed. (10) The tenth choice is the reason you have read thus far. The Internet review available through PMR has almost all of the advantages of any of the other nine, and may not have any of the disadvantages. The Progressive Master Review accomplishes the following: a. The material (question pool) covers the book thoroughly. |
