General Securities Representative Qualification Examination (Series 7)
Series 7 Practice Exam
This independent Series 7 practice exam is weighted like FINRA's General Securities Representative outline, in which one job function carries 73% of the exam. FINRA allows 3 hours 45 minutes for 130 multiple-choice questions, of which 125 are scored and 5 are unscored pretest questions, and sets the passing score at 72. Start with a free 25-question diagnostic; it needs no account.
The free Series 7 diagnostic is being prepared and is not open yet. The exam facts and the content outline on this page are current.
The Series 7 outline has four job functions, and they are nowhere near equal. Function 3, which covers giving customers information about investments, making recommendations, transferring assets and keeping records, is 91 of the 125 scored questions. All of the product knowledge sits inside it, options and suitability included. Functions 1, 2 and 4 together are the remaining 34 questions.
So preparing for the Series 7 is mostly preparing for Function 3, and within it the questions are applied: a customer, an objective, a position, and a decision about what is appropriate. Each question here explains why the keyed answer fits and why each alternative does not, because on suitability questions the wrong options are usually sound products for a different customer.
The Series 7 exam at a glance
What you are preparing for, in the exam owner's own numbers.
| Questions | 130 (125 scored, 5 unscored) |
|---|---|
| Time limit | 3 hours 45 minutes |
| Exam fee | $395 |
| Delivery | Computer-based, delivered by Prometric at a test center. FINRA's online-delivery pages name only the SIE as generally available online; other exams have separate criteria. |
| Eligibility | Candidates must be associated with and sponsored by a FINRA member firm (or other applicable SRO member firm). The SIE is a corequisite: both the SIE and the Series 7 must be passed to register as a General Securities Representative. |
| Passing standard | Passing score of 72. Scores are equated to a common scale across exam forms, so 72 is not a raw percent-correct figure. |
| Retakes | 30-day wait after a first or second failed attempt; 180-day wait after a third or later failure. FINRA has amended Rule 1210 to shorten these to 15 and 60 days, but the shorter waits had not yet been implemented when this was verified. |
| Outline in force | FINRA General Securities Representative Qualification Examination (Series 7) Content Outline (© 2025 FINRA) |
Exam facts are taken from FINRA’s own published material, last checked October 2, 2026. Source. Confirm fees, dates and rules with the organization you register with before you book.
Who takes it
Unlike the SIE, the Series 7 is not open to the public. You must be associated with and sponsored by a FINRA member firm, or another applicable self-regulatory organization's member firm, to sit it. The SIE is a corequisite: you need to pass both to register as a General Securities Representative.
What the Series 7 exam covers
4 content areas and the share of the exam each carries. The bank is tagged to the same outline, so your results come back by area.
| Domain | Weight | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1Seeks Business for the Broker-Dealer from Customers and Potential Customers2 tasks | 7% |
|
| 2Opens Accounts After Obtaining and Evaluating Customers' Financial Profile and Investment Objectives4 tasks | 9% |
|
| 3Provides Customers with Information About Investments, Makes Recommendations, Transfers Assets and Maintains Appropriate Records4 tasks | 73% |
|
| 4Obtains and Verifies Customers' Purchase and Sales Instructions and Agreements; Processes, Completes and Confirms Transactions4 tasks | 11% |
|
How to use the bank for the Series 7 exam
- 1
Use the diagnostic to locate weak product areas
25 questions, weighted like the exam, so most of them fall in Function 3. Read your result by task as well as by function.
- 2
Spend your time where the questions are
Function 3 is 73% of the exam. The other three functions matter, but they are 7%, 9% and 11%; an hour moved from them to product knowledge and suitability is usually an hour better spent.
- 3
Work the calculations by hand
At a Prometric test center you are handed a basic four-function calculator, so practice with nothing more than that. The worked explanations show each step.
- 4
Build up to the full sitting
130 questions in 3 hours 45 minutes is long. Sit at least one full-length mock in a single session before the exam, and review it the next day rather than the same evening.
What is in the paid Series 7 bank
The question bank
The Series 7 bank is still being written. The live count appears here when questions are published.
Every option explained
A written reason for every option, right and wrong, plus a one-line takeaway, a cited reference and the outline task the question tests.
Tutor mode and timed mode
Tutor mode shows the explanation after each question. Timed mode holds everything back until the end, at exam pace.
A readiness band, by domain
Your first-attempt results weighted the way the exam weights its domains, shown as a band rather than a pass probability: nobody outside the exam owner knows the cut score.
A study plan
Set your exam date and the plan divides the questions you have not seen across the days you have left, weakest domains first, with the mock exams placed in the back half.
Series 7 passes
A pass is access for a fixed number of days. You pay once; nothing renews.
30-day pass
$49one-off
- The full Series 7 bank for 30 days
- Every mock exam, tutor and timed modes
- Charged once. It does not renew.
90-day pass
$79one-off
- The full Series 7 bank for 90 days
- Every mock exam, tutor and timed modes
- Charged once. It does not renew.
Refund within 7 days if you have answered fewer than 50 questions. Pass guarantee: complete 100% of the bank with an average of 80% or better, and if you still do not pass the exam your pass is extended by 90 days at no charge.
How the questions are written and checked
Step 1
Written to the public outline
Each question is written by AI against one task in FINRA's published content outline. Nothing is taken from the exam itself.
Step 2
Solved blind by a second model
A different model answers the question without seeing the key. If it does not reach the same answer, the question is not published.
Step 3
Audited for flaws and duplicates
A separate pass looks for item-writing flaws: two defensible answers, a giveaway in the wording, a rationale that contradicts the key. Near-duplicates are removed.
Step 4
Corrected in public
Learners can report any question. Reports and answer statistics flag questions for withdrawal or correction, and every correction is logged.
There is no human subject-matter-expert review in that process, and we do not claim one. What you get instead is a cited reference on every question, so you can check it yourself. Read the full methodology or see the corrections log.
Series 7 practice questions: common questions
How many questions are on the Series 7 exam?
130 in total. 125 count toward your score; the other 5 are pretest questions scattered through the exam and not marked. Sources that give 135 are describing an older version.
How long is the Series 7 exam?
3 hours 45 minutes.
What is the passing score for the Series 7?
72, two points higher than the SIE. It is reported on an equated scale, so it does not translate into a fixed number of correct answers out of 125.
What is on the Series 7 exam?
Four job functions: seeking business for the broker-dealer (7%), opening accounts (9%), providing information, making recommendations, transferring assets and maintaining records (73%), and handling purchase and sale instructions and processing transactions (11%).
What is the Series 7 pass rate?
There is no official figure to give: we found no Series 7 pass rate on FINRA's site. A number quoted elsewhere is that provider's own estimate. This site states no pass rate for its users.
How much does the Series 7 exam cost?
$395. The exam is taken through a sponsoring firm, so ask your firm how enrollment and payment are handled.
Do I need to pass the SIE before the Series 7?
You need both to register. FINRA describes the SIE as a corequisite: passing the Series 7 alone, or the SIE alone, does not qualify you as a General Securities Representative.
How soon can I retake the Series 7?
The wait is 30 days after each of the first two failed attempts and 180 days after a third or later one. A FINRA rule change filed in June 2026 cuts those to 15 and 60 days, with no implementation date announced when this page was last checked. Ask your firm or FINRA which applies.
The Series 7 (General Securities Representative Qualification Examination) is developed and administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA); FINRA® is a registered trademark of FINRA. This site is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by FINRA.