The Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam tests a candidate’s understanding of general concepts in four key areas within the Securities industry. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) reports an SIE exam pass rate of 74% among 58,264 first-time test takers as of January 2019. Although the average SIE exam pass rate is above 70%, don’t assume that it’s easy. Candidates who pass on the first attempt take the test seriously and are thoroughly prepared. Learn more about FINRA’s SIE exam here. A passing Score for the SIE exam is a 70%. There are 75 questions on the SIE exam. You have 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete the SIE exam. With 75 questions and a required score of 70%, the SIE exam doesn’t offer a large margin for error (in order to pass you must correctly answer at least 53 out of the 75 questions) in the hour and 45 minutes. If you have prior education or experience in the financial sector, you may already be familiar with some of these key concepts. If not, don’t worry; a well-designed online course and study program will cover everything you need to know. The information below will help you gauge your current level of readiness to sit for the exam. This section tests understanding of regulatory entities, agencies, and market participants. Questions will cover topics such as Self-regulatory Organizations (SROs), types of markets, economic factors, the Federal Reserve’s role, and other related topics. This section focuses on different types of equity, debt instruments, options, and packaged products. It also addresses the investment risks associated with each of these assets. Questions focus on the rules and regulations associated with various Securities products. A significant portion of the exam covers understanding of the fundamental concepts of trading, including types of orders, trade capacity, compounds of return, and types of dividends. Candidates will be tested for knowledge of self-regulatory organizations, their requirements and processes. Employee conduct, reportable events, and several by-laws and rules also are included in this section. You can increase the likelihood of passing the exam with the right preparation – and we are here to help. To get started, check out ExamFX’s free eBook Getting To Know The Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam. This resource can help you fully grasp what to expect and provide the confidence to create a plan that ensures a passing score. Our SIE online training course is an easy-to-use exam prep program that can help you pass on the first try. This affordable, interactive course includes the most up-to-date eLearning tools to fit all learning styles. Additional benefits of our SIE online prep course: The SIE exam can be hard for some people but should not be too difficult to pass after studying. You will need to prepare prior to taking the SIE exam. If you don’t pass the test you must wait 30 days to take it again. If you fail three times, the waiting period to retake the exam extends to 180 days. The last thing you want to do is put your career on hold due to lack of preparation. We recommend you seriously consider using an online exam prep before applying to take the exam. Learn more about how to study for the SIE exam here. Learn more about how to register for the SIE exam here. A passing score on the SIE exam will help boost your professional trajectory in several ways. By proving you understand the core concepts in Securities, you can separate yourself from other applicants who haven’t yet taken this step. Employers will see you as ambitious; ready to jump in and start making an impact immediately. And you will be ready to prepare for your qualification examination, which corresponds to your particular field in the Securities industry. You will be able to take your qualification exam once you are sponsored by a FINRA member firm. SIE exam difficulty depends on the steps you take to prepare; we hope to be a part of your journey toward a successful career in the Securities industry!
SIE Exam Pass Rate
SIE Passing Score
How Many Questions are on the SIE exam?
How long is the SIE exam?
Overview of SIE Exam Content
1. Knowledge of Capital Markets (16%)
2. Understanding Products and Their Risks (44%)
3. Understanding Trading, Customer Accounts, and Prohibited Activities (31%)
4. Overview of Regulatory Framework (9%)
Need Help Preparing for the SIE Exam?
What Happens After You Pass the SIE Exam?
FAQs
How Hard is the SIE Exam and What is the Pass Rate? - ExamFX? ›
SIE Exam Pass Rate
Is ExamFX good for SIE? ›Our best overall SIE exam prep course option is ExamFX. It offers a wide range of prep tools and courses, a guarantee that you'll pass, and a refund if you don't.
How hard is it to pass the SIE exam? ›Although the average SIE exam pass rate is above 70%, don't assume that it's easy. Candidates who pass on the first attempt take the test seriously and are thoroughly prepared. Learn more about FINRA's SIE exam here.
What is the pass rate for the SIE? ›What is the SIE pass rate? The SIE exam has approximately a 73% pass rate.
What is the pass rate for ExamFX? ›With a 93% pass rate by ExamFX students and a money-back Guarantee Exam included in every package, ExamFX is a highly-rated course.
What is the best test prep for SIE? ›Kaplan Financial Education's securities licensing exam prep packages provide all the necessary tools to help you prepare, practice, and perform on the FINRA® Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam. We offer a variety of instruction options and exam prep study tools to best suit your learning style and schedule.
What is the hardest section of the SIE? ›SIE Exam's Hardest Sections: Options is Front and Center. Flip through the SIE study material, and you will find that the Options section is most confusing. Unsurprisingly, it is my number one most requested topic to tutor for the SIE exam by far.
Is passing the SIE a big deal? ›Passing this exam qualifies you to pursue a career in the financial services industry. Back in 2015, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) streamlined its testing structure by consolidating the fundamental knowledge shared across several of the Series exams into the SIE.
What happens if you fail SIE? ›If you fail the SIE exam, you will receive a numeric exam score. A range of performance for each of the basic knowledge sections is also provided. You must wait 30 days before taking the exam a second time.
Do you get SIE results immediately? ›For exams taken at the test center, you will see your results on the computer and receive a printed copy of your pass/fail report immediately after you finish the exam. Candidates must wait 30 days after a first failed exam attempt and 30 days after a second failed attempt before retaking the exam.
What is the easiest series exam? ›
As a result, the Series 66 exam is considered by most to be an easier test. Like the Series 65 exam, it qualifies the individual to act as an IAR and fulfills the requirements for state registration. There are exam fees for these exams that must be paid before taking them.
What is the hardest series exam? ›The Series 7 exam is often considered the most difficult securities licensing exam. But, the answer is up to you. If you prepare properly and utilize an online learning tool like ExamFX's Series 7 course, you can approach the test with confidence and earn your Series 7 registration.
How long does it take to complete ExamFX? ›| LINE OF AUTHORITY | REQUIRED HOURS OF STUDY |
|---|---|
| Personal Lines (includes Code and Ethics) | 32 hours |
| Limited Lines Automobile Agent | 20 hours |
| Code and Ethics | 12 hours |
| Life (includes Code and Ethics) | 32 hours |
You only get two attempts at the Readiness Exam, so give yourself enough time to complete each one. This exam is specifically designed to be taken a limited number of times to prevent question memorization, which is why we cannot reset Readiness Exam attempts.
Which part of the enrolled agent exam is the hardest? ›The Businesses section is considered the hardest among most tax preparers and often gives Enrolled Agent candidates anxiety.
What is the top off exam for SIE? ›What Is A FINRA Top Off Exam? A Top Off exam is the second of two exams required to earn a Series 6, 7, 79, and 99 license (the first exam being the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam, which covers industry basics). The Top Off exam covers deep details and concepts applicable to a specific license type.
What book to study for the SIE exam? ›License Exam Manual (LEM)
This comprehensive textbook is the foundation of your qualification exam preparation. The text contains everything you need to know for the exam, broken down into easily digestible units. Kaplan's team of experts builds the content with a focus on the most recent rules and regulations.
The Series 7 exam is often considered the most difficult securities licensing exam. But, if you prepare properly and utilize an online learning tool like ExamFX's Series 7 course, you can approach the test with confidence and earn your Series 7 registration.
What is a good score on the SIE? ›The passing score for the SIE is 70 (on a scale of 0 to 100). This test score is placed on a common scale with all other candidate test scores for that exam and statistical adjustments are made to the score to account for slight variations in the difficulty that may exist among different sets of exam questions.