How to Register for the SIE Exam, Step by Step
Open a FINRA account, enroll in the SIE, pay the $100 fee, then book a Prometric seat or an online proctored slot. Here is the full process.
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Registering for the SIE exam happens online. You open a FINRA account, enroll in the exam, pay the $100 fee, then book your appointment. Anyone 18 or older can do it, and no brokerage firm has to sponsor you.
The order matters. FINRA owns enrollment. Prometric, the company that delivers the exam, owns your appointment. You cannot book a seat until your enrollment sits on file with FINRA.
This guide covers each step, the identification rules, the choice between a test center and online delivery, and how changing an appointment works. Fees and rules do change, so confirm current details on FINRA's SIE exam page before you pay.
What you are signing up for
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fee | $100 |
| Questions | 80 items, 75 scored plus 5 unscored pretest items |
| Time limit | 1 hour 45 minutes |
| Passing score | 70, reported as an equated score |
| Eligibility | 18 or older, no firm sponsorship |
| Delivery | Prometric test center, or online with remote proctoring |
| Result stays valid | 4 years |
FINRA does not publish a percent-correct equivalent for the passing score, so treat 70 as a scaled number rather than 70%. The SIE exam overview explains the scoring and the four sections in full.
Who can register
The SIE has one eligibility rule: you must be 18 or older. No degree, no work history, no prior exam, no sponsor.
That sets the SIE apart from the exams that follow it. A top-off exam like the Series 7 needs a firm to sponsor you before you can sit it. That is why many people take the SIE while still job hunting. SIE vs Series 7 shows how the two fit together.
Passing the SIE proves baseline industry knowledge, and the result stays good for four years. It does not register or license you by itself. Full registration needs a sponsoring firm plus a top-off exam. What the SIE license actually gets you covers the details.
How to register, step by step
1. Create your FINRA account
Set up an account for exam enrollment on finra.org. Use your legal name exactly as it appears on the photo ID you plan to bring. A mismatch between your enrollment name and your ID can stop you at check-in.
2. Enroll in the SIE
How you enroll depends on whether a firm has hired you.
| Your situation | Who enrolls you | Who usually pays |
|---|---|---|
| Studying on your own, no firm | You, through FINRA's online enrollment | You |
| Hired by a broker-dealer | Your firm's registration team | Ask the firm before you assume |
If a firm has hired you, talk to your registration contact before you enroll yourself. You do not want to pay for an enrollment the firm was about to open for you.
3. Pay the $100 fee
The SIE fee is $100 as of 2026, and you pay it when you enroll. If a firm enrolls you, ask who covers it.
The fee buys the enrollment, not the outcome. If you fail and want another attempt, you enroll again and pay again. That is the plain argument for passing the first time, and the full cost picture adds up the rest.
4. Schedule your appointment
Once FINRA has your enrollment, you book with Prometric. You pick a test center seat or an online proctored slot at that point.
Enrollment does not stay open forever. FINRA sets a window for sitting the exam after you enroll, and publishes the current length on its SIE page. Seats and time slots are limited, so book as soon as your window opens. A booked date also does more for your study habits than any intention does.
Test center or online: how to choose
Both options deliver the same exam, the same 80 items, and the same time limit. The difference is where you sit and who supplies the equipment.
| Prometric test center | Online with remote proctoring | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you sit | A booked seat at a center | A private room you supply |
| Equipment | Provided | Your own computer and webcam |
| Travel | Yes, plus check-in time | None |
| Setup work | Arrive early | Meet Prometric's room and equipment rules |
| Suits you if | Home is noisy or shared | You have a quiet room and no interruptions |
Before you book online delivery, read Prometric's room and equipment rules. A room that fails on exam day costs you the appointment. The rules cover things people rarely think about, such as what may sit on the desk and who may enter the room.
What you need on exam day
Before you book, read FINRA's current identification rules. They decide whether you sit the exam at all.
Plan on a valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID, with a name that matches your enrollment exactly. FINRA and Prometric publish the accepted documents and the rules for what you may bring into the room. Both lists change, so read them close to your exam date rather than months ahead.
SIE exam day: what to expect walks through check-in, the screen, and the timer.
Changing, cancelling, or missing your appointment
You reschedule or cancel in the same place you booked. Deadlines apply, and they tighten as the appointment gets closer. Some changes carry a fee.
Read the current reschedule rules on finra.org and in your appointment confirmation before you book, not on the morning you need them.
Missing the appointment without cancelling is the outcome to avoid. If your plans look shaky, move the date early while the cheaper options are still open.
Registering again after a failed attempt
A failed attempt means enrolling again, paying again, and waiting out a required period first. As of 2026 the waits are:
- 30 days after a first or second failed attempt.
- 180 days after a third or later failed attempt within two years.
FINRA has approved shorter waits and will announce when they start. Until that announcement lands, plan around the current waits. What happens if you fail the SIE covers scores, timing, and how to use the gap.
Use the time between booking and exam day
Pick the date first, then work backwards from it.
Start with a diagnostic so you know which sections are weak. Our free SIE practice test takes one sitting and gives you a section-by-section score. Understanding Products and Their Risks carries 44% of the scored questions, so a weak score there costs you more than a weak score anywhere else.
From there, a simple plan works:
- Work through the free SIE course, 30 lessons across the four exam sections.
- Drill SIE practice questions until the explanations stop surprising you.
- Sit full practice tests under the real limit of 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Keep the SIE study guide open for the rules you keep forgetting.
For a week-by-week schedule, how to study for the SIE exam lays one out. If you are still deciding how much time to book, SIE exam difficulty gives you the honest version, and SIE exam prep compares the ways people get ready.
Registration rules, fees, and identification requirements sit with FINRA, and FINRA changes them from time to time. Use this guide for the shape of the process, and use finra.org for the numbers on the day you register.