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Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam
The Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam is a FINRA exam for prospective securities industry professionals that assesses basic knowledge of the securities industry.
Official exam siteJump to prep options ↓
Questions75 scored questions plus 5 unscored pretest items (80 total)
Testing time1 hour 45 minutes
ScoringPassing score of 70
Exam feeUSD 100
Prep options
Study resources for SIE
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- FINRA
- Category
- Securities Licensing
- Current version
- 2025 SIE content outline
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Testing provider
- Prometric
- Format
- Multiple choice; computer-delivered at a Prometric test center or online with remote proctoring
- Availability
- By appointment at Prometric test centers or online; the exam must be taken within a 120-day enrollment window
- Score validity
- SIE results are valid for four years
- Remote testing
- Available
Exam structure
75 multiple-choice items (four answer choices each) across four sections: Knowledge of Capital Markets (12 items), Understanding Products and Their Risks (33), Understanding Trading, Customer Accounts and Prohibited Activities (23), and Overview of the Regulatory Framework (7).
Eligibility
Age 18 or older; no broker-dealer association or U.S. citizenship required
Retake policy
30-day waiting period after the first and second failed attempts; 180-day waiting period after the third and each subsequent attempt