Short answer
No. Anyone 18 or older can register for the SIE without a firm sponsor. You do need a sponsor for representative exams like the Series 7.
SIE Exam Pass Rate
Based on FINRA exam data, about 74% of first-time candidates pass the SIE. FINRA doesn’t publish updated annual SIE pass rates, so industry estimates range from about 70% to 80%. To pass, you need a scaled score of 70, which works out to about 53 of the 75 scored questions.
USA SIE Exam: Quick Facts
- Administered by
- FINRA (via Prometric test centers or online proctoring)
- Questions
- 75 scored + 5 unscored (80 total)
- Time
- 1 hour 45 minutes
- Passing score
- 70
- Fee
- About $100 (check FINRA’s fee schedule)
- Valid for
- 4 years after passing
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