CeriFi and Clemson University offer innovative SIE exam preparation to bolster finance skills, enhance career prospects for students

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Feb 06, 2020, 08:00 ET

ATLANTA, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CeriFi, a leading provider of education solutions for the financial services sector, is partnering with Clemson University's College of Business to offer a comprehensive Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam preparation course, helping launch a new generation of career-ready financial and investment professionals.

Clemson's program represents one of the earliest in higher education to capitalize on the 2018 introduction of the SIE exam, a professional licensing shift that allows students and professionals to take a streamlined exam testing their basic securities knowledge before obtaining a job in the field. Prior to that, professionals were required to have experience and firm sponsorship before taking any securities licensing exams. Against that backdrop, Clemson introduced a seven-week course in spring 2019, partnering with CeriFi to provide Pass Perfect materials to prepare its finance students for the SIE exam.

"We place a heavy emphasis on our students being hireable right out of school and with the SIE exam in place, we have an opportunity to give our students earlier exposure and preparation for a career in securities soon after graduation," said Josh Harris, CFP®, AFC®, faculty member in the school's Department of Finance, and lecturer for the SIE program. "The Pass Perfect materials are a relevant and comprehensive primer of the industry and the exam. We hear from students that they felt very prepared for the exam after the course.

"Taking and passing the SIE exam gives our students a competitive differentiator when interviewing for jobs as it sends a strong message to employers that they are invested and job-ready. This has resonated well with our students and also the firms that recruit on our campus."

Clemson has offered the SIE prep "minimester" course each semester since the inaugural class as an independent study option finance students can take to complement their existing class load. The user-friendly online, interactive classes are taught by seasoned instructors very familiar with SIE test requirements, and feature exam-focused content, emphasizing areas most heavily tested. Clemson lecturers augment the materials with coaching on test-taking strategies and other career-oriented assistance.

Initial results over Clemson's three sessions have been positive, with a high test pass rate for students who have successfully taken the course. Given the course's success and student interest, the SIE Exam prep course will soon be available for all business students.

"Clemson is an exceptionally progressive business school and the adoption of the SIE prep course is further demonstration of that," said Ed Fleur, Pass Perfect Founder. "By exposing students to the securities field, the school is helping broaden the pool of job-ready professionals for the industry, which speaks directly to the spirit of the introduction of the SIE exam."

About CeriFi
CeriFi, a Leeds Equity Partners portfolio company, is a diversified education, training and certification provider committed to serving as a best-in-class provider of lifelong learning for professionals across the financial services market. The CeriFi portfolio of companies includes PassPerfect, a leading provider of FINRA licensing exam training; Dalton Education, a leading provider of Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) education; Money Education, a publisher of academic digital textbooks and reference workbooks for the financial industry; and Keir Financial Education, a training solutions provider for financial and insurance certification exams.

SOURCE CeriFi