FINRA owns and administers the Securities Industry Essentials exam. It is open to anyone age 18 or older without firm sponsorship. The SIE has 75 scored questions, allows 105 minutes, uses a passing score of 70, costs $100, and normally remains valid four years. Passing the SIE alone does not qualify an individual for FINRA or state registration.

Exam overview

Exam summary
FINRA Securities Industry Essentials (SIE)
Exam-specific prerequisites
No
Prerequisite explanation
Open to candidates age 18 or older; firm association is not required.

Exam structure

Number of questions
75 scored questions
Exam duration
105 minutes
Passing threshold / published scoring model
70
Exam format
FINRA-administered qualification examination
Testing method
In-person

Cost & attempts

Exam fee
$100

Administrator (time-sensitive)

Administrator last verified date
2026-08-26

Source governance

Official candidate handbook / exam outline
https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/securities-industry-essentials-exam
Primary authoritative source
https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/securities-industry-essentials-exam
Last verified date
2026-08-26
Verification status
Verified
Review / recheck date
2026-09-26

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