Series 7 and SIE Exam Results in 2026
You see your SIE or Series 7 pass/fail result on screen when the exam ends. Official report timing, passing scores, and the retake waiting periods.
You find out whether you passed the SIE or Series 7 on the day you test, on screen, before you leave the room or close the online session. At a Prometric test center you also get a printed pass/fail results report. If you test online, the on-screen result is unofficial; FINRA validates it and emails your official results report within three business days, and the result is posted to FINRA's systems in that same window. There is no release calendar to wait for, because both exams are scheduled individually inside a 120-day enrollment window.
Series 7 and SIE result release timing
FINRA uses the same results process for the SIE and the Series 7. What changes is where you sat the exam.
| Where you tested | What you get on test day | Official result |
|---|---|---|
| Prometric test center | Result on screen through the PROCTOR system shortly after you finish, plus a printed pass/fail results report | The printed report |
| Online, remote proctored | An unofficial pass or fail notification on screen | Validated and emailed to your scheduling address within three business days, and posted to FINRA's systems |
Source: FINRA's test center and online test appointment pages and the Online Test Delivery FAQ, checked October 22, 2026.
The SIE can be taken online by anyone with an open enrollment window. For other FINRA exams, including the Series 7, online delivery requires an approved accommodation, for example living more than 150 miles from a test center. If you take the Series 7 at a test center, you walk out with the printed report.
How to check your Series 7 or SIE result
- Read the screen at the end of the exam. Pass or fail appears right after you submit. Do not close an online session early: FINRA warns that an incomplete online test can be scored, which could mean a failure and a waiting period.
- Keep the printed report or watch your email. Test center candidates leave with a printed report. Online candidates get the official report by email within three business days, sent to the address used when scheduling.
- Check TESS if you enrolled yourself. SIE candidates who enrolled through FINRA's Test Enrollment Services System (TESS) will see the result and test date under "My Exams" within 72 hours of finishing.
- Check your CRD record. Your qualifications are part of your Central Registration Depository record, which you can view in Financial Professional Gateway (FinPro Gateway). Firm-sponsored Series 7 candidates were enrolled by the firm through a Form U4, and the firm manages registration in CRD.
- Lost the report? Call the FINRA Support Center at (240) 386-4040 to request a copy.
What your score report shows
The detail depends on whether you passed.
- If you pass, FINRA provides no additional scoring details. The report states that you passed, and that is all.
- If you fail, the results report includes your overall exam score and your performance on each topic section of the exam.
- Equated scores. Some reports say the score is equated. That means it has been placed on a common scale with every other candidate's score for that exam, so a slightly harder or easier set of questions does not change the passing standard.
Passing scores, as FINRA publishes them:
- SIE: 70, on a scale of 0 to 100. The exam has 75 scored items plus 5 unidentified pretest items (80 total) in 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- Series 7: 72. The exam has 125 scored items plus 5 unscored pretest items (130 total) in 3 hours and 45 minutes.
The section breakdown is the useful part of a failing report, because it maps directly onto the content outline:
| SIE section | Items | Series 7 job function | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge of Capital Markets | 12 (16%) | F1: Seeks business for the broker-dealer | 9 |
| Understanding Products and Their Risks | 33 (44%) | F2: Opens accounts after evaluating the customer's financial profile | 11 |
| Understanding Trading, Customer Accounts and Prohibited Activities | 23 (31%) | F3: Provides information, makes recommendations, transfers assets, maintains records | 91 |
| Overview of the Regulatory Framework | 7 (9%) | F4: Obtains and verifies instructions; processes and confirms transactions | 14 |
Source: FINRA SIE and Series 7 content outlines (2025 editions). On the Series 7, F3 is 91 of 125 scored items, so a weak F3 score matters far more than a weak F1.
Retake rules if you did not pass
FINRA Rule 1210, Supplementary Material .06, sets the waiting periods, and they apply to the SIE and the Series 7 alike.
| Failed attempt | Wait through January 18, 2027 | Wait from January 19, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| First or second | 30 calendar days | 15 calendar days |
| Third or later in succession, within two years | 180 calendar days | 60 calendar days |
FINRA adopted the shorter periods in Regulatory Notice 26-18, published October 14, 2026, and they take effect January 19, 2027. A few details from that notice are worth knowing:
- The wait applies only to the exam you failed. Failing the SIE does not stop you from taking the Series 7.
- Failed attempts more than two years old are not counted.
- If you request a retake before January 19 and have no appointment booked, FINRA adjusts your testing window to the shorter period on January 19. If you already have an appointment, FINRA will contact you about your options.
- FINRA's own example: fail on January 13, 2027 and the window opens January 28 (15 days) for a first or second failure, or March 14 (60 days) for a third.
Calculated earliest retake dates for a first or second failure this fall, using the current 30-day rule:
| Failed on | Earliest retake |
|---|---|
| October 26, 2026 | November 25, 2026 |
| November 9, 2026 | December 9, 2026 |
| November 23, 2026 | December 23, 2026 |
| December 7, 2026 | January 6, 2027 |
| January 20, 2027 (new 15-day rule) | February 4, 2027 |
These are calendar calculations from the rule, not dates FINRA publishes. Your actual window appears when you re-enroll.
Re-enrolling and fees. If your firm enrolled you, the firm must re-request the exam through CRD, which opens a new 120-day window. If you enrolled yourself in TESS, you submit a new request and pay the exam fee again. The SIE costs $100 and the Series 7 costs $395. TESS payments are not refundable once processed.
After you pass
You need both exams for the General Securities registration, and the order does not matter. The SIE is open to anyone 18 or older without a firm. The Series 7 requires you to be associated with and sponsored by a FINRA member firm (or another applicable SRO member firm).
An SIE pass is valid for four years from the date you pass. Under Rule 1210.08, if four or more years have gone by since you last passed the SIE or were last registered as a representative, whichever was later, you take the SIE again. Separately, if two or more years pass after you were last registered as a representative, you have to pass a representative exam such as the Series 7 again, unless you have kept your qualification under Rule 1240(c).
Studying for a retake from your own notes
Your failing report already tells you where to look. If F3 came back weak on the Series 7, or Products and Their Risks on the SIE, that is the material to work on before your window opens.
- Upload the notes, outlines, and prep-course PDFs you already have. There is no need to restart from page one.
- Use the practice test generator to build a practice exam from those files, pointed at the sections where your report showed the gap.
- Turn the weakest section into a narrated walkthrough with AI video lectures.
- AI exam prep covers the rest of the workflow, and the roundup of best AI tools for certification exam prep compares other options.
A free Scholarly account includes one AI creation, enough to try this on your own material. Paid plans cover anything beyond that.
FAQ
How soon do you get Series 7 results?
Right away. Your pass or fail result appears on screen when you finish, and at a test center you also receive a printed report. Online results are validated and emailed within three business days.
What score do you need to pass the SIE and Series 7?
70 on the SIE, on a 0 to 100 scale, and 72 on the Series 7. Both are equated scores, so they adjust for small differences in difficulty between exam forms.
Do you see your score if you pass?
No. Passing candidates get no additional scoring details. Only failing candidates see an overall score and performance by topic section.
How long do you wait to retake the Series 7 or SIE?
Today it is 30 days after a first or second failure and 180 days after three or more failures in a row within two years. From January 19, 2027 those drop to 15 and 60 days.
Sources
- FINRA, Prepare for Your Test Center Appointment: https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exam/testcenter
- FINRA, Prepare for Your Online Test Appointment: https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/testonline
- FINRA, Online Test Delivery FAQ: https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exam/online-test-delivery-faqs
- FINRA, Schedule an Exam: https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/schedule-exam
- FINRA, Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam: https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/securities-industry-essentials-exam
- FINRA, SIE Exam and Exam Restructuring FAQ: https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/sie-and-exam-restructuring-faq
- FINRA, Series 7 General Securities Representative Exam: https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/series7
- FINRA, SIE Content Outline (2025, PDF): https://www.finra.org/sites/default/files/2025-10/SIE_Content_Outline.pdf
- FINRA, Series 7 Content Outline (2025, PDF): https://www.finra.org/sites/default/files/2025-10/Series_7_Content_Outline.pdf
- FINRA, TESS Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/securities-industry-essentials-exam/tess-faq
- FINRA, Financial Professional Gateway (FinPro Gateway): https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/finpro
- FINRA, Rule 1210, Registration Requirements: https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance/rulebooks/finra-rules/1210
- FINRA, Regulatory Notice 26-18: https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance/notices/26-18
Last verified: October 22, 2026. FINRA's retake waiting periods change on January 19, 2027, so confirm the current rule and your own testing window on the official pages above before you book.
