SIE guides
Direct answers for SIE format, studying, exam day, scores, and what to do next.
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The SIE is FINRA's introductory securities exam, open to anyone 18 or older without a sponsoring firm. See what a pass proves, why it doesn't register you, which exams it pairs with, and how long it stays valid.
Read the guideThe SIE has 75 scored and 5 unscored multiple-choice questions, each with four choices, in 1 hour 45 minutes. See why older pages still say 85, how the four sections split, how much time each question gets, and what calculator and notes you get online or at a center.
Read the guideFINRA shortens SIE retake waits on January 19, 2027: 15 days instead of 30 after a first or second failure, and 60 instead of 180 after a third. See how to work out your date, what happens if you fail before the switch, and whether to move a booked appointment.
Read the guideFINRA doesn't set study hours for the SIE. Here is a planning budget by background, how to split your hours across the four official sections, and three week-by-week plans with a timed practice-test checkpoint.
Read the guideFINRA calls the SIE introductory, and it publishes no current pass rate. What makes it demanding is breadth: nine product families, about 150 rule references and a lot of look-alike terms. Here is what's hard, what helps, and how it compares with the Series 7 on FINRA's numbers.
Read the guideEnroll for the SIE yourself through FINRA's Test Enrollment Services System, pay $100, then book a Prometric test center or online appointment inside a 120-day window. Here are the steps, the fees for changes and no-shows, and the details that cause retests.
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How the SIE exam is structured, timed and scored.
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