SIE Retake Rules in 2027: The New 15- and 60-Day Waits and How the Switch Works

FINRA published Regulatory Notice 26-18 on October 14, 2026. It amends Rule 1210.06, the rule that sets how long you wait before retaking a failed qualification exam, and the SIE is covered. The new waits start on January 19, 2027. Until then, the old waits still apply, and FINRA has said it won't process requests to shorten a wait early.

SIE retake waiting periods before and after January 19, 2027

The wait runs from the date of your last attempt. These are the numbers in Rule 1210.06 today and in the amended text in Attachment A to the Notice. FINRA filed the change with the SEC on June 29, 2026 (SR-FINRA-2026-014). It took effect on filing, but FINRA said the shorter waits wouldn't apply to candidates until it announced a date, which Notice 26-18 did.

Four details from the rule and the Notice that change real situations:

• Two-year lookback. Failed attempts more than two years old aren't counted when FINRA decides whether you're on a first, second or third failure
• Only the exam you failed. Failing the SIE doesn't start a wait for the Series 7 or any other exam. The Notice gives exactly that example
• Same wait online or at a center. FINRA's online testing FAQ says the wait doesn't depend on how you test
• No attempt cap in the rule. Rule 1210.06 sets waiting periods, not a maximum number of tries. FINRA's SIE FAQ says each attempt after the third is followed by the long wait

Candidates who aren't associated with a firm agree to the same waits when they enroll (Rule 1210.06).

How to work out your earliest SIE retest date

Add the waiting period, in calendar days, to the date of the failed attempt. That gives the first day of your new testing window. The examples in the Notice use a failure on January 13, 2027, which falls before the effective date:

Two more cases, using the same arithmetic:

• Failed on November 10, 2026 (first failure): 30 days later is December 10, 2026, before the switch, so the old rule simply runs its course
• Failed on January 25, 2027 (first failure): the new rule applies from the start, so the window opens February 9, 2027

If the shorter wait would already have ended before January 19, the earliest FINRA can open your window is January 19 itself. FINRA's waiting-period FAQ describes candidates in that position as able to test from January 19, 2027.

Fifteen days is short. If you'll be retesting on the new schedule, spend the time on the rules and numbers you missed; flashcards for the SIE rules and limits that cost points are planned for full prep.

If you already have an SIE retake appointment

This is the part of the change that needs a decision. FINRA can't adjust a testing window that has an appointment in it. The Notice says FINRA will contact affected candidates to review their options for the appointment date, and its waiting-period FAQ sets them out:

1. Keep the appointment. If you chose the date for a reason, do nothing; the appointment and window stay as they are
2. Cancel before January 19, 2027, and rebook. FINRA updates the window start on January 19, and you can then book an earlier date. FINRA can't guarantee an earlier seat will be available, so check Prometric's availability before you cancel

Weigh the fee. Cancelling at least 10 business days before the appointment is free. Cancelling 3 to 10 business days ahead costs $50, and cancelling within two business days costs the full $100 and uses up a self-enrolled enrollment. The SIE registration guide has the full fee table.

If you haven't booked yet and your wait straddles the switch, FINRA suggests waiting until after the January 19 update to schedule.

Re-enrolling for an SIE retake and what it costs

A retake isn't a free second try on the same enrollment. FINRA's pages describe two routes:

• Self-enrolled: submit a new request in TESS and pay another $100. TESS shows a window start date in the future when a waiting period applies
• Firm-enrolled: your firm re-requests the exam through CRD, another fee is charged, and you get a new 120-day window

Because every attempt is a new $100 enrollment, price your prep against the wait as well: you can compare the planned 30-, 90- and 180-day access lengths with your retest date.

Don't apply the FINRA change to NASAA exams

The Notice says the amendments apply only to FINRA qualification exams, and that waits for exams FINRA administers for other organizations, such as NASAA, may differ. FINRA's Series 63 page shows NASAA's own change, effective January 4, 2027: 30 days after a first or second failure (unchanged) and 60 days instead of 180 after a third, for windows opened on or after that date. If you're also taking the Series 63, 65 or 66, check NASAA's rule, not this one.

Planning a retake that's worth taking

A 15-day wait makes a quick retest possible, but it doesn't make one wise. Your fail report shows your overall score and your performance on each section, and that's the map for the next attempt. The SIE passing score guide explains how to read it.

Start with the free SIE retake planner: rate how each section went and set your new date, and it builds a weekly plan with your hardest sections first. If you need more practice in a weak section than the free set covers, practice that targets one SIE section at a time is planned for full prep. For the length of the plan itself, the SIE study time guide has 2-, 4- and 8-week versions.