SEC Phase 1 study plan

Map the full scope of securities regulation tested on the exam into a one-page outline of statutes, regulators, and registration categories

Define each core regulatory term (security, issuer, underwriter, accredited investor, exempt transaction) in your own words without copying source text

Identify which federal statutes and which self-regulatory bodies each carry authority over registration, disclosure, and enforcement

Build a running glossary file and add at least 30 terms this week

Explain the registration process end to end, from filing through effective date, including what triggers each stage

Distinguish the major exemptions from registration and state the conditions that qualify a transaction for each

Trace how a regulator investigates and sanctions misconduct, naming the order of procedural steps

Write 20 original practice questions on regulation and score your own accuracy

Categorize the specific rules that govern conduct of business into registration, disclosure, recordkeeping, and supervision buckets

State the filing and reporting obligations that attach to firms and to individuals, with deadlines

Compare the standards for prohibited practices such as misrepresentation, market manipulation, and unauthorized trading

Draft a one-page decision tree for choosing the correct rule when a scenario describes a firm activity

Apply recordkeeping and supervision rules to three written fact patterns and justify each conclusion with the governing rule

Differentiate the obligations owed to retail versus institutional clients under the rules

Explain the consequences of rule violations, including disciplinary outcomes and remediation duties

Review weeks 1 to 4 notes and consolidate overlapping regulation and rules content into a single reference sheet

Enumerate the core ethical principles in the code of conduct and restate each as a behavioral standard rather than an abstract value

Identify conflicts of interest in written scenarios and prescribe the required disclosure or avoidance step for each

Distinguish suitability and know-your-client duties from general fairness obligations

Compare how the code treats gifts, outside business activities, and personal trading

Apply the code of conduct to five ethics vignettes and select the best course of action with a written rationale

Summarize the internal guidelines and policies that operationalize the code, including escalation and reporting channels

Explain how firm policies on confidentiality, information handling, and whistleblowing interact with regulatory duties

Draft a personal list of the 10 most testable ethics distinctions and quiz yourself on them

Map each guideline and policy back to the regulation or rule that requires it, closing gaps found in your reference sheet

Resolve at least 15 mixed-domain scenarios where a policy question also raises a regulatory issue

Re-audit your glossary and reference sheet for any term or rule you cannot explain from memory

Complete a timed 40-question self-authored mixed set and record per-domain accuracy

Review only the lowest-scoring domain from week 7 and rewrite its summary from memory

Recite the key rules, exemptions, and ethical standards aloud without notes to test recall

Complete a final timed 50-question full-domain set and compare results to week 7

Finalize a one-page exam-day sheet of formulas, deadlines, and decision rules