How many questions are on the Series 7?
The Series 7 has 135 questions: 125 scored multiple-choice questions plus 10 unscored pretest questions mixed in at random. You have 3 hours and 45 minutes. Each question has four answer choices, there is no penalty for guessing, and the passing score is 72. You also have to pass the SIE, a separate exam, to get the General Securities registration.
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In more detail
You cannot tell which 10 questions are the unscored pretest items, so treat all 135 as real. That leaves about 100 seconds per question. FINRA's content outline lists 135 items in total, 125 scored and 10 unscored.
The 125 scored questions follow FINRA's four job functions, and one dominates. Function 3, which covers investment information, recommendations, transferring assets and keeping records, is 91 questions, or 73% of the exam. Options, municipal securities, packaged products and suitability all sit there, so most of your study time belongs to that function.
FINRA places every candidate's score on a common scale through a process called equating, so the 72 is not a simple count of right answers and every exam version is held to the same standard. As a rough guide, 72 percent of 125 is 90 questions, but the exact number varies by version. To sit for the Series 7 you must be associated with and sponsored by a FINRA member firm.
Series 7 questions by job function (FINRA content outline)
| Function | What it covers | Share of exam | Scored questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seeking business from customers and potential customers | 7% | 9 |
| 2 | Opening accounts after evaluating the customer's profile and objectives | 9% | 11 |
| 3 | Investment information, recommendations, transferring assets and records | 73% | 91 |
| 4 | Customer orders: processing, completing and confirming transactions | 11% | 14 |
| Scored total | 100% | 125 | |
| Unscored pretest | Mixed in at random, not marked | - | 10 |
| On your screen | 125 scored + 10 unscored | - | 135 |
Step by step
- 1
Download FINRA's Series 7 content outline and note the four functions and their weights.
- 2
Weight your study time by function, with roughly three quarters on function 3.
- 3
Learn one product block at a time, such as options, municipal securities or margin, then quiz yourself on it.
- 4
Practice at the real pace of about 100 seconds per question, and answer every question, since a guess costs nothing.
- 5
Take at least two full-length practice exams in 3 hours 45 minutes before test day.
How StudyPDF helps
Try free Series 7 practice questions in your browser at Series 7 Practice Exam. Then upload your Series 7 prep book, class notes or slides, and press New material for flashcards, a quiz or a timed practice exam built from them. StudyPDF tracks the concepts you keep missing, like options strategies or margin rules, and your next quiz goes after them. A free account needs no card.
Sources
See also
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More questions
How many questions do you need to get right to pass the Series 7?
The passing score is 72. As a rough guide that is about 90 of the 125 scored questions, but FINRA equates scores across exam versions, so the exact number varies. Aim well above it on practice exams.
How many questions are on the SIE?
FINRA lists 75 scored questions on the SIE, with 1 hour and 45 minutes and a passing score of 70. You need to pass both the SIE and the Series 7 to get the General Securities Representative registration.
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