Series 24 exam-day guide
Series 24 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Unexpired government-issued photo ID with your signature
Bring your driver's license or passport. Your name on the ID must match your registration exactly. Confirm with the test provider whether a second form of ID is required and whether photocopies or expired documents are ever accepted.
Appointment confirmation / registration number
Have your confirmation email, appointment number, and the provider's phone number available (printed or on paper, since phones stay in a locker). Plan to arrive roughly 30 minutes before your slot - confirm the exact check-in window with the provider.
Verified test location or approved remote-testing setup
Do a dry run of the route or transit plan, or if testing remotely, confirm the provider's system check, camera, microphone, and room requirements in advance. Rules differ between in-person and online proctoring - confirm with the provider.
Name-change or accommodation paperwork already filed
If your legal name changed or you need testing accommodations, these must typically be arranged with the provider and/or your sponsoring firm well before test day. You generally cannot fix this at check-in.
Plan for personal items (phone, watch, bag, notes)
Expect to store all personal items in a locker or other designated area outside the testing room. Confirm the provider's policy on lockers, storage size, and what may be brought to the desk.
Know the permitted-aids policy (calculator, scratch materials)
The Series 24 is not a calculation-heavy exam. Confirm with the provider whether any calculator is permitted and whether scratch paper or a dry-erase board is supplied at the center. Do not bring your own scratch paper.
Light review notes for pre-check-in only
Bring a one- or two-page summary of high-yield supervision timeframes, escalation rules, and registration categories. You will not be able to bring it past check-in - it is for the parking lot or waiting room only.
Exam format expectations written down
Confirm the current item count, time limit, and passing standard with FINRA/the provider before test day so nothing at the terminal surprises you. Widely published figures are 160 total items (150 scored plus 10 unscored pretest) in 3 hours 45 minutes, with a passing scaled score of 70 - verify these are still current.
Break supplies stored away
Water and a snack should go in your locker, not the testing room. Confirm whether the center permits access to stored items during breaks.
Sponsorship/registration status confirmed with your firm
Series 24 registration requires a sponsoring member firm and a filed Form U4. Confirm with your firm's registration contact that your window is open and the fee is paid.
Sleep and logistics locked in
Set two alarms, confirm the appointment time in your own time zone, and identify backup transportation. Test-day fatigue is a bigger score risk than one more practice set.
Plan the day
Stop adding new material. Re-read your own summary sheets and error log, focusing on supervision obligations, escalation and reporting timeframes, and the registration/qualification categories you keep missing. Take at most one full-length timed practice set, then review it thoroughly rather than taking more.
Reconfirm the appointment date, time, time zone, and address with the provider. Verify your ID is unexpired and the name matches. Print or save your confirmation. Call the provider if anything is inconsistent - do not wait until the morning of.
Light review only: skim your summary sheet for 60–90 minutes in the morning and then stop. Pack your ID, confirmation, and notes. Decide what you will wear and how you will travel. Avoid alcohol and late caffeine; aim for a normal night's sleep rather than an early one.
Confirm whether testing remotely or in person one last time, and check for any provider email about center closures, rescheduling, or system requirements. Note the provider's cancellation/reschedule policy in case of emergency.
Eat a normal meal and hydrate. Arrive about 30 minutes early (or log in early for remote testing) - check-in involves ID verification and a rules acknowledgment. Leave the study notes in the car or locker; do not cram new topics in the waiting room.
Turn your phone completely off before entering the check-in area rather than merely silencing it, and store it with your other belongings.
Work at roughly 1.4 minutes per item (about 225 minutes for 160 items), which leaves review time. Answer every question - there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave a blank.
Use the review/flag feature. Mark questions where two answers look plausible and return to them after finishing the first pass. Read the call of the question first on long supervision scenarios so you know what is actually being asked.
If you take an unscheduled break, expect the clock to keep running and expect to re-verify your ID to re-enter. Keep breaks short and take them at a natural point, not mid-scenario.
If the terminal freezes or a proctor interrupts you, raise your hand or use the chat immediately and note the time. Do not attempt to fix equipment yourself, and ask the proctor to document the incident.
Rules to check
Follow the provider's check-in and ID rules exactly. You will typically be photographed, asked for a signature, and required to sign a confidentiality and rules acknowledgment before the clock starts. Confirm the specifics with the provider.
You may not bring phones, smartwatches, notes, or other materials into the testing room. Possession of a device in the room, even powered off, is commonly treated as misconduct - store everything as instructed.
Do not discuss, reproduce, or transmit exam content. The nondisclosure agreement you sign covers question content, and violations can lead to score cancellation and referral to FINRA.
Unscheduled breaks are generally permitted, but the timer does not stop. You may be required to sign out and present ID again to re-enter, so budget break time against your remaining minutes.
Scoring is based only on the scored items; unscored pretest items are mixed in and do not affect your result. The passing standard for the Series 24 is a scaled score of 70 - confirm the current standard with FINRA before test day.
Your result is typically displayed and printed at the end of the session, with a section-by-section diagnostic if you do not pass. Keep the printed report; your firm will need it.
If you do not pass, a waiting period before retaking and a new fee generally apply, and your firm may have its own retake policy. Confirm both with FINRA and your firm rather than assuming a timeframe.
If you need accommodations, a reschedule, or a name correction, arrange it with the provider before test day. Requests made at check-in are frequently denied, and the provider's cancellation window may impose a fee.