Series 34 exam-day guide
Series 34 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID with signature
Bring an unexpired driver's license, passport, or state ID. The name must match your registration record exactly. Confirm the exact ID policy and whether a second form of identification is required with the test provider before your appointment.
Appointment confirmation or admission document
Bring the confirmation number or admission letter from the scheduling provider. If you are testing online by remote proctoring, confirm the check-in link and system requirements at least 24 hours ahead.
Confirmation that your firm has filed and opened your exam window
Series 34 registration is sponsored by your member firm; you cannot self-register. Verify with your firm's compliance or licensing coordinator that the window is open and confirm with the provider how long the window remains valid.
Review of the current content outline and exam specifications
Confirm the current number of scored questions, time allowance, and passing standard from the official content outline rather than from memory or a third-party summary. Practice under the real time limit so your pacing is calibrated.
One-page formula and concept sheet (for pre-entry review only)
Condense the math you must carry in your head: pip values for standard pairs and for JPY pairs, lot/notional size conversions, margin and leverage relationships, and how rollover/interest is applied. Personal notes cannot be taken into the testing room.
Calculator expectations clarified
An on-screen calculator is typically available and personal calculators are usually prohibited, but confirm this with the provider. If a physical calculator or scratch materials are permitted, they are normally supplied at the center.
Nothing prohibited on your person
Leave phones, smart watches, notes, and study materials outside the testing room. Confirm the provider's policy on lockers, pockets, and personal items.
Plan to arrive early
Arriving well ahead of your appointment allows time for ID verification, security screening, and the tutorial. Confirm the provider's late-arrival and forfeiture rules in advance.
Logistics: route, parking or transit, and payment for incidentals
Know the route and allow buffer time. Confirm the test center location on the provider's site, since centers relocate.
Rest and a normal meal
Sleep and steady blood sugar matter more in a 60-minute exam than one more hour of cramming. Avoid loading new material the morning of the test.
Plan the day
Stop consuming new material. Take one or two full timed practice sets under exam conditions, then spend your remaining time on the areas where you missed questions. Rewrite your formula sheet from memory and check it against your notes.
Rehearse the regulatory and conduct topics that are easy to lose points on: anti-money-laundering obligations, disclosure of conflicts and compensation, suitability and appropriateness standards, markup and spread practices, and recordkeeping/supervision duties.
Confirm logistics: appointment time and location, ID validity, and that your exam window is open. If testing remotely, run the system check and clear a quiet, private room for the session.
Do a light review of your formula sheet and the handful of topics you have repeatedly missed. Do not take a new full-length practice exam this late; a bad score creates anxiety without adding knowledge.
Lay out your ID and confirmation document, charge nothing you need to bring, set two alarms, and plan the morning so you are not rushed. Get a full night's sleep.
Eat a normal meal, review only your one-page sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, then put it away. Arrive early, complete check-in calmly, and use the tutorial time to settle in rather than to start worrying about the clock.
Answer every question - there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave a blank. Do a first pass at a steady pace, flagging anything requiring a calculation or a second read, then return to flagged items with the remaining time.
For calculation items, write out the given figures and the unit of the answer before computing; most errors are unit or decimal-place errors on pip values and notional amounts. If a question seems to require an assumption you cannot justify, choose the most conservative, disclosure-oriented answer and move on.
Rules to check
You must present valid, unexpired government-issued photo identification matching your registration record; the exact accepted forms and any second-ID requirement should be confirmed with the provider before test day.
The exam is firm-sponsored. Your member firm files the registration, and you cannot schedule or sit for the exam without an open window; verify your status with your firm's licensing coordinator.
Personal items - phones, watches, notes, and study materials - are not permitted in the testing room. Confirm the provider's policy on storage and on items allowed at your seat.
Scoring is based on the number of scored questions answered correctly, and unanswered questions count as incorrect, so answer every item. Confirm the current passing standard and any unscored pretest items from the official content outline.
Follow all proctor instructions. Suspected cheating, unauthorized materials, or attempting to remove exam content can result in score cancellation, a bar from future exams, and referral to your firm and regulators.
Exam content is confidential. Do not discuss, reconstruct, or share specific exam questions with anyone afterward, including colleagues preparing for the same exam.
If you need testing accommodations or must reschedule, arrange it with the provider well in advance; late cancellations may forfeit the fee. Confirm the provider's rescheduling and fee policy rather than assuming it.
If a technical problem or interruption occurs during the session, stop and notify the proctor immediately; unresolved issues must be documented at the time to preserve any remedy.