So, you’re staring at a 600-page Kaplan textbook or a dense STC manual and feeling like your brain is slowly turning into a puddle of lukewarm coffee. It happens to the best of us. Most people entering the financial world think passing the SIE, Series 7, or Series 66 is just about memorizing every regulation written since 1934.
Honestly? That’s the quickest way to burn out.
If you’ve spent any time on Reddit or lurking in the "Series 7 Guru" YouTube comments, you’ve probably heard of Brian Lee Test Geek. He’s become a sort of folk hero for folks who are tired of the corporate, dry-as-dust training materials. But there’s a lot of confusion about what his stuff actually is. Is it a full course? A shortcut? Or just a guy in a room talking about options straddles?
The Bridge Between the Book and the Exam
Brian Lee doesn't claim to be a replacement for the big publishers. In fact, he’s pretty blunt about it: his Test Geek Exam Prep is designed as a bridge. See, companies like Kaplan or PassPerfect are incentivized to include everything. They want to be 100% "covered" so no one can say they missed a topic. The result is a mountain of information that is technically accurate but functionally overwhelming.
Brian’s whole vibe is different. He’s a former high school science teacher who transitioned into the brokerage world in the mid-90s, starting at a boutique firm in Portland. He’s been teaching these exams since 1995. Because of that teaching background, he understands how people actually learn—which usually isn't by reading "The Investment Company Act of 1940" in legalise.
Basically, he takes the fluff and throws it out the window. He focuses on "condense and illustrate." If you’re a visual learner, his videos are often the moment where things finally click.
Why People Actually Buy Test Geek
Most test-takers find Brian Lee when they hit a wall. Maybe they failed their first attempt at the Series 7 with a 68% and realized they don't actually understand suitability; they just memorized some definitions.
What makes Brian Lee Test Geek stand out:
- The Options Tutorial: The Series 7 is famous for its options math. Brian’s approach to the "Options Matrix" or T-charts is legendary for turning "I hate math" students into "I can do this in my sleep" experts.
- The "Mighty Ninety": He frequently collaborates with Dean Tinney (the Series 7 Guru), and they focus on the "high-yield" stuff. This is the 20% of the material that shows up in 80% of the questions.
- No Corporate Speak: He talks like a human. He’ll tell you which parts of the exam are "garbage" and which parts you absolutely must nail.
It's about the "logic" of the test. He teaches you how to think like a test-maker. For example, on the Series 63 or 65, the state laws can feel incredibly ambiguous. Brian helps you navigate that "grey area" where two answers look right, but only one is the "most" right.
What You Get (and What It Costs)
You can find his courses on Teachable under the TestGeek Exam Prep brand. They aren't expensive compared to the thousands of dollars a firm might spend on licensing.
- SIE and Series 7: Usually around $129 each, or you can bundle them for about $199.
- Series 63, 65, and 66: These generally hover around the $99 to $129 mark.
- The Practice Finals: Many people buy his course just for the practice exam at the end. It’s widely considered one of the most "exam-accurate" practice tests out there.
One thing to keep in mind: his videos are self-paced. This isn't a live Zoom call where you can raise your hand every five minutes. It’s a curated library of content that focuses on the core concepts.
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Does it work for everyone?
Nope. If you’re the type of person who needs a 4,000-question QBank to feel safe, Test Geek might feel too "light." Brian doesn't give you thousands of questions; he gives you the concept so you can answer any question. If you want a drill-sergeant approach with constant progress tracking, stick with the big corporate platforms. But if you’re struggling with the why behind the rules, he’s your guy.
Navigating the "Supplement" Strategy
The smartest way to use Brian Lee Test Geek is as a supplement. Buy the cheap version of Kaplan (just the QBank) and then use Brian’s videos for the heavy lifting. This gives you the best of both worlds: the vast practice questions of a major publisher and the expert distillation of a master teacher.
For the Series 66 specifically—which is notoriously tricky because it’s a law exam disguised as a finance exam—Brian’s "Quicknotes" are often the difference-maker. They are basically the "cheat sheets" you wish you’d written yourself.
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Actionable Steps for Your Study Plan
- Assess your learning style early. If reading the first three chapters of your textbook feels like wading through wet cement, don’t wait until you fail a practice final to find a video supplement.
- Focus on Suitability and Options. On the Series 7, these are the heavy hitters. Use Brian’s specific T-chart method for options; don't try to mix it with three other methods from YouTube. Pick one and stick to it.
- Take the Test Geek Practice Final last. Use it as your "readiness" indicator about 3-4 days before your actual exam. If you’re scoring in the mid-70s on his final, you are likely in a very good spot for the real thing.
- Watch the "Mighty Ninety" on YouTube. Before you buy anything, check out his free collaborations with the Series 7 Guru. It’ll give you a feel for his teaching style and whether it resonates with how your brain works.
Passing these exams isn't about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about having the right strategy to handle the specific way FINRA and NASAA ask questions. Whether it's Brian Lee or someone else, find the voice that makes the material stop feeling like a foreign language.