Answers to common questions about the FINRA Series 99 exam: eligibility and sponsorship, SIE corequisite, exception pathway, format/timing, scoring, and study strategy.
Policies can change—confirm critical details with FINRA and your firm before scheduling.
Yes. Series 99 is a representative-level FINRA qualification exam and generally requires association with a FINRA member firm (or other applicable SRO member firm).
Yes. The SIE is a corequisite for the Operations Professional qualification path.
FINRA states that if you hold (or have held within the prior two years) certain “eligible registrations,” you may qualify as an Operations Professional without taking the Series 99 exam (high level). FINRA’s list includes:
FINRA also notes conditions (e.g., reactivating the eligible registration first, and limits if registrations were revoked/suspended). Confirm your situation with FINRA and your firm’s registration team.
FINRA states no fee is charged for requesting the Operations Professional registration if you use an eligible registration (high level). If you take the Series 99 exam, FINRA lists an exam fee.
Yes. FINRA states Operations Professionals are subject to continuing education requirements (Firm Element and Regulatory Element, high level).
Series 99 tests broker-dealer operations knowledge and controls:
Use the blueprint weights:
FINRA retake waiting periods can depend on attempt count and exam type. Verify current rules with FINRA at scheduling time.